Comparison
Creatine vs Protein: What's the Difference?
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People often ask whether to take creatine or protein powder. They do different jobs, so this page explains what each one is and what trials found for muscle, in plain English. For creatine, see our creatine guide and the best creatine comparison.
Side by side
| Creatine A compound your body makes and stores in muscle; sold as creatine monohydrate | Protein powder A concentrated source of protein, the building blocks of muscle | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A compound your body makes from amino acids and stores mostly in muscle, where it helps cells release quick bursts of energy. The type used in nearly all research is creatine monohydrate. It is not a protein. | A powder that supplies protein, which is made of amino acids. It is a food-type supplement, not a stimulant. |
| Evidence strength | We rate it B in our creatine guide: good for specific outcomes, with gaps. | No grade: we have no protein guide on this site. We cite one 2018 review of 49 trials (see below). |
| What research shows for muscle | In older adults who strength-train, creatine was linked to a small extra gain in lean mass and some strength measures. | In healthy adults doing resistance training for at least 6 weeks, protein supplements slightly increased gains in strength and fat-free mass. The effect was smaller with increasing age. |
| How people take it | About 3 to 5 g a day in studies (study amounts, not recommendations), usually with strength training. | The review found no extra gain in fat-free mass once total protein intake from all sources went above about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day. |
| Typical cost | From £0.060 (UK, sale price) or $0.135 (US) per 3 g in our product data, checked Nov 1 to 3, 2026. See the creatine buying guide. | Per 25 g of protein in our product data, checked Nov 3, 2026: £1.06 (Bulk) and £1.17 (Myprotein) in the UK, both sale prices, and $2.58 (Thorne) in the US. Optimum Nutrition's Amazon.com price ($1.98) is unverified. |
| Who might prefer it | People who strength-train and want to try a well-researched supplement. Ask first if you have kidney disease. | People who want a convenient source of protein. Whole foods also supply protein. |
Our verdict
They aren't rivals: creatine is a compound your body makes, and protein is a nutrient your body uses to build muscle. Trials test both alongside resistance training, so neither replaces training. We did not review any trial that compares them head to head, so we can't say one is better.
Where to buy
Quick differences
Creatine is something your body makes from amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and stores mostly in muscle. Protein is the nutrient that supplies those amino acids. Creatine is not protein, and protein powder does not contain creatine as a main ingredient.
What the research says about each
Creatine. In older adults who do resistance training, taking creatine was linked to a small extra gain in lean mass and some strength measures. The evidence for memory is much less settled. Read the full evidence and safety notes in our creatine guide.
Protein. A 2018 review of 49 trials with 1,863 healthy adults found protein supplements increased gains in strength (about 2.5 kg on a one-repetition test), fat-free mass (about 0.3 kg) and muscle size during resistance training lasting at least 6 weeks. The effect shrank with increasing age, and above about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day of total protein there was no further gain in fat-free mass. Source: Morton RW et al., Br J Sports Med, 2018 (PubMed · DOI).
Both results come from people who were also doing resistance training. They are averages and do not promise a result for you.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take prescription medicine, or have a health condition. Ask first if you have kidney disease or take medicines that affect the kidneys, because creatine can nudge up the creatinine blood marker doctors use to check kidneys.
FAQ
Is creatine a protein?
No. Your body makes creatine from amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, but creatine itself is a separate compound.
Can I take creatine and protein together?
We found no trial in our sources testing the pairing, so we can’t say whether it adds anything. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
Which has more evidence for older adults?
Both have evidence alongside resistance training. For creatine, meta-analyses in older adults found a small extra gain in lean mass. In the protein review, the benefit for fat-free mass shrank with age. We did not review a head-to-head trial, so we can’t rank them.