Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g vs Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men
Side-by-side comparison of scores, ingredients, prices and real customer feedback for Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g and Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men.
Last verified: 07 Apr 2026 · Based on 40 reviews
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g scores 79.0/100 vs Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men at 74.0/100. Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g wins on ingredient quality, side effects, certifications. Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men is stronger on effectiveness and value for money.
Which is better: Optimum Nutrition Micronize... or Pure Creatine Monohydrate P...?
Optimum Nutrition wins on ingredient quality (92 vs 68) and carries Informed Choice certification, making it the pick for competitive athletes who need batch-tested purity. At £9.99 vs £16.00, Nutrition Geeks is the smarter buy for casual gym-goers who simply want a clean, effective creatine without paying a premium.
— AIScored Editorial Team
How Do the Scores Compare?
Optimum Nutrition Micronize...
Optimum Nutrition
|
Pure Creatine Monohydrate P...
Nutrition Geeks
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 79.0 | 74.0 |
| Effectiveness | 77.0/100 |
80.0/100
Best
|
| Ingredient Quality |
92.0/100
Best
|
68.0/100 |
| Value for Money | 68.0/100 |
87.0/100
Best
|
| Side Effects |
91.0/100
Best
|
88.0/100 |
| Certifications |
86.0/100
Best
|
35.0/100 |
| Best Price | £16.00 Amazon UK → |
£9.99
Amazon UK →
Cheapest
|
| Price per Serving | £0.17 93 servings | N/A |
| Form | Powder | Powder |
| Dose | 3.4g creatine monohydrate per serving (approx 3g pure creatine) | None |
| Third-Party Tested | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Reviews Analysed | 18 | 22 |
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Cre...
Pros
- ✓Pure micronized creatine monohydrate — the most researched and evidence-backed form of creatine available
- ✓Informed Choice certified, meaning each batch is tested for banned substances — important for competitive athletes
- ✓Zero fillers, flavours, or additives; fully vegan and free from all major allergens
- ✓Micronized particle size mixes more cleanly in liquid than standard creatine, reducing grit and residue
Cons
- ✗Serving size is 3.4g, which falls short of the 5g daily dose used in virtually all clinical efficacy studies — users need to scoop ~1.5 servings to hit the research-backed dose, reducing the effective yield to roughly 62 servings rather than 93
- ✗No loading protocol guidance on the label; new users unfamiliar with creatine may under-dose
- ✗Premium brand pricing means cheaper certified alternatives exist at the same or higher dose per gram
- ✗One Trustpilot submission flagged dismissive customer service, suggesting post-sale support may be inconsistent
Best For
Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder...
Pros
- ✓Dissolves easily in water or shakes with minimal taste or texture
- ✓Excellent value — 90 servings at a competitive UK price point
- ✓100% pure creatine monohydrate, no artificial additives or fillers
- ✓Reviewers consistently report improved strength, endurance, and recovery
Cons
- ✗Dissolution inconsistent for some users — sediment can settle in cold water
- ✗No scoop included in packaging
- ✗No independent third-party testing or certification (e.g. Informed Sport, Creapure)
- ✗Sourcing transparency gap — creatine originates from Mongolia despite UK manufacturing claims on website
Best For
What does the data say about Optimum Nutrition Micr... vs Pure Creatine Monohydr...?
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder gives you 3.4g of creatine monohydrate per serving which works out at about 3g of pure creatine while the Nutrition Geeks version lists no specific dose on the label. Both come as unflavoured micronised powders that mix into shakes or water yet the Optimum Nutrition one hits 79/100 overall against the rival's 74/100. Ingredient quality separates them sharply with Optimum Nutrition scoring 92/100 thanks to its pure formula and the Nutrition Geeks product managing only 68/100. Effectiveness edges to the cheaper option at 80/100 compared with 77/100 for the pricier tub.
Serious strength athletes who train with weights and want Informed Choice certification should grab the Optimum Nutrition powder at £16.00 because it suits competitive or tested lifters who add it to meals without changing taste. Budget conscious gym users and beginners will prefer the Nutrition Geeks powder which costs just £9.99 and delivers 90 servings for those who simply want pure creatine monohydrate without extras. Recreational trainers focused on recovery gain more from the better value score of 87/100 on the Nutrition Geeks side versus 68/100 on Optimum Nutrition.
Both products stay fully vegan and free from major allergens so they fit most diets without fuss. The Optimum Nutrition version needs users to take one and a half scoops to reach the 5g daily amount shown in studies which cuts the tub's yield. Some people find the Nutrition Geeks powder leaves sediment in cold drinks although it dissolves easily for others. No scoop comes with the cheaper tub which forces you to measure it yourself.
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder is a no-frills creatine monohydrate supplement from one of the most trusted sports nutrition brands on the market.
What are the key differences?
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g or Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men? ▼
Is Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g worth the price compared to Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men? ▼
Which has fewer side effects? ▼
Related Product Comparisons
Bulk Creatine Monohydrate (Creapure) 500g
vs Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g
Bulk Creatine Monohydrate (Creapure) 500g
vs Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men
Dymatize Creatine Micronized 500g
vs Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g
Dymatize Creatine Micronized 500g
vs Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men
NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder 750g
vs Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder 317g
NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder 750g
vs Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder - 315g (90 Servings) - Easy Dissolve Creatine Powder, Unflavoured & Micronised (Not Creatine Gummies or Creatine Tablets), Vegan Creatine for Women and Men
What the Data Says
Why do 87% of UK creatine products lack third-party certification?
87% of UK creatine products have zero independent certification. Out of 31 creatine products we scored, just 4 carry third-party verification: Bulk Creapure (Creapure + Informed Sport), Optimum Nutrition (Informed Choice), Thorne (NSF Certified for Sport), and Ovrload Crealyte Gummies (Creapure + Informed Sport).
The quality gap is real. Certified creatine scores 77.2/100 on average. Uncertified creatine scores 67.5. That's a 9.7-point difference on overall quality, and the ingredient quality gap is even wider: 88.5 vs 70.9.
Why so few? Third-party testing costs money, and UK regulations don't require it for sports supplements. Brands that invest in certification tend to use higher-grade raw materials too. Bulk Creapure, our top-scoring creatine at 91/100, uses Creapure-branded monohydrate manufactured in Germany with documented purity testing. Most budget creatine powders don't disclose where their creatine comes from or whether it's been independently verified.
If purity matters to you, look for one of these four certifications on the label: Creapure, Informed Sport, Informed Choice, or NSF Certified for Sport.
Is creatine monohydrate better than HCL or other forms?
Monohydrate wins. The top 5 creatine products in our database are all monohydrate-based, led by Bulk Creapure at 91/100. That's not a coincidence.
Creatine monohydrate has decades of clinical research behind it. Over 500 published studies confirm its effects on muscle strength, power output, and recovery. HCL, ethyl ester, and buffered forms have far less evidence, and none have been shown to outperform monohydrate in head-to-head trials.
The 'better absorption' claim for HCL sounds compelling, but there's limited independent data to support it at the doses you'd actually take. Monohydrate is also the cheapest form by a wide margin.
The bloating concern with monohydrate is real for some people, but it's usually a loading-phase issue. Starting at 3-5g daily (no loading phase) avoids it for most users.
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.
Feedback & Suggestions
Spotted an issue? Wrong price, incorrect data, or something else off? Let us know and we'll fix it.
Missing a product you'd like us to review? Tell us the product name and we'll consider adding it.