Comparison guide

Which omega-3 form should you take?

Every product here sells the same EPA and DHA, so what differs is how much you get per capsule, what you pay per gram and what comes along with it. Read the EPA+DHA line on the label, not the total oil weight, and compare it with the 1–2 g/day used in most trials.

The options, compared

Option	Evidence	Best for	The honest note
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)	Moderate evidence	Most people	The best-studied and cheapest per gram; 2–4 g/day reliably lowers triglycerides and 1–2 g/day EPA+DHA covers general use. Choose a product with third-party purity certification.	View
Concentrated Omega-3 (rTG form)	Moderate evidence	Fewer capsules	Concentrates give roughly 500–900 mg EPA+DHA per capsule versus about 300 mg for standard oil, and rTG absorbs better than ethyl esters. You pay more, and the true rTG percentage is rarely disclosed.	View
Cod Liver Oil	Moderate evidence	Adding vitamin D, carefully	A 5 mL teaspoon gives roughly 800–1,000 mg EPA+DHA plus 400 IU vitamin D, but also preformed vitamin A. Do not scale it up, stack it with a retinol multivitamin or use it in pregnancy.	View
Krill Oil	Moderate evidence	Not worth the premium	Lowers triglycerides like an equivalent dose of fish oil at a much higher price per gram, and head-to-head data do not support its absorption claim. Avoid it with a shellfish allergy.	View
Algae Omega-3 (Vegan DHA/EPA)	Strong evidence	Vegans and vegetarians	Raises DHA as effectively as eating fish and is the only vegan source that meaningfully raises omega-3 status, since plant ALA converts at under 1%. High-dose DHA can modestly raise LDL.	View
Salmon Oil	Moderate evidence	No advantage over fish oil	An unconcentrated oil supplying only 300–400 mg EPA+DHA per gram, so you need more capsules. No trial shows it outperforms other fish oils.	View
Calamari Oil	Limited evidence	Judge it on DHA content	Richer in DHA per gram than typical fish oil, but it has never been tested on its own against placebo. Compare products on total DHA and EPA, not on the source.	View
DPA (Docosapentaenoic Acid)	Limited evidence	Not worth buying separately	Purified DPA has barely been tested in humans, and standard fish oil raises DPA levels anyway. A separate DPA product has no demonstrated added value.	View
Omega-3 Gummies	Limited evidence	Only if capsules fail	Typically 50–150 mg EPA+DHA per serving with 2–4 g of sugar, far below trial doses, and the format promotes oxidation. Use them only where adherence would otherwise be zero, and store them out of children's reach.	View
Children's Omega-3	Limited evidence	Children with low omega-3 status	In well-nourished children trials show no reliable cognitive gains, and ADHD improvements are small and concentrated in those with low baseline status. Many products deliver far less than the 200–600 mg EPA+DHA used in trials, sometimes under 100 mg.	View
Prenatal DHA	Moderate evidence	Pregnancy, at trial doses	Omega-3 in pregnancy reduced preterm birth in a Cochrane review, but not the child-cognition benefit it is usually sold on. Most products supply 200–300 mg DHA, below the at least 500 mg DHA used in trials.	View

Our verdict

Standard fish oil at 1–2 g/day EPA+DHA is the default and the cheapest per gram; switch to algae oil if you avoid animal products, or to an rTG concentrate if you want fewer capsules and accept the higher cost. Skip krill, salmon, calamari and separate DPA products, count the vitamin A and D in cod liver oil, and treat gummies as a last resort. In pregnancy, check that the DHA dose matches the trials rather than relying on a typical prenatal product.