NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA vs Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg
Side-by-side comparison of scores, ingredients, prices and real customer feedback for NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA and Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg.
Last verified: 07 Apr 2026 · Based on 118 reviews
NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA scores 83.0/100 vs Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg at 80.0/100. NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA wins on effectiveness, value for money. Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg is stronger on ingredient quality and side effects.
Which is better: NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500... or Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg?
NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 wins with an 83/100 score and a significantly lower price of £19.99 versus £70.20, making it the clear value pick for most buyers. Nordic Naturals suits those who already supplement vitamin D3 separately and want premium triglyceride-form omega-3 with pleasant lemon flavouring.
— AIScored Editorial Team
How Do the Scores Compare?
NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500...
NOW Foods
|
Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg
Nordic Naturals
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.0 | 80.0 |
| Effectiveness |
82.0/100
Best
|
76.0/100 |
| Ingredient Quality | 79.0/100 |
90.0/100
Best
|
| Value for Money |
85.0/100
Best
|
62.0/100 |
| Side Effects | 83.0/100 |
88.0/100
Best
|
| Certifications | 88.0/100 |
92.0/100
Best
|
| Best Price |
£19.99
Amazon UK →
Cheapest
|
£70.20 Amazon UK → |
| Price per Serving | £0.22 90 servings | N/A |
| Form | Softgels | N/A |
| Dose | 750mg EPA+DHA | N/A |
| Third-Party Tested | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Reviews Analysed | 64 | 54 |
NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA ...
Pros
- ✓Enteric coating reliably eliminates fishy burps and aftertaste — the most frequently cited advantage across dozens of reviews
- ✓High potency 500/250 mg EPA/DHA per single softgel reduces the number of capsules needed compared to standard fish oil products
- ✓Molecularly distilled for heavy metal removal; GMP, Non-GMO Project Verified, GOED Omega-3 member, Kosher and Halal certified
- ✓Multiple reviewers report real-world outcomes: reduced joint stiffness, improved focus, skin and hair improvements, and improved blood lipid panels
Cons
- ✗Ethyl ester form rather than the superior triglyceride form — absorption may be meaningfully lower without dietary fat at time of dosing
- ✗Softgels are on the larger side; some users flag swallowing difficulty despite their soft, gel texture
- ✗A minority of reviewers note residual digestive fishy odour (from stomach, not burping) and recommend taking with a fat-containing meal or refrigerating the bottle
- ✗Some iHerb reviews are clearly off-topic or low-information (emoji-only, unrelated product descriptions), slightly reducing the usable review signal
Best For
Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg
Pros
- ✓No fishy aftertaste — lemon flavouring makes it genuinely pleasant to take
- ✓High-purity EPA and DHA with no unnecessary additives or preservatives
- ✓Convenient omega-3 + vitamin D3 combination reduces supplement load
- ✓Well tolerated — minimal stomach upset, especially when taken with food
Cons
- ✗Price is noticeably higher than most competing omega-3 brands
- ✗Capsules are large, which some users find difficult to swallow
- ✗Taking with vitamin D at dinner may disturb sleep for some users
- ✗Benefits are gradual — several weeks of consistent use required before noticeable effects
Best For
What does the data say about NOW Foods Ultra Omega-... vs Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg?
NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA costs just £19.99 and packs a heavy 750mg dose of EPA and DHA into one softgel. It uses an enteric coating to stop fishy burps. Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg is much more expensive at £70.20. It wins on ingredient quality with a 90/100 score because it includes vitamin D3. However, NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA uses the ethyl ester form. This means you should take it with a fatty meal to help your body absorb it properly.
If you are over 50 and want to look after your heart or joints, NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA is the better pick. It scores 83/100 overall and offers far better value for money at 85/100. Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg is for people who want to combine their fish oil and vitamin D3 in one go. It only scores 62/100 for value because of that high price tag. NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA is also more effective, scoring 82/100 compared to 76/100 for the Nordic Naturals option.
Both products have large capsules that might be hard to swallow. Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg uses lemon flavouring to make the experience pleasant. This is great if you hate the smell of fish. NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA relies on its special coating to prevent any aftertaste. It is a simple way to get high-potency oil without needing multiple pills every day.
NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 is a concentrated fish oil supplement delivering 500 mg EPA and 250 mg DHA per enteric-coated softgel, sourced from molecularly distilled anchovy, sardine, and mackerel oil.
What are the key differences?
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA or Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg? ▼
Is NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 500 EPA / 250 DHA worth the price compared to Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg? ▼
Which has fewer side effects? ▼
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What the Data Says
What is the real cost per dose of omega-3 in the UK?
NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 costs £0.22/serving — the cheapest effective dose we found across 21 products. That's 750mg EPA+DHA per serving, 90 servings per bottle at £19.99 (value-for-money score: 85/100).
Here's the full price-per-serving breakdown for our top-scoring products:
- NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3: £0.22/serving
- Moller's Omega-3 Liquid Lemon: £0.40/serving
- Life Extension Super Omega-3: £0.42/serving
- WHC UnoCardio 1000: £0.45/serving
- Carlson Elite Omega-3 Gems: £0.67/serving
- Solgar Triple Strength: £0.70/serving
The gap between cheapest and priciest is over 3x per dose. And expensive doesn't mean better — WHC UnoCardio scores highest overall (90/100) at just £0.45/serving, while Solgar scores 79/100 at £0.70. Always divide bottle price by serving count before you compare products.
How much EPA and DHA do you actually need?
250-500mg combined EPA+DHA daily for general health. 1000-2000mg for heart health support. Most health authorities land in that range, and clinical studies typically use 1000mg+.
Our top-scoring omega-3 products hit these targets well:
- WHC UnoCardio 1000 (90/100): 1000mg EPA+DHA — sits right in the clinical sweet spot
- Carlson Elite Omega-3 Gems (87/100): 1600mg total omega-3 (including 800mg EPA + 600mg DHA) — the highest dose in our top 6
- Moller's Omega-3 Liquid (80/100): 1200mg per 5ml teaspoon
- Solgar Triple Strength (79/100): 950mg EPA+DHA
- NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 (83/100): 750mg EPA+DHA
- Life Extension Super Omega-3 (86/100): 700mg EPA+DHA + sesame lignans
One thing to watch: check the label for the EPA and DHA split, not just "total omega-3." Total omega-3 includes other fatty acids like ALA that aren't as well studied for the same benefits. Most research uses EPA-dominant or balanced EPA/DHA formulas.
Disclaimer: AIScored provides data-driven comparisons based on publicly available reviews. This is not medical advice. Affiliate links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
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