Every empty capsule is a delivery system before it's a container. The shell material decides how fast it dissolves, whether it protects oxygen-sensitive fills, and whether it can carry a "vegan" or "kosher" label. Here's how the three materials actually compare, and where to buy each one at verified prices.
Approximate disintegration times in standard dissolution testing. Pullulan trades a touch of speed for the lowest oxygen permeability of the three shell types — the reason it's favored for fish oil, probiotics, and other oxidation-sensitive fills.
How We Evaluated Each Material and Supplier
Capsule shell material isn't a matter of taste — it's a formulation decision that affects shelf life, labeling claims, and how your fill interacts with the shell. We scored suppliers on the factors that actually change a buying decision, not on how long the company has existed.
Read the full material breakdown at CapsuleFillingMachine.com
Before you buy in bulk, it's worth understanding how shell material interacts with your specific fill and your machine. CapsuleFillingMachine.com maintains free, vendor-neutral guides on capsule sizing, machine compatibility across gelatin/HPMC/pullulan, and the DEA Form 452 filing requirements that apply if your fill contains scheduled substances — none of which the capsule sellers below cover in any depth, since selling capsules is their business, not educating you about them.
Read the capsule size & material guide →Where to Buy Each Capsule Type: Quick Comparison
Prices below are for clear/natural capsules at the smallest bulk tier each supplier publishes, verified directly from each seller's site. Bulk-only suppliers (no per-unit retail price) are marked accordingly rather than assigned a placeholder number.
| # | Supplier | Materials | Verified Price | Certifications | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capsuline | Gelatin HPMC Pullulan | From $9.44 /1,000ct | Kosher, Halal, cGMP | Widest same-brand material selection |
| 2 | NOW Foods | Gelatin HPMC | $14.99–$31.99 | Non-GMO, Gluten-Free | Retail availability (grocery, big-box) |
| 3 | Horbaach | Gelatin | $15.59 /1,000ct | Non-GMO, GMP | Fast small-batch reorders |
| 4 | Frontier Co-op | HPMC | $45.00 /1,000ct | Kosher, Non-ETO | Vegetarian-only brands |
| 5 | XPRS Nutra | Gelatin HPMC Pullulan | From $6.89 | Kosher | Lowest entry price for testing a size |
| 6 | Torpac | Gelatin | $9.99–$17.60 /100ct | Pharma/veterinary grade | Compounding & small-species dosing |
| 7 | LFA Capsule Fillers | Gelatin HPMC Pullulan | Bulk quote only | US-packaged | Brands ordering 1M+ capsules |
Supplier Breakdown
1. Capsuline
#1 · widest material rangeCapsuline is one of the few sellers that stocks all three shell materials under one roof, including a dedicated pullulan line launched as a corn-starch-derived, non-GMO, Kosher and Halal option. Their gelatin capsules carry a documented ~15-minute dissolution time, and their K-CAPS HPMC line is positioned for vegan/vegetarian formulations.
2. NOW Foods
#2 · easiest to find in storesNOW's empty capsules are sold in both gelatin and HPMC ("Veg Capsules") lines, sized 0 through 000, and are widely stocked at grocery chains and big-box retailers in addition to their own site — useful if you want to buy locally rather than wait on shipping.
3. Horbaach
#3 · fastest small reordersHorbaach's size 00 clear gelatin capsules are a straightforward, single-material offering aimed at home encapsulation, sold in resealable 1,000-count bags with same-week shipping.
4. Frontier Co-op
#4 · vegetarian-focusedFrontier Co-op sells only HPMC vegetarian capsules — no gelatin line — positioning itself for brands that want a single, unambiguous "vegetarian" claim rather than a mixed catalog. Capsules use a positive mechanical lock designed to reduce separation after filling.
5. XPRS Nutra
#5 · lowest entry priceXPRS Nutra (Capsules Express) carries gelatin, HPMC ("Vegan"), and a pullulan line marketed as "Plantcaps," across sizes 000 through 5, with small counts available for testing a size before ordering thousands.
6. Torpac
#6 · pharma/veterinary gradeTorpac sells gelatin capsules only, in sizes down to #5, and is a common choice for compounding pharmacies and veterinary dosing rather than consumer supplement brands. No HPMC or pullulan line.
7. LFA Capsule Fillers
#7 · bulk-only, all three materialsLFA stocks gelatin, HPMC, and pullulan (pullulan limited to sizes 00, 0, and 1) but doesn't publish per-unit retail pricing — capsules over roughly 1,000 units require a bulk quote, which makes this a better fit for brands with an established production volume than for someone testing a formulation.
How to Choose the Right Capsule Material
| Factor | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fill sensitivity to oxygen | Pullulan for oils, probiotics, fish oil | Lowest oxygen permeability of the three shells protects oxidation-prone actives |
| Labeling claim needed | HPMC or pullulan for "vegan"/"vegetarian" | Gelatin is bovine or porcine-derived and disqualifies both claims |
| Dissolution speed required | Gelatin for fast-acting formulas | ~15 min vs. ~25–30 min for HPMC/pullulan changes onset time |
| Moisture-sensitive fills | Avoid pullulan for hygroscopic powders | Pullulan's higher water content can interact with moisture-sensitive actives |
| Order volume | Small-bag suppliers for testing, bulk-quote for scale | Bulk-only pricing (LFA) is cheaper per unit but requires committing to volume upfront |
| Machine compatibility | Confirm size tolerance with your filler | Minor dimensional differences between brands can cause jams on tighter-tolerance machines |
Common Questions
Is pullulan actually better than HPMC, or just more expensive?
It's not strictly better — it's a different tradeoff. Pullulan's main advantage is oxygen barrier protection, which matters for fish oils, probiotics, and other oxidation-sensitive fills. If your formulation isn't oxygen-sensitive, HPMC gets you the same vegan/vegetarian claim at a lower price.
Can gelatin capsules be labeled "vegetarian"?
No. Gelatin is derived from bovine or porcine collagen. Only HPMC and pullulan shells qualify for vegetarian or vegan labeling.
Why do HPMC and pullulan capsules dissolve slower than gelatin?
Both are plant-derived polymers with different gelation mechanisms than animal gelatin, which generally results in a longer disintegration window — roughly double gelatin's ~15-minute baseline in standard testing, though exact timing varies by manufacturer and capsule wall thickness.
Do I need a different filling machine for different capsule materials?
No — as long as the size matches (00, 0, 1, etc.), the same manual or semi-automatic filling machine works across gelatin, HPMC, and pullulan. Tolerances vary slightly between suppliers, so it's worth testing a small bag before ordering in bulk from a new brand.
Why do some suppliers only quote pricing instead of listing it?
Suppliers like LFA Capsule Fillers operate on a bulk-order model where per-unit cost depends heavily on volume, so they collect order details before quoting rather than publishing a flat retail price.
Is pullulan suitable for every type of fill?
No. Because of pullulan's relatively high water content, it isn't recommended for highly absorbent powders or liquid ingredients — gelatin or HPMC is typically a better fit for those fills.
The Short Version
Gelatin is the fastest-dissolving and cheapest, but disqualifies vegan/vegetarian claims. HPMC is the standard plant-based swap at a modest cost premium. Pullulan costs more but wins on oxygen barrier protection for sensitive fills. Match the material to your formulation first — then shop price across suppliers that stock it.
See the full size & material guide at CapsuleFillingMachine.com →
