Creatine comes in many forms: monohydrate, Kre-Alkalyn, HCl, ethyl ester… This guide compares available forms based on clinical data. See our complete guide for fundamentals.
Creatine monohydrate: the undisputed reference
Creatine monohydrate underpins 1,000+ published clinical studies. It is the only form with an EFSA-validated health claim (Regulation 432/2012).
Creapure®: the certified purity benchmark
Patented by AlzChem (Germany): guaranteed purity ≥99.9%.
- Kre-Alkalyn: no advantage over monohydrate in comparative studies.
- Creatine HCl: no clinical superiority demonstrated.
- Creatine ethyl ester: less effective: degrades faster to inactive creatinine.
| Form | Clinical base | EFSA claim | Purity | Cost |
|---|
| Monohydrate | +++++ | ✅ | Variable | Low |
| Micronised monohydrate | +++++ | ✅ | Variable | Low |
| Creapure® | +++++ | ✅ | ≥99.9% certified | Medium |
| Kre-Alkalyn | + | ❌ | Variable | High |
| Creatine HCl | + | ❌ | Variable | High |
| Creatine ethyl ester | + | ❌ | Variable | High |