NAD+ 500mg vs 1000mg: Cost-per-mg Decision

When budgeting a NAD+ research program, the choice usually comes down to two formats: 500mg or 1000mg. The two are the same compound, so the decision is not about quality, it is about unit economics, consumption rate, and how you like to manage a budget. Here is a clear framework for choosing.

The short answer

Buy the 1000mg format when you are confident you will use it and want the lowest cost per milligram. Buy the 500mg format when you value flexibility, are still validating a protocol, or prefer smaller, more frequent purchases. Everything below is the detail behind that rule.

Why the per-mg price differs

A large share of any peptide’s price is fixed, independent of vial size: synthesis and purification setup, HPLC and mass-spectrometry testing, quality documentation, cold-chain handling, and packaging. Those costs are incurred per lot, not per milligram, so doubling the quantity in a vial does not double the price. The result is that a 1000mg format almost always carries a lower cost per milligram than a 500mg one.

Consumption is the deciding variable

The right format depends less on the price tag than on how fast you will use the material. NAD+ is often used at higher working quantities than microgram-scale signalling peptides, so a sustained project can move through a large vial quickly. If your throughput is high and predictable, the 1000mg format converts its per-mg discount into real savings. If you are running a pilot or validating a new assay, the 500mg format avoids over-committing before you know your true consumption.

The case for 1000mg

• Lowest cost per milligram, since fixed per-lot costs are spread over more material.
• Single-lot consistency across a multi-condition study, removing lot-to-lot variation.
• Fewer orders and fewer shipping fees over the life of the project.
• Simpler procurement, less repeat administration.

The case for 500mg

• Lower upfront spend, easier on a tight or staged budget.
• Flexibility if your protocol or direction is still evolving.
• A shorter consumption window, useful if long-term storage is a concern for your workflow.
• A sensible entry point when trialling a new supplier or assay.

A worked way to think about it

You do not need a spreadsheet to make this call, just a consistent method. Estimate how many milligrams your project will realistically consume over its planned window, then compare the total delivered cost of reaching that quantity via 500mg units versus 1000mg units, shipping included. If the project comfortably needs a full 1000mg or more, the larger format almost always wins on total cost and gives you single-lot consistency as a bonus. If your honest estimate is well under 1000mg, or you cannot yet estimate it, the 500mg format protects you from paying for material you may never use. The trap to avoid is buying the bulk format purely because the per-mg number looks better, then leaving half of it unused: an unused discount is not a saving.

Don’t forget shipping in the math

Cost-per-mg is only part of the total. Repeated 500mg orders each carry their own shipping, while a single larger order may cross a free-shipping threshold. At LYFE Science, orders over $150 ship free and the flat rate is otherwise $25, so consolidating can quietly change which format is actually cheaper per experiment. Always compare total delivered cost against expected consumption, not sticker price alone.

Ordering in Canada

LYFE Science ships Canada-wide by Canada Post from within Canada, with same-day dispatch on orders paid before noon ET and delivery in one to three business days for most of the country, in neutral packaging. Purity is verified by HPLC and mass spectrometry, with a COA available per lot, and payment is by Interac e-Transfer or crypto (BTC, ETH, SOL, USDC, USDT). Browse the current range in the shop or read our peptide guide for handling basics.

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