H3O vs LMNT vs Buying Creatine Separately: The Real Price Breakdown

We're going to do something supplement brands usually avoid: name our competitors, show their real prices, and do the math in public. Every number below was pulled from the brands' own stores on June 12, 2026 (sources at the bottom; prices may change after that date).

The two-tub problem, in dollars

If you train hard, you've probably arrived at the same conclusion thousands of hybrid athletes have: you want creatine (the most evidence-backed supplement in sports nutrition¹) and real electrolytes (because you sweat out ~920mg of sodium per litre²). The market's answer has always been: buy them separately. Here's what that actually costs per month of daily use:

Same function. One scoop instead of two. Roughly half the money. That's the whole pitch — but let's look inside the products, because the formulas are where it gets interesting.

The formula face-off

Per serving	H3O	LMNT	Thorne Creatine	TL Hydrate	Create Gummies
Creatine monohydrate	5g ✓	0g	5g ✓	0g	4.5g (under-dosed)
Sodium	1,000mg ✓	1,000mg ✓	0mg	500mg (half)	0mg
Potassium	200mg ✓	200mg ✓	0mg	250mg	0mg
Magnesium	60mg ✓	60mg ✓	0mg	50mg	0mg
Added sugar	0g	0g	0g	0g	2g added (3g total)
Price / serving	$1.18 (sub: $0.95)	$1.50	$0.49	$0.75	$2.00
Covers both jobs?	YES — one scoop	Hydration only	Creatine only	Hydration only (half-dose sodium)	Creatine only (under-dosed)

What jumps out

1. LMNT's electrolyte panel is H3O's electrolyte panel

Look at the table again: 1,000mg sodium, 200mg potassium, 60mg magnesium. Identical numbers. We have no quarrel with LMNT's ratios — they're physiologically right, which is why we use the same ones. The difference is that LMNT stops there, charges $1.50 a stick for it, and leaves you buying creatine somewhere else. H3O is that exact electrolyte panel plus the full 5g clinical creatine dose, for less per serving.

2. "Hydration" products that don't replace your sweat

Transparent Labs Hydrate delivers 500mg of sodium — half of what a litre of sweat costs you.² Gnarly Hydrate delivers 250mg (a quarter), and adds 4g of cane sugar to do it. If a hydration product can't cover one hard hour, what exactly is it for?

3. Gummies: paying the most for the least

Create's gummies run $2.00/serving — the most expensive creatine in this comparison — for 4.5g (below the 3–5g studied standard, at the price of a premium 5g product) plus 3g of sugar. Candy economics, not supplement economics.

4. Cheap plain creatine is genuinely cheap — and genuinely half the job

Fair is fair: Optimum Nutrition's plain creatine at ~$0.25–0.33/serving is a great price for creatine alone. If you never sweat and love unflavored powder in plain water, it's a fine choice. But the moment you add the hydration half — the half that gets you through heat-block sessions without cramping — the "cheap" route lands at $52.50/month minimum. H3O's default tier costs $35.40/month for both jobs. Subscribed, $28.50.

The honest caveats

Because a comparison you can't trust is worthless: Thorne and Gnarly creatine are NSF Certified for Sport — a real third-party credential H3O doesn't currently carry. Transparent Labs adds HMB and vitamin D3 to its creatine, which is a genuine extra (you pay $1.67/serving for it). And plain creatine is the right call for someone who already has electrolytes handled. Our claim isn't that every product above is bad — it's that paying two brands to do one scoop's job is a bad deal, and the numbers above are the receipts.

Prices and formulations verified June 12, 2026 from each brand's own store or authorized resellers; they may change. All trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used for factual comparison only. Monthly costs assume one serving per day (30 servings). *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.