Thorne vs NOW Foods: Which US Brand Is Right for You?

Thorne vs NOW Foods: Which US Brand Is Right for You? | Sun

Thorne vs NOW Foods: Which US Brand Is Right for You?

Last updated: 2026-08-31 · by Sun Supplements

Thorne and NOW Foods are two of the most-popular US supplement brands with UK buyers — at opposite ends of the price spectrum. Thorne is practitioner-grade, NSF Certified for Sport, and 2-3x the price. NOW Foods is the value tier with 1,400+ products. Here's how to decide.

Quick verdict

Thorne NOW Foods
Best for Practitioners, athletes, clinical use Daily value, broad range
Founded 1984 1968
Range ~250 products ~1,400 products
Third-party tested NSF Certified for Sport on most SKUs In-house GMP, third-party tested
Price tier Premium Value
Typical markup 2-3x the NOW equivalent Base reference

Pick Thorne if you want practitioner-grade quality, NSF Certified for Sport, and don't mind paying 2-3x.
Pick NOW Foods if you want solid quality at the lowest price, and a much broader product range.

Brand positioning

Thorne and NOW Foods occupy opposite ends of the US supplement market:

  • Thorne is a practitioner-grade brand. Their products are designed in collaboration with clinicians and formulated for the most bioavailable forms of each nutrient. Used in clinical research. NSF Certified for Sport on most SKUs. Premium pricing.
  • NOW Foods is a value-oriented mainstream brand. Their products are designed for the broadest appeal — solid quality, sensible formulations, no proprietary blends, third-party tested, but not at the practitioner-grade level. Family-owned since 1968, manufactured in their own GMP facility.

Quality and testing

Both brands meet strict quality standards, but with different emphases:

Thorne

  • NSF Certified for Sport on most products (the highest third-party standard for athletes and tested-for-banned-substances)
  • Methylated B vitamins throughout (5-MTHF, methylcobalamin, P5P) — not folic acid or cyanocobalamin
  • Chelated minerals (bisglycinate, picolinate) — higher absorption
  • Clean formulations: no magnesium stearate, no artificial colours, no titanium dioxide
  • Published in clinical trials — Thorne products appear in more peer-reviewed studies than nearly any other supplement brand

NOW Foods

  • GMP-certified manufacturing in their own US facility since 1968
  • In-house quality control plus third-party testing on every batch
  • Methylated B vitamins on premium SKUs (standard cyanocobalamin on entry-level)
  • Sensible doses — no proprietary blends, full disclosure
  • Wide vegan and allergen-free range

For most UK buyers, NOW Foods delivers 90-95% of Thorne's quality at 30-50% of the price. For athletes, clinicians, or those with specific health conditions, the premium for Thorne is justified.

Price comparison (typical UK)

Product Thorne (UK) NOW Foods (UK) Ratio
Magnesium Bisglycinate 90 caps ~£25 ~£10 (Glycinate 400 mg 90 tabs) 2.5x
Vitamin D3 5,000 IU 60 softgels ~£15 ~£8 (120 softgels) 1.9x
Multivitamin 60 caps ~£35 (Basic Nutrients 2/Day) ~£12 (Adam 90 softgels) 2.9x
CoQ10 100 mg 60 softgels ~£45 (Ubiquinol) ~£20 2.3x
Probiotic 30 caps ~£30 ~£15 (50 billion CFU) 2.0x

Which should you choose

  • Daily multivitamin: NOW Adam or Eve (great value) OR Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day (if practitioner-grade is your priority)
  • Magnesium for sleep: NOW Magnesium Glycinate (best value) OR Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate (if you want NSF certification)
  • Vitamin D: Both work — NOW has better value per IU; Thorne has the certified-for-sport endorsement
  • Probiotic: NOW Clinical GI Probiotic (50 billion CFU, best value) OR a Thorne-specific strain product if you have a clinical recommendation
  • CoQ10: NOW has ubiquinol at 100 mg for ~£20; Thorne's ubiquinol is ~£45. The NOW version delivers equivalent active ingredient.

FAQ

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