Comparison
Modafinil vs Theacrine
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.
Theacrine
Methylated purine alkaloid related to caffeine. Slower onset, longer duration, no tolerance.
| Field | Modafinil | Theacrine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | stimulant | stimulant |
| Dose range | 100–200mg | 100–300mg |
| Half-life | 14h | 17h |
| Onset | 45min | — |
| Evidence | EVIDENCEA | EVIDENCEB |
| Safety | ●●●○○ | ●●●●○ |
| Legal (US) | USSchedule IV | USOTC |
| PubMed refs | 3200 | 50 |
The comparison in plain English
Auto-generated from dataModafinil and Theacrine are both in the stimulant category respectively. Modafinil A eugeroic — a wakefulness-promoting compound — originally developed for narcolepsy. Theacrine Methylated purine alkaloid related to caffeine.
Bottom line
Modafinil (evidence A, safety 3/5) has a weaker evidence base than Theacrine (evidence B, safety 4/5). Theacrine has the slightly cleaner safety profile. For users new to either, the higher-evidence option is the safer first try.
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.
Choose Theacrine if
Theacrine is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (Adenosine A1 and A2A receptor antagonist with the same mechanism as caffeine, but with weak dopamine reuptake inhibition added) and the dose range (100–300mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is 17h.