Comparison
Amphetamine (Adderall) vs Modafinil
Amphetamine (Adderall)
Prescription stimulant combination (Adderall) for ADHD and narcolepsy. Stronger than methylphenidate.
Modafinil
A eugeroic — a wakefulness-promoting compound — originally developed for narcolepsy. The most-studied prescription cognitive enhancer outside of ADHD treatment. Produces 12–15 hour windows of sustained alertness without the euphoria, abuse potential, or cardiovascular load of amphetamines. Prescription-only in nearly every jurisdiction.
| Field | Amphetamine (Adderall) | Modafinil |
|---|---|---|
| Category | stimulant | stimulant |
| Dose range | 5–30mg | 100–200mg |
| Half-life | 10h | 14h |
| Onset | 30min | 45min |
| Evidence | EVIDENCEA | EVIDENCEA |
| Safety | ●●○○○ | ●●●○○ |
| Legal (US) | USSchedule II | USSchedule IV |
| PubMed refs | 24000 | 3200 |
The comparison in plain English
Auto-generated from dataAmphetamine (Adderall) and Modafinil are both in the stimulant category respectively. Amphetamine (Adderall) Prescription stimulant combination (Adderall) for ADHD and narcolepsy. Modafinil A eugeroic — a wakefulness-promoting compound — originally developed for narcolepsy.
Bottom line
Amphetamine (Adderall) (evidence A, safety 2/5) matches the evidence base of Modafinil (evidence A, safety 3/5). Modafinil has the slightly cleaner safety profile. For users new to either, the higher-evidence option is the safer first try.
Choose Amphetamine (Adderall) if
Amphetamine (Adderall) is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (Functions both as a reuptake inhibitor of dopamine and norepinephrine AND as a direct releasing agent — actively forcing catecholamines out of presynaptic vesicles) and the dose range (5–30mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is 10h.
Choose Modafinil if
Modafinil is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (Inhibits dopamine reuptake via the dopamine transporter (DAT), increasing extracellular dopamine in the prefrontal cortex) and the dose range (100–200mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is 14h.