Pre-Workout Cost Comparison
Pre-workout supplements are a little different from protein and creatine. Those are straightforward— more protein is more protein, more creatine is more creatine. But pre-workouts? They're a cocktail. Some are basically overpriced energy drinks in powder form. Others actually have ingredients that might help your performance.
The problem is most pre-workouts hide behind "proprietary blends"—they'll tell you there's a blend of stuff, but not how much of each thing. That's like a restaurant saying "your meal contains meat and vegetables" without telling you it's 90% filler. The ones in this table at least disclose their actual doses, which is a start.
| Brand | Product | Price | Servings | Caffeine | Citrulline | $/Serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built Daily Supply BDS | KICKSTART Energy Fruit Punch → | $34.99 | 30 | 150mg | — | $1.17 |
| Built Daily Supply BDS | KICKSTART Energy Melon → | $34.99 | 30 | 150mg | — | $1.17 |
| Built Daily Supply BDS | RAW Focus Sour Candy → | $39.90 | 30 | 150mg | — | $1.33 |
| GHOST | Legend Pre-Workout Sour Watermelon | $44.99 | 25 | 250mg | 4g | $1.80 |
| Legion Athletics | Pulse Pre-Workout Candy Grape | $44.99 | 30 | 350mg | 8g | $1.50 |
| Transparent Labs | BULK Pre-Workout Sour Grape | $49.99 | 30 | 180mg | 6g | $1.67 |
| Kaged | Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout Fruit Punch | $49.99 | 20 | 274mg | 6.5g | $2.50 |
Sorted by total price (lowest to highest). Note: BDS Kickstart and RAW Focus are focused energy products, not full pre-workouts with citrulline/beta-alanine.
What Actually Matters
The Three Ingredients That Count
Most pre-workouts have 15-20 ingredients listed on the label. About three of them actually do anything worth paying for:
- Caffeine: The real workhorse. 150-350mg is the typical range. If you're sensitive to caffeine or train in the evening, look for something on the lower end (or skip pre-workout entirely). If you drink coffee all day, you might need the higher end to feel anything.
- Citrulline (or Citrulline Malate): This stuff helps with blood flow and pumps. The effective dose is 6-8g. Most pre-workouts underdose it at 2-4g because it's expensive. If you see less than 6g, don't expect much in the pump department.
- Beta-Alanine: That tingling sensation you get? That's beta-alanine. The effective dose is 3-6g daily, but here's the catch—it needs to build up over time, kind of like creatine. Taking it once in a pre-workout won't do much. You need to take it consistently.
The Energy vs. Pre-Workout Distinction
Here's something most comparison tables won't tell you: there's a difference between an "energy powder" and a real pre-workout. Built Daily Supply's KICKSTART and RAW Focus are energy powders— they've got caffeine but no citrulline, no beta-alanine, no pump ingredients. They're essentially cheaper energy drinks without the carbonation.
That's not a knock on them—it's just a different product. If you just want caffeine to wake up before a workout, an energy powder at $1.17/serving is cheaper than a full pre-workout at $2.50/serving. But if you want the performance benefits of citrulline and beta-alanine, you need to look at the full pre-workouts on this list.
Watch Out for Proprietary Blends
If a pre-workout lists a "Pump Matrix" or "Energy Blend" but doesn't tell you how much of each ingredient is in there, be skeptical. They're legally allowed to do this, but it usually means they're using tiny doses of the expensive stuff and filling the rest with cheaper ingredients.
The brands in this table at least disclose their actual doses. That's the bare minimum for making an informed decision. If a brand won't tell you what you're buying, maybe you shouldn't buy it.
Caffeine Tolerance Is Real
If you've been taking pre-workout for years, you might be thinking "350mg doesn't do anything for me anymore." That's tolerance, and it's a real thing. You've got two choices: cycle off caffeine for a couple weeks to reset (miserable but effective), or accept that you're paying for diminishing returns.
A better approach might be to use pre-workout only for your hardest training days, not every session. Save it for when you actually need the boost, and your tolerance (and wallet) will thank you.
The Built Daily Supply Approach
BDS takes a different approach with KICKSTART and RAW Focus. These aren't traditional pre-workouts stuffed with every ingredient under the sun—they're focused energy products.
What sets them apart:
- Clean energy — Green tea caffeine paired with L-Theanine for smooth focus without the jitters.
- Transparent formulas — Every ingredient listed with exact doses. No "energy matrix" hiding underdosed actives.
- No artificial colors — Your pre-workout doesn't need to glow neon green.
- RAW Focus adds nootropics — Alpha-GPC and Asian Ginseng for cognitive performance, not just stimulants.
If you want a full pre-workout with citrulline and beta-alanine, Ghost Legend or Transparent Labs BULK are solid choices. But if you want clean energy without the kitchen sink of ingredients, KICKSTART delivers at a competitive price point.
The Bottom Line
Best value for a full pre-workout: Legion Pulse at $1.50/serving with solid doses of citrulline (8g) and beta-alanine (3.6g). That's a legitimate performance product at a reasonable price.
If you just need caffeine and don't care about the pump ingredients, Built Daily Supply's KICKSTART at $1.17/serving is the cheapest option. It's honest about what it is—an energy drink powder, not a full pre-workout.
Kaged Pre-Kaged at $2.50/serving is the most expensive option here. It's a solid product, but you're paying a premium for the brand name. Whether that's worth it depends on how much you care about flavor options and brand loyalty versus saving money.
One last thing: If you're training late in the day, skip the pre-workout entirely. Caffeine has a half-life of about 5 hours. Take 250mg at 6pm, and there's still 125mg in your system at 11pm. That's going to mess with your sleep, and sleep matters more than any supplement ever will.