We make AG1, so you know where we stand. Here is an accurate comparison with sources, and a framework for judging any product in this category.
If you have searched for this comparison, you will have found plenty of answers, and not all of them agree on price, guarantees or the research behind each formula. We make AG1, so you know where we stand. That is exactly why we would rather give you an accurate comparison with sources, and a framework for judging any product in this category, so you can make your own educated decision of whether IM8 or AG1 is right for you.
Both are once-daily supplement blends combining vitamins, minerals, botanicals and bacterial cultures. Both are subscription-first, and both are positioned as a foundation rather than a quick fix.
AG1 draws on continuous development since 2010, aligned with the latest research. With carefully selected ingredients, it focuses on providing essential nutrients as a solid foundation for various aspects of health, combining vitamins, minerals and bacterial cultures with digestive support3 in a single scoop that has been clinically studied as a complete formula.a-d That science-first route built its reputation; the endorsements, from Hugh Jackman to elite athletes and clubs like Swansea City AFC, followed.
IM8 entered the market in 2025, aiming to stand out through higher dosages, an even greater number of ingredients and, in some cases, marketing claims regarding health and longevity that are not authorised in the EU or UK. Co-founder of IM8 is David Beckham.
Before comparing these two, it helps to know what separates good from mediocre in this category. Because, as you may have guessed, it is rarely what the front of the pouch says.
Nutrient form. The same vitamin or mineral comes in versions your body absorbs well and versions it largely excretes. Two products listing "zinc" can behave differently in practice.
Evidence on the finished formula. Most supplements cite research on individual ingredients. Far fewer have been tested as a whole product in humans. That distinction matters, because ingredients may both interact or counteract each other, depending on their composition and dosage.
Dose. An ingredient present in trace amounts pads a label without doing much. More is also not automatically better. This applies particularly to fat-soluble vitamins, which the body stores rather than flushes out. A well-designed formula doses to complement your diet, not to win a numbers contest on the label.
Independent testing. Certification programmes such as Informed Sport, the Cologne List® and NSF Certified for Sport® test batches for banned substances and verify that the label matches the contents. However, they test honesty and cleanliness, not benefits.
What people compare | AG1 | IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials | How to read this |
|---|---|---|---|
Ingredients |
A supplement label can show what is included. It cannot tell you whether the complete formula has been studied, whether the nutrients are absorbed in that formula, or what was measured in people taking the finished product. That is where AG1 and IM8 start to separate.
AG1 and IM8 both cover a wide range of nutrients, but ingredient count alone tells you little. IM8 lists 90+ ingredients, AG1 70+. By the framework above, what matters is form, dose and how the formula performs as a whole.
On form, the two products are more alike than different: both use well-absorbed versions of key vitamins and minerals. The difference is what has been demonstrated. AG1's finished formula has been tested in clinical trials: AG1 helps improve key nutrient levels within 3 months,a and key nutrients in AG1 were shown to be quickly and easily absorbed into the body.d
Doses
Both products provide broad vitamin and mineral coverage: B vitamins, antioxidant nutrients,6 minerals, bacterial cultures, fibre and plant-based ingredients. In several cases, IM8's label shows higher amounts per serving.
The key difference is the depth and transparency of the finished-product evidence. Clinical trials require considerable time and financial investment. They also carry real risk, because the results may not confirm what a company expects to find. AG1 makes that investment, tests the complete formula people actually take, and publicly shares its study designs and findings: four randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trials covering nutrient levels, the gut microbiome and nutrient absorption.a-d
IM8 has registered two finished-product trials, but neither has published results to date. The evidence behind IM8's claims currently relies on research into individual ingredients, including ingredients with smaller, earlier evidence bases.
When comparing the two, the question is not just which product lists more nutrients. It is which product can show a substantial and transparent body of whole-formula research, including controlled trials that measured objective outcomes. Today, only AG1 can point to published trials of that kind in this comparison.
On paper, the two are similar. Both products contain vitamins that contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, and nutrients such as biotin, zinc and chromium that contribute to normal macronutrient metabolism, which is how your body turns food into usable energy.
This comparison is based on publicly available information from AG1 and IM8, including official websites, product details, ingredient information and policy pages available at the time of writing, together with AG1's published clinical research.
a. In a triple-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled parallel-designed clinical trial evaluating nutrient biomarkers and microbiome shifts in 105 healthy adults ages 20-59 over the course of 12 weeks.
b. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled 2-week cross-over clinical trial assessing microbiome shifts in 20 active adults ages 19-37.
c. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled 2-week cross-over clinical trial assessing microbiome shifts of 24 healthy adults with occasional GI distress ages 26-59.
d. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled cross-over clinical trial assessing bioavailability in 16 healthy adults ages 18-42 over the course of 8 hours.
The studies were conducted on a similar version of AG1's continually evolving formulation. The transferability of the study results is ensured because of comparable ingredients and amounts.
Published AG1 research:
Whether you will actually take it. Taste, mixability and price decide whether a daily habit survives real life. An abandoned supplement has a bioavailability of zero.
Now that we've explained the general criteria to look out for, let's see how AG1 and IM8 compare.
70+ vitamins, minerals and whole-food-sourced ingredients
90+, including ingredients with smaller and earlier evidence bases |
A longer list is not a better formula. Both products use well-absorbed nutrient forms; the difference is that AG1's finished formula has been clinically tested for absorption.d Every extra entry competes for space in one serving; AG1 selects fewer ingredients, dosed to work together. |
Studies on the finished product | Four published clinical trials: randomised, placebo-controlled, blindeda-d | Two trials registered, no published results to date | Whole-formula trials are the strongest evidence a supplement can offer. AG1 has four published; IM8 has none published yet. Until that changes, IM8's claims rest on ingredient-level research. |
Bacterial cultures | 10 billion CFU from five well-researched strains, each declared individually, including LGG | 10 billion CFU from three strains, incl. two spore-forming Bacillus strains | If bacterial cultures are one of your reasons to buy, transparency matters: AG1 declares the amount of every strain and has published microbiome results on the finished formula.a-c IM8 declares a total count. |
Fibre | 2.5 g, including inulin from multiple whole-food sources, like chicory root | 3 g from guar fibre and blue agave inulin | Fibre feeds the microbiome, and variety matters: different fibres feed different bacteria, which is why the common advice to eat 30 different plants a week exists. AG1 draws its fibre from 9 different sources, including inulin from chicory root. IM8 relies on two sources. |
Vitamin D | Separate D3+K2 drops, dosed to your needs | 2,000 IU fixed in the powder | Vitamin D needs change with season, diet and sun exposure; the NHS advises people in the UK to consider it in autumn and winter. AG1's separate D3+K2 drops let you dose to your needs. A fixed amount in a powder cannot do that. Know which one is right for you. |
Certification | Every batch certified by Informed Sport and the Cologne List® in Europe; NSF Certified for Sport® in the US | NSF Certified for Sport® | Both are credible. NSF is recognised by US sports bodies (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA, USADA). Informed Sport is globally recognised and fully compliant with WADA guidelines, and it is what UK and European athletes typically check. AG1 carries all three certifications across its markets. |
Years on market | Since 2010, continuously iterated | Since January 2025 | AG1 created this category in 2010 and has iterated the formula continuously since, and we are still iterating. IM8 followed fifteen years later; even its own advertising acknowledges that AG1 invented it. Sixteen years of iteration, feedback and loyal customers cannot be replicated at launch. |
Price per serving | £2.63 on a 30-day subscription | £2.79 on a 30-day subscription | On like-for-like subscriptions, AG1 costs less per serving, and IM8's premium cost buys ingredients that carry no authorised claims in the EU or UK. You pay more for the least proven part of the formula. |
Sweetener and taste | Steviol glycosides from stevia leaf; notes of vanilla and pineapple, mixes smoothly | Steviol glycosides from fermented rice extract; several flavour options | A daily habit stands or falls on whether you enjoy taking it. AG1's single signature flavour is designed to be enjoyed every day.* |
Higher numbers are not the goal of AG1's formulation, and that is deliberate. AG1 is designed to complement your diet, so that food and formula together meet your needs. Fat-soluble vitamins and trace minerals in particular are included at thoughtful doses, because the body stores fat-soluble vitamins rather than flushing them out. The EU formula also differs from the US version where regulation differs. A dose is a design decision, not a scoreboard.
AG1 declares standalone amounts for select compounds, including rutin, on an EU-compliant nutrition information panel, with every declared amount independently verified. IM8 itemises each dose in the US style, a format that does not follow EU labelling rules. Either way, disclosure describes a formula. It does not demonstrate its efficacy.
The Longevity Layer
IM8's premium model rests on NAD+ precursors and "cellular rejuvenation" language. These are interesting research areas, and we watch them too. They are also exactly the kind of ingredient story that sells hope ahead of the evidence. Worth knowing: there are no authorised longevity claims for food supplements in the EU or UK, so marketing built on them is not permitted here. The positioning rests on early-stage mechanistic research, and people are not petri dishes.
Our view has not changed in sixteen years: nail the foundations first, because nutrient levels, digestion and daily consistency are where the proven gains sit. If the longevity science matures, formulas can follow it. Paying extra today for tomorrow's maybe is not a foundation; it is a bet.
Vitamin D, by Design
AG1 deliberately keeps vitamin D out of the powder and supplies it as separate D3+K2 drops. Vitamin D needs vary widely with season, diet, sun exposure and age; the NHS advises people in the UK to consider vitamin D in autumn and winter. A separate dropper makes it possible to tailor supplementation to your circumstances rather than taking a fixed amount every day. IM8 includes vitamin D in the powder at a fixed 2,000 IU. Two design philosophies; know which one is right for you.
Bacterial Cultures
AG1 and IM8 both include bacterial cultures, but they take different approaches.
AG1 includes five well-researched Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, delivering 10 billion CFU per serving, with the amount of each strain declared individually:
LGG is one of the most-researched strains in the scientific literature. And the strains in AG1 are not just listed on the label: in clinical trials, we tested whether the bacterial cultures in AG1 survive the gastrointestinal tract. Why does that matter? If bacterial cultures do not survive the journey through the digestive tract, they cannot become part of the gut microbiome. Think of it like bioavailability, but within the gut: first, the strains have to arrive alive. The result: the cultures in AG1 reach the gut alive, and AG1 is clinically shown to enrich the gut microbiome by 10x on average.a-c
IM8 uses three strains, including two spore-forming Bacillus strains, at the same total count of 10 billion CFU. If a quantified daily dose of specific strains is on your checklist, compare the current labels: AG1 gives you a number per strain and the research behind it.
Clinical research is AG1's clearest advantage, and this is the strict meaning of "scientific".
IM8's marketing leans on unapproved health claims, and its itemised label does not comply with EU and UK regulations. But a label is a list, not a result. What tells you whether a formula does anything is testing the formula, and here the record favours AG1: four clinical trials, randomised, placebo-controlled and blinded, with published results covering nutrient levels, the gut microbiome and the absorption of key nutrients.a-d
IM8 has registered two finished-product trials at ClinicalTrials.gov; as of September 2026, neither has published results.4 This is important to note because ClinicalTrials.gov is a centralised, public database operated by the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. Registration is a normal first step; until results are published, the evidence behind IM8's formula remains at ingredient level, which limits independent verification.
Both companies fund their own research, as this whole industry does. The difference is the depth of the published record, and depth is not a tie.
Both brands invest in third-party testing. The difference is how far each goes to make that testing locally relevant.
AG1 in the US is NSF Certified for Sport®, a programme recognised by major US sports bodies including MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, the PGA and USADA. In Europe, every AG1 batch is certified by Informed Sport, which is globally recognised and fully compliant with WADA guidelines, and by the Cologne List®. Across its markets, AG1 runs through three certification programmes rather than one, each chosen for the region it serves. These programmes screen for banned substances, contaminants and unsafe levels of heavy metals, and independent testing confirms that the vitamin, mineral and ingredient amounts on the label are accurate.
IM8 is NSF Certified for Sport®.
Both are credible. Certification verifies label honesty and clean batches, not benefits, and that is the foundation to insist on. The deeper question is what each brand can show beyond the seal, and that brings the comparison back to published research on the finished formula.a-d
A daily formula works through repetition, which makes taste and price part of the science, not a footnote.
AG1's original flavour is light and smooth, with notes of vanilla and pineapple, sweetened with steviol glycosides from stevia leaf, and mixes easily with cold water. IM8 is sweetened with steviol glycosides from fermented rice extract and comes in several flavour options.* One signature flavour, refined over sixteen years to be drunk every single day, is our answer to the habit test.
On price, compared on like-for-like 30-day subscriptions, AG1 costs £2.63 per serving against IM8's £2.79, around £5 less per month.
The bigger point is what the money buys. AG1 gives you research on the finished formula,a-d five well-researched and individually declared bacterial culture strains, and independently tested, locally certified batches. IM8 gives you higher label amounts of several vitamins and minerals, with its finished-product results still unpublished.
Both first orders come with a starter kit.
IM8 may appeal if you want a longer ingredient list and higher doses of some vitamins and minerals, with vitamin D fixed in the powder. Keep in mind that its longevity positioning is not backed by any authorised claim in the EU or UK.
AG1 suits people who want a foundational daily habit grounded in published research on the actual formula,a-d a stated bacterial culture dose per strain, locally relevant certification, and a taste that makes daily use easy.
Overall, AG1 is the stronger everyday foundation: grounded in evidence, built to support the day to day, and priced below IM8 on like-for-like subscriptions.a-d
The difference is, again, the finished-product evidence. Nutrients can only work once they arrive, and key nutrients in AG1 were shown in a clinical trial to be quickly and easily absorbed into the body.d IM8's formula has no published results of that kind yet.
IM8 also includes electrolytes and amino acids alongside its vitamins and minerals.
Both formulas provide vitamins and minerals that contribute to the normal function of the immune system, including vitamins A, C, B6 and B12 as well as folate, zinc, copper and selenium.1
What sets AG1 apart is the evidence on the finished product: in a clinical trial, key nutrients in AG1, including vitamin C and zinc, were shown to be quickly and easily absorbed into the body.d The claim and the study sit side by side; you can put one and one together.
AG1's separate D3+K2 drops also make vitamin D supplementation flexible, since vitamin D needs vary with diet, sun exposure, season and age. Taken together, the absorption research and the flexible D3+K2 support give AG1 the stronger evidence base for its immune-support nutrients.1 d
Both AG1 and IM8 include bacterial cultures and fibre, but they take different approaches.
Bacterial Cultures
AG1 provides 10 billion CFU from five well-researched Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, including LGG, each declared individually on the label. In clinical trials, the bacterial cultures in AG1 were shown to survive the gastrointestinal tract and reach the gut alive, which is the precondition for playing any role at all, and AG1 is clinically shown to enrich the gut microbiome by 10x on average.a-c
IM8 provides 10 billion CFU from three strains, including two spore-forming Bacillus strains.
Fibre
Fibre feeds the microbiome, and variety matters, because different fibres feed different bacteria. AG1 includes 2.5 g of fibre per serving from nine natural sources, including inulin from chicory root, and pairs it with strains whose microbiome effects were examined in the published trials.a-c IM8 lists 3 g of dietary fibre from two sources, guar fibre and blue agave inulin.
Both formulas also contain calcium and biotin: calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes, and biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes, such as the intestinal lining.3
Digestive Enzymes
AG1 includes bromelain, an enzyme from pineapple. IM8 includes a broader digestive enzyme blend, with enzymes such as amylase, protease, cellulase and lipase.
AG1 is the stronger choice if you want a daily supplement backed by published research on the finished product. AG1 has been studied in four clinical trials covering nutrient levels, the gut microbiome and absorption,a-d includes five well-researched bacterial culture strains, and costs less per serving on like-for-like subscriptions.
IM8 may be preferred by people who want a longer ingredient list and higher fixed doses of specific vitamins and minerals, with vitamin D included in the powder.
Judged on the framework that matters in this category (form, dose, whole-formula evidence, independent testing and repeatability), AG1 is the stronger everyday foundation. Whichever you choose, choose the one you will still be taking next year; consistency is where all of the benefit lives.
NHS. Vitamin D. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/
Product and pricing information (as of September 2026): https://drinkag1.com/en-uk/about-ag1/ingredients/ctr and https://im8health.com
Health Claims
Disclaimer
Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced and varied diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the indicated daily intake. Keep out of reach of children. Please inform and consult your doctor before consuming this product. Not suitable for children and adolescents under 18 years, pregnant or breastfeeding women. Refrain from taking other food supplements containing zinc. Persons taking anticoagulant medication should seek medical advice before consuming vitamin K-containing supplements.
* Taste descriptions are based on customer reviews; individual experiences are subject to personal preference.
** See terms and conditions for details of the money-back guarantee. Product details and prices may change over time; users should review official brand pages for the most current information.
