Two listings, both $100. One is a 100-count bag of 12mg tablets. The other is a 25-count bag of 20mg tablets. Which is better value?
Most people guess. Here is how to know.
The formula
Total alkaloid = unit count x milligrams per unit.
Cost per milligram = price / total alkaloid.
That is the whole method. It takes fifteen seconds and it will change how you shop in this category permanently.
Worked example
| Listing | Price | Units | mg/unit | Total mg | Cost/mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12mg Mango 100ct | $100.00 | 100 | 12mg | 1,200mg | 8.3 cents |
| 18mg Orange 100ct | $100.00 | 100 | 18mg | 1,800mg | 5.6 cents |
| 20mg Fruit Punch | $43.75 | listed | 20mg | calculate | – |
| 30mg Grape Nano | $49.99 | listed | 30mg | calculate | ~$2/tablet |
| 50mg Cherry 25ct | $50.00 | 25 | 50mg | 1,250mg | 4.0 cents |
| 89% 7OH Powder 2g | $109.99 | – | 890mg/gram | ~1,780mg | 6.2 cents |
Look at what that table reveals. The 100ct bag at 12mg is the worst value per milligram on the list, even though it looks like the biggest bag. The 50mg 25ct is the best value per milligram in tablet format. And powder is competitive with mid-range tablets once you account for purity.
Higher strength usually means better value – which is exactly the trap
This is the uncomfortable part. Cost per milligram falls as strength rises, so the strongest product is usually the best value on paper. That is a real economic incentive to buy stronger than you need, and it is why “best value” is the wrong way to choose a strength.
Choose strength based on what is appropriate for you, then optimise value within that strength. Read how to choose your first strength.
Bundles: where the real savings are
The Dollar Trio 300ct is 300 tablets of 12mg – 3,600mg total – for $280, which is roughly 7.8 cents per milligram at three times the volume. Bundling is how you reduce unit cost without changing your strength. See the bundle mathematics.
What cost per milligram does not capture
- Lab verification. A cheap product with no certificate of analysis is not cheap – it is unverified.
- Convenience. Powder looks like great value until you factor in the $20 scale and the time per serving.
- Consistency. A well-blended batch gives you the same experience every time. That has value that does not show in the arithmetic.
- Serving accuracy. Pre-dosed formats cost slightly more per milligram and remove an entire category of risk.
Red flags in pricing
- Permanently “on sale” – a fake discount is a fake price.
- No unit count stated – you cannot compare what you cannot count.
- Milligrams per package instead of per unit – almost always hiding something.
- Suspiciously cheap – in this category, extremely low prices tend to correlate with unverified product.
Do the arithmetic once
Pick any three listings, apply the formula, and compare. You will immediately see which vendors are pricing honestly and which are relying on you not doing the division. See our full catalogue with every milligram stated on the page.
Related reading
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