Which form of NAD⁺ is right for you?
Six ways NAD⁺ is sold, ranked by what you actually care about — evidence, cost, convenience or dose. The order changes completely depending on which you pick.
What matters most to you?
- #1Oral NRHuman trials$39.20–$249/mo
Nicotinamide riboside (e.g. Tru Niagen)
A daily capsule or powder. NR is converted to NAD⁺ in the body and reliably raises blood NAD⁺ in randomized trials.
- Evidence
- The most clinically-studied precursor; RCTs show it raises NAD⁺ (on surrogate markers).
- Dose
- Low (oral, gut-limited)
- Day to day
- Daily pill at home
Catch: Raises a biomarker (NAD⁺); anti-aging outcomes remain unproven.
- #2Oral NMNHuman trials$39.20–$249/mo
Nicotinamide mononucleotide (capsule/sublingual)
A daily capsule, powder or sublingual tab. NMN also raises NAD⁺ in human trials and is popular in the longevity community.
- Evidence
- Human trials show NMN raises NAD⁺ too — but with an unresolved FDA supplement-status question.
- Dose
- Low–moderate (oral/sublingual)
- Day to day
- Daily pill/sublingual at home
Catch: The FDA has disputed NMN's status as a dietary supplement; outcomes unproven.
- #3InjectionNo outcome trials$93–$249/mo
Subcutaneous / IM NAD⁺ (telehealth Rx)
Prescription NAD⁺ shipped home for self-injection after a telehealth consult. Delivers a larger dose than oral, bypassing the gut.
- Evidence
- No controlled outcome trials for the marketed wellness uses; compounded, not FDA-approved.
- Dose
- High (bypasses the gut)
- Day to day
- Self-injection, telehealth plan
Catch: Compounded and unapproved; needles and a prescription required.
- #4IV infusionNo outcome trials$749–$799/mo
In-clinic or mobile NAD⁺ IV drip
A 1–2 hour intravenous infusion at a clinic or via a mobile nurse. Delivers the highest dose directly into the bloodstream.
- Evidence
- Highest dose, weakest data: no outcome RCTs, and infused NAD⁺ is cleared from plasma quickly.
- Dose
- Highest (straight to bloodstream)
- Day to day
- Clinic visit or mobile drip, hours long
Catch: Most expensive, least evidenced; rapidly cleared, can cause infusion discomfort.
- #5Nasal sprayNo outcome trials$93–$179/mo
Intranasal NAD⁺ (telehealth Rx)
A daily spray, prescribed and shipped like the injection. Sold mainly to people who will not use a needle, usually at a similar price.
- Evidence
- No controlled outcome trials, and how much of an intranasal dose reaches circulation has not been established in humans.
- Dose
- Unknown — absorption not established
- Day to day
- Daily spray at home, no needles
Catch: Compounded and unapproved, with an extra unknown the injection does not have.
- #6PatchNo outcome trials$29.99/mo
Transdermal NAD⁺ patch (no prescription)
An adhesive patch worn daily, sold direct to consumer with no clinician involved.
- Evidence
- No published human trial shows a transdermal patch raises NAD⁺ at all — the weakest evidence of any format here.
- Dose
- Unstated by every seller we found
- Day to day
- Stick it on, no prescription
Catch: Cheapest sticker price, and no evidence it delivers anything.
Switch between strongest evidence and highest dose and the list turns almost upside down. That is the honest shape of this category: the form that delivers the most is the one with the least evidence that delivering more helps.
Where these numbers come from
Every price range above is the spread of what we have actually verified on sellers’ own pages, pulled from the same roster that builds the rankings — so it moves when a price does, and it can never say something the price table contradicts. Where a format shows no verified seller, it means we have not confirmed a published price for it, not that it is unavailable.
Evidence tiers are ours and deliberately blunt: “human trials” means randomized human data exists for that format, “no outcome trials” means it does not. Only oral precursors qualify for the first, which is the single most important fact in this category and the one the full guide unpacks.