Nordic Naturals vs Viva Naturals Fish Oil
Buy Viva Naturals Triple Strength. A serving has 2,070 mg of EPA+DHA, the main omega-3s, to Nordic Ultimate Omega’s 1,100 mg, at $0.30 per 1,000 mg to $0.77. Viva is on IFOS, a testing list; we found Nordic on none.
Lemon flavor
Nordic Naturals
- Cost
- $0.77 per 1,000 mg, list price, 180 softgels
- Testing
- No testing list found
Want lemon-flavored softgels, a liquid or a gummy? Buy Nordic. On Amazon it costs $0.62 per 1,000 mg of EPA+DHA against $0.30 for Viva, about $116 more a year at 1,000 mg a day, and you take 4 softgels for about 2,000 mg against 2. Viva is also our top fish oil overall.
The numbers, side by side
| Viva Naturals | Nordic Naturals | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of 1,000 mg EPA+DHA, list price | $0.30 | $0.77 |
| Cost of the label serving, list price | $0.62 | $0.84 |
| Testing list | IFOS, more than 100 lot reports | Not on any we searched; Nordic posts its own reports |
| EPA | 1,500 mg | 650 mg |
| DHA | 570 mg | 450 mg |
| EPA + DHA in 2 softgels | 2,070 mg | 1,100 mg |
| Softgels for about 2,000 mg | 2 | 4 |
| Form | Re-esterified triglyceride (rTG) | Triglyceride (rTG and TG) |
| Flavor | Unflavored | Lemon |
Price: Viva costs about 61% less at list price, 52% less on Amazon
On each brand’s own store, 180 softgels cost $55.99 for Viva and $75.95 for Nordic. Both are 90 servings of two. Viva’s serving holds almost twice the EPA+DHA and still costs less: $0.62 against $0.84. On Amazon the order is the same.
| Product | List price | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Viva Naturals Triple Strength | $0.30 | $0.30 |
| Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega | $0.77 | $0.62 |
Testing: Viva is on IFOS; Nordic posts its own reports
- Viva Naturals: IFOS, more than 100 lot reports (listing VIVN0008). IFOS, run by the testing firm Nutrasource, tests each lot a brand enrolls for the EPA and DHA amount against the label, freshness and contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins and heavy metals, and posts every report. The lot we read (SG26050712) passed, Peroxide, a measure of early spoiling, was 0.55 against a limit of 5. Look up your lot.
- Nordic Naturals: its own reports. Nordic’s site says its products are third-party tested and offers a Certificate of Analysis for any product. Those are reports Nordic chooses to post, and they are where to look for its freshness figures. Nordic says its fish come from Friend of the Sea certified fisheries, a label about fishing practices, not what is in the softgel. We found Ultimate Omega on none of the six public lists we search.
What the testing list shows
Viva Naturals on IFOS
Form: both are triglyceride
Viva’s label and IFOS listing say re-esterified triglyceride (rTG): fish oil that was concentrated, then turned back into the form found in fish. Nordic says its fish oils are rTG and TG. So form is not a reason to pick one over the other. Fish oil forms compared.
Who should buy which
- You want the most omega-3 for your money, on a public testing listViva Naturals
Almost twice the EPA+DHA a serving, on IFOS with a report for each lot. Check the price.
- You want a lemon flavor, a liquid or a gummyNordic Naturals
650 mg EPA and 450 mg DHA in two lemon softgels. Nordic also sells liquid and gummy fish oils. Check the price.
- You already eat fish once or twice a weekMaybe neither
The American Heart Association advises 1 to 2 seafood meals a week (Rimm 2018). Fish oil adds most if you rarely eat fish.
More: best fish oil, cheaper alternatives to Nordic Naturals, Carlson vs Viva Naturals, Nordic Naturals vs Sports Research and omega-3 dosage guide.
Questions
Is Nordic Naturals better than Viva Naturals?
Not for most people: Viva gives more omega-3 for less and is on a public testing list. Nordic is the pick if you want a lemon flavor, a liquid or a gummy.
Is Nordic Naturals third party tested?
Nordic says so: its site says its products are third-party tested and that a Certificate of Analysis is available for any product. Those are reports Nordic posts itself. We did not find Ultimate Omega on any public testing list we search (NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, Informed Choice, NSF/ANSI 173, USP Verified and IFOS).
Is Viva Naturals fish oil third party tested?
Yes. IFOS lists Viva Naturals Triple Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil (listing VIVN0008) with more than 100 lot reports. Match the lot number on your bottle to the list.
Why does the Nordic bottle say 1,280 mg and Viva say 2,500 mg?
They count different things. Nordic’s front counts all its omega-3s (1,280 mg); Viva’s counts all the fish oil (2,500 mg). The EPA+DHA line on the back is the one to compare: 1,100 mg for Nordic, 2,070 mg for Viva.
How much omega-3 should I take a day?
Studies of fish oil used about 500 to 4,000 mg of EPA+DHA a day. One Viva softgel gives about 1,050 mg; one Nordic softgel gives about 550 mg. Talk to your doctor before taking more than about 3,000 mg a day or if you take a blood thinner.
Sources
- Testing: IFOS listing VIVN0008, Viva Naturals Triple Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil and lot report SG26050712, read October 27, 2026; searches of NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, Informed Choice, NSF/ANSI 173, USP Verified and IFOS for Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, September 29, 2026.
- Labels and prices: vivanaturals.com (form, EPA and DHA, price); nordic.com Ultimate Omega (EPA and DHA, form, testing and fishery claims, price). Amazon listings we link: B014LDT0ZM and B002CQU564.
- Rimm EB, et al. Seafood long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: a science advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018. PubMed 29773586