26 March 2026
Pre-Workout Comparison: Price per Serving in 2026 (10 Popular PWOs)
You're standing in the supplement store (or more likely: scrolling through a webshop) and you see twenty different pre-workouts. One costs €24.99, another €49.99. But which one is actually cheaper? And more importantly: which gives you the most bang for your buck?
The price on the tub means nothing by itself. A €25 tub with 20 servings costs more per scoop than a €35 tub with 40 servings. That's why we've put 10 popular pre-workouts side by side based on price per serving. It's the only fair way to compare.
Why price per serving is the only metric that matters
Let's say you train 4 times per week and take a scoop before each session. That's about 17 servings per month. At €0.83 per serving, that costs you €14.11 per month. At €1.62 per serving, you're looking at €27.54. That's a difference of more than €160 per year, just on pre-workout.
But price isn't everything. A cheap pre-workout with half the caffeine of the expensive one isn't necessarily better value. If you need two scoops for the same effect, you're paying double anyway. That's why we also look at what's inside each serving.
The comparison: 10 pre-workouts ranked
We compared 10 pre-workouts available in Europe from major supplement retailers. Prices are based on standard tub sizes (March 2026). For products that frequently go on sale, we used the regular retail price.
| Pre-workout | Price (tub) | Servings | Per serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXL Nutrition Black Label | €34.99 | 30 | €1.17 | 330 mg |
| ABE Ultimate Pre-Workout | €24.99 | 30 | €0.83 | 200 mg |
| Body & Fit Crazy Pre-Workout | €30.95 | 37 | €0.84 | 200 mg |
| Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard | €26.99 | 30 | €0.90 | 175 mg |
| Myprotein THE Pre-Workout | €32.99 | 30 | €1.10 | 200 mg |
| BULK Elevate | €32.49 | 20 | €1.62 | 200 mg |
| C4 Original (Cellucor) | €29.95 | 30 | €1.00 | 150 mg |
| XXL Nutrition Xtreme Pump | €26.99 | 30 | €0.90 | 0 mg* |
| BSN NO-Xplode 3.0 | €31.99 | 30 | €1.07 | 150 mg |
| Gorilla Mind Pre-Workout | €44.95 | 40 | €1.12 | 350 mg |
*Xtreme Pump is a stimulant-free PWO using green tea extract instead of caffeine.
Cheapest per serving: ABE and Body & Fit
ABE from Applied Nutrition comes in at €0.83 per serving, making it the cheapest in our comparison. Body & Fit Crazy is close behind at €0.84, and its tub actually contains 37 servings instead of 30. In pure cost-per-scoop terms, these are your best bets.
ABE contains 200 mg caffeine plus 100 mg theacrine (a compound that works similarly to caffeine but with less tolerance buildup), 4 g citrulline malate, 2 g beta-alanine, and 3.25 g creatine. The dosages aren't the highest, but for the price, it's a solid formula.
The mid-range: ON Gold Standard, C4 and BSN
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout costs €0.90 per serving. Not the cheapest, but ON is a brand that has delivered consistently for years. You get 175 mg caffeine (slightly less than most competitors), plus creatine monohydrate and beta-alanine.
C4 Original from Cellucor sits at €1.00 per serving. A classic that's been around for years. At 150 mg caffeine per serving, it's the lightest stimulant option. Good for beginners or late-night sessions.
BSN NO-Xplode 3.0 costs €1.07 per serving. Long ingredient list, but many are underdosed at a single scoop. Most reviewers recommend 1.5 to 2 scoops, pushing your effective cost to €1.60-€2.14.
Premium tier: Black Label, Myprotein and Gorilla Mind
XXL Nutrition Black Label costs €1.17 per serving but delivers 330 mg of caffeine, the highest dose in this comparison. Myprotein THE Pre-Workout sits at €1.10 per serving with 200 mg caffeine and Cognizin for focus. Watch for their regular 40-50% discount codes.
Gorilla Mind comes in at €1.12 per serving with 350 mg caffeine and a comprehensive ingredient profile. This one's for experienced users who know their tolerance.
Most expensive surprise: BULK Elevate
BULK Elevate stands out as the priciest at €1.62 per serving, mainly because you only get 20 servings per tub. The RRP is €49.99, though it's frequently discounted to around €32.49. Even at sale price, it's the most expensive per scoop.
Tips to save money
- Buy larger tubs. Most brands offer 60 or 90-serving tubs that work out cheaper per serving.
- Wait for sales. Myprotein, Body & Fit and BULK regularly run 30-50% discounts. Black Friday and January sales are traditionally the cheapest.
- Consider DIY. Caffeine pills (200 mg) cost about €8 for 100 capsules. Combine with bulk creatine and citrulline for an effective DIY pre-workout under €0.40 per serving.
- Half scoops. Most pre-workouts are formulated for someone weighing 90 kg. If you're 70 kg, half a scoop might be plenty.
Want to know how much protein you need alongside your pre-workout? Check our protein calculator.
Browse more comparisons and reviews at whey-wijzer.fit.