The short answer
All the vitamin C supplements compared here are L-ascorbic acid, the same molecule. What changes is the price per gram: from 0.039 EUR for Novoma’s 1 kg powder to 4.99 EUR for Nutrimuscle’s camu camu capsules, which is 128 times more expensive. Plain powder is unbeatable; liposomal forms and fruit extracts cost 24 to 128 times more, for a benefit that nothing demonstrates in a healthy person.
The ranking, by price per gram of vitamin C
| Brand and format | Form | Price | Price per gram | One year at 500 mg a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novoma, 1 kg powder | ascorbic acid | 38.90 EUR | 0.039 EUR | 7 EUR |
| Novoma, 500 g powder | ascorbic acid | 24.90 EUR | 0.050 EUR | 9 EUR |
| Dynveo, 250 g powder | Quali-C ascorbic acid | 19.90 EUR | 0.080 EUR | 15 EUR |
| Dynveo, 100 g powder | Quali-C ascorbic acid | 12.50 EUR | 0.125 EUR | 23 EUR |
| Nutrimuscle, 450 g powder | Quali-C ascorbic acid | 59.95 EUR | 0.133 EUR | 24 EUR |
| Nutrimuscle, 150 g powder | Quali-C ascorbic acid | 22.95 EUR | 0.153 EUR | 28 EUR |
| Dynveo, 300 capsules of 500 mg | Quali-C ascorbic acid | 44.90 EUR | 0.299 EUR | 55 EUR |
| Nutrimuscle, 30 capsules of 867 mg | Quali-C ascorbic acid | 7.95 EUR | 0.306 EUR | 56 EUR |
| Dynveo, 60 capsules of 500 mg | Quali-C ascorbic acid | 9.90 EUR | 0.330 EUR | 60 EUR |
| Nutri&Co, 15 effervescent tablets of 1,000 mg | ascorbic acid, flavourings, sorbitol | 9.90 EUR | 0.660 EUR | 120 EUR |
| Dynveo liposomal, 300 capsules of 500 mg | ascorbic acid and sunflower lecithin | 139.90 EUR | 0.933 EUR | 170 EUR |
| Dynveo liposomal, 60 capsules of 500 mg | ascorbic acid and sunflower lecithin | 29.90 EUR | 0.997 EUR | 182 EUR |
| Dynveo, organic acerola, 60 capsules of 200 mg | fruit extract | 19.90 EUR | 1.658 EUR | 303 EUR |
| Nutrimuscle, organic camu camu, 60 capsules | fruit powder, 120 mg per 2 capsules | 17.95 EUR | 4.986 EUR | 910 EUR |
Ten formats out of fourteen contain exactly the same thing: L-ascorbic acid, mostly Quali-C grade, with no other ingredient apart from the capsule shell. Among them, the gap runs from 0.039 to 0.330 EUR per gram, a factor of 8, and it depends only on the format: powder costs less than capsules, and the big tub costs less than the small one.
Three things this table tells you
Powder is four times cheaper, and it is just as easy to dose
A supplied scoop gives 1 g, and half a scoop gives 500 mg. Pure vitamin C tastes sour, close to lemon juice, and the taste disappears in a glass of water or juice. That is the only effort required to pay 15 EUR a year instead of 55 with the same brand in capsules.
The liposomal form costs twelve times more
Liposomal vitamin C is wrapped in sunflower lecithin phospholipids to improve its absorption. The argument is real from a pharmacological point of view: above a few hundred milligrams per dose, intestinal absorption of vitamin C becomes saturated. But the practical consequence is simple: you just need to split the dose, 500 mg in the morning and 500 mg in the evening, to get around this saturation with ordinary vitamin C. Paying 0.93 EUR per gram instead of 0.08 only makes sense for people seeking very high doses, which is a matter for medical advice.
Fruit extracts are priced on marketing
Acerola and camu camu are sold as “natural” vitamin C. Yet the molecule is identical: the body cannot tell the ascorbic acid from a fruit from that of a factory. What the extract changes is the dose. Nutrimuscle’s camu camu capsule provides 120 mg for two capsules, barely more than the daily reference, and a gram of vitamin C works out at 4.99 EUR. That is also what 100 g of raw red pepper provides.
How much do you really need?
Anses sets the population reference intake at 110 mg a day for an adult. The European labelling reference value, the one used for the percentage shown on packs, is 80 mg. That is why a 1,000 mg capsule claims “1,250%”: it provides twelve and a half times the reference value.
A normal diet covers this need without difficulty. According to Ciqual 2025, per 100 g:
| Food | Vitamin C per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Acerola cherry, raw | 1,680 mg |
| Guava, raw | 228 mg |
| Blackcurrant, raw | 181 mg |
| Fresh parsley | 133 mg |
| Red pepper, raw | 121 mg |
| Broccoli, raw | 91.2 mg |
| Kiwi | 81.9 mg |
Half a raw red pepper and a kiwi exceed 110 mg. Cooking destroys part of the vitamin C: cooked red pepper drops to 81 mg according to the same table. Our guide to boosting your immunity through diet details the other nutrients involved.
When a supplement is justified
In an adult who eats raw fruit and vegetables every day, rarely. The situations where intakes are often insufficient are well known: smoking, which increases the need, a diet low in fresh plant foods, and convalescence. In these cases, 500 mg of powder a day is more than enough, for 7 to 15 EUR a year.
On safety, EFSA has not set a tolerable upper intake level for vitamin C, because of insufficient data. It notes that additional intakes of up to about 1 g a day are not associated with adverse effects; beyond that, digestive problems are the most commonly described effect. People prone to kidney stones or with haemochromatosis should seek medical advice before taking any supplement, as vitamin C increases iron absorption.
Our sources
- Official Novoma, Dynveo, Nutrimuscle and Nutri&Co pages, viewed on 24/09/2026: doses, forms, formats, prices and ingredient lists.
- Ciqual 2025 table (Anses) for the food contents.
- Anses, reference intakes for the population: 110 mg of vitamin C a day for adults.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII: nutrient reference value of 80 mg.
- EFSA, opinion on tolerable upper intake levels for vitamins and minerals: no limit set for vitamin C.