Pre-workout is one of the most popular fitness supplements on the market for the extra energy and better pump it brings to your workout. But most high-quality pre-workouts include high doses of caffeine and other stimulants that are too much for some people. Recently we made a very detailed list of The Best Stim-Free Pre-Workouts in 2023. It also highlights all of the main ingredients to look for in a pre-workout minus the caffeine. But stim-free pre-workouts these days can run you easily over $2/scoop, and paying up to $50/month on pre-workout can definitely make you question your life decisions. So today we’re interested specifically in the best budget stim-free pre-workouts for focus, mood, and pump.
If you are interested in high-stimulant pre-workouts, make sure to check out our list of The Best High-Stim Pre-Workouts in 2023.
The Top 5 Best Budget Stim-Free Pre-workouts, Ranked
5.
Type Zero — Clean
Price: $1.71/serving
Notable ingredients in a 1-scoop serving (21 servings):
Citrulline Malate: 5g in a 2:1 ratio = 3.33g Citrulline
Arginine AKG: 2g
Betaine Anhydrous: 1.5mg
Beet Root Extract: 1g
L-Tyrosine: 500mg
Beta-Alanine: 400mg
This pre-workout is quite effective for a pump thanks to including 4 different pump products, but it seems like a missed opportunity to include more citrulline for even greater benefits. My other issue with it is the lack of taurine and low dose of l-tyrosine, but there is at least enough to get some good results. Overall, it’s not a bad option, and cheaper than most of the stim-free pre-workouts from leading brands.
Check it out on Amazon today.
4.
Jacked Factory — Pump Surge
Price: $1.50/serving
Notable ingredients in a 1-scoop serving (20 servings):
L-Citrulline: 5g
Betaine Anhydrous: 2.5g
Taurine: 2g
Alpha-GPC: 150mg
This pre-workout is great as a relatively simple and condensed formula. It doesn’t waste space on creatine and beta-alanine which would be better taken directly, but it instead focuses on a few of the most studied ingredients to boost your pump and strength in the gym. That being said, it could be better if they added in some more citrulline and perhaps some l-tyrosine for focus. Still, it’s a very effective pre-workout for relatively cheap and great taste.
You can check this out on the Jacked Factory website or on Amazon.
3.
Gorilla Mode Nitric
Price: Currently $1.33/scoop on the Gorilla Mind website, $1.31/scoop on Amazon
Notable ingredients in a 1-scoop serving (40 servings):
L-Citrulline: 5g
Betaine Anhydrous: 2g
Glycerol (65%): 2g
Agmatine Sulfate: 0.75g
Arginine Silicate: 0.75g
Creatine: 2.5g
Sodium: 202.5mg
Potassium: 37.5mg
This is probably the gold standard for stimulant-free pre-workouts in my experience. The dosages are far higher than you could expect to see in any other pre-workout, and you could in fact get a great pump and focus just from a single scoop. There is no fluff, just effective and proven ingredients that will absolutely change your workouts. While a full 2 scoops is a bit expensive at around $2.60, you can get an amazing pump with just 1 scoop, thanks to the l-citrulline, glycerol, and betaine.
Check it out today on the Gorilla Mind website or on Amazon.
2.
MyProtein — The Pump
Price: The price is extremely variable. I’ve seen it at ~$0.80/serving, but I’ve also seen it at $1.80/serving. Make sure to get it on a nice sale, as MyProtein regularly has sales up to 30% or 50% off.
Notable ingredients in a 1-scoop serving (20 servings):
L-Citrulline: 6000mg
Beta Alanine: 3200mg
Betaine Anhydrous: 1500mg
Taurine: 1000mg
Astragalus Root: 50mg
Sodium: 70mg
MyProtein is best known for their cheap protein powders that come in a staggeringly high number of different flavors. However, their stim-free pre-workout, “The Pump”, is a very solid pre-workout which can often be found at a quite affordable price if you pick it up during one of the frequent sales done by MyProtein. The taste is lacking quite a bit, but the high doses of citrulline, betaine, and taurine will give you a nasty pump and laser focus during your workouts.
Check it out today on the MyProtein website.
1.
Nutricost — Pre-SF
Price: $1.00/serving
Notable ingredients in a 1-scoop serving (20 servings):
L-Citrulline: 6000mg
Beta Alanine: 1200mg
Betaine Anhydrous: 2000mg
Taurine: 1200mg
Arginine AKG: 1200mg in 2:1 ratio = 800mg Arginine
L-Carnitine Tartrate: 1000mg
Agmatine Sulfate: 750mg
Acetyl L-Carnitine: 500mg
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine: 500mg
Alpha-GPC: 200mg
This is definitely my favorite stim-free pre-workout. Nutricost puts a lot of emphasis on keeping their supplements affordable, and this pre-workout is no exception. Not only is it probably the most affordable option on the market, but it has high doses of many key ingredients like l-citrulline, taurine, and Alpha-GPC. On top of that, Nutricost adds in L-Tyrosine and L-Carnitine for amazing focus and energy to help you power through your workouts. I would absolutely give this one a try.
Try it out on Amazon today.
So, those are the top 5 budget-friendly stim-free pre-workouts based on my experience plus the hundreds of polls and online reviews I read through. Please leave a comment below and let me know if you agree or disagree with my selections, and let me know of any amazing pre-workouts that I missed!
— Mr. Bro
Other Recommendations:
If you are also looking for a tasty, high-quality, and affordable protein powder, make sure to check out our detailed lists of the best budget protein powders:
McKenzie1292