Which Melatonin Capsule or Softgel Should You Buy? (2026)

The ingredient, a vegetable shell, and nothing else. NOW Melatonin 3 mg states 3 mg per veg capsule and 180 count. The title carries the label's structure/function language ("Free Radical Scavenger*, Healthy Sleep Cycle*"), which is the permitted vocabulary for a dietary supplement, and nothing more.

$9.17 divided by 180 is about 5 cents a night. A 60-count bottle at $4.27 is the trial size, the 5 mg 180 count is $12.23, and NOW also makes 3 mg chewable lozenges (90 for $4.88) for people who would rather not swallow a capsule. The full line is in the NOW melatonin review, and the 3 mg amount across every format is ranked in our best 3 mg melatonin guide.

Softgels earn their following on one thing: they go down easily. The Nature's Bounty Melatonin 5 mg Softgels state 5 mg and 90 count, and the title's "100% Drug Free" is the category phrase separating a melatonin supplement from the doxylamine and diphenhydramine sleep aids that are drugs with a Drug Facts panel.

Pricing inside the line is odd enough to note: the 60 count was $11.52 at our check, more than the 90, so buy the 90; a four-pack of 90 was $22.95. The brand is covered in the Nature's Bounty melatonin review, and every 5 mg format is ranked in our best 5 mg melatonin guide.

Half a milligram, from a brand that specializes in exactly that kind of precision. Pure Encapsulations Melatonin 0.5 mg states 0.5 mg and 60 capsules. The listing title says nothing else, which is characteristic of the brand: minimal formulas, minimal claims.

The same capsule comes in a 180 count at $31.00, and the brand's ladder continues to 3 mg (60 capsules, $15.50) and a sustained-release Melatonin-SR. For a far cheaper low amount in a capsule, Life Extension's 300 mcg and 500 mcg run about 7.5 to 13 cents a night; the whole low-amount field is ranked in our best low-dose melatonin guide, and the brand is reviewed in the Pure Encapsulations melatonin review.

Thorne is what you buy when the brand is the point. Thorne Melaton-3 states 3 mg and 60 capsules, at $16.00. The title says nothing else, and the label follows the same minimal pattern as Pure Encapsulations: the ingredient, the capsule, the amount.

Thorne's Melaton-5 (5 mg, 60 capsules) is $22.00, and the brand's melatonin-free options, Deep Sleep Complex and Valerian Root, are covered in best melatonin-free sleep aids. The brand review is Thorne Melaton review, and the practitioner-brand head-to-head is Life Extension vs Pure Encapsulations.

The same manufacturer accountability as our pick, at the top of the range. NOW Melatonin Extra Strength 10 mg states 10 mg per veg capsule and 100 count, with the same structure/function label language as the 3 mg. At $10.40 it is about 10 cents a night.

NOW's line extends one step further to a Maximum Strength 20 mg, which is where our high-dose guide tops out and explains why nothing above it is ranked. Every credible 10 mg product across formats is in our best 10 mg melatonin guide.

The cheapest vegan capsule on the page. Amazon Elements Melatonin 5 mg states 5 mg, vegan, unflavored and 195 count, with the structure/function line "Helps with occasional sleeplessness." At $9.05 that is about 4.6 cents per capsule, a little under our NOW pick and at a higher labeled amount.

Amazon's house line also has 3 mg vegan tablets at 260 for $7.55, which is even cheaper per night if a tablet is acceptable. The line is reviewed in the Amazon Basics melatonin review, and the site-wide cost-per-night leaders are in best cheap melatonin.

Four dollars and change to find out whether a low amount is enough. Life Extension Melatonin 1 mg states 1 mg and 60 capsules, at $4.39, about 7.3 cents a night. It sits inside the 0.5 to 3 mg range many clinicians cite as a sensible starting point.

Life Extension also makes a Melatonin IR/XR 1.5 mg capsule combining immediate and extended release, covered in our time-release guide. The brand is reviewed in the Life Extension melatonin review, and every 1 mg product is ranked in our best 1 mg melatonin guide.