Best Cheap Pre-Workout

What Is Cheap Pre-Workout?

When comparing the cost of pre-workout supplements, it’s important to consider the average pricing for similar products.

So, I gathered pricing information for 25 of the most popular pre-workouts, all with 20 to 30 servings per container. Then, I broke down the total cost per tub and per serving or scoop.

Cost per Tub

The average cost for a 30-serving container of pre-workout is around $39, with the highest price being $65 and the lowest being $14.99 per tub. However, it’s important to consider the number of servings in a container to determine the actual cost before purchasing.

Cost per Scoop

Pre-workout powders cost between $0.50 and $2.25 per scoop when adjusted for the number of servings in the container. On average, the cost is $1.33 per scoop.

To find an inexpensive pre-workout, aim to spend $1.33 per serving or less. Below is a breakdown of the cost per scoop for 25 popular pre-workout brands.

What to Look for In Pre-Workout

When searching for the best affordable pre-workout supplements, it’s important to carefully review the label to ensure you’re getting the necessary ingredients for optimal results. Simply choosing the cheapest option may not provide the effect you want.

Look for the effective doses of caffeine, beta-alanine, and l-arginine or l-citrulline on the supplement facts label. Although not as commonly included, some pre-workouts may contain creatine.

Caffeine

We all know that caffeine helps you wake up and feel more energized. And pre-workout supplements use this ingredient to give you that boost of energy to hit the gym and work hard.

Expensive pre-workouts have about 260 mg of caffeine, like a big cup of coffee. In contrast, cheap pre-workouts generally have around 175 mg of caffeine, more like a regular cup of coffee.

The strength of pre-workout you buy also depends on your sensitivity to stimulants and how much of an energy boost you’re after.

Coffee vs Pre-Workout: Which Is Better Before Exercise?

7 Best Cheap Pre-Workout Supplements

Here are the best cheap pre-workout supplements, categorized by specific benefits to help you find the one that meets your needs.

7. Best Cheap Pre-Workout for Energy

If you take a pre-workout for intense energy and focus, Mr. Hyde from ProSupps is a good cheap pre-workout. At $0.63 per scoop, it’s the second cheapest pre-workout on the list.

With 200mg of caffeine, it has one of the highest stimulant contents among cheap pre-workouts. In addition, it contains 16mg of theacrine, a compound similar to caffeine.

Mr. Hyde has 1.5g of beta-alanine, which is standard for a cheap pre-workout. But unfortunately, it has only 0.5g of arginine and citrulline combined.

See Price on Amazon

6. Best Cheap Pre-Workout Stim Free

Dr. Jekyll is another pre-workout from ProSupps, but this one is stimulant-free. It costs more than Mr. Hyde at $0.93 per scoop but is still much cheaper than most pre-workouts.

Besides the lack of caffeine and other stimulants, the formula is pretty much the same as Dr. Hyde’s. So, this might be an excellent cheap pre-workout if you’re sensitive to stimulants.

See Price on Amazon

5. Best Cheap Pre-Workout on a Budget

Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion is the way to go if you want to save as much money as possible. It’s by far the cheapest pre-workout, costing as low as $15 per tub or $0.50 per scoop.

Another plus is that you can get this brand at most general stores like Walmart, Target, and Walgreens. Or you can click below to get it delivered to your home from Amazon.

But I must point out that the low cost comes at the expense of adequate doses of most ingredients. To illustrate, you get 1.5g of beta-alanine and 1.6g of l-arginine/citrulline.

In addition, it comes in at the low end with 135mg of caffeine. So you won’t feel as significant an effect as you might with some other brands.

See Price on Amazon

4. Best Cheap Pre-Workout with Creatine

Creatine is another ingredient in some pre-workout supplements because it’s a critical component of the ATP energy pathway you use during resistance training. About half of all pre-workouts contain creatine.

Most cheap pre-workout supplements have less than 2.5 grams of creatine. However, Gold Standard Pre-Workout by Optimum Nutrition has 3 grams for $1.17 per scoop.

See Price on Amazon

Supplement marketing glorifies the benefits of creatine HCL, a specific variation of creatine. For example, they say that creatine HCL requires less than 1g compared to 5g of monohydrate. But these claims are unsubstantiated.

Creatine HCL vs Monohydrate: The Truth About Which is Better

3. Best Cheap Pre-Workout without Itch

Beta-alanine is the ingredient in pre-workout that makes you itch or tingle. And studies suggest that doses of 1.6 grams or less mitigate this unpleasant side effect.

See Price on Amazon

Steel Supplements Pre has only 1g of beta-alanine, which means it shouldn’t make you itch. However, this comes at the expense of a lower anti-fatigue effect.

How to Stop the Pre-Workout Itch

2. Most Popular Cheap Pre-Workout

Cellucor’s C4 Original pre-workout is the #1 best seller on Amazon, and it only costs $29.99 for a 30-serving tub. With some simple math, you can see that equates to $1 per scoop, which is 25% cheaper than the market average.

There are also variations called C4 Sport, C4 Extreme, and C4 Ultimate. Unfortunately, the Extreme and Ultimate versions are too expensive to make this list. And the Sport version has a proprietary blend, masking the ingredients.

The C4 Original formula is decent compared to other cheap pre-workouts with 150mg of caffeine and 1.6g of beta-alanine. But C4 lacks blood flow ingredients with just 1g of arginine.

See Price on Amazon

1. Best Cheap Pre-Workout Overall Effectiveness

The absolute best cheap pre-workout you can get is from Nutricost. First, this is one of the cheapest pre-workouts at just $0.83 per serving.

Moreover, you can tell they don’t waste money on flashy labels or frilly marketing. It’s just a bare-bones pre-workout supplement that works.

See Price on Amazon

Cheap Pre-Workout FAQ

Now you know the best cheap pre-workout for your needs and fitness goals. But you might still have questions about what to look for in a cheap pre-workout.

So here are some short answers to the most frequently asked questions about inexpensive pre-workout supplements.

What is a reasonable price to pay for pre-workout?

A reasonable price on pre-workout is less than $40 for a 30-serving tub. But some pre-workout companies put fewer servings in a container so they can charge less!

So, it’s better to look at the price per serving. For example, if a 30-serving container of pre-workout costs $40, that’s $1.33 per serving ($40 / 30 servings).

Therefore, you should aim to pay less than $1.33 per scoop of pre-workout.

Related: Pre-Workout Gummies vs Powder Cost

Is expensive pre-workout better than cheap pre-workout?

You usually get what you pay for when you buy pre-workout. For example, expensive pre-workouts have a higher cost because they contain more of the active ingredients you want in a supplement.

On the other hand, cheap pre-workouts skimp on the ingredients or hide them behind a proprietary blend. So cheaper is not always better when you factor in the cost per effective dose of pre-workout.

Can I make my own cheap pre-workout?

Yes! Making homemade pre-workout is the best way to save money while ensuring you get adequate amounts of the critical ingredients. Of course, it’s a bit more work, but it costs only about $0.60 per serving!

To make a DIY pre-workout, start by buying free-form beta-alanine, l-arginine or l-citrulline, and some caffeine. Then, mix the ingredients in your favorite drink.

Cheap DIY Pre-Workout

Making a pre-workout in your kitchen might sound too complicated at first. But I’ve been doing it myself for over ten years, and it’s easy!

I put together the ultimate DIY pre-workout guide showing you which ingredients to buy and what doses to use. So click below to get 5 cheap homemade pre-workout recipes.