Why do omega-3 prices vary so much?

Omega-3 prices vary because you are not always comparing the same amount of DHA+EPA, the same composition or the same purchase conditions. A more expensive pack may contain more DHA+EPA. Shops can also charge different prices for exactly the same pack. The pack price alone does not make those differences clear.

Start with two questions: how much DHA+EPA does the whole pack contain according to its label, and what will you pay under the conditions that apply to your order? Those questions help separate the price differences. They do not reveal a brand’s costs or margin.

1. The same capsule count does not mean the same DHA+EPA content

Two packs containing 60 capsules each can provide different amounts of DHA and EPA. Supplement formulations vary, so capsule count is not a fixed measure of those fatty acids.^[1]

Likewise, “1,000 mg fish oil” does not declare 1,000 mg DHA+EPA. The oil weight and the amounts of DHA and EPA are different figures.

That is a price comparison, not a product recommendation. The DHA-to-EPA proportions differ too. The calculation does not establish what has been measured in a particular batch.

2. The oil source and composition can differ

Fish oil, algae oil and krill oil describe different sources. Products within one source category can also differ in DHA and EPA amounts, other ingredients or oil form.^[1]

A liquid oil also has a different formulation and packaging from a capsule or gummy. A combination with vitamin D or Q10 includes additions that a product without those substances does not have.

These differences establish that you are looking at different products. They do not show how much of a price difference comes from an ingredient, production process or packaging. That would require information about the cost breakdown.

Keep ALA-only products outside a comparison per gram of DHA+EPA: ALA is a different fatty acid.

For more about the source, see Fish oil vs algae oil: what’s the difference?.

3. A larger pack contains a different total amount

A larger pack can cost more at checkout while having a lower price per gram of DHA+EPA. Size alone does not establish that: calculate the content and price for both packs.

Price per capsule is also directly comparable only when the DHA+EPA amount per capsule is equal. The same applies to price per millilitre for liquid products.

The general calculation is:

Pack price ÷ grams of DHA+EPA in the whole pack = price per gram of DHA+EPA.

Use the declared amounts. Missing information does not allow an exact figure to be filled in. If only a minimum content is stated, that amount is used as the exact amount.

How to read an omega-3 supplement label explains how to calculate the whole pack’s content from the amounts table.

4. Shops set their own selling prices

Two shops can charge different prices for exactly the same pack. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) explains that sellers set their own selling prices.^[2]

First, check that it is the same pack. The product name alone is not enough. Check the capsule count or liquid volume, composition and barcode where available.

For the same pack, a different shop price does not change the declared contents. The price difference alone therefore does not establish a difference in product quality.

The offer may not explain why one shop charges a different amount. Without further information, you cannot attribute the difference to, for example, a different wholesale cost or profit margin.

5. Delivery charges and offer conditions change the total

The product price and the amount you pay for an order can differ. Check which charges are added. ACM explains that price information must also make additional costs clear.^[2]

Take the same fictional pack containing 18 grams of DHA+EPA. Shop X charges €18 plus €4 delivery; shop Y charges €20 with free delivery. For an order of one pack, the totals are €22 and €20.

The outcome can change with multiple items or a free-delivery threshold. Apply a condition only when your order meets it.

Also check discount codes, member prices, mandatory bundles and subscriptions. A price for the first subscription delivery is not necessarily the price of a one-off purchase. Check the term and conditions; ACM identifies the duration and conditions of an agreement as information that must be available before purchase.^[3]

A discount percentage alone does not establish what you will pay either. Compare the current price and conditions, rather than only the percentage on the offer label.

6. A price needs an observation date

A price observed last week may no longer apply today. An offer may have ended or a shop may have changed its price. The observation date is therefore part of the price information.

Two amounts recorded in different periods do not automatically establish a simultaneous price difference between shops. Check the current shop price and conditions before ordering.

Does a higher price establish quality?

The price tells you what a seller is asking. It does not show which measurements are available for the pack or batch.

Questions about oxidation, contaminants or measured DHA+EPA content need applicable evidence. Check which product and batch were examined, which measurements were made and whether the report concerns the ingredient oil or the finished supplement.

A higher price does not establish that more testing took place. Conversely, a missing public report does not establish that no testing took place.

Comparing omega-3 prices on SUPPFAX

SUPPFAX converts label information into a price per gram of DHA+EPA and shows available Netherlands shop prices with their sources and observation dates. This separates the amount in the pack from the price a shop asks.

Prices observed more than 30 days ago are excluded from the lowest-price calculation and price sorting. Check delivery charges and purchase conditions at the shop too. The comparison does not give a verdict on a product or brand.

Sources

Consulted on 31 October 2026.

1. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Omega-3 Fatty Acids, health professional fact sheet. For differences between oil sources, fatty acids and supplement formulations; not evidence of brands’ production or selling costs. ↩ ↩
2. ACM — Displaying prices. For sellers setting prices and displaying prices and additional charges; source in Dutch. ↩ ↩
3. ACM — Mandatory information before and after purchase. For information about the price and the duration and conditions of the agreement; source in Dutch. ↩