When it comes to selecting a supplement delivery format, choosing gummies vs. capsules is one of the most important decisions a dietary supplement brand owner will make. According to SPINS data for the 52 weeks ending June 16, 20241Casteel B. SPINS presentation. UNPA Member’s Retreat, Deer Valley, UT. September 2024., gummies currently lead the U.S. market in dollar share at 18.9%, with capsules following closely at 14.7%. However, the year-over-year growth trend paints a different picture, as gummy sales declined by 8%, while capsules saw a 5.3% increase in dollar sales.
Both formats represent a significant portion of the market, but choosing the right one for your product depends on formulation requirements, your target audience, and long-term brand goals. In many cases, capsules offer greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness, making them the preferred choice for many supplement brands.
This article will break down the pros and cons of each format to help you make an informed decision for your supplement business.
A Quick Overview of Gummies and Capsules
Gummies are chewable confectioneries typically formulated with corn syrup, sucrose, gelatin, starch, food acids, and various flavoring and coloring agents. Some supplement contract manufacturers use pectin instead of gelatin to offer vegan-friendly options. While sugar alternatives are occasionally used, they can pose challenges in creating a stable and consistent gummy matrix.
Two-piece hardshell capsules, on the other hand, are generally made from gelatin, derived from bovine, fish, swine collagen, or from plant-based materials such as HPMC (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), pullulan (a fungal polysaccharide), tapioca starch, or PVA (polyvinyl alcohol).
Are capsules better than gummies? That depends on your formulation and audience. Gummies appeal to a broad demographic and are often favored by consumers who dislike swallowing pills. However, they can pose challenges for elderly users with dentures and are not ideal for ingredients with strong or unpleasant tastes. Conversely, capsules provide more flexibility in accommodating bitter or metallic-tasting ingredients, are available in various sizes, and generally offer better protection for sensitive actives, making them a preferred delivery format for many dietary supplement formulations.
Why Are Capsules a More Efficient Supplement Form Than Gummies?
Which is better, gummies or capsules? While both formats have their place in the dietary supplement market, capsules are the generally preferred choice for most formulations. Their advantages go beyond convenience, as they offer superior control over taste and odor, typically contain fewer sugars and additives, and allow for higher nutrient concentration and more precise dosing.
Taste and Flavor: Which One Is More Enjoyable?
When evaluating capsules vs. gummies, taste and flavor are key considerations, especially when designing supplements for specific demographics.
- Gummies: As a confection-based delivery system, gummies can be formulated with appealing flavors, making them more enjoyable for children and adults who dislike swallowing pills. This palatability can support compliance in some cases. However, many nutraceutical ingredients have naturally bitter or metallic flavor profiles that are difficult to mask in a gummy matrix. This limitation can reduce the range of viable actives for gummy-based products.
- Capsules: Capsules are tasteless and odorless by design. While they lack the sensory appeal of gummies, they eliminate the need for added sweeteners, flavoring agents, or masking technologies. This makes them a cleaner, more neutral delivery option, ideal for complex or strong-tasting formulations that wouldn’t perform well in a flavored format.
When it comes to sugar and additives, capsules hold the advantage for both consumer trust and formulation flexibility.
Sugar Content and Additives: How Do They Impact Your Health?
- Gummies: Many gummy supplements rely on added sugars and sweeteners to enhance flavor and texture. While this may improve palatability, it can undermine the product’s health appeal, especially in a wellness-driven market. According to Harvard Health, excess consumption of added sugar has been associated with negative health outcomes.2The sweet danger of sugar. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. January 6, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2025 from https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar. Additionally, some gummy formulations may include artificial colors and flavors, which are under increasing scrutiny by health-conscious consumers.3Warner JO. Artificial food additives: hazardous to long-term health? Arch Dis Child. 2024 Oct 18;109(11):882-885. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2023-326565. PMID: 38423749. From a brand owner’s perspective, gummies also carry a unique risk: their candy-like appearance can lead to accidental overconsumption by children, raising safety and compliance considerations that must be addressed with child-resistant packaging and proper labeling.
- Capsules: Capsules offer a cleaner label alternative. They typically do not require added sugars, flavoring agents, or synthetic dyes. This makes them especially attractive for brands targeting health-focused, ingredient-conscious consumers. For supplement companies aiming to differentiate through transparency and minimalism, capsules present a strong, straightforward option.
When it comes to sugar and additives, capsules clearly hold the advantage for both consumer trust and formulation flexibility.
Nutrient Concentration and Dosage: Which Form Packs More Nutrients?
In answering the question, “Are gummies as effective as capsules?”, one key factor to evaluate is nutrient dosage. A supplement must deliver a sufficient amount of its active ingredients to provide the intended support, and not all delivery forms are equally capable.
- Gummies: Due to the need for sweeteners, flavoring agents, and the gummy matrix itself, the nutrient load in gummies is often limited. This is particularly problematic for ingredients with a strong or unpleasant taste. For example, it’s rare to find a multivitamin gummy that includes iron, even in prenatal formulas, because of iron’s metallic taste. Yet iron remains essential for women of reproductive age and during pregnancy. Similarly, B-vitamin levels in gummies are often reduced to avoid bitter flavor profiles, limiting their effectiveness in supporting energy and stress response. These formulation constraints make gummies less suitable for delivering certain key nutrients at clinically relevant levels.
- Capsules: Capsules can be produced in a range of sizes, enabling them to accommodate larger quantities of active ingredients without the need for sweeteners or flavor enhancers. This makes them ideal for delivering higher-potency formulas and for nutrients that are otherwise challenging to flavor. Capsules offer reliable, consistent dosing and are better suited for comprehensive multivitamins, minerals, and condition-specific formulations that require precision and efficacy.
Shelf Life and Storage: Which Lasts Longer?
Stability during storage and shipping is a critical factor for any supplement formulation, especially for products sold online or distributed across diverse climates.
- Gummies: Gummy supplements are more sensitive to environmental factors such as heat, humidity, and light. When exposed to temperatures above 90°F, gummies can melt, fuse, and re-solidify into a single mass, making them difficult to consume and potentially compromising the consumer experience. This is a well-documented issue, particularly for products stored or shipped through e-commerce platforms where warehouse temperatures can exceed 100°F.4https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx3S9YOPJE12JBF/
- In addition to physical changes, exposure to oxygen, moisture, and temperature fluctuations during manufacturing or storage may accelerate nutrient degradation. Preserving potency in gummies can be especially challenging for heat-sensitive vitamins, which tend to break down more quickly in the gummy matrix.5Yan B. Challenges in Preserving Vitamin Stability in Gummy Supplements. Vitam Miner. 2022; 11:09
- Capsules: Capsules have been around for a long time as a delivery form. The first recorded patent for gelatin capsule production was in 1834.6Ginty M. The perfect climate for capsule storage. Processing. March 5,2020. Retrieved July 9, 2025 from https://www.processingmagazine.com/material-handling-dry-wet/article/21128487/the-perfect-climate-for-capsule-storage. Capsule supplements are generally considered to be stable and are often chosen for their ability to protect sensitive ingredients and maintain potency over time.7Koeberle M. Ensuring Stability in Pharmaceutical and Dietary Supplement Manufacturing. Tablets & Capsules. April 1, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2025 from https://www.tabletscapsules.com/3641-Technical-Articles/582063-Ensuring-Stability-in-Pharmaceutical-and-Dietary-Supplement-Manufacturing/. Capsules offer practical advantages in terms of longevity and storage.
Targeted Release: Which Form Offers More Precision?
For some dietary supplements, targeted release is essential, especially when specific ingredients need to bypass stomach acid or be delivered to precise areas within the digestive tract for optimal absorption.
- Gummies: Gummies are not designed for targeted delivery. Once consumed, they begin to break down in the stomach, which limits their ability to protect acid-sensitive ingredients or delay release until the product reaches the small intestine. As a result, gummies are not ideal for nutraceuticals that require protection from stomach acid or precision release along the gastrointestinal tract.
- Capsules: Capsules, particularly delayed-release or enteric-coated varieties, offer greater precision. These advanced capsule types are formulated with materials that resist breakdown in the acidic environment of the stomach, allowing the capsule to remain intact until it reaches the more alkaline small intestine. This improves ingredient stability, protects acid-sensitive components like enzymes and probiotics, and enhances nutrient bioavailability by ensuring release at the optimal site of absorption.
- Brand owners looking to develop supplements with targeted delivery capabilities are encouraged to partner with an experienced capsules manufacturing company that understands delayed-release technology and can ensure product quality, stability, and regulatory compliance.
For nutraceuticals requiring site-specific delivery, whether for absorption or to avoid degradation, capsules remain the superior option for controlled and targeted release.
Gummies or Capsules: Which One Should You Choose?
When evaluating supplements contract manufacturing options, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing the right delivery format for your product—gummies or capsules. Based on the factors outlined in this article, capsules consistently offer superior advantages in terms of dosage accuracy, nutrient stability, shelf life, and targeted delivery.
For these reasons, partnering with a trusted capsule supplement manufacturer is often the best path forward for brand owners who prioritize product performance, regulatory compliance, and consumer satisfaction.
To recap the comparison, see the summary table below:
| Gummy | Capsule | |
| Doesn’t require sweeteners | X | ✓ |
| Doesn’t require flavoring agents | X | ✓ |
| Accommodates higher nutraceutical doses | X | ✓ |
| No issue with bitter or undesirable tasting nutraceuticals | X | ✓ |
| Offers maximum stability/shelf life | X | ✓ |
| Offers targeted release capabilities | X | ✓ |
| Good for people who don’t like to swallow pills | ✓ | X |
Concluding Thoughts on Gummies vs. Capsules
Choosing between gummies vs. capsules is more than a marketing decision; it’s a strategic choice that can impact your product’s effectiveness, stability, and long-term success.
While gummies offer flavor appeal, capsules deliver superior benefits in nutrient concentration, shelf life, sugar content, and targeted release. For supplement brand owners focused on clean labels, product integrity, and consumer trust, custom capsule manufacturing is a good direction to pursue.
Whether you’re scaling an existing product or launching something new, our team has the experience, certifications, and manufacturing capabilities to bring your capsule formulations to market with precision and speed.
Are you ready to capitalize on the capsules manufacturing trends covered in this article? If so, call Vitaquest at 800-526-9095 to speak with one of our knowledgeable formulation experts or request a nutraceutical manufacturing price quote if you’ve already finalized your project requirements!
Frequently Asked Questions About Gummies vs. Capsules
Which supplement form is better for weight management: gummies or capsules?
When considering gummies vs. capsules for weight-conscious consumers, capsules are the clear winner. Many gummy supplements contain added sugars and caloric sweeteners to enhance taste and texture, factors that can conflict with weight management goals. Capsules, by contrast, are typically free from sugars and contain negligible calories, making them a more suitable and straightforward choice for supplement brands targeting the weight management category.
Which is more cost-effective: gummies or capsules?
From a manufacturing and formulation perspective, capsules are generally more cost-effective. Gummies require additional ingredients like sweeteners, flavorings, and stabilizers, which not only increase costs but also reduce nutrient density per serving. This often results in needing more gummies to match the potency of a single capsule, driving up serving count and production costs.
Can I find the same supplements in both gummies and capsules?
In some cases, yes. In other cases, no. Single-ingredient supplements like vitamin D or biotin are commonly available in both gummy and capsule delivery formats. However, complex formulas such as multivitamins often differ by format. For example, iron is rarely included in gummy multivitamins due to its metallic taste, and B-vitamin levels are often reduced to prevent bitterness. Capsules provide more flexibility for full-spectrum formulations with optimal dosing.
Which supplement format is better for portability?
Capsules and tablets offer superior portability and durability. They are less susceptible to heat, humidity, or structural degradation compared to gummies, which can melt, clump, or lose potency under unfavorable conditions. For consumers on the go or brands prioritizing shelf-stable, travel-friendly formats, capsules are the more practical solution.
How do gummies and capsules compare in terms of environmental impact?
Capsules typically have a lower environmental impact due to simpler manufacturing processes and minimal use of additional ingredients. Gummies often require more water, energy, and packaging materials, along with added sugars and artificial colors or flavors. For supplement companies focused on sustainability, capsules can be the more eco-conscious delivery choice.
