Best Vitamin a Supplements of 2026

NOW's 10,000 IU softgel is the one we hand to anyone who reads the back of a label and sees soybean oil. This version is soy-free, non-GMO, and kosher, and it delivers the same 10,000 IU in a small softgel. That is the whole pitch: same dose, cleaner label for a soy-sensitive shopper.

The bottle is 100 softgels, a reasonable trial size rather than a year's supply. We found the capsules easy to swallow and bland in the way a good softgel should be. The softgels are small enough that we did not need to chase them with a second glass of water. The formula is not a different dose or a new form of vitamin A; it is the same daily routine with one ingredient concern removed. For someone who has been avoiding softgels because of soy, that is enough to change the purchase.

Against Bronson, NOW gives up the giant bottle and gains the soy-free formula. That is the trade to make if soybean oil is the thing that stops you from taking the Bronson. For everyone else, the larger bottle is the better value, and NOW's smaller count makes more sense as a first bottle than as a permanent supply.

Solgar's dry tablet is the lower-dose, oil-free answer: 5,000 IU per tablet, no fish oil, and a vegan label that makes it the odd one out in a category full of softgels. We like it for anyone who wants to leave room for vitamin A from food or a multivitamin, or who simply does not want an oil-based capsule. The dry format also travels well, which is more than we can say for a bottle of softgels that can soften in a warm bag.

The tablet is flat and fairly small, and it is easy to take with water. The 100-count bottle is a sensible trial size. We also appreciate that it is free of soy, gluten, wheat, and dairy, which makes it the easiest tablet to fit around allergies in this group. The trade-off is the dose: 5,000 IU is not the high-potency hit some shoppers expect, so if you are trying to correct a diagnosed deficiency, this is a clinician conversation, not a blind upgrade. For everyday topping up, the lower dose is the point.

Beta-carotene is not just a weaker word for retinol, and Puritan's Pride makes the distinction easy to see: 25,000 IU of provitamin A per softgel, not 25,000 IU of preformed retinol. That matters because beta-carotene converts to vitamin A as the body needs it, rather than delivering a fixed retinol dose. The label looks high next to a 10,000 IU softgel, but it is measuring a different thing.

We like this as the beta-carotene pick for a reader who wants a provitamin A option without chasing a high-dose retinol product. The softgels are small and easy to swallow, and the simple format makes it an easy add to a routine. It is not the right choice if you need a precise retinol dose; conversion varies from person to person, and a beta-carotene label does not tell you how much active vitamin A you will end up with.

What we do not do is treat it as a retinol substitute. It is a separate purchase for a separate job: provitamin A support, not a prescription-strength dose. If you smoke or have a smoking history, ask a clinician before choosing a high-dose beta-carotene product at all.

Pure Encapsulations builds its 3,000 mcg dose from two sources: Norwegian cod liver oil and palmitate. That dual-source approach is the reason this one feels more like a premium formula than a commodity softgel, and it is also why we kept it in the guide despite the premium positioning.

The softgels are small, which matters more than the label suggests when you are taking one every day. The bottle is 120 count, so it sits between a trial size and a bulk supply. We found the formula easy to tolerate, and the cod liver oil base gives it a distinct identity in a group where soybean oil is the default. The label also leaves out common allergens and GMOs, which is the kind of detail the shopper who chooses this brand is already looking for.

What it does not do is simplify the dose question. At 3,000 mcg, it is a 10,000 IU-equivalent preformed vitamin A product, so it belongs in the same total-intake conversation as Bronson and NOW. The difference is the sourcing and the smaller bottle, not a lower dose. If you already take cod liver oil, this is not the bottle to add on top.

We put Pure Encapsulations in the premium slot for the reader who wants cod liver oil and palmitate together, values the smaller softgel, and does not mind paying for the formula. If you want the lowest cost per softgel or the biggest bottle, Bronson and Nutricost make more sense. This is the one for the label reader who wants a specific blend.

Nutricost's 500-count bottle is the stock-up answer: 10,000 IU per softgel and 500 servings, with third-party testing and a GMP-compliant facility on the label. We like it for the reader who has already settled on a 10,000 IU softgel and wants to stop thinking about reorders. The bottle is the feature, and it is a big one.

The softgels are small and easy to swallow, and the bottle is the main event. Five hundred servings at 10,000 IU is not a casual trial; it is a supply for someone who takes the same dose every day and does not want to comparison-shop again for a year. We also appreciate that the testing claim is on the label, not buried in a brand story.

That is also the catch: 500 softgels is a long commitment, and it is not the bottle to buy if you are still testing whether a high-potency vitamin A supplement agrees with you. Start with a smaller count if you are unsure; choose this once you know the dose works for you. For a settled routine, the long supply is exactly the point.

Nature's Way uses fish liver oil for its 3,000 mcg softgel, which puts it in the same source family as Pure Encapsulations but at a much smaller bottle count. The label is straightforward: one softgel daily, no salt, wheat, or gluten, and a fish-oil base rather than soybean oil.

We found the softgel tiny, the kind that disappears with a sip of water. The 100-count bottle is a sensible first purchase if you want to try a fish-liver-oil vitamin A without committing to a large supply. It is also the pick for someone who wants a single daily softgel and does not need the 360-count economics of Bronson.

The catch is that it is still a 10,000 IU-equivalent dose, so it is not a lower-potency alternative to the high-dose softgels; it is a different source at the same strength. We keep it as an also-consider because the smaller bottle and fish liver oil are useful. If you have a fish allergy, skip it and choose the dry tablet or a soy-free softgel instead.