Vitamin D2 vs D3: Which Raises Blood Levels More?
App Library Tools Pricing Download
[Supplements · Comparison]

Vitamin D2 vs vitamin D3: which raises your levels more?

Head-to-head meta-analyses · Blood levels · Daily vs bolus

Short answer: Both forms raise blood vitamin D (25(OH)D), but meta-analyses of trials that compared them directly found D3 raises it more.12 The gap was largest with big single doses; with daily dosing, D2 still raised total 25(OH)D about 40% less in one analysis.2 NIH says D3 raises levels more and keeps them up longer.3

How do vitamin D2 and D3 compare side by side?

From the NIH fact sheet and meta-analyses of trials that compared the two forms directly.
Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol)Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
What it isOne of the two main forms in foods and supplements; differs from D3 only in its side chain3The other main form; both are well absorbed in the small intestine3
Raises blood 25(OH)D?Yes: about 11.5 ng/mL on average across 33 trial arms4Yes, and more than D2 in head-to-head trials12
Big single dosesWeakerClearly better than D2 when given as a bolus1
Daily dosesTotal 25(OH)D rise about 10 nmol/L (40%) smaller than D3 across 12 daily comparisons2Larger rise; the gap shrank in people with a BMI over 252
Effect on the other formLowered blood 25(OH)D3 in a meta-analysis4Not reported in the sources checked

Reviewed . Half-life figures are shown only where the value Dose Track uses agrees with the cited source.

What did the head-to-head trials find?

A 2012 meta-analysis of trials that gave adults either D2 or D3 found D3 raised blood 25(OH)D more. The advantage was clear when the vitamin was given as a large single dose, but it was lost in the daily-dose trials in that analysis.1

A 2024 meta-analysis of 20 comparisons found D3 better again, including with daily dosing: in 12 daily comparisons measured the same lab way, D2 raised total 25(OH)D about 10.4 nmol/L, or 40%, less. Body weight mattered most; in people with a BMI over 25 the difference was no longer significant. Each form raised its own blood form equally well.2 The first author of that review lists a mushroom company as an affiliation; UV-treated mushrooms are a D2 source.

Does vitamin D2 still work?

Yes. A 2024 meta-analysis of D2-only trials found it raised total blood vitamin D by about 11.5 ng/mL on average, with bigger rises at more than 2,000 IU a day and in people aged 60 and over. It also lowered blood 25(OH)D3, so a D2 supplement shifts which form is in the blood.4

So which one?

NIH's summary is that both raise 25(OH)D, but D3 raises it more and keeps it up longer.3 These trials measured blood levels, not health outcomes, and none of them shows that one form prevents disease better. This is general information, not personal advice. More detail: the Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) guide.

This page summarizes labels and published studies. It is not personalized medical advice; confirm any dose or change with your prescriber.
Vitamin K1 vs vitamin K2: what is the difference?Leafy-green K1 vs natto-type MK-7 Fish oil vs krill oil: which omega-3 source is absorbed better?Same EPA and DHA, different chemical form Magnesium citrate vs magnesium glycinate: which form?Well-absorbed salt vs the form sold for sleep

Frequently asked questions

Is vitamin D3 better than D2?+
For raising blood 25(OH)D, yes, in meta-analyses of head-to-head trials. The gap is biggest with large single doses and smaller with daily dosing.12
Does vitamin D2 work at all?+
Yes. On its own it raised total blood vitamin D by about 11.5 ng/mL on average across trials.4
Does body weight change the result?+
In one meta-analysis, the D3 advantage with daily dosing was no longer significant in people with a BMI over 25.2
Can I track vitamin D in Dose Track?+
Yes. Log it with reminders, and keep your blood test results alongside it.

Sources

  1. Tripkovic L, et al. Comparison of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;95(6):1357-64.
  2. van den Heuvel EG, et al. Comparison of the effect of daily vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and importance of body mass index: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Adv Nutr. 2024;15(1):100133.
  3. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals (updated June 27, 2025).
  4. Zhou F, et al. The effect of vitamin D2 supplementation on vitamin D levels in humans: a time and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Steroids. 2024;205:109394.

All compound comparisons · Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) guide · All compound guides · Peptide tracking in Dose Track