AG1 vs IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro

Two all-in-one powders, nearly the same price per scoop, both marketed as replacements for a cabinet of supplements. We traced each one's claims back to its label and the clinical evidence. Neither discloses a single ingredient dose — and that changes what you can actually verify.

Overhyped

AG1 (Athletic Greens)

A greens powder that combines a multivitamin, probiotic, prebiotic, and adaptogen blend into one daily scoop.

$2.63 / serving 15 ingredients $79/mo subscription

Overhyped

IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro

A 90-ingredient powder blend combining basic vitamins, minerals, and plant extracts in a single daily serving.

$2.60 / serving 9 ingredients $78/mo (90-day subscription); $112 one-time

Can you verify what's inside?

For each key active: the dose clinical studies used, and what each label lets you check. Dots rate the ingredient's science, not the product: strong · moderate · weak.

Ingredient	Studied dose	AG1 (Athletic Greens)	IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro	Verifiable?
Probiotics	No established universal dose — varies by strain and condition; studies used 6.5 billion CFU/day to 2×10^9 CFU/day	not disclosed	hidden in blend	no — dose hidden
Prebiotic fiber (inulin) AG1's whole scoop is ~12 g; 8 g of inulin can't fit beside 74 other ingredients	7.5-8 g daily based on study doses	not disclosed	not disclosed	no — dose hidden
Ashwagandha AG1's adaptogens are rhodiola + licorice root instead	150-600 mg/day (root extract, standardized to withanolides)	not in formula	hidden in blend	no — dose hidden
Magnesium AG1 folds minerals into its vitamins & minerals blend	250-350 mg/day based on study doses	hidden in blend	hidden in blend	no — dose hidden
Vitamin D3	400–80,000 IU daily depending on condition and deficiency status	hidden in blend	hidden in blend	no — dose hidden
Spirulina	1-6 g daily based on clinical studies	not disclosed	not in formula	no — dose hidden
Reishi	500–1000 mg/day (oral extract, based on limited clinical data)	not disclosed	not in formula	no — dose hidden
Acai extract	100-200 mg daily (from limited human trials)	not in formula	hidden in blend	no — dose hidden

The pattern is the finding. Across 75+ ingredients (AG1) and 90 (IM8), neither label discloses one active's dose. Every “clinically proven ingredient” line on either site points at studies whose doses you cannot confirm you're getting. AG1's own scoop math makes underdosing certain for at least its fiber; IM8's blend makes it unfalsifiable everywhere.

Which marketing claims survive?

These grades score the marketing, not the product: a claim only counts as “supported” when the label discloses a dose that matches the studies behind it. A decent product can still grade low here — blends that hide doses cap at “partial” because nobody can verify them.

AG1 (Athletic Greens) — 8 claims checked MODERATE claim style

0 supported 5 partial 3 stretch 0 unsupported

IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro — 5 claims checked AGGRESSIVE claim style

0 supported 1 partial 1 stretch 3 unsupported

“It gives you energy”

AG1 (Athletic Greens) stretch

“Supports energy levels”

Mechanism: B-complex vitamins + adaptogens (rhodiola)Dose check: B-vitamin amounts sit in an undisclosed blendScience: B vitamins help only if you're deficient; rhodiola evidence is modest

IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro unsupported

““95% felt more energy””

Mechanism: customer survey, not a trialDose check: nothing to check — no clinical claim madeScience: no third-party validation; consistent with placebo

“It fixes your gut”

AG1 (Athletic Greens) partial

“Supports gut health and digestion”

Mechanism: probiotics + inulin — both genuinely evidence-backedDose check: studies used 10-50 B CFU and 7.5-8 g inulin/day; AG1's ~12 g scoop can't hold the inulin dose beside 74 other ingredientsSurvives as: right ingredients, mathematically doubtful doses

IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro unsupported

““85% better digestion””

Mechanism: probiotics + fiber + enzymes, all inside one proprietary blendDose check: the blend hides every amount — unfalsifiable by designSurvives as: a survey stat, not a health claim

“It replaces your other supplements”

AG1 (Athletic Greens) stretch

“Replaces multivitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, adaptogens ($225/mo worth)”

Reality: the $225 compares against premium brands; budget equivalents run $55-65/monthDose check: standalone products print doses; AG1 doesn't

IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro stretch

“Replaces 16 supplements”

Reality: 90 ingredients at token doses can't replace 16 full-strength productsDose check: same blend wall — nothing verifiable

“It's worth the money”

AG1 (Athletic Greens) partial

“$2.63/serving is fair for what you get”

Estimated ingredient cost: $0.30-0.50/serving → ~5-8x markup (high)Real green flag: NSF Certified for Sport — label contents verifiedWhat you're buying: convenience + certification, not verified potency

IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro unsupported

“$2.61/serving is competitive pricing”

Equivalent categories separately: $1.00-1.50/serving → 5-10x markup (extreme)Also NSF Certified for Sport — equally real, equally silent on dosesWhat you're buying: category breadth + a guarantee, not evidence

The formulas are near-twins; the marketing isn't. AG1's claims are cautious and partially hold up — it runs real (company-funded) trials and mostly claims “support.” IM8 publishes survey percentages (“95% felt more energy”) with no clinical backing at all. Both carry the NSF Certified for Sport seal, which is real and worth something: what's on the label is in the product. It just doesn't tell you how much.

What a serving actually costs

AG1 (Athletic Greens)

$2.63 per serving · $79/mo subscription

IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro

$2.60 per serving · $78/mo (90-day subscription); $112 one-time

Cost per effective dose can't be computed — the labels don't disclose verifiable doses.

Both companies' own comparison categories — a named-strain probiotic, a USP-verified multivitamin, a greens powder — cost $40-65/month bought separately, with every dose printed on the label. The premium you pay either brand is for convenience, not verified potency.

Choose your answer

Choose AG1 (Athletic Greens) if…

You want the option with actual published trials — four RCTs exist, even though all are company-funded
Its cautious “supports/fills gaps” claims matter to you more than category count — 0 of AG1's 8 claims rated unsupported, vs 3 of IM8's 5
One flat $79/month with a 90-day money-back guarantee fits how you buy

Choose IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro if…

You specifically want ashwagandha, magnesium, and vitamin D3 folded into the one scoop — AG1 skips ashwagandha
The 90-day plan's slightly lower per-serving price ($2.61) matters at the margin
You're comfortable buying on a money-back guarantee rather than on published trials — IM8 has none

Choose neither if…

You want to verify every dose: a USP-verified multivitamin + a named-strain probiotic + a greens powder covers the same categories for $40-65/month
You already eat a varied diet — both products are nutritional insurance, not treatment
You'd rather put the ~$30/month difference toward food that does the same job

The build-it-yourself option: Nature Made Multivitamin + Culturelle Probiotic + Amazing Grass Greens — ~$55-65/month combined for comparable categories (named on both products' own analyses).

Frequently asked questions

Is AG1 better than IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro?

Neither wins outright — both hide every ingredient dose in proprietary blends, so neither can prove its formula works as marketed. AG1's claims are more cautious and it has four company-funded RCTs; IM8 includes ashwagandha, magnesium, and vitamin D3 that AG1 lacks but backs its claims with customer surveys, not trials. The honest answer depends on which trade-off you accept.

Are AG1 and IM8 worth the money?

At $2.61-2.63 per serving, both cost roughly 5-10x their estimated ingredient value. A multivitamin, probiotic, and greens powder bought separately cover the same categories for $40-65/month with every dose printed on the label. You're paying for one-scoop convenience and NSF certification, not verified potency.

Do AG1 or IM8 disclose their ingredient doses?

No. Across AG1's 75+ ingredients and IM8's 90, neither label discloses a single active's dose — everything sits inside proprietary blends. That makes it impossible to check either formula against the doses used in the clinical studies both companies cite.

Full methodology on each product's review: AG1 (Athletic Greens) · IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro. Data updates automatically when either analysis is re-researched.