Thorne vs Life Extension: Cost per Serving
This is a label-and-price comparison, not medical advice or hands-on product testing. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting or changing supplements.
Short answer: Life Extension’s 120-capsule Two-Per-Day bottle has the lower purchase cost per label serving in the exact comparison below. It is not a dose-equivalent substitute for Thorne. The Thorne version you select also matters: its standard 30-serving and separately named NSF Certified for Sport products have different listings and prices.
This buying guide focuses on the multivitamin choice, not a brand-wide quality ranking. It does not extend these price differences to fish oil, magnesium, or other products.
Exact Products, Packs, and Prices
Prices were checked on the manufacturers’ US product pages on October 29, 2026, in USD, for one bottle purchased once. They exclude tax and shipping. No subscription, bulk, coupon, or rewards discounts are included. Life Extension labels its one-time price as “SALE”; it is not represented here as a permanent regular price. Retailer prices can differ and change.
| Exact product and version | Pack | Label serving size | Servings per bottle | Observed one-time price | Cost per label serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day — 30 Servings, VM2NC | 60 capsules | 2 capsules | 30 | $36.00 | $1.200 |
| Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day — NSF Certified for Sport, VM2 | 60 capsules | 2 capsules | 30 | $40.00 | $1.333, rounded |
| Life Extension Two-Per-Day Multivitamin, item 02314 | 120 capsules, not tablets | 2 capsules | 60 | $19.13, displayed sale price | $0.319, rounded |
The product-page links in this table are research sources, not affiliate links. Thorne also lists a 120-capsule version; its price is not used in this comparison. Life Extension’s tablet and 60-capsule versions are likewise excluded.
The Arithmetic You Can Reuse
Servings per bottle = capsule count ÷ capsules per label serving. Cost per serving = bottle price ÷ servings per bottle.
- Thorne VM2NC: 60 ÷ 2 = 30 servings; $36.00 ÷ 30 = $1.20 per serving.
- Thorne VM2 sport version: 60 ÷ 2 = 30 servings; $40.00 ÷ 30 = $1.3333… per serving.
- Life Extension 02314: 120 ÷ 2 = 60 servings; $19.13 ÷ 60 = $0.318833… per serving.
For a matched quantity of 60 label servings, two VM2NC bottles cost $72.00, two VM2 bottles cost $80.00, and one Life Extension 02314 bottle costs $19.13, before tax and shipping. Those are purchase-cost comparisons, not equal amounts of every nutrient. Dividing Life Extension’s bottle price by 120 gives the cost of one capsule, not its two-capsule serving.
Why These Are Not Equivalent Formulas
A shared “two per day” name does not make two products interchangeable. These examples come from the manufacturers’ ingredient panels, per two-capsule label serving:
| Label detail | Thorne VM2NC, 30-serving version | Life Extension 02314, 120 capsules |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D | 50 mcg, D3 | 50 mcg, D3 |
| Vitamin B6 | 20 mg, pyridoxal 5’-phosphate | 75 mg, pyridoxine HCl and pyridoxal 5’-phosphate |
| Vitamin B12 | 600 mcg, methylcobalamin | 300 mcg, methylcobalamin |
| Zinc | 15 mg, bisglycinate | 25 mg, citrate and zinc mono-L-methionine sulfate |
| Magnesium | 20 mg, bisglycinate chelate | 100 mg, oxide |
| Vitamin K | 200 mcg K1 and 200 mcg K2 as MK-4 | No vitamin K entry in the displayed Supplement Facts |
This is a selection, not the complete ingredient list. The separate Thorne VM2 sport version has its own panel; do not automatically apply the VM2NC column to it. Larger nutrient amounts do not establish better outcomes, and this table does not establish relative absorption, purity, or tolerability.
Safety comes before price: Thorne’s product warning says vitamin K interferes with anticoagulant drugs such as Coumadin. Life Extension advises physician consultation during medical treatment, pregnancy, or lactation and says not to exceed the recommended dose. Read each full label and have a clinician or pharmacist check your medicines and other supplements before switching or combining products. Do not combine these multivitamins merely to obtain the features of both.
Choose the Version Before Shopping
- Comparing purchase cost? Start with the exact pack and label serving above, then recalculate using your actual checkout price, shipping, and tax. The lower cost here belongs to Life Extension item 02314, not automatically every Life Extension product.
- Looking for the sport version? Thorne’s manufacturer page explicitly names VM2 “NSF Certified for Sport.” The $36 VM2NC listing is a separate version; do not transfer the sport designation to it because the brand and product family match. Verify the exact product’s current certification listing against your sport’s requirements. This guide does not independently certify a product or guarantee a drug-test result.
- Following a clinician’s formula recommendation? Match that exact product and label rather than substituting on bottle price alone. Neither price nor brand name establishes that a supplement is appropriate for you.
For more context, see how to compare supplement quality claims and our Thorne price discussion.
Compare Retail Listings Carefully
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission from the Amazon search links below, at no extra cost to you. They open search results, not verified exact-SKU offers. The manufacturer prices above are not Amazon quotes. Check the seller, version, capsule count, label, and final price before purchasing; a search result may show a different pack or formula.
Compare Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day listings on Amazon Compare Life Extension Two-Per-Day listings on AmazonSources and Limits
Primary sources checked October 29, 2026:
- Thorne VM2NC product page: $36 price, 60 capsules, two-capsule serving, 30 servings, ingredient panel, and warnings.
- Thorne VM2 sport-version product page: $40 price, 60 capsules, two-capsule serving, 30 servings, and manufacturer designation.
- Life Extension item 02314 product page: $19.13 one-time displayed sale price, 120 capsules, two-capsule serving, 60 servings, ingredient panel, and warnings.
We reviewed these manufacturer labels and listed prices; we did not test the products, obtain batch certificates, establish clinical equivalence, or verify claims about brand-wide testing or manufacturing superiority. Recheck the current label and price when buying.