Quick answer
Amazon often has more competing listings, while Holland & Barrett can win during targeted promotions and offers store collection. Compare the same brand, dose, quantity and seller rather than choosing one retailer by habit.
Holland & Barrett versus Amazon at a glance
This is not a contest with one permanent winner. Amazon's marketplace creates frequent price competition but also introduces seller and listing complexity. H&B offers a more controlled retail experience, physical stores and its own Precision Engineered line.
The cheapest choice changes by product. Plain creatine may be inexpensive on either site; a branded whey may move sharply during an H&B promotion; a specialist supplement may only have meaningful seller competition on Amazon.
| Factor | Holland & Barrett | Amazon UK |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Strong during selected promotions | Frequent variation between listings |
| Range | Curated range plus marketplace sellers | Very broad |
| Seller clarity | Clear for H&B-stocked items; check third parties | Check seller and fulfilment on every listing |
| Collection | Store and click-and-collect options | Home delivery and collection points |
| Subscriptions | Available on selected items | Subscribe & Save on eligible listings |
Live comparison
Holland & Barrett products
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 8401 £18.00 2823.0g123£0.643 78g410£2.14 5.26£0.027 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5001 £7.50 2510.4g60£0.300 51.5g300£1.50 5.83£0.029 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 4501 £12.00 1521.0g106£0.800 69g354£2.67 5.13£0.039 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5201 £11.45 2210.4g78£0.520 50g329£2.20 6.58£0.044 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 9001 £32.00 3022.0g113£1.067 72g375£3.56 5.21£0.049 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 6501 £22.00 2418.0g98£0.917 67g364£3.38 5.43£0.051 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5001 £16.50 1420.0g-£1.179 56g-£3.30 -£0.059 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5271 £3.29 150.0g285£3.290 10g57£0.62 5.70£0.062 5001 £3.29 150.0g280£3.290 10g56£0.66 5.60£0.066 5001 £3.29 150.0g280£3.290 10g61£0.66 6.10£0.066 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 3641 £18.00 1420.0g88£1.286 78g338£4.95 4.33£0.063 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5001 £16.50 1320.0g-£1.269 52g-£3.30 -£0.063 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 12001 £62.00 4819.6g99£1.292 78.4g396£5.17 5.05£0.066 4001 £26.00 1619.6g99£1.625 78.4g396£6.50 5.05£0.083 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 6001 £27.49 ---- 66g368£4.58 5.58£0.069 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 12001 £62.00 4817.9g99£1.292 71.6g396£5.17 5.53£0.072 4001 £27.00 1617.9g99£1.688 71.6g396£6.75 5.53£0.094 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5601 £29.99 ---- 71.4g369£5.36 5.17£0.075 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 3001 £16.50 1020.0g131£1.650 69.8g457.2£5.50 6.55£0.079 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 2301 £16.65 730.0g127£2.379 91.3g384£7.24 4.21£0.079 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5001 £28.50 1720.3g113£1.676 69g384£5.70 5.57£0.083 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5001 £28.50 1718.8g101£1.676 64g344£5.70 5.38£0.089 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 2501 £19.99 ---- 80g417£8.00 5.21£0.100 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 4901 £25.00 1416.8g124£1.786 48g354£5.10 7.38£0.106 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 6001 £29.00 1616.2g139£1.813 43.1g370.7£4.83 8.60£0.112 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 2501 £24.99 1020.4g92£2.499 81.8g369£10.00 4.51£0.122 |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 2801 £16.00 10--£1.600 --£5.71 -- |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 2801 £20.00 10--£2.000 --£7.14 -- |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 12001 £62.00 48--£1.292 --£5.17 -- 4001 £27.00 16--£1.688 --£6.75 -- |
FlavourSize (g)Size (ml)QtyTotal Per serving servings Per 100g Per 1g protein 5001 £28.50 17--£1.676 --£5.70 -- |
How to make a fair price comparison
Match product identity first: brand, exact product, flavour, dose and pack size. Add delivery to the item price. If one listing is subscription-only, compare it with the other retailer's subscription rather than a one-off purchase.
For powder, use price per 100g or per dose. For capsules, use price per serving at the intended daily amount—not price per capsule when several capsules form one dose.
Where Holland & Barrett has the advantage
H&B wins on physical inspection, store collection and its own-label promotions. It is also easier to resolve an obvious product issue face to face. Precision Engineered products do not have a directly equivalent Amazon own-brand listing.
H&B may also beat Amazon when a branded product joins a genuine multibuy or clearance event. The saving must be calculated across the basket, not inferred from the badge.
Where Amazon has the advantage
Amazon often offers more pack sizes and sellers, so one unavailable size does not end the search. That competition can expose a lower range of prices, particularly for widely distributed brands.
The trade-off is matching. Search results can include samples, old packaging, similar product names or ended listings. Check the seller, title, selected variation and total price before buying.
Cheapest Whey Protein
Maintaining Muscle 50+ Protein Powder
Holland & Barrett · 490g
Which is cheaper for creatine and protein?
For plain creatine monohydrate, the formula is largely commoditised and price per 5g is decisive once quality checks are satisfied. Amazon's larger packs often compete well; H&B's 210g Precision Engineered pouch can win during a strong promotion.
For protein powder, H&B own brand can only be compared with equivalent whey on nutrition and value rather than identical product matching. Include taste, texture and ingredients in that comparison: a smoother whey you reliably finish can beat a slightly cheaper chalky powder, while a flavoured blend with more non-protein ingredients should not command a premium merely for tasting sweeter. For Optimum Nutrition, Applied Nutrition or MyProtein, an exact cross-retailer match is possible and more useful.
Our verdict
Use H&B when its final value wins, you want store collection or the product is exclusive. Precision Engineered Whey is our H&B-specific default for a conventional creamy shake; use Amazon when a trustworthy seller has the exact same branded product, flavour and size for less after delivery.
The best habit is not choosing a favourite retailer. It is checking both without assuming yesterday's winner remains cheapest.
Watch what buyers found
Hands-on opinions
Supplements a doctor recommends — and the ones he does not
The Doctor's Kitchen
Useful context for deciding what is worth buying before comparing the same supplement across retailers.
References
Sources and further reading
- 01Holland & Barrett sports nutrition
Current direct and marketplace catalogue.
- 02ProteinDeals affiliate disclosure
How retailer and marketplace links are handled.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amazon cheaper than Holland & Barrett?+
Not for every product. Amazon often has more competing listings; H&B can win during promotions. Compare the exact delivered product.
Is it safe to buy supplements on Amazon?+
Check the seller, fulfilment, packaging, variation and returns. Prefer authorised or clearly reputable sellers and do not rely on the first search result.
Does ProteinDeals include affiliate links?+
Yes. ProteinDeals may earn commission from eligible links without changing the price paid by the user. Rankings are based on comparison data rather than commission.