Vitamin D3 and K2 Supplements Compared: Choose the Dose Before the Brand
A D3/K2 supplement should be compared by vitamin D amount first, not by the largest number or the most elaborate combination. In the products reviewed here, NOW supplies 1,000 IU D3 per capsule, Pure Encapsulations supplies 4,000 IU, and Solaray supplies 5,000 IU. Those are materially different amounts, not three equivalent servings to rank by brand alone. [1] [2] [3]
On this pageTable of Contents
- 1Compare the formulas before the photos
- 2Why 1,000, 4,000, and 5,000 IU are not interchangeable
- 3NOW: a lower-D3 capsule with MK-4
- 4Pure: MK-7 with 4,000 IU D3
- 5Solaray: a higher-dose formula with extra minerals
- 6Does MK-7 make a high vitamin D amount safe?
- 7Prices that can be assigned to exact bottles
- 8Vitamin K and medication deserve a separate check
- 9A practical way to finish the comparison
For US adults, 4,000 IU—or 100 mcg—per day is the upper limit for routine total vitamin D intake, not a recommended target. The 5,000 IU Solaray capsule exceeds that level before other vitamin D sources are counted. Clinician-directed treatment can involve different amounts, but that does not make a high-dose product the default for everyone. [4]
Compare the formulas before the photos
Compare the reviewed products
| Criterion | Solaray Vitamin D3 + K2 | Sports Research D3 + K2 Plant Based 5000 IU |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Capsules | Softgels |
| Reviewed variant | D3 + K2 · reviewed 120 capsules | Plant-Based D3 + K2 · 60 veggie softgels |
| Label serving | 1 capsule | 1 softgel |
| Servings per reviewed pack | 120 | 60 |
| Ingredients per label serving | D3 125 mcg (5,000 IU); K2 MK-7 50 mcg; calcium 110 mg; phosphorus 85 mg | Lichen D3 125 mcg (5,000 IU); chickpea K2 MK-7 100 mcg |
| Other ingredients | — | Coconut MCT oil; Plantgel capsule (modified tapioca starch, vegetable glycerin, water, turmeric color); olive oil |
| Ingredient list | Vitamin D-3 (as Cholecalciferol)(Supplying 5000 IU of Vitamin D), Calcium (from Calcium Phosphate), Phosphorus (from Calcium Phosphate), Vitamin K-2 (as Menaquinone-7 from Chickpea), Vegetable Cellulose Capsule, Magnesium Stearate, Cellulose, Glycerol Monostearate, Rice Bran Extract, Silica and Modified Food Starch. | — |
| Storage | Store in a cool, dry place | — |
| Supplement Explained Score | ||
| Customer ratings | 4.9/5 · 184 ratingsSolaray · 2026-10-07 | 4.8/5 · 25,611 ratingsiHerb · 2026-10-07 |
| Sources | ||
| Review & retailer offer |
~ means approximate; — means no published value in this record. Customer ratings are the named publisher’s snapshot and may include multiple sizes or earlier formulas. The Supplement Explained Score is our source-reviewed editorial assessment out of 25, separate from customer stars. Compare the five criteria and the same intended use; the total is not a clinical ranking. Prices are dated USD offer snapshots; cost uses the reviewed pack and label serving.
These are manufacturer label facts, not personal dose recommendations. The K2 forms and amounts differ as well as the D3 amounts, so a single cost-per-capsule ranking would miss much of the decision. [1] [2] [3]
Solaray Vitamin D3 + K2
5,000 IU D3 + 50 mcg K2 per capsule. 120 capsules reviewed. High-dose D3; not a routine default. Choose the reviewed 120-count size.
Check price at HerbsProWe may earn a commission from this link.Why 1,000, 4,000, and 5,000 IU are not interchangeable
One microgram of vitamin D corresponds to 40 IU. That is why 25 mcg equals 1,000 IU, 100 mcg equals 4,000 IU, and 125 mcg equals 5,000 IU. The two units describe the same vitamin amount, not two ingredients to add together. [4]
The relevant question is the amount appropriate to your circumstances after considering food, existing supplements, health conditions, and any clinician-directed plan. A bottle’s full serving is not a diagnosis of deficiency. A larger amount is not automatically preferable because a product is described as “bone support” or contains K2.
The lower NOW amount may be a useful product specification to examine, but it is not a blanket recommendation that every reader take 1,000 IU or add K2. The need for supplementation and the choice of a combined formula remain separate questions.
NOW: a lower-D3 capsule with MK-4
The reviewed NOW formula supplies 25 mcg D3 and 45 mcg K2 as menaquinone-4 in one capsule. Its 120-capsule bottle is identified by SKU 0369 and UPC 733739003690. Other ingredients include rice flour, a hypromellose capsule, maltodextrin, ascorbyl palmitate, modified starch, and silicon dioxide. [1]
This exact product should not be confused with NOW’s higher-dose Mega D3/MK-7 products. “NOW D3 and K2” is a family-level description, not a sufficient formula identifier. Check the D3 amount and whether the K2 is MK-4 or MK-7 on the actual label.
Pure: MK-7 with 4,000 IU D3
Pure Encapsulations’ reviewed product supplies 100 mcg D3 and 100 mcg K2 as MK-7 per capsule. Its label lists a cellulose-and-water capsule and cellulose as other ingredients. The larger K2 number is a formulation difference, not proof of a better clinical outcome. [2]
The more important caution is that the D3 amount alone reaches the US adult upper limit for routine total intake. A multivitamin or a separate D supplement would add to that amount. It should not be described as a low-dose choice simply because another product contains 5,000 IU. [4]
Solaray: a higher-dose formula with extra minerals
The reviewed Solaray 120-capsule image provides 5,000 IU D3, 50 mcg K2 as MK-7 from chickpea, 110 mg calcium, and 85 mg phosphorus per capsule. This is a combined formula with additional minerals, not just D3 and K2. [3]
It may be a product to discuss within a specifically indicated higher-dose plan, but it is not the default option in this comparison. The page has multiple bottle sizes, and older descriptive ingredients do not perfectly match the reviewed image. Match the bottle version before relying on the exact inactive ingredients or a displayed price. [5] [3]
Does MK-7 make a high vitamin D amount safe?
No evidence presented here establishes that adding K2 cancels the risks of excessive vitamin D. Vitamin D toxicity can involve high calcium levels; a K2 ingredient should not be treated as permission to exceed an appropriate intake. [4]
MK-4 and MK-7 are different forms of vitamin K2. That distinction may matter for matching a studied intervention, but the form name alone is not a universal quality ranking. Nor can a higher K2 amount turn an otherwise unsuitable D3 amount into an appropriate product for every shopper. [6]
Prices that can be assigned to exact bottles
The following displayed one-time prices were checked on September 27, 2026, excluding tax, shipping, and subscription or coupon conditions. [1] [7]
| Exact product | Bottle price | Labeled servings | Cost per capsule |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOW D3 & K2, 120 capsules | $14.99 | 120 | About $0.125 |
| Pure D3 & K2, 120 capsules | $35.50 | 120 | About $0.296 |
| Solaray reviewed formula | $31.99 for 120 capsules | 120 in reviewed image | About $0.267 |
Cost per capsule does not make the formulas equivalent. We have not chosen a “best value” by cost per IU, because purchasing more vitamin D than needed is not a meaningful value advantage.
Vitamin K and medication deserve a separate check
Vitamin K intake is particularly relevant to warfarin and similar vitamin K antagonists. The important issue can be consistent intake and management of the treatment, not a general instruction to avoid all vitamin K foods or to stop medicine. Tell the prescriber or pharmacist before adding a K2 product. [6]
Do not assume that every medicine described informally as a blood thinner works the same way. A label’s broad caution is not a substitute for checking your specific medication and dose.
A practical way to finish the comparison
First establish whether a D supplement is appropriate and what amount fits your plan. Then decide whether you need a combined D3/K2 product rather than a separate D supplement. Finally compare the exact K2 form, other ingredients, minerals, package, and price.
Within this set, NOW is the lower-D3 option to examine, Pure reaches the US adult upper limit in one capsule, and Solaray exceeds it. Those are objective dose categories, not declarations that one brand is suitable for everyone or that another has no legitimate use.
Related reading
For the reviewed 5,000 IU formula and variant limitations, see our Solaray D3 and K2 label review.
For the arithmetic behind capsules, servings, and nutrient quantities, see our serving-size and dose guide.