The format decides the margin as much as the formula does.
Choosing a format is a commercial decision, not a design one. It determines how much active ingredient you can fit into a daily dose, what a unit costs you, how long it stays stable and whether customers keep taking it. Here is how the formats compare in practice.
Capsules
The default for most supplements, and usually the cheapest route to a compliant product. Vegan or gelatine shells, no flavour system required, and formulas stay stable for a long time. The limit is volume: a large daily dose can mean three or four capsules, which hurts adherence — customers quietly stop taking products that feel like work.
Tablets
Lower cost per unit at higher volumes and very compact, which makes them efficient to ship. Tablets need binders and compression, so they suit stable, high-dose actives more than sensitive ingredients. Coating can improve swallowability and mask taste.
Gummies
The strongest format for repeat purchase, because people actually enjoy taking them. That comes with trade-offs: limited dosage per piece, a sugar or sweetener system to solve, and shorter shelf life than a dry format. Where they win is retention — and retention is what makes a supplement brand profitable.
Powders
The right choice when the daily dose is measured in grams rather than milligrams: protein, creatine, electrolytes, greens. Cost per serving is low and the flavour system carries the brand experience. The trade-off is bulk, which raises shipping cost and makes packaging design more demanding.
Softgels
The format for oils and fat-soluble actives — omega-3, vitamin D, CLA. They protect sensitive ingredients from oxygen, dose precisely and are easy to swallow. Production is more specialised, so minimum quantities tend to be higher than for capsules.
Liquids, shots & effervescents
Fast onset, high perceived value and strong shelf presence. Liquids and shots work for premium positioning and impulse purchase; effervescent tablets suit electrolytes and vitamin blends where taste and ritual matter. Both need more attention to stability and packaging than dry formats.
How we help you choose
The required daily amount rules out formats before anything else does.
Who takes it, how often, and what will they still be taking in month three.
Cost per unit, shipping weight and target retail price have to work together.
You approve a physical sample before production starts.
Not sure which format fits your product?
Describe the product and target price — we will tell you which formats are realistic and which are not.