With the ever-increasing number of nootropics on the market today, choosing the one that is right for you is becoming more and more difficult.
Nutrition technology is improving on a daily basis and the competition between supplement companies to develop the best product is getting more heated, too.
Luckily, we’ve done the legwork for you today by comparing two well-known brain supplements: Mind Lab Pro vs Cognetics Excel.
If you’ve been wondering which of the two will give you better benefits in terms of cognitive health as well as which is the safer and healthier option for long-term use, you’ll want to keep reading on.
For starters, here is a short summary of both products to give you an idea about what you can expect. Afterwards you can read the more detailed comparison at your own leisure.
Cognetics Excel vs Mind Lab Pro SUMMARY:
While Cognetics Excel has some of our favorite nootropics in the formula, it also has some major issues that make it fall behind Mind Lab Pro. Excel is using some cheap and ineffective ingredients like Choline Bitartrate whereas Mind Lab Pro uses more expensive and highly-bioavailable forms of ingredients (including the patented Citicoline).
You also may need to take a break from Cognetics Excel after a few weeks of supplementation due to Huperzine A which can cause side effects when taken consistently long-term, whereas Mind Lab Pro is perfectly safe and healthy for everyday use. Not to mention that Mind Lab Pro is also backed by a study conducted by Leeds University in the UK. Although MLP is the more expensive of the two, it offers far more value for your money in our opinion and is therefore the clear winner of our comparison.
It is important to note that we are affiliated with Mind Lab Pro and may earn a commission if you make a purchase through our links. However, we are not recommending Mind Lab Pro over Cognetics Excel because we’re affiliates. On the contrary – we are affiliates with Mind Lab Pro because we’ve found it to be one of the most effective brain supplements currently on the market. Click here to get prices and learn more about Mind Lab Pro.
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Cognetics Excel vs Mind Lab Pro: Ingredients
Disregard the fancy claims and attractive-looking bottles, it is the ingredient formula that tells us what the supplement can (and cannot) do for you.
So, between the two, which one is safer and more effective?
Let’s have a look.
Cognetics Excel’s Ingredients

Cognetics Excel’s formula overall looks solid. It contains a few well-studied ingredients for brain health, including Lion’s Mane, Bacopa Monnieri, L-Tyrosine, and Ginkgo Biloba.
When taken consistently long-term, these ingredients should improve your focus, ability to stay alert and process information quicker, along with improving overall memory & executive function.
The doses of most of these ingredients are within safe and optimal ranges, as well. What’s more, we can see every ingredient dose clearly on Cognetics Excel’s label – there are no proprietary blends inside.
Are there some downsides to Cognetics Excel’s formula?
The answer is yes. There are a few major problems with Cognetics Excel that should be fixed in order to make its formula truly effective and safe for enhancing your long-term cognitive performance.
For one, Cognetics Excel is using some ineffective ingredients, this includes the otherwise key brain health compound Choline. Choline is needed for optimal memory function and the protection and healing of your brain cells. The best form of choline you’ll find in supplements is CDP-Choline or Alpha GPC; both of which absorb excellently and nourish your brain with the choline it needs to maintain peak performance.
By contrast, Choline Bitartrate which is found in Cognetics Excel is a cheaper form of choline that has a difficult time passing your blood-brain barrier, which means it doesn’t provide many benefits for your brain.
But the inclusion of ineffective ingredients is not even the main issue with Cognetics Excel. The main problem is that it uses another problematic ingredient – Huperzine A.
You see, this ingredient is usually an excellent memory and concentration booster when you take it for a short period of time. The problem lies in the fact that Huperzine A can cause headaches and memory loss (ironically) when taken long-term. You need to take a break from Huperzine A every few weeks or so in order to reap its benefits as well as to avoid negative side effects. The problem is, by doing so, you will be canceling out the brain benefits of other ingredients in Cognetics Excel that need to be taken daily long-term to work.
In other words, if you keep taking Cognetics Excel every day consistently, you risk getting adverse reactions from Huperzine A, but if you don’t take it consistently, then it’s pointless because most of the ingredients in the formula won’t work. It is a catch-22 situation.
Mind Lab Pro Ingredients

How does Mind Lab Pro’s formula look compared to Cognetics Excel? Is it more effective? What kind of brain benefits can you expect from it? Does it have major issues like Cognetics Excel?
The answer is that Mind Lab Pro’s ingredient profile looks like a massive upgrade from that of Cognetics Excel.
For one, you’re getting some of the most effective and most researched nootropic compounds on the market. Including Citicoline, Bacopa Monnieri (full spectrum extract with exactly 24% bacosides), Organic Lion’s Mane Mushroom, and Maritime Pine Bark Extract to name a few.
What’s more, the ingredients in Mind Lab Pro come in patented, highly-bioavailable forms to help your body digest, absorb, and utilize them in the most efficient way possible.
Mind Lab Pro claims its 11-ingredient formula targets 6 unique brain pathways, including brain energy, neurotransmitters, brain waves, neurogenesis, blood flow, and neuroprotection. By doing so, Mind Lab Pro is supposed to deliver an all-around boost to your mental performance; not just in the short-term, but also in the long run.
After doing a thorough inspection of its ingredients, we’re inclined to agree with the claims made by Mind Lab Pro’s manufacturer. It’s clear the formula is capable of achieving these effects. The dosages are within safe and optimal ranges to ensure you get the most of Mind Lab Pro while being healthy for everyday use at the same time – this is its key advantage over Cognetics Excel.
With consistent use of Mind Lab Pro, you should notice an improvement in your memory recall & retention, cognitive well-being, focus and productivity, and ability to stay “clear-headed” in stressful situations thanks to the inclusion of L-Tyrosine and Pine Bark Extract, among other excellent ingredient choices. What’s more, Mind Lab Pro achieves its long-range cognitive benefits without relying on any stimulants, making it extremely safe to use.
Cognetics Excel vs Mind Lab Pro: Side Effects
Cognetics Exel should not cause side effects if you stick to the dosage recommendations and if you take a break from using it every few weeks due to Huperzine A. In some users, prolonged supplementation may lead to headaches, nausea, and insomnia, among other side effects.
Mind Lab Pro is a safe and healthy option. We haven’t found any customer reviews complaining about side effects. It’s easy to see why, as Mind Lab Pro’s formula is one of the cleanest we’ve seen on the market. It has a slight advantage in terms of safety as it doesn’t use any risky ingredients. It can be taken every day without the need to cycle it “on” and “off”.
Cognetics Excel vs Mind Lab Pro: Customer Reviews
Cognetics Excel and Mind Lab Pro both have quite a few reviews online. In terms of the sheer number of positive reviews, MLP is the clear winner.
We won’t cover much more here as you can easily find out for yourself how well-received these two supplements are by Googling their reviews, and you’ll see what we mean!
Pricing & Availability
A bottle of Cognetics Excel (30-day supply) will set you back by $49.95. It is available on its official website as well as on Amazon.
Mind Lab Pro is the more premium-priced of the two, costing $69 per bottle. It is also only officially available on its manufacturer’s website.
Final Verdict
So, which of the two do we recommend; Mind Lab Pro or Cognetics Excel?
Mind Lab Pro is the clear winner for us.
Not only because the ingredients themselves are better and more effective, but also because it has an extremely clean-quality formula that is safe and healthy for everyday use.
Cognetics Excel, on the other hand, is using some excellent ingredients but the impression is tainted by the inclusion of Huperzine A, which limits the effects of other ingredients in the formula due to the need for cycling, along with the potential for causing adverse reactions.
Even though Mind Lab Pro costs more than Cognetics Excel, it is in our opinion superior value for money considering its reliable benefits. There’s a reason why MLP is so well-received online, it works. It is one of the few tried and tested nootropic formulas that have been shown over and over to be incredibly effective at promoting brain function in people of all backgrounds, no matter who you are.
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