Grüns costs about a third of what AG1 does, discloses more of its label, includes the Vitamin D that AG1 leaves out, and delivers four times the K2. It also puts 8g of added sugar into every daily serving, which is more than any meal replacement we have audited. That trade is the entire decision. Here is the detail.
Neither of these is a meal replacement, and neither is scored here. Our 10-point score weights protein, calories and fiber because it is built to evaluate products meant to replace a meal. Running a daily supplement through it would produce a low number that looks like a verdict and tells you nothing. This comparison judges both products on what they actually claim to do: fill micronutrient gaps in a diet you are already eating. See how we rank.
Side by Side
| Metric | AG1 | Grüns |
|---|---|---|
| Price per serving | $2.63 subscription, $3.30 one-time | From about $1.07 subscription |
| Format | Powder, 12g to 13g scoop | Gummies, 8-count pack, about 20g |
| Calories | 40 to 50 | 50 |
| Protein | 2g | 0g |
| Fiber | 2g | 6g |
| Added sugar | None | 8g |
| Folate | L-Methylfolate (5-MTHF) | L-5-MTHF, 400mcg DFE |
| Vitamin B12 | Methylcobalamin | Methylcobalamin, 2.4mcg |
| Vitamin B6 | P5P | P5P |
| Vitamin D | None | D3, 800 IU |
| Vitamin K2 | MK-7, about 29.5mcg | MK-7, 120mcg |
| Zinc | Zinc citrate | Zinc citrate |
| Iron | Not a significant source | Ferrous fumarate, 4.5mg |
| Dose disclosure | Blends hide about 75 ingredients | Vitamins fully disclosed, produce in one blend |
| Published research | Multiple RCTs on the product | One 12-week RCT on absorption |
Where Grüns Wins
It discloses the vitamins. AG1 does not.
This is the finding that surprised us most, because gummy vitamins are usually where formulation quality goes to die.
Grüns lists every vitamin and mineral with its amount and its chemical form. AG1 does not, hiding roughly 75 ingredients inside proprietary blends. On the part of the label that determines whether the product does anything, the cheaper gummy is the more transparent product.
Grüns still has a blend problem, just further down. The Core Nutrients Blend at 8,670mg holds every organic fruit, vegetable, mushroom and greens powder in a single figure. That is where the kale, spinach, spirulina and acai marketing lives, and it is unverifiable. Treat the produce list as marketing and the disclosed vitamin panel as the actual product.
Better coverage on the nutrients that matter
Grüns includes 800 IU of D3. AG1 includes none. Grüns delivers K2 as MK-7 at 120mcg against AG1's roughly 29.5mcg, which is four times the dose and much closer to the levels used in the MK-7 research people cite for it.
Both use L-methylfolate, methylcobalamin and P5P, so on B vitamin forms they are comparable. Grüns is weaker in two spots worth naming: iron as ferrous fumarate, which is common but harder on digestion than bisglycinate, and selenium as sodium selenite rather than selenomethionine.
Three times the fiber, a third of the price
6g of fiber against AG1's 2g, mostly from tapioca fiber and organic inulin. Inulin is a genuine prebiotic, though it causes bloating in some people, so start with half a pack if you are sensitive.
On price, Grüns starts around $1.07 per serving on subscription following a permanent price cut, against AG1 at $2.63. You are paying roughly 40% of the price for a better-disclosed vitamin panel with more complete coverage. On the specific question of micronutrient value per dollar, this is not close.
Where AG1 Wins
No added sugar
AG1 has 1g of total sugars. Grüns has 8g, all of it added.
For context, that is more added sugar than any meal replacement we have audited. Shakeology, which we criticise heavily on exactly this point, has 5g. Soylent has 9g. Grüns sits at 8g while delivering 50 calories and no protein alongside it.
Is 8g catastrophic? No. It is roughly two teaspoons, against daily guidance in the 25g to 36g range. But it is a deliberate daily habit, and it is the wrong vehicle for a multivitamin if you are managing blood sugar or actively cutting added sugar. Grüns sells a sugar-free variant, and if the vitamin panel is what attracted you that is the version to look at.
Real research on the finished product
AG1 has published multiple peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials, including a 12-week triple-blind placebo-controlled safety trial in 120 adults and further work on nutrient adequacy and the gut microbiome.
Grüns cites one 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled study in 120 adults aged 23 to 59, reporting increased absorption of folate and vitamin C. That is a real design and more than most competitors run, but read the claim precisely: it shows the vitamins are absorbed. That is a low bar and not a health outcome. The "35,000+ studies" figure elsewhere on their site refers to the literature on the ingredients generally, not to research on Grüns.
AG1's program is broader and more rigorous. Both are company-funded, as is standard.
No protein either way, but AG1 has slightly more
Barely worth listing. AG1 has 2g, Grüns has 0g. Neither is a protein source and neither replaces a meal.
The Honest Trade
Strip out the marketing and this comes down to one question: is 8g of daily added sugar worth saving roughly $47 a month and getting better vitamin coverage?
If your diet is otherwise low in added sugar, that is a defensible trade, and the Grüns vitamin panel is genuinely the better one. If you are managing blood sugar, cutting sugar, or simply do not want a daily sugar habit built into your supplement routine, it is not, and the sugar-free variant or a capsule multivitamin makes more sense than either product.
What neither answer changes: both are supplements. The produce blends in both are garnish rather than servings of vegetables, and 50 calories does not replace food.
Which Should You Buy
Choose Grüns if you want the better-disclosed vitamin panel with D3 and high-dose K2, you will actually remember to take it because the format is easy, and the added sugar fits your diet. Or take the sugar-free version and get most of the upside.
Choose AG1 if you want no added sugar, you weight the published research program heavily, and the price difference does not matter to you. Budget for a separate Vitamin D.
Choose neither if you want a meal. For that, Huel is $2.12 with 400 calories, 40g of protein and 7g of fiber, or see our plant-based roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 8g of added sugar in Grüns a dealbreaker?
It depends on the rest of your diet. Two teaspoons daily is manageable inside an otherwise low-sugar diet. If you are managing blood sugar or cutting sugar, choose the sugar-free variant or a capsule multivitamin instead.
Are Grüns really better than AG1?
On disclosed vitamin content, coverage and price, yes. On added sugar and published research, no. Neither is a meal replacement.
Do either replace eating vegetables?
No. Both bury their produce content in a single large blend across dozens of ingredients, meaning small amounts of each. Eat vegetables.
Can kids take these?
Grüns sells a separate kids product with adjusted dosing. Do not give either adult product to children, and check with a paediatrician.
Why is Grüns so much cheaper?
Partly a permanent price cut, partly that it is a simpler product with less of the probiotic, enzyme and adaptogen content AG1 carries, and no comparable research program to fund. You are getting a strong multivitamin rather than the kitchen-sink formula.
Bottom Line
Grüns is the better multivitamin at a third of the price, with more disclosure, real D3 and four times the K2. AG1 has no added sugar and the only serious research program in the category.
The deciding factor is the 8g of added sugar. If that fits your diet, Grüns is the better value by a wide margin. If it does not, take the sugar-free version rather than defaulting to AG1 at $2.63 for a panel with no Vitamin D in it. And do not expect either to replace a meal, because 50 calories does not.
This comparison is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before starting a supplement, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, managing a health condition or taking medication.
Full breakdowns: AG1 review and Grüns review.
