Comparison
Modafinil vs NMN
Side-by-side of Modafinil and NMN. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Modafinil
Modafinil cognitive enhancement profile: wakefulness-promoting agent, 100-200 mg dosing, 12-15 hour half-life, off-label nootropic use, Schedule IV status.
NMN
NMN supplements are oral nicotinamide mononucleotide capsules sold for longevity, energy, and metabolic health. They raise plasma NAD+ 30-90% at 250-1000.
Effects at a glance
Modafinil
- •FDA approved in 1998 for narcolepsy, with later additions for shift-work sleep disorder and OSA residual sleepiness
- •Schedule IV controlled substance in the US; prescription-only in EU, UK, Australia
- •Increases wakefulness via weak dopamine reuptake inhibition plus histaminergic, noradrenergic, and orexinergic activation
- •Long half-life of 12 to 15 hours requires morning dosing to avoid sleep disruption
- •Modest cognitive enhancement signal in non-sleep-deprived adults at 100 to 200 mg (Battleday meta-review 2015)
- •Substantial CYP3A4 induction reduces hormonal contraceptive efficacy; barrier methods recommended
NMN
- •Plasma NAD+ rises 30-90% at 250-1000 mg/day across human PK studies
- •Tissue NAD+ rise is inconsistent across human trials (Yoshino 2021, Igarashi 2022)
- •No human trials measure hard endpoints (mortality, CV events, cancer); evidence is biomarker-only
- •Most trials cluster at 250-500 mg/day; dose-response above 250 mg/day is poorly characterized
- •FDA position contested; widely sold as supplement but with regulatory uncertainty
- •Marketing claims for fertility and longevity outrun the human trial evidence substantially
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Modafinil | NMN |
|---|---|---|
| Category | pharmaceutical | supplement |
| Also known as | Provigil, Modalert, Modvigil, diphenylmethylsulfinyl-acetamide | nicotinamide mononucleotide, beta-NMN |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 13 | 4 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 200 | 250 |
| Dosing frequency | daily, morning | 1x daily, often morning |
| Routes | oral | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 3 | 3 |
| Molecular weight | 273.35 | 334.22 |
| Molecular formula | C15H15NO2S | C11H15N2O8P |
| Mechanism | Weak dopamine reuptake inhibition plus downstream activation of histaminergic, noradrenergic, and orexinergic wake-promoting systems. | Direct precursor in the NAD+ salvage pathway; converted to NAD+ by NMNAT enzymes in essentially every tissue. Raised NAD+ supports sirtuin and PARP enzyme activity. |
| Legal status | Schedule IV (US); prescription-only globally; not a supplement | Contested in US (FDA position 2022); widely sold as supplement; broadly available in EU, UK, Asia |
| WADA status | banned | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Schedule IV | Not scheduled |
| Pregnancy | Not recommended | Insufficient data; precautionary avoidance |
| CAS | 68693-11-8 | 1094-61-7 |
| PubChem CID | 4236 | 14180 |
| Wikidata | Q422968 | Q418972 |
Safety profile
Modafinil
Common side effects
- headache
- nausea
- anxiety
- insomnia (with late-day dosing)
- dry mouth
- mild blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- recent myocardial infarction
- unstable angina
- left ventricular hypertrophy
- significant arrhythmia
- history of Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- psychotic disorders
- pregnancy
- concurrent MAOI use
Interactions
- hormonal contraceptives: CYP3A4 induction reduces contraceptive efficacy; use barrier method(major)
- cyclosporine: reduced cyclosporine levels via CYP3A4 induction(major)
- warfarin: CYP2C9 inhibition raises INR(moderate)
- phenytoin: CYP2C19 inhibition raises phenytoin levels(moderate)
- MAOIs: potential hypertensive reaction(major)
- classical stimulants (amphetamine, methylphenidate): additive cardiovascular and sleep-disruption effects(moderate)
NMN
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- occasional headache
- flushing (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy and lactation (precautionary, no data)
- active cancer (theoretical concern, not evidence-based)
Interactions
- metformin: no clinically significant interaction documented; both modulate metabolism through different mechanisms(minor)
- chemotherapy agents: theoretical concern about supporting cancer cell proliferation; coordinate with oncology team(moderate)
- CD38 inhibitors: would amplify NMN-induced NAD+ rise; not clinically relevant for most users(minor)
Which Should You Take?
NMN comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, Contested in US (FDA position 2022); widely sold as supplement; broadly available in EU, UK, Asia, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Modafinil is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is wakefulness, pick Modafinil.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Modafinil.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick NMN.
- → If your priority is energy and stamina, pick NMN.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (Modafinil ~13 hr vs NMN ~4 hr). Modafinil reaches steady state faster; NMN is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: NMN. Wider use case, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Modafinil only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Modafinil and NMN?
Modafinil and NMN differ in category (pharmaceutical vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Modafinil or NMN?
Modafinil half-life is 13 hours; NMN half-life is 4 hours.
Can you stack Modafinil with NMN?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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