16 best vitamin brands for 2023: What to look for

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the vitamin and supplement industry, which can make identifying the top brands difficult. The best vitamin brands will provide a wide range of products and use third-party testing.

This article discusses how some organizations assess the quality of vitamins and supplements and reviews some of the best vitamin brands a person may wish to consider.

A quick look at the best vitamin brands:

Dietary supplements, such as vitamins, are subject to limited evaluations from the FDA. The FDA does not review vitamins on the marketplace for safety, efficacy, or quality.

This means that vitamins may not contain the ingredients or dosage manufacturers claim they do, as contents may vary between batches.

Although the FDA does require that manufacturers of vitamins follow Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs), this is not a widely enforced standard.

That said, the FDA does take action against adulterated or misbranded dietary supplements.

Third-party testing

People can determine the quality of a vitamin or dietary supplement by looking for brands certified by various third-party organizations.

Manufacturers can volunteer for third-party testing to indicate that their products are reliable and safe.

Products undergoing third-party testing may have undergone evaluation for:

  • standardized quality between batches
  • correctly stated dosage
  • ingredient purity
  • potentially harmful contaminants
  • label transparency

Vitamins may have a certificate of analysis (COA), which declares that a product has undergone testing for safety and quality.

Some third-party organizations that assess vitamin and supplement brands include the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG), ConsumerLab.com, and NSF International.

Two of the most common certifications for vitamin brands are United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and #1 Pharmacist Recommended.

Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.

Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here.

Best overall: Nature Made

NatureMade has been in business since 1971. The company website states that U.S. Pharmacopeia tests its products for purity and potency.

As a result, this product meets key standards for ingredients, safety, reputation, and price.

Nature Made offers vitamins and supplements with USP verification. It offers a mix of capsules, softgels, gummies, and fizzy drink mix sticks.

The range includes:

  • multivitamins
  • prenatal vitamins
  • individual vitamins, such as A, C, and D
  • minerals

This brand offers a wide range of vitamins for males and females of all ages, including children. Additionally, many of Nature Made’s multivitamin products are affordable, making this brand suitable for a wide audience.

Prices of multivitamins range from around $9.79–$45.99.

Best range: MegaFood

Many MegaFood vitamins have certifications stating that they are organic, suitable for vegetarians or vegans, and kosher.

Multiple third-party organizations have verified the quality and origin of this company’s supplements, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and B Corporation.

MegaFood sells supplements targeting a wide range of needs, from prenatal and postnatal nutrition to healthy aging and more, including:

  • immune health
  • sleep health
  • digestion
  • energy
  • inflammation
  • male, female, and kids’ health

This company’s product line includes formulations to meet the following dietary needs:

The types of products MegaFood sells include:

  • multivitamins
  • single vitamins
  • single herbal supplements
  • minerals
  • probiotics

MegaFood sells a range of supplements and vitamins in different forms, including:

  • capsule
  • gummy
  • liquid
  • powder
  • tablet

Prices of multivitamins range from $18.99–$56.

Best for subscription: Ritual

Ritual is a subscription service that offers multivitamins tailored to a customer’s needs based on their age, gender, and health conditions, among other factors.

Ritual offers the following multivitamins:

  • for kids and teens
  • for males
  • for females
  • prenatal
  • postnatal

On its website, this multivitamin and supplement subscription service states that its products are:

  • third-party tested
  • contain only traceable ingredients
  • use only non-GMO ingredients
  • vegan
  • free from artificial colorants

The subscription service itself features:

  • free shipping
  • flexibility in controlling delivery dates
  • free cancellation
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Some of its vitamins are USP-verified. A person should check if USP has verified their chosen vitamins.

The price depends on each person’s monthly subscription plan, but a person can expect to pay $30–$35 per month.

Learn more about Ritual here.

Best for women’s health: HUM

HUM offers a wide range of supplements for many needs, including:

  • gut health
  • acne
  • skin health and rejuvination
  • vaginal health
  • menopausal symptoms
  • sleep
  • stress

It also offers probiotics and gummies.

Most of the products are vegan and have no sugar. All of the brand’s products are free from gluten, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, artificial colors, and soy.

Some of the products include herbal ingredients such as milk thistle, black current oil, and cranberry.

HUM states that its products have no GMOs, are triple tested for purity, and go through a third-party lab verification process.

Prices of multivitamins range from $10–$40.

Learn about the best vitamins and minerals for women at different ages.

Best variety: Life Extension

This company sells a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements.

Some of its products include:

  • multivitamins
  • minerals
  • probiotics and prebiotics
  • omega-3s

Life Extension products do not undergo third-party analysis, but a ConsumerLab.com survey rated some of its supplements highly in 2021.

In addition to the wide range of products it sells, Life Extension offers users free telephone access to its expert team of nutritionists, nurses, and naturopaths seven days a week.

A person who purchases products from the company also receives a free subscription to Life Extension Magazine. The magazine covers breaking research findings and updates on health and wellness news.

In addition, the company sells blood and lab tests to help people take charge of their health.

Prices of multivitamins range from $9–$23.

Best for single minerals and vitamins: Nurish by Nature Made

Nurish offers a variety of single and combination supplements and minerals. These include:

  • single vitamin
  • multivitamins
  • prenatal and postnatal
  • immune health
  • joint health
  • hair, skin, and nails
  • brain health

Personalized packs, omegas, and probiotics are also available. Most products are gluten-free and have no artificial flavors.

Nurish states that it produces its vitamins in small batches.

Prices of multivitamins range from $4–$16.

Best for expert advice: Persona

Persona is a personalized subscription service that delivers vitamins and supplements monthly.

Each customer has to do an assessment, and the company says it works with doctors and professional nutritionists to find a combination of vitamins and supplements that meets each person’s needs.

Persona sells a variety of products, including:

The products do not have USP verification. The company says that doctors have approved its recommendations, and its ingredients have undergone multiple quality tests. Each product comes with a safety certificate.

The company’s process of personalizing an individual’s subscription starts with an online assessment. The assessment covers a person’s:

  • age
  • gender
  • reasons for taking supplements, such as pregnancy, immunity concerns, or general health and wellness
  • specific health concerns, from digestion to sleep and more
  • dietary concerns

The company’s website states that it offers one-on-one expert advice. The company’s Medical Advisory Board comprises seven doctors and seven nutritionists.

The prices depend on the personalized plan a person chooses, but costs can range from $20–$100 per month.

Learn more about Persona here.

Best personalized: Care/of

Care/of is a company that assesses each customer’s overall health and uses this information to create a personalized vitamin subscription plan.

The company offers:

  • vitamins and specialty vitamins
  • minerals
  • herbs
  • probiotics
  • collagen
  • protein

The company says its products suit people with a wide range of dietary restrictions.

Care/of offers users the convenience of a subscription vitamin and supplement service, combined with the advantages of personalized products to target a person’s specific health concerns.

The questionnaire collects information on a person’s:

  • demographic characteristics
  • health goals
  • lifestyle practices
  • dietary preferences
  • reproductive health

The subscription service:

  • typically includes a monthly shipment of 30 personalized packets
  • ships to the U.S. and Canada
  • accepts changes to orders up to 48 hours before shipment
  • can be paused and resumed

The prices depend on the personalized plan but can range between $5–$59.

Learn more about Care/of here.

Best vegan: Garden of Life

Garden of Life sells a variety of supplements, including multivitamins and probiotics.

This brand sells dietary supplements that are free from gluten, soy, and dairy and do not contain animal ingredients. Many of its products are vegan and kosher.

The supplements have certifications from numerous third-party organizations, including organic and GMO-free status certifications.

The Garden of Life website states that its vegan products are certified by the Vegan Awareness Foundation. This organization’s stringent guidelines require that products:

  • do not contain meat, fish, fowl, or animal by-products, egg or egg products, milk or milk products, honey or honey bee products
  • do not involve animal testing
  • do not contain animal-derived GMOs or genes
  • are manufactured in facilities maintained to prevent cross-contamination between vegan and non-vegan products

Prices of vitamins range from around $13–$63.99.

Learn about the most important supplements for vegans here.

Best for athletes: Klean Athlete

Klean Athlete states that its products are made by and for athletes and have the Certified for Sport certificate from NSF International.

NSF International is a third-party reviewer of sports-related supplements and products. Its certification indicates that products are free from contaminants and adhere to the regulations of sports organizations.

Klean Athlete sells a wide range of products, including:

  • probiotics
  • vitamins
  • recovery supplements

Klean Athlete differs from some manufacturers targeting athletes in emphasizing healthy eating, natural products, and science-based claims.

Prices of vitamins range from $9.60–$66.

Learn more about vitamins and supplements for athletes here.

Best for purity: Thorne Research

Thorne Research products have received certifications stating they meet manufacturing, purity, and potency standards from organizations such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration and NSF International.

The company claims its supplements are free from contaminants, heavy metals, and fillers.

Certification by these different organizations means that:

  • athletes can use the more than 30 Thorne products NSF Certified for Sport with confidence that they contain all of what they should and none of what they should not
  • Thorne’s manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and shipping centers have all passed inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Thorne products, procedures, and manufacturing facilities meet the stringent standards of the Australian Department of Health Therapeutic Goods Administration

Thorne Research sells a range of vitamins and dietary supplements, including:

Prices of multivitamins range from about $28–$66.

Best budget: Amazon Elements

Amazon Elements is a relatively new brand, and its products are available to buy online using an Amazon Prime account.

It claims its vitamins and supplements have undergone thorough testing, although they do not have USP verification.

The company also says that it manufactures its products in a facility in the U.S. that follows GMP guidelines. Each product has a COA accessible via QR labels on the packaging.

Amazon Elements offers a variety of products, including:

  • multivitamins
  • biotin
  • iron
  • prenatal
  • omega-3s

Prices range from around $7–$39.

Best gluten-free: Standard Process

Standard Process sells a variety of vitamins and dietary supplements, including a range of gluten-free products for people with nonceliac gluten sensitivity and those with celiac disease.

The company says that it performs various testing and quality control checks at different stages of production and that these analyses are similar to those of the USP.

However, no third-party organization has certified these products.

It is a vertically integrated company, meaning the company grows most of the ingredients used in supplements on its own organic farms. As a result, it can have greater control over whether its products are gluten-free.

The company’s website states that products labeled as gluten-free contain less than 20 ppm of gluten, according to FDA guidelines. The company writes that it tests each product at the point of manufacture.

These supplements cost more than most other brands. Prices of gluten-free vitamins range from $14.26–$112.84.

Best omega supplements: Nordic Naturals

Nordic Naturals sells a wide range of omega supplements, including options suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

The company provides its own COA for every product on request. ConsumerLab.com has also tested and verified some of these products.

Nordic Naturals sells a range of dietary supplements alongside omegas, including:

On the company website, Nordic Naturals states that omega-3 fatty acid supplements from marine-based sources are the easiest for the body to absorb. It also states that Nordic Naturals omega-3 supplements come from sustainably-gathered marine sources.

Prices of omega supplements range from $13.49–$89.95.

Learn about the best omega supplements here.

Best for gummies: SmartyPants

This company produces a variety of vitamins and dietary supplements for adults, children, and pets.

Many of its products are available in gummy form, which may suit people who have difficulty ingesting solid supplements, such as tablets and capsules.

SmartyPants provides batch-specific certificates of compliance for its products. However, it is not clear whether this certification derives from third-party analyses.

Consumers may be concerned about the sugar content of gummies. However, the SmartyPants website states the company uses organic sugar cane and other healthy products to provide the sweetness it takes to make gummies palatable.

Yet, this does not mean they are healthy, and are probably not a good fit for people with diabetes or a high insulin level.

The company also states that the coloring agents used in their gummies come from organic turmeric and black carrot juice.

SmartyPants sells a range of vitamins and supplements, including various organic formulations.

Prices of multivitamins range from $14–$32.

Best for bulk buying: Kirkland Signature

Kirkland Signature is a Costco Wholesale brand that sells several USP-certified vitamins and minerals.

The range includes:

  • individual vitamins, such as A, C, and D
  • multivitamins
  • minerals
  • fish oil

The prices are generally lower than those of other brands, with many vitamins per product.

The USP certification of Kirkland Signature products, which means they pass tests for quality, potency, and purity, sets these vitamins apart from other bulk vitamins.

Prices range from $14.99–$33.99.