21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules vs NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules
21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules (#4) vs NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules (#5): in our Lion's Mane for Focus and Memory scoring the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules totals 6.1/10 and the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules 5.2/10.
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21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules
$12.49Check price at iHerbRead full review
TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules | NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.49 | $15.91 |
| Mushroom material | Lion's Mane fruiting body | Organic Lion's Mane fruiting body |
| Extract type | 525 mg of 4:1 extract, equivalent to 2,100 mg dried mushroom; dual extraction not stated | Extract powder; ratio and dual-extraction status not stated |
| Labeled dose | 525 mg actual extract plus 10 mg BioPerine per capsule | 1,000 mg per 2-capsule serving |
| Beta-glucans | Not quantified; label only says naturally occurring polysaccharides | Not quantified |
| Organic certification | None stated | Certified organic by QAI |
| Testing and heavy metals | Label says Guaranteed Quality Laboratory Tested; no recognized external certification, heavy-metal result or product-specific COA is linked | Packaged and quality tested in the USA with Intertek GMP facility certification; no public product-specific COA or heavy-metal result is linked |
| Other ingredients | Cellulose, magnesium silicate, magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide | Vegetable-polysaccharide capsule and organic inulin powder |
| Active-value basis | $0.40 per gram of actual 4:1 extract; beta-glucan cost cannot be calculated | $0.53 per gram of extract; beta-glucan cost cannot be calculated |
How they differ in real use
Built from our lions mane for focus scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules and the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules made our Top 5 Lion's Mane for Focus and Memory, at #4 and #5. Its disclosed 4:1 fruiting-body extraction, dose equivalence and value place it above NOW despite a much smaller review history. Missing beta-glucan measurement, organic certification and independent testing evidence prevent a higher rank. Its organic fruiting-body form and 2,400-plus reviews establish buyer trust, but popularity cannot offset the undisclosed beta-glucan content, extraction ratio and product-specific testing results. Those heavier-weighted gaps place it fifth.
We score lion's mane for focus and memory on Third-Party Testing (30%), Form & Bioavailability (25%), Dose vs Research (20%), Label Transparency (15%) and Value (10%). On that basis the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules totals 6.1 out of 10 and the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules 5.2. The widest gap is Dose vs Research, where the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules scores 8 against 5 for the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules — per-serving dose versus doses used in published human trials. Third-Party Testing also separates them: 3 for the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules versus 2 for the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Mushroom material — Lion's Mane fruiting body on the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules versus Organic Lion's Mane fruiting body on the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules; Extract type — 525 mg of 4:1 extract, equivalent to 2,100 mg dried mushroom; dual extraction not stated on the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules versus Extract powder; ratio and dual-extraction status not stated on the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules; Labeled dose — 525 mg actual extract plus 10 mg BioPerine per capsule on the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules versus 1,000 mg per 2-capsule serving on the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules; Beta-glucans — Not quantified; label only says naturally occurring polysaccharides on the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules versus Not quantified on the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules; Organic certification — None stated on the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules versus Certified organic by QAI on the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules; Testing and heavy metals — Label says Guaranteed Quality Laboratory Tested; no recognized external certification, heavy-metal result or product-specific COA is linked on the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules versus Packaged and quality tested in the USA with Intertek GMP facility certification; no public product-specific COA or heavy-metal result is linked on the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules.
Pricing as of August 5, 2026: $12.49 for the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules and $15.91 for the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules, a $3.42 difference in the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules's favor. Owners praise the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules for clearly distinguishes 525 mg of actual 4:1 extract from the 2,100 mg dry equivalent and uses Lion's Mane fruiting body rather than mycelium-on-grain; the most common complaint is no organic certification or quantified beta-glucan content. Owners praise the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules for label specifies organic Lion's Mane fruiting-body extract and certified organic by QAI and Non-GMO Project Verified; the most common complaint is no extract ratio or quantified beta-glucan amount.
21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules
- Clearly distinguishes 525 mg of actual 4:1 extract from the 2,100 mg dry equivalent
- Uses Lion's Mane fruiting body rather than mycelium-on-grain
- Costs $0.21 per one-capsule serving
- No organic certification or quantified beta-glucan content
- Contains magnesium silicate, magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide, plus 10 mg of black-pepper extract not used in the cited Lion's Mane trials
NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules
- Label specifies organic Lion's Mane fruiting-body extract
- Certified organic by QAI and Non-GMO Project Verified
- Fully discloses a 1,000 mg two-capsule serving without a proprietary blend
- No extract ratio or quantified beta-glucan amount
- Only 30 servings, at $0.53 each, with organic inulin added
Which should you buy?
The 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules is the better fit for budget buyers wanting a disclosed fruiting-body extract ratio and buyers preferring one capsule per serving — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Dose vs Research and Value. The NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules is the better fit for buyers prioritizing an established high-volume iHerb listing and buyers wanting an organic fruiting-body capsule, and the stronger choice if Third-Party Testing matters more to you than the overall score. Since the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules is both the higher scorer and $3.42 cheaper, the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules only makes sense for buyers prioritizing an established high-volume iHerb listing. The 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules is a poor fit for organic-only buyers; the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules is a poor fit for buyers requiring quantified beta-glucans.
Choose the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules if
- Budget buyers wanting a disclosed fruiting-body extract ratio
- Buyers preferring one capsule per serving
Skip it if
- Organic-only buyers
- Buyers requiring quantified beta-glucans or independent certification
Choose the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules if
- Buyers prioritizing an established high-volume iHerb listing
- Buyers wanting an organic fruiting-body capsule
Skip it if
- Buyers requiring quantified beta-glucans
- Buyers wanting a disclosed extraction ratio or no added inulin
Common questions
Is the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules better than the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules?
In our Lion's Mane for Focus and Memory ranking the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules scores higher overall, 6.1 to 5.2, with the biggest advantage in Dose vs Research. The NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules is stronger on Third-Party Testing, so it is the better pick if that matters most to you.
How much more does the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules cost than the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules?
$3.42 more as of August 5, 2026: $15.91 for the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules against $12.49 for the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules. Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure.
What is the main difference between the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules and the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules?
The headline spec difference is Mushroom material: Lion's Mane fruiting body on the 21st Century, Lion's Mane, 2,100 mg, 60 Veg Capsules versus Organic Lion's Mane fruiting body on the NOW Foods, Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules. In use, the gap that matters most is Dose vs Research (8 vs 5 in our scoring): per-serving dose versus doses used in published human trials.