Fish oil, krill oil or algae oil: what 1,000 mg of EPA + DHA costs

Omega-3 supplements are sold by the weight of the oil – “1,000 mg fish oil”. But what you’re paying for is in the oil: the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. How much of them a softgel has varies a lot – and so does the real price.

“1,000 mg fish oil” isn’t 1,000 mg of omega-3

The big number on the front is the oil. EPA and DHA are listed on their own lines in the Supplement Facts – add them up. A classic example:

In the 530 fish oils we checked, one softgel has 29–1,200 mg of EPA + DHA.

Concentrated fish oil – often sold as “triple strength” or “ultra” – has more EPA + DHA in each softgel. It costs more per bottle, but not necessarily more per 1,000 mg of EPA + DHA.

$0.19

cheapest fish oil per 1,000 mg

$0.73

cheapest krill oil per 1,000 mg

3.9×

krill oil vs. fish oil, same EPA + DHA

Fish, krill or algae: what 1,000 mg costs

Krill oil has much less EPA + DHA per softgel: 35–220 mg in the products we checked. For 1,000 mg you’d need 5–29 softgels. That’s why it costs so much more per 1,000 mg, even when the bottle looks cheap.

Algae oil is the source without fish – for people who don’t eat fish or animal products. Per 1,000 mg of EPA + DHA, the cheapest one costs 3.1 times as much as the cheapest fish oil in our list.

Liquid fish oil is measured with a spoon. The one we checked has 1,200 mg of EPA + DHA per 5 ml and costs $0.28 per 1,000 mg.

We don’t compare other differences – like the chemical form of the oil or how it’s absorbed. Only price and what the label says.

How much is typical?

There’s no official daily amount for EPA + DHA in the US (NIH (opens in a new tab)). The EU food safety authority lists 250 mg a day (opens in a new tab) as adequate for adults, and found no safety concerns (opens in a new tab) for adults up to 5,000 mg a day from supplements. We compare per 1,000 mg because it’s a round number – not because it’s a recommendation.

All 640 products, sorted by cost per 1,000 mg of EPA + DHA: omega-3 prices.