The longevity-peptide landscape
Search "anti-aging peptides" and you get a wall of bold claims. The honest starting point is this: there is no peptide that reverses aging, and most of the longevity evidence is preclinical, meaning cell cultures and animal models rather than long human trials. These are research-use-only compounds. Nothing here is medical advice, and Clearly Peptides does not sell anything. We compare prices and lab data so you can read the field clearly.
It helps to sort the compounds into four buckets by mechanism. Each bucket targets a different theory of why we age, and the peptides inside behave differently in terms of evidence, cost, and how they are studied.
- Pineal and Russian bioregulators (Epitalon, Thymalin, Pinealon): short peptides studied for tissue regulation and circadian or immune signaling.
- Mitochondrial peptides (MOTS-c, SS-31, Humanin): aimed at the energy machinery of the cell and oxidative stress.
- Cellular and senescence-related (NAD+, FOXO4-DRI, Klotho): targeting metabolic cofactors and senescent (worn-out) cells.
- Skin and structural support (GHK-Cu): a copper peptide studied for skin, collagen, and wound contexts.
Pineal and Russian bioregulators
Bioregulators are very short peptides developed largely through Russian research programs. The idea is that tiny peptide sequences act as signals that nudge specific tissues toward more youthful regulation. The human evidence is limited and mostly older or regional, so treat the rationale as a hypothesis, not a settled result.
Epitalon
Epitalon is the best-known pineal peptide, studied in the context of the pineal gland and telomere and circadian signaling. It is the flagship of this category and one of the more affordable longevity peptides on a per-mg basis. Lowest verified price we have is $100/50mg = $2/mg (Onyx Biolabs), with top recorded purity around 99.8%. See the full vendor list on the Epitalon page.
Thymalin
Thymalin is a thymus-derived bioregulator studied mostly for immune regulation, which overlaps with aging because immune function declines over time. Lowest verified price is $76/10mg = $7.6/mg (Penguin Peptides). We do not have a verified purity figure on record yet, so the COA matters here. Details on the Thymalin page.
Pinealon
Pinealon is a short peptide studied in brain and cognitive-aging contexts, sometimes grouped with Epitalon as a pineal-adjacent bioregulator. Lowest verified price is $69.97/20.0mg = $3.5/mg (BioLongevity Labs). No verified purity number is on record yet. See the Pinealon page.
Mitochondrial peptides
Mitochondria are the cell's power plants, and their decline is a leading theory of aging. This group targets energy production and the oxidative stress that builds up over time. The preclinical work here is genuinely interesting, but again it is mostly animal and cell data.
MOTS-c
MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for metabolic regulation and exercise-like signaling. Lowest verified price is $120/40mg = $3/mg (Onyx Biolabs), with top recorded purity near 99.76%. Full breakdown on the MOTS-c page.
SS-31
SS-31 (elamipretide) targets cardiolipin in the mitochondrial membrane and is among the more clinically studied compounds in this bucket. It carries the highest recorded purity in our anti-aging set at around 99.95%. Lowest verified price is $59.99/10.0mg = $6.0/mg (Midwest Peptide). See the SS-31 page.
Humanin
Humanin is another mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for cytoprotective and metabolic signaling. It is the priciest per-mg option in this group. Lowest verified price is $75.99/5mg = $15.2/mg (Limitless Life), with no verified purity figure on record yet. Details on the Humanin page.
Cellular and senescence-related compounds
This group goes after metabolic cofactors and senescent cells, the worn-out cells that linger and secrete inflammatory signals. It spans the cheapest and the most expensive items in this whole guide, which tells you how different these compounds are.
NAD+
NAD+ is a metabolic cofactor central to energy and DNA-repair pathways that declines with age. It is by far the cheapest item here on a per-mg basis. Lowest verified price is $30/500mg = $0.06/mg (Penguin Peptides), with top recorded purity around 99.82%. See the NAD+ page.
FOXO4-DRI
FOXO4-DRI is a peptide studied specifically as a senolytic, meaning it is researched for selectively clearing senescent cells. It is the most expensive compound in this guide. Lowest verified price is $274.97/10.0mg = $27.5/mg (BioLongevity Labs), with top recorded purity near 99.76%. Details on the FOXO4-DRI page.
Klotho
Klotho is named after a protein tied to longevity and kidney and cognitive aging in research models. We have top recorded purity around 99.71% on file, but no verified price yet, so we list it here for completeness only. Track availability on the Klotho page.
Skin and structural support: GHK-Cu
GHK-Cu is a copper-binding peptide studied for skin, collagen, and wound-healing contexts. Of everything here it has the most accessible everyday rationale, since visible skin aging is something people actually track. It also carries the highest recorded purity in this set, around 99.991%, and it is inexpensive per mg. Lowest verified price is $35/50mg = $0.7/mg (EZ Peptides). See the GHK-Cu page.
If your interest is mainly cosmetic rather than systemic longevity, our companion guide goes deeper on this category.
How to choose and not overpay
Two numbers decide whether you are getting a fair deal: the price per milligram and the purity on the batch certificate of analysis. Vial size is a trap, because a cheaper-looking vial can cost far more per mg once you do the math. Here is the field sorted by longevity angle and lowest verified price per mg.
| Compound | Longevity angle | Best $/mg |
|---|---|---|
| NAD+ | Metabolic cofactor, energy and DNA repair | $0.06/mg |
| GHK-Cu | Skin, collagen, structural support | $0.7/mg |
| Epitalon | Pineal bioregulator, circadian signaling | $2/mg |
| MOTS-c | Mitochondrial metabolic signaling | $3/mg |
| Pinealon | Bioregulator, cognitive aging | $3.5/mg |
| SS-31 | Mitochondrial membrane protection | $4.5/mg |
| Thymalin | Thymic and immune regulation | $7.6/mg |
| Humanin | Mitochondrial cytoprotection | $15.2/mg |
| FOXO4-DRI | Senolytic, clears senescent cells | $27.5/mg |
| Klotho | Longevity-protein research | price not yet verified |
Frequently asked.
Do any of these peptides actually reverse aging?
No. There is no evidence that any peptide reverses aging, and most longevity research on these compounds is preclinical, meaning cells and animal models rather than long human trials. Treat the rationale as a hypothesis. These are research-use-only compounds, and this is not medical advice.
Which anti-aging peptide is cheapest per milligram?
NAD+ is by far the cheapest in our data at $30/500mg = $0.06/mg (Penguin Peptides). GHK-Cu is next at $35/50mg = $0.7/mg (EZ Peptides). FOXO4-DRI is the most expensive at $274.97/10.0mg = $27.5/mg (BioLongevity Labs).
What is the difference between bioregulators and mitochondrial peptides?
Bioregulators like Epitalon, Thymalin, and Pinealon are very short peptides studied as tissue-specific signals. Mitochondrial peptides like MOTS-c, SS-31, and Humanin target the cell's energy machinery and oxidative stress. They come from different research traditions and address different aging theories.
How should I compare prices fairly?
Always compare price per milligram, not vial price, and pair it with the purity on a recent batch certificate of analysis. A smaller vial can cost much more per mg than it looks. Our calculator and compare tools do this math for you.
Why is there no price listed for Klotho?
We have a top recorded purity figure for Klotho (around 99.71%) but no verified price on file yet, so we list it for completeness only. Check the Klotho product page for current availability.