Formats
Choose the format before you choose the factory.
The format decides your minimum, your lead time, your cost per serving, how much active you can deliver and which channels will take the product. Get it right first and every later decision gets easier.
Start here
Three questions decide it.
These are what a manufacturer will ask you, and what we work through with you on a first call.
How is it taken?
At home with water, in a pocket on the move, cold from a cooler, or on the skin? Mixed in a glass points at powders and sticks. Taken without water points at capsules, gummies, chews, strips or shots. Applied points at topicals and patches.
How big is the dose?
A two gram serving will not fit in a capsule and will struggle in a gummy. High dose actives push you toward powders, sticks, tablets, chews and liquids. Low dose actives open everything up, including strips, mints and patches.
What can the first run cost?
Starting minimums run from around 1,000 units to 20,000 and beyond depending on the format, and that range usually settles the argument. See the low MOQ guide before you fall for a format.
Supplements
Solid dose and powder formats, the core of private label.
Capsules
The cleanest label and the highest dose ceiling. Where the ingredient is the story.
Softgels
The right home for oils and fat soluble nutrients. Hides taste completely.
Tablets
The lowest cost per dose in the category. Built for value, multis and chewables.
Gummies
The fastest growing format in supplements, and the one people actually finish.
Soft chews
Eats like a treat, carries more than a gummy, and holds up better in heat.
Powders
More active per serving than anything else, and among the lowest minimums.
Stick packs
Single serve and pre measured. The best sampling and checkout format there is.
Liquids and drinks
Felt fastest, and the fastest moving shelf in wellness.
Functional food and confection
Treat formats that hide difficult actives and drive repeat.
Oral delivery
Newer formats that dissolve or release in the mouth.
Topical and transdermal
Applied to the skin, with their own rules and their own buyers.
Side by side
Every format, compared.
Typical figures on existing formulas. Custom programs, packaging choices and flavor counts all move these.
| Format | Smallest first order | Time to make | How much fits | Sells best in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supplements | ||||
| Capsules | From 1,000 | 4 to 8 wks | High | Clinical, practitioner, complex stacks |
| Softgels | From 1,000 | 6 to 10 wks | Low to moderate, oils only | Omega-3, vitamin D, prenatal |
| Tablets | From 5,000 | 6 to 10 wks | Very high | Value retail, multivitamins, club |
| Gummies | From 1,000 | 4 to 8 wks | Moderate | Mass retail, Amazon, first time buyers |
| Soft chews | From 2,500 | 6 to 10 wks | Moderate to high | Creatine, joint, pet |
| Powders | From 1,000 | 4 to 8 wks | Very high | Sports, greens, subscription |
| Stick packs | From 2,000 | 4 to 8 wks | Moderate | Sampling, travel, checkout |
| Liquids and drinks | ||||
| Shots and liquids | From 2,400 | 6 to 10 wks | High | Convenience, c-store, fast onset |
| Tinctures and drops | From 1,000 | 4 to 8 wks | Flexible | Botanicals, mushrooms, CBD |
| Beverages | From 5,000 | 8 to 14 wks | Moderate | Cooler door, on premise, alcohol alternatives |
| Functional food and confection | ||||
| Functional chocolate | From 2,500 | 6 to 10 wks | Moderate | Gifting, specialty, mushrooms |
| Lozenges and mints | From 5,000 | 6 to 10 wks | Low to moderate | Checkout, pharmacy, travel |
| Oral delivery | ||||
| Dissolvable strips | From 5,000 | 8 to 12 wks | Low | Novelty, travel, pill fatigue |
| Oral pouches | From 5,000 | 8 to 12 wks | Low to moderate | C-store, smoke shop, sports |
| Topical and transdermal | ||||
| Topicals | From 1,000 | 6 to 10 wks | Set by the base | Recovery, CBD, body care |
| Patches | From 2,500 | 8 to 12 wks | Low | DTC, travel, pill fatigue |
Start a project
Not sure which format fits?
Tell us what the product needs to do and who it is for. We will recommend a format and tell you plainly what it gives up.