Alpha Brain and Mind Lab Pro are two of the most popular nootropics on the market today… and that means we’ve received plenty of requests to compare the two. Let’s take a closer look.
Alpha Brain is probably the best-known nootropic of all. It was the first nootropic product to really break into the mainstream, after all. Mind Lab Pro, on the other hand, bucks trends with its clean, streamlined branding and unusual transparency.
Let’s see how these industry-leading nootropics compare in terms of quality, reputability, affordability, and more.
What is Alpha Brain?
Alpha Brain is the brainchild (get it?) of Aubrey Marcus, the founder of ONNIT, a bestselling author, and a self-proclaimed “Total Human Optimization” enthusiast.
Aubrey created Alpha Brain for one simple reason: to get things done. “I believe that a time is coming where taking nootropics like Alpha BRAIN will be a standard human adaptation to get things done,” he’s since explained.
Yet he also realized Alpha Brain had to be holistic. “[It’s] like drinking coffee. Except in a lot of ways, I like Alpha BRAIN better than coffee. It has no stimulants and works by directly stimulating neurotransmitters. So it won’t wear out your adrenals [like coffee can].”
The concept behind Alpha Brain is validated by just how long it’s been around. ONNIT launched Alpha brain back in 2011, and it’s been popular ever since!
PROS
- A hugely popular nootropic product from a reputable brand
- Frequently on sale
CONS
- Features proprietary blends
- May not contain high enough amounts of some ingredients
Other Onnit brands I have reviewed:
What is Mind Lab Pro?
Mind Lab Pro is another industry-leading nootropic product. It may not have been around for quite as long as Alpha Brain, but it more than makes up for that in other ways.
For one, the product’s branding is perfect. With a clean white box and bottle overlaid with dark lettering, Mind Lab Pro has a distinctly medical vibe — a vibe that stands out from the vivid colors and marketing hype of so many other supplement brands.
Mind Lab Pro becomes even more convincing when you consider that it’s backed by a huge variety of elite athletes and thinkers. Chess players, neuropsychologists, attorneys, and extreme athletes of all sorts all testify to the brain-boosting power of Mind Lab Pro!
PROS
- All ingredients are science-backed
- Full ingredient transparency
- A clean, medical-grade feel
- Fairly affordable
CONS
- Less diverse ingredients than some other products
Alpha Brain vs. Mind Lab Pro Benefits
Both Alpha Brain and Mind Lab Pro make promising claims when it comes to the efficacy of their products. Mind Land Pro, however, does a slightly better job of baking these claims up. Let’s take a closer look.
Alpha Brain’s top benefits
Does Alpha Brain work? That depends on what you mean by ‘work.’ According to ONNIT, Alpha Brain has the following benefits:
- Heightened focus
- Improved memory function
- Brainwave optimization
- Reduce stress
This last point is especially interesting, as nootropics aren’t typically known to reduce stress (adaptogens are generally better known for that).
Another caveat: it’s often cost-prohibitive for a company — even a big company like ONNIT — to scientifically prove that its product does what they say it does. Doing so would require putting Alpha Brain through extremely pricey clinical trials.
That being said, many of the individual ingredients in Alpha Brain’s miz have been clinically studied. That may be why ONNIT describes the Alpha Brain as being “clinically studied to help healthy individuals.”
But maybe that’s not so bad. After all, healthy individuals can suffer from brain fog, too. Also, keep in mind that thousands of customers say that Alpha Brain really works. Maybe ONNIT is really onto something here? We’ll take a look at Alpha Brain’s ingredients list next — that should help us appraise their claims.
Mind Lab Pro’s Top Benefits
According to the brand’s own guidelines, Mind Lab Pro takes 1-2 weeks to really begin working. Until then you’ll need to faithfully take the recommended serving every day. Don’t expect to feel like Tesla or Einstein immediately!
After 1-2 weeks, though, things start getting better and better. Mind Lab Pro claims that their product can:
- Nourish the brain for long-term healthy function
- Help maintain healthy brain structure and neural plasticity
- Help counter brain aging
In order to actually have these benefits, Mind Lab Pro would need to either a) contain antioxidants or b) have the ability to help the body produce more of its own antioxidants. We’ll see if either of these possibilities is accurate next.
Alpha Brain vs. Mind Lab Pro Ingredients
As the original brain-boosting product, Alpha Brain contains a blend of tried-and-true B vitamins and newly popular nootropic compounds. Yet it falls short in that it fails to precisely disclose all of its ingredients.
Alpha Brain
Alpha Brains’ packaging says it’s been ‘clinically studied with Huperzine and Bacopa extract’. And these clinically-proven ingredients are just the start. Other highlights include:
- 10 milligrams of vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine (HCl)
- 350 milligrams of Cat’s Claw extract
- 650 milligrams or ONNIT’s Flow blend (L-Tyrosine, L-Theanine, Oat straw extract, Phosphatidylserine)
- 240 milligrams of ONNIT’s Focus blend (Alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC), Bacopa monnieri extract (100mg), Huperzia serrata extract (as 1% Huperzine A))
- 65 milligrams of ONNIT’s Fuel blend (L-Leucine, Vinpocetine (5mg), Pterostilbene)
While these ingredients sound impressively exotic, it’s unclear whether or not some of them are present in the quantities needed to actually improve focus or overall brain health.
Bacopa’s standard dose, for example, is 300 milligrams, while Huperzine A’s standard dose is at least 50mg. (source)(source) It’s unclear if the much smaller doses seen in Alpha Brain would result in the same type of benefits.
Mind Lab Pro
Mind Lab Pro is one of the few supplement brands that fully disclose all of their ingredients — even the ingredients in their proprietary blends.
There are 11 total ingredients in Mind Lab Pro’s formula. (Some of these ingredients are actually also present in my Supergreen Tonik supplement, though Supergreen Tonik is able to contain higher doses since it’s in powder form.)
Top ingredients include phosphatidylserine, bacopa, Lion’s Mane, maritime pine bark extract, and a patented form of citicoline called Cognizin®. One of the very best things about this blend is that all 11 of its ingredients are supported by clinical research. The many active compounds in Lion’s Mane mushroom, for example, have been shown to powerfully boost cognition.
Alpha Brain vs. Mind Lab Pro Taste
Neither Alpha Brain nor Mind Lab Pro has an especially good taste. That’s because these nootropic supplements are capsules! In other words, they’re essentially flavorless. This is by design; ingredients like Lion’s Mane would taste quite bitter otherwise.
Alpha Brain
Alpha Brain’s capsules have a neutral (if not nonexistent) taste.
Mind Lab Pro
Mind Lab Pro’s capsules also have a neutral (if not nonexistent) taste.
Alpha Brain vs. Mind Lab Pro Cost
Both Alpha Brain and Mind Lab Pro are fairly expensive supplements that get slightly cheaper if you buy in bulk. Prospective customers should also know that Mind Lab Pro has a great refund policy.
Alpha Brain
The normal cost of Alpha Brain is $75.95 for a 90-capsule bottle. If you’re interested in Alpha Brain, though, be sure tuned, as ONNIT often drops down its price into the 60-something dollar range. The Subscribe and Save option is also a good choice — it results in a 15% savings rate.
Mind Lab Pro
Each bottle of Mind Lab Pro costs $65. Shipping is usually an additional $5-12.50.
That’s actually pretty reasonable, and the deal gets even better if you purchase a 3-month supply — that option gets you free shipping and a free box.
Mind Lab Pro also offers a great money-back guarantee on their products. If you’re not satisfied with it, you can get a full refund (minus shipping) as long as you return it within 60 days.
Alpha Brain vs. Mind Lab Pro: Which is Better?
One of the most important aspects of purchasing a supplement is knowing what’s in it. While ONNIT’s Alpha Brain does disclose all of its ingredients, it doesn’t list the amounts for some of them. That can make dialing in your ideal dose a tenuous process.
Mind Lab Pro, on the other hand, sets itself apart from industry standards by listing the exact amount of every one of its 11 ingredients.
Given that both supplements shine in a variety of other areas, Mind Lab Pro’s radical transparency gives it the upper hand.
Adam, I’m a former Ranger and Police Officer (did those in the San Francisco Bay Area) now retired to rural coastal Washington, looking for an old brain enhancer. Mind Lab Pro is expensive for someone adjusting to retiree finances … so I’m in the hunting-for-info stage, but I think that’s the product I’ll be going for. Thanks! for a great mini review and comparison including Mind Lab Pro 🙂 .
Thanks Jim, I am glad you found my comparison useful. I am looking into nootropic products again and seeing if there is another alternative. I will post what I find out.
Adam