I conducted a little Vitacost vs iHerb experiment, testing price, delivery and discounts. I ordered two identical packages from New Zealand to see how their shipping compares if you reside inside or outside the U.S.

Read my review then scroll to the bottom to see the special offers and discounts for you and your family.

Affiliate disclaimer – There are affiliate links in this post. This means that if you click on the link, I may receive a small commission. The price is the same for you. Any commissions earned will help the website develop, improve and remain free for all. All prices are correct at time of publishing this post. They will be subject to change and may fluctuate.

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Vitacost vs iHerb – which is better?

Many of you are dedicated to ordering on-line from Vitacost or iHerb to make incredible savings, so I decided to order a test package to compare Vitacost vs iHerb and rate them for delivery, price and customer rewards.

Vitacost vs iHerb – U.S and International Customers

If you live in the U.S you are in luck. You are able to obtain all the low-carb ingredients that your heart desires. But for those of us who live outside of the U.S, trying to obtain certain low-carb ingredients is impossible. Many of my readers in NZ, AUS, and the U.K tell me, for example, they cannot buy Swerve sweetener so I decided to order this product as my test order.

I try not to use hard-to-find ingredients in my recipes, and most of the low-carb pantry staples I use in my recipes can be found in your local supermarket, but when you want to shop from home, need specialised ingredients or want to save money, Vitacost and iHerb can be great options.

Vitacost vs iHerb – the basics

Vitacost and iHerb are both on-line retailer offering a wide variety of health foods, health supplements, cleaning products, make up, pet products and household essentials. They both offer over 35,000 products.

Vitacost vs iHerb – prices

I ordered 3 bags of Swerve confectioners mix from both Vitacost and iHerb. They are both competitively priced and it is clear they must check one another’s pricing so not to be undersold. For my experiment, iHerb sold Swerve at a cheaper price, but their shipping costs were more expensive.

See the table above to see how Vitacost vs iHerb compare for purchase price and shipping costs.  To ensure you make big $ savings, you need to check both Vitacost and iHerb for offers and discounts they have currently running. One often undercuts the other, especially around holiday periods.

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Vitacost vs iHerb – Shipping Rates

US resident’s are often offered free delivery when they hit a minimum order, but for those of us outside the US, it is based on weight and size of parcel.

Vitacost

• U.S residents are offered FREE standard shipping when you order over $49 (or $25 or more on Vitacost brands or other select brands) after any discount has been applied.
• Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S Territories and Canada is just $9.99
• International shipping is available to 160+ countries. International shipping and delivery rates are calculated as you add items to your cart.

iHerb

• U.S residents are offered FREE standard shipping for orders over $35
• International shipping and delivery rates are calculated as you add items to your cart. Simply set your country and currency along the top menu.

For BOTH Viatacost and iHerb you can see the shipping cost calculations as you add items to your shopping cart and begin to go through the checkout process.

Top tip :: you can remove heavier shopping items so you stay within the weight limit, or alternatively, if you have not reached your maximum weight for the delivery method chosen, head over to the specials page and add a few lightweight items to ensure you are using the postage effectively. I found this really handy as I experimented by adding an ingredient in a glass bottle and found it pushed me over to the next postage limit so I removed it and postage was reduced by a vast amount.

Vitacost vs iHerb – Test Order

For my Vitacost vs iHerb test, I ordered 3 bags of Swerve confectioners mix. The costs and shipping are in the table above. Both Vitacost and iHerb offer shipping calculators and various shipping options with varying transit times.

Prices

Vitacost vs iHerb prices are comparable. I would watch for special discounts then order in bulk.

• iHerb has a “Daily & Weekly Specials” page which has all their latest promotions.
• Vitacost has special deals of this week, save up to 60% Vitacost also has a newsletter email which offers amazing discounts on items or a blanket offer of $ off your next order

Delivery & Packaging

Vitacost vs iHerb were comparable. Both parcels arrived incredibly well packaged (see photos) and within 3 weeks from the U.S to arrive safely in NZ.

Range Of Products

Both Vitacost vs iHerb have a phenomenal range of products available. Luckily being low carb and only eating real food, we probably don’t need 99.9% of them. Needless to say, both stock the basics.

Discounts & Rewards Programme

Vitacost – I would always check their special deals of this week, save up to 60% If you are ordering from Vitacost for the first time, go through my affiliate link here, and when you sign up, you will receive a $5 discount. You can also refer friends who are new to Vitacost. They will receive $5 and you will receive $5, up to a maximum of 5 friends per month.

iHerb – If you use my affiliate referral link DIT6459 you will earn 5% of your shopping (excluding postage) back in rewards which you can use towards your next purchase. If you refer a friend, iHerb will also give them a 5% reward on their purchase also.

Note:  1 February 2018 iHerb have restricted these discounts to new iHerb customers only. You may also be eligible to receive a 10% reward if you order any of the iHerb house brand products.

Customs & Duty

Firstly, let me give you the disclaimer that I am not an expert on customs, each country will have it’s own regulations on what you can or cannot import. There will also be applicable duties, which you may be liable for.

Vitacost, for example, delivers to 160+ countries, they may highlight restricted items to your country, but the ultimate responsibility is yours. “Due to your country’s import regulations, some products may not be available for purchase. If a product is restricted to your country, it will be noted in the shopping cart along with instructions to remove that product before you’ll be able to complete your purchase.” “we cannot guarantee that our restriction information is always up to date.” “we cannot issue a refund of any kind for orders seized or destroyed by Customs”

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Vitacost vs iHerb – Conclusion

Shipping, pricing, and discounts can be diffiuclt to compare unless you have two tabs open on your computer and order identical items to compare all the costs involved from both Vitacost vs iHerb – but who has time for that? Personally, I would choose either Vitacost OR iHerb and stick with them to earn their rewards programme. Use your rewards $ to save towards your next purchase and wait for coupon deals to stock up on bulk purchases.

Vitacost vs iHerb – The Winner

It would appear from my little experiment that Vitacost seems to be a slightly better option for those living outside of the U.S because the shipping was cheaper. Although Swerve was a little more expensive to purchase, I didn’t wait for any coupon deals. I had to start my experiments on the same day. If I had waited for a deal, I expect the total cost would have been much cheaper.

Vitacost also gives a better joining discount, and better regular discounts. Vitacost also appear to have better discount campaigns.

As for their rewards system, again Vitacost just nudges ahead from iHerb, as they do with their customer service.