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Contract manufacturing guide

Supplement dosage forms compared: capsules vs tablets vs powder vs pellets

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 11 October 2026 · Reading time: 9 min

In short

Which dosage form suits your supplement depends mainly on three questions: how much active ingredient has to fit into one daily serving, how many nutrients you combine, and who will take the product? Capsules and tablets are proven all-rounders, powder works for large amounts, and gummies and liquids are easy to take but have limits on stability and dose. Pellets – many small, individually coated beads – let you keep nutrients apart and control the release of each one separately.

What is a dosage form?

The dosage form describes the form in which a nutrient reaches your customers: as a capsule, tablet, powder, gummy, liquid or as many small pellets. Under the EU Food Supplements Directive, these products are marketed in dose form – in other words, in a way that lets people take a defined amount per serving.

The choice is not a minor detail. The dosage form helps determine how much active ingredient fits into a daily serving, which nutrients you can combine, how stable the product stays, how it tastes and whether your target group enjoys taking it. It also affects development time and manufacturing cost. So clarify it early – ideally in your brief to your contract manufacturer.

Supplement dosage forms compared

The overview shows general tendencies. In each individual case, a lot depends on the formula, the raw material and the manufacturer.

Criterion	Capsule	Tablet	Powder	Gummies	Liquid	Pellets
Dosing flexibility	medium – fill volume limits the amount per capsule	medium – a lot of active ingredient in a small space, but size is limited	high – large amounts per serving possible	low – a lot of carrier mass, little room for active ingredients	high for soluble substances	high – each nutrient dosed via the amount of its pellets
Combinability	medium – all substances mixed in one shell	medium – all substances in one compressed tablet	medium – lots of room, but everything is mixed	low	low – substances react with each other more easily in solution	high – each nutrient in its own pellets
Taste	neutral	mostly neutral, with a coating	has to be solved; bitter substances are difficult	very popular, needs sugar or sweeteners	critical, needs flavorings	the coating can mask the taste
Stability	good	very good	sensitive to moisture once opened	sensitive to heat and moisture	the most sensitive, often preserved	good – the coating protects the active ingredient
Release control	limited, e.g. with an acid-resistant shell	possible, but the same for the whole tablet	no	no	no	yes, separately for each nutrient
Swallowing	large capsules are unpopular	large tablets are hard to swallow	no swallowing, stirred into a drink	no swallowing, chewed	easy	no single large unit, but many small beads
Cost tendency	medium	rather low at large volumes	rather low per serving	rather high	rather high	more manufacturing effort, but more functions

Capsules vs tablets: the classics

Capsules consist of a shell – traditionally gelatin, or plant-based cellulose for vegan products – and a fill, usually a powder. Because the contents do not have to be compressed, capsules generally need few excipients and are relatively quick to develop. The shell makes them taste-neutral. The limit is volume: if your formula needs a lot of active ingredient, you end up with several capsules a day or very large capsules – and many customers like neither. For oils, there are soft capsules, known as softgels.

Tablets are compressed from powder. They fit more active ingredient into a small space, are very stable and are inexpensive to produce in large quantities. In return, the blend needs excipients so that it can be compressed and then disintegrates again in the body, and development is more complex. A coating can mask taste and influence release – but always for the whole tablet, with all the nutrients in it. Chewable and effervescent tablets avoid swallowing but need flavorings and sweeteners.

In short: choose capsules when you want to deliver a moderate amount of active ingredient quickly and with few excipients. Choose tablets when you need a lot of active ingredient in a compact, low-cost format at large volumes.

Powder, gummies and liquids

Powder: the first choice when large amounts are needed per serving, for example protein, fiber or mineral blends to stir into a drink. Powder is flexible and inexpensive per serving, but the taste has to be right – some vitamins and minerals taste bitter or metallic. Once opened, powder easily absorbs moisture.
Gummies: very popular because they taste like candy and do not have to be swallowed. In return, there is little room for active ingredients, sugar or sweeteners are part of the formula, and heat and moisture affect them. Vegan products need gelatin-free versions. Because gummies resemble candy, the recommended daily dose deserves particular care.
Liquids: drinking ampoules, drops or juices are easy to take and suit people who have trouble swallowing. However, many nutrients are less stable in solution and react with each other more easily; taste, shelf life and packaging are more demanding.

Pellets: many small units instead of one large one

Pellets – depending on the manufacturer also called micropellets, beads or microcapsules – are small spheres that each carry an active ingredient. One serving consists of many of these units. That sounds like a detail, but it fundamentally changes what is possible:

Separate instead of mix: nutrients that interfere with each other sit in separate pellets rather than together in one tablet.
Release per nutrient: the coating determines whether a pellet releases its contents immediately or with a delay – differently for each nutrient.
Mask taste: the coating hides bitter or metallic notes.
Combine freely: different formulas can be mixed from the same pellet types – right up to an individual formula for every single person.

The trade-off is more manufacturing effort: each nutrient first has to be developed and encapsulated as a pellet. This pays off above all for formulas with many nutrients, when sustained release is wanted, and for personalized products. You can find more on the technology on our page about pellet technology.

The right form for your target group

The best dosage form is the one your target group actually takes every day. This overview helps with a first assessment:

Target group	What matters	Suitable forms
Older adults	easy swallowing, few units per day	powder, liquid, small capsules, daily serving in a stick pack
Children	taste, no swallowing	gummies, powder, liquid – with a clear recommended dose
Athletes	large amounts, intake around training	powder for large amounts, capsules or pellets for micronutrients
Busy professionals on the go	simple routine, compact	capsules, tablets, daily serving in a stick pack
Vegans	no animal-derived ingredients	plant-based capsule shells, gelatin-free gummies, plant-based pellets
People with individual needs	many nutrients, individual dosing per person	pellets

The right form for your concept

Besides your target group, your product concept decides. These questions lead you to the right form:

How much active ingredient has to fit into one daily serving? For large amounts, you need powder or several units a day. For micronutrients in the milligram and microgram range, you have more choice.
How many nutrients are you combining? The more nutrients, the more likely they are to affect each other in a mixed form – and the stronger the case for separate pellets.
Should the release be controlled? If a nutrient is to be released over several hours or only after passing the stomach, you need a sustained-release technology. Learn more in Sustained-release supplements.
Standardized or personalized? A fixed formula for everyone can be produced in any form. An individual formula for each person needs a form that can be combined freely – see Manufacturing personalized supplements.
How are you positioning the product? An entry-level product for the mass market has different cost margins than a premium product whose technology is part of the brand story.

Why Novogenia prefers Microtransporters

At Novogenia, our preferred form is the Microtransporter: plant-based microcapsules. Each nutrient is encapsulated separately, and for each one we can define how it is released – fast, or sustained over many hours. This results in the four benefits for which we choose this form:

Staggered uptake: because not all nutrients arrive at once, fewer of them compete for the same absorption routes.
Time-release: fast or spread over many hours, per nutrient.
Separation of competing nutrients: nutrients that hinder each other’s absorption are released at different times; nutrients that work together are released together.
Flavor masking: the coating hides the nutrients’ own taste.

On request, the Microtransporters can also be given a stomach-acid-resistant coating. Our release study shows how fast and sustained-release Microtransporters deliver their nutrients in a laboratory model.

Microtransporters are our preferred form, but not the only one: other dosage forms can also be produced on request. We will work out together in the initial consultation which form fits your product.

Practical tips for your decision

Ask why: a good manufacturer justifies its recommendation with your formula and your target group – not with whichever equipment happens to be available.
Think about the recommended dose: “one serving a day” is easier to communicate and stick to than several capsules at different times of day.
Test samples: check taste, size and handling with real people from your target group before the first batch is produced.
Plan the packaging alongside: dosage form and packaging go together – powder needs a tub or pouch, daily servings fit into stick packs.
Think ahead: if you plan further products or personalized versions later, choose a form that can grow with you.

How we do it at Novogenia

We prefer Microtransporters: plant-based microcapsules from 1.6 mm in diameter, with each nutrient encapsulated separately.

Four design goals: staggered rather than simultaneous uptake, time-release, separation of competing nutrients and flavor masking.
Release per nutrient: fast, or sustained over many hours; optionally with a stomach-acid-resistant coating.
Broad base: as a rule, any nutrient available in powder form can be encapsulated as a Microtransporter. 22 nutrients are already in stock as finished Microtransporters – with no development time.
New nutrients: are a development project of their own, with more lead time. Overall, developing a formula takes one week to three months.
To be clear: no liquid raw materials (exception: omega-3 as a vegan softgel), no allergen-containing ingredients, no enzymes, no probiotics.
Other dosage forms: can also be produced on request – talk to us about your concept.

Filling and packing take place in-house in Eugendorf, Austria: as a daily serving in a stick pack, in a dispenser box with 30 or 90 servings, or in a tub with a measuring scoop.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for supplements: capsules or tablets?

Neither is better across the board. Capsules usually need fewer excipients, are taste-neutral and quicker to develop. Tablets fit more active ingredient into a small space and are very stable, but they need excipients for compression and are hard to swallow in large sizes. What decides is your formula and your target group.

What are pellets in supplements?

Pellets are many small beads, each carrying an active ingredient, that can be given a coating. Because each nutrient sits in its own pellets, nutrients can be kept apart, released at different speeds and combined freely. Novogenia calls its plant-based pellets Microtransporters.

Which dosage form is the cheapest?

As a rule of thumb, simple tablets and powders are the cheapest per serving at large volumes, while gummies and liquids tend to cost more. But the price is driven mainly by the formula, packaging and order quantity – the larger the quantity, the lower the price per box. So always compare complete quotes, not just the dosage form.

Can I combine nutrients that interfere with each other?

In a tablet, a capsule or a powder, all substances are mixed together and released at the same time. Pellets solve this: each nutrient sits in its own beads, so competing nutrients can be released at different times and nutrients that work together can be released together.

Does Novogenia only produce Microtransporters?

No. We prefer Microtransporters because they make release, separation and taste controllable and can be combined freely. Other dosage forms can also be produced on request. Send us your concept and we will work out together which form fits your product technically and commercially.

Planning your own supplement brand?

Tell us about your project – target group, desired formula, planned volume. We will get back to you with a first assessment.

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Note: This guide is general information and does not constitute legal advice. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted. Always have legal questions about your specific product checked by a qualified expert.