"Which creatine should I actually buy?" I get that question at the gym front desk more than any other supplement question, usually from a guy holding his phone with three tabs open. Here is the same answer I give in person, with the receipts.
One thing up front, because I run this site the same way I run my gym: I have taken exactly one of these three daily. Thorne Creatine is the one I stock and the one I reviewed hands-on at 4.8. Transparent Labs Creatine HMB and Swolverine Kre-Alkalyn are careful label reads with full reviews pending. I will not invent taste or mixing claims for products I have not finished testing, so everything below about those two comes off the label and the published lab work. The numbers do not care either way, which is exactly why the table is the heart of this guide.
The Criteria
A coach only cares about four things here:
- Form. Creatine monohydrate is the most researched supplement in existence. Any other form has to justify leaving the evidence standard.
- Third party testing. NSF Certified for Sport is the only standard that matters for drug-tested athletes. Informed Choice and published COAs are the next tier down.
- Published doses. If I cannot see exactly what is in the scoop, it does not get recommended.
- Cost per serving. You take this every day forever. Dads do that math.
Thorne Creatine
Five grams of micronized creatine monohydrate, nothing else, NSF Certified for Sport, 90 servings for $44. That is $0.49 a serving for the evidence-standard form at the strictest testing standard in the industry. This is the one I have run daily and reviewed in full: 5 grams a day, no loading phase, forever.
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
The kitchen-sink option done honestly: a full 5,000mg of creatine monohydrate plus 1,500mg myHMB, 500 IU vitamin D3, and 5mg BioPerine, every dose printed on the label. Informed Choice certified with a published COA, and 13 flavors including Unflavored, which is 12 more than anyone needs. It costs $49.99 for 30 servings, which is $1.67 a serving ($43.99 on subscription). Full overview here, hands-on review pending.
Swolverine Kre-Alkalyn
A different bet entirely: 3g of pH-buffered creatine (buffered with sodium bicarbonate) instead of plain monohydrate, at $42.99 for 30 servings, $1.43 a serving ($36.54 on subscription). Third party tested at ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs with lot-matched COAs published, though not NSF Certified for Sport. The brand claims no loading phase and stability in liquid; those are brand claims I have not tested. Overview here, review pending.
The Table
| Thorne Creatine | Transparent Labs Creatine HMB | Swolverine Kre-Alkalyn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $44 | $49.99 ($43.99 sub) | $42.99 ($36.54 sub) |
| Servings | 90 | 30 | 30 |
| Cost per serving | $0.49 | $1.67 | $1.43 |
| Creatine per serving | 5g monohydrate | 5,000mg monohydrate | 3g Kre-Alkalyn |
| Form | Micronized monohydrate | Monohydrate | pH-buffered (sodium bicarbonate) |
| Extras | None | 1,500mg myHMB, 500 IU D3, 5mg BioPerine | None |
| Third party testing | NSF Certified for Sport | Informed Choice, published COA | ISO/IEC 17025 labs, lot-matched COAs |
| Flavors | Unflavored | 13 incl Unflavored | Unflavored |
| Review status | Owner reviewed, 4.8 | Overview, review pending | Overview, review pending |
Read the cost per serving row twice. Thorne gives you three times the servings for about the same money as either competitor.
The Ranking
1. Thorne Creatine. The evidence-standard form at the full 5g dose, the strictest certification in the business, about a third of the cost per serving of the other two, and the only one on this page I have run daily. When the cheapest option per serving is also the most proven and the best tested, the ranking writes itself. This is the pick for almost everyone, and it anchors my whole Dad Stack.
2. Transparent Labs Creatine HMB. You still get the full 5 grams of monohydrate, plus HMB and vitamin D at doses printed right on the label, with Informed Choice testing behind it. The catch is simple: you are paying more than three times Thorne's cost per serving for the extras. For the guy who wants creatine and add-ons in one scoop and does not mind the bill. Review pending; more context in the Transparent Labs buying guide.
3. Swolverine Kre-Alkalyn. Third on form, not on quality. The buffered form carries a smaller evidence base than monohydrate and the dose is 3g, not 5g, so it cannot outrank the standard. But the testing is real: accredited labs, COAs matched to your lot number. This is the pick if plain monohydrate upsets your stomach, or you already buy Swolverine and want one lot-tested brand in the gym bag. Start with the Swolverine buying guide.
Veterans and first responders: Swolverine runs up to 25% off through GovX for military and law enforcement, and Transparent Labs gives 15% through GovX ID for military, veterans, spouses, dependents, and first responders. Thorne pricing through my dispensary matches thorne.com.
Full transparency: I'm a Thorne-affiliated healthcare provider through my gym, and Thorne links go through my practitioner dispensary at the same price you'd pay at thorne.com. Other links on this site may earn a commission that supports the site at no cost to you. Across this comparison series, four of the six products, including the Transparent Labs and Swolverine entries above, are label-based overviews with hands-on reviews pending; only the Thorne products are owner-reviewed.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement.
