How Validora Works
We compare what supplements actually cost to make against what you pay at retail. Here's exactly how we do it.
What do you measure?
Active ingredient cost versus retail price. Nothing else.
Validora calculates what the active ingredients in a supplement actually cost at factory-gate pricing, then compares that number to what you pay at retail.
We don't measure taste, branding, convenience, or customer service. We measure one thing: ingredient value per dollar spent.
How is cost calculated?
((Retail − Mfg) ÷ Mfg) × 100What is the 50% overhead?
Published supplement manufacturing data shows raw materials represent 40–60% of COGS. Converting that range to overhead relative to ingredient cost:
Note: 50% is intentionally below the documented range of 67–150%. This means Validora gives brands more overhead credit than industry data strictly supports — preventing the model from being unfairly punitive.
What do the tiers mean?
Every product is assigned a value tier based on its markup percentage. This lets you compare products at a glance.
How is the score built?
The overall score is a weighted average of four categories. Pricing carries the most weight since it's our primary mission.
What does Validated mean?
Where do prices come from?
Our prices are intentionally conservative
We source ingredient prices at 100kg MOQ — far smaller than what established supplement brands actually purchase. Brands buying at scale receive significant volume discounts:
This means Validora's cost estimates give brands the benefit of the doubt. Real markups at scale are likely higher than what we show — not lower.
What isn't scored?
Validora has a deliberate scope. These things are real but outside our model:
On delivery formats: Gummies, softgels, and powders all use the same ingredient pricing. Format affects convenience, not ingredient cost. Products can be filtered by format for apples-to-apples comparisons.
Technical Appendix
Full overhead derivation, EXW rationale, rounding standards, sourcing protocol, and methodology version history.
Methodology Version: 2.1 (February 2026)
Core criteria and thresholds are frozen. Minor clarifications may occur.