Monster Energy and Bang Energy have both made their mark in the US, solidifying their positions as some of the leading brands in the market.
But are they the same? How are they different? You may also be wondering which of the two is the better energy drink.
Both Monster and Bang provide benefits and their ingredients differ quite a lot, especially in terms of caffeine, sugar, and calorie content. Bang contains zero calories and sugar but does have a higher caffeine content of 300 mg. Meanwhile, Monster has 160 mg of caffeine with 54g of sugar.
If you’re curious to read more detail about how Monster and Bang differ from one another, stick around for the inside scoop.
Let’s get to it!
What Is Monster Energy Drink?
Introduced by the Monster Beverage Corporation in 2002, Monster is a popular energy drink brand that’s recognized everywhere by its signature black can with green claws.
Aside from the primary Monster Energy line, there are 34 various beverages under the same brand like Java Monster and Monster Import.
Monster’s Ingredients
- Carbonated water
- Sugar
- Citric acid
- ‘Natural Flavors’
- Sodium Citrate
- Color added
- Sorbic Acid (preservative)
- Benzoic Acid (preservative)
- Niacinamide
- Sucralose
- Salt
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride
- Riboflavin
- Cyanocobalamin
What Is Bang Energy Drink?
Bang is an American energy drink brand made by Vital Pharmaceuticals. Like Monster and Red Bull, Bang is well-known throughout the globe as both an energy drink and a performance beverage.
Bang Energy also has somewhat of a notorious reputation for its high caffeine content which makes it one of the strongest energy drinks in the world.
Bang’s Ingredients
I cross-referenced the above ingredients list with an independent laboratory and the results were VERY INTERESTING INDEED.
- Carbonated water
- Citric Acid Anhydrous
- Natural Flavors
- Malic Acid
- Caffeine Anhydrous
- Sodium Benzoate (preserves freshness)
- Potassium Citrate Monohydrate
- EAAs (L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, L-phenylalanine, L-histidine, L-methionine, L-tryptophan)
- Sucralose
- Potassium phosphate dibasic
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
- Potassium sorbate (preserves freshness)
- Magnesium chloride
- SUPER CREATINE® (Creatyl-L-Leucine [Creatine bonded to L-Leucine])
- Calcium chloride
- Calcium disodium EDTA
- Vitamin B3 (niacinamide)
- CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10)
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
- Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)
Bang vs. Monster Nutrition Facts
First, we need to look at the nutrition facts of Bang and Monster to understand what’s inside of them:
| Typical Values (per 16 fl. oz) | Monster | Bang |
| Energy | 210 calories | 0 calories |
| Fat (Of which saturated) | 0g (0g) | 0g (0g) |
| Carbohydrate (Of which sugars) | 54g (54g) | 0g (0g) |
| Caffeine | 160mg | 300mg |
| Protein | 0g | 0g |
| Sodium | 370mg | 40mg |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 3.6mg | – |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 46mg | 5mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 4.6mg | 0.5mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 13µg | 1.5μg |
| Vitamin C | – | 27mg |
| Magnesium | – | 5mg |
| Calcium | – | 5mg |
What’s The Difference Between Bang And Monster?
The few obvious differences between Bang and Monster are in their caffeine and sugar content. Both energy drinks also contain different minerals and vitamins.
Bang seems to have more variety of vitamins and minerals than Monster. However, the levels of the vitamins that are present in Monster are much higher than those in Bang.
In terms of similarities, Bang and Monster both contain sucralose, an artificial sweetener that enhances the flavor of the energy drink.
I’ll discuss in detail the main differences between Bang Energy and Monster in the sections below.
Caffeine
Every 16 fl. oz can of Bang contains a whopping 300mg of caffeine anhydrous while Monster has 160mg of regular caffeine per 16 fl. oz.
In the case of caffeine, Bang’s caffeine type is caffeine anhydrous while Monster’s is the regular caffeine.
Caffeine anhydrous is a powdered form of caffeine, which makes it more potent and concentrated compared to regular caffeine.
Regular caffeine is what you’ll often find in daily caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea. It is derived from the seeds, nuts, and leaves of certain plants.
Bang also certainly has way more caffeine than Monster, and wouldn’t be entirely suitable if you happen to have a low caffeine metabolism.
With respect to their benefits, both types of caffeine increase your alertness, improve your exercise performance, and enhance your cognitive functions.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should be consuming caffeine all the time. Caffeine will only benefit you provided you consume it in moderation.
For reference, the recommended maximum daily caffeine intake is 400mg for healthy adults, according to the FDA. Any more than that, and you might experience negative impacts like:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Muscle breakdown
- Fatigue
- Digestive issues
For a more in-depth look into the ingredients and caffeine content of Bang and Monster, head over to my article covering Bang Energy’s caffeine and ingredients and Monster Energy Drink’s caffeine and ingredients.
Sugar
Monster Energy contains 54g of sugar in every 16 fl. oz whereas Bang is sugar-free.
Given that the AHA recommends a maximum daily sugar limit of no more than 25g and 36g for women and men respectively, Monster Energy’s sugar level goes well over the acceptable daily intake.
Since Monster has a massive sugar content, it also contains a lot more calories compared to Bang, which is 210 calories more.
With 210 calories, it definitely will leave a significant dent in your daily calorie count, especially if you’re on a diet. Frequent intake of sugary energy drinks may cause health issues like:
- Cavities
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
Artificial Sweeteners
Both Bang and Monster contain an artificial sweetener called Sucralose. Sucralose is a zero-calorie sweetener that’s approved by the FDA for use in food and drinks.
As if Monster Energy isn’t already sweet enough with all that sugar, it also contains Sucralose, a sweetener that causes an increase in the sweetness of the drink.
Bang also has Sucralose present in its list of ingredients, but because it doesn’t have regular sugar, Bang certainly appears to be the healthier option between the two. This is especially true if you’re trying to reduce your sugar and calorie intake or cutting down on sugar in general.
Though artificial sweeteners are better than sugar in some ways, there’s still a lot we don’t know about sweeteners, so the best way to stay safe is to consume them in moderation.
B Vitamins
Based on the nutritional facts, Monster Energy has much higher levels of B vitamins than Bang.
B vitamins play extremely important roles in our bodies’ functions, from converting food into energy to maintaining healthy skin and brain cells.
From the looks of it, Monster Energy would provide you with a more sufficient nutrient intake than Bang due to its high B vitamin content.
However, Bang Energy’s vitamin content isn’t limited to B vitamins as it also has Vitamin C in it.
Plus, Bang contains an array of electrolytes, amino acids, and minerals that are absent from Monster. These ingredients could potentially provide a lot of support and benefits during exercise.
In the end, it boils down to what you’re looking for. If you regularly work out and need a quick boost for your exercise sessions, Bang is a great option if you can handle all the caffeine. But if you want extra nutrients, then Monster is a good energy drink choice for that.
For more info about the types of B vitamins, check out this video:
Is Bang made by Monster?
Bang is not made by the same company that created Monster. Vital Pharmaceuticals is the company that created Bang.
They are currently the third highest-selling energy drink company in the U.S. only short behind Monster and Red Bull. On the other hand, Monster Beverage Corporations are the ones that make Monster energy drinks.
Despite being made by different companies, the two are well-known energy drinks. Even to the point of sharing similar ingredients and content.
Is Bang Healthier Than Monster?
Considering that Bang is sugar-free and contains electrolytes, amino acids, and various vitamins and minerals, Bang is a healthier option compared to Monster in my opinion.
Compared to Monster, Bang won’t cause any potential sugar crashes or impact your daily calorie intake. These are definitely plus points when looking for a healthier energy drink.
Besides that, Bang also has a number of electrolytes that could help maintain proper hydration in your body after sweating.
With the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) in Bang, they surely can help improve your physical performance as well. These ingredients aren’t present in Monster so it wouldn’t be able to increase your performance as much as Bang potentially can.
However, Bang does have a really high caffeine content which might not be suitable for you depending on your caffeine metabolism.
In short, even if Bang is healthier, it isn’t for everyone, unlike Monster with its lower caffeine content that’s much more tolerable even if you don’t regularly have caffeine.
My best advice is to drink either brand in moderation, whichever you choose. Remember that energy drinks are mainly there to offer a boost from time to time, not something you should turn to excessively.
When I had Bang lab-tested to check just how much of these ingredients are actually inside a can, I discovered some pretty massive differences between what Bang claims are in a can and what the lab results showed were REALLY inside a can.
Which Is Worse, Monster or Bang?
Let me start with this: I don’t think that either brand is completely terrible for you if you drink them in moderation.
With that out of the way…
Whether Monster or Bang is “worse” really depends on what you find most important and what you’re trying to avoid.
If you want to reduce your sugar intake, you should choose Bang. If you find 300mg of caffeine to be far too much to handle, then you should choose Monster.
In my opinion, each brand has its own strengths and weaknesses. I don’t think either is the worst thing that you could ever put in your body, but similarly, I don’t think that either drink is the elixir of eternal youth and good health.
For the record, If given the choice, I would probably choose Bang.
Bang vs. Monster – Flavors
Monster Energy Drink Flavors:
- Regular Monster (also comes in low-carb, Assault, and Absolutely Zero)
- Rehab (non-carbonated and less sugar, includes white dragon tea, lemonade, peach tea, pink lemonade, orangeade, and raspberry tea)
- Ultra (low-calorie drinks, including zero, blue, red, sunrise, citron, black, and violet)
- Juice (supposed to taste more like juice, has these flavors: Khaos, Pipeline Punch, Ripper, and Mango Loco)
- Punch (a mixture of several fruits, comes in Baller’s Blend and Mad Dog)
- Java (Coffee-based drinks, come in: Mean Bean, Loca Mocha, Kona Blend, Irish Blend, Vanilla Lite, Salted Caramel, Espresso Monster: Cream, Espresso Monster: Vanilla, and Caffe Monster in Vanilla, Mocha, and Caramel)
- Muscle (the base energy drink with added protein, comes in Chocolate and Vanilla)
- Hydro (is supposed to be an alternative to both energy drinks and water: Tropical Thunder, Purple Passion, Blue Ice, Zero Sugar, Mean Green, and Manic Melon)
- Maxx (uses nitrous oxide, flavors include: Super Dry, Eclipse, and Solaris)
Bang Energy Drink Flavors:
- Black Cherry Vanilla
- Blue Razz®
- Champagne
- Candy Apple Crisp
- Cherry Blade Lemonade
- Citrus Twist
- Cotton Candy
- Purple Haze
- Root Beer
- Radical Skadattle
- Rainbow Unicorn
- Sour Heads
- Star Blast®
- Birthday Cake Bash
- Miami Cola
Price Difference Between Bang And Monster
A 16 fl. oz can of Bang Energy costs around $2- $2.50, while the price of a 16 fl. oz can of Monster is typically about $3-$3.50.
In terms of pricing, Bang is definitely more affordable than Monster. In Monster’s case, you would be paying more for the brand. So personally, I would go for Bang since it’s the more affordable option and I hate paying more than I need to for things.
However, in truth, it really depends on what you want in your energy drinks as to whether or not you think either brand is priced fairly.
If you think the extra caffeine and amino acids suit your needs, then Bang is the way to go. But if you don’t mind spending a bit more money, or if you don’t want so much caffeine – you can go for Monster.
Is Bang Or Monster Better?
Deciding whether Bang or Monster is better really depends on your personal preferences.
Bang seems like a better choice given that it’s sugar-free and is cheaper, but its high caffeine content isn’t suitable for everybody.
| Per 16 fl.oz can | Monster | Bang |
| Calories | 210 calories | 0 calories |
| Caffeine Content | 160mg | 300mg |
| Sugar Content | 54g | 0g |
| Amino Acids | – | EAAs |
| Approximate Price | About $3-3.50 | About $2-2.5 |
If you don’t consume caffeinated beverages very often, Monster would probably suit your caffeine tolerance better. But if you’re used to drinking caffeinated beverages, Bang may provide you with a more powerful oomph.
However, if you choose Monster, just be sure to drink it in moderation. The sugar content far exceeds the recommended maximum guideline in a day, so I wouldn’t recommend Monster if you have diabetes.
Alternatives To Bang And Monster
If you’re looking for other energy drinks that are similar to Bang and Monster, here’s a quick list of recommendations to get you started:
- Rockstar
- Red Bull
- Celsius
- Reign
- Venom Energy
- Game Fuel
- Raze
- C4 Energy
- Amino
- 3D Energy
- 5 Hour Energy
- Adrenaline Shoc
- NOS Energy
- Full Throttle
How about giving powdered energy drinks a try? They’re more convenient and affordable than canned energy drinks, not to mention that they can be customized to your taste preferences too.
Here are some awesome choices:
- G Fuel
- Advocare Spark
- Zipfizz
- REIZE (my fav)
REIZE Energy Drink (10 Out Of 10)
In my opinion, REIZE is a smarter choice than either Bang or Monster.
REIZE is a great powdered energy drink with 50mg of caffeine, a sensible amount that’s perfect if you have a lower caffeine tolerance.
Moreover, REIZE is completely sugar-free and contains just 11 calories per serving.
REIZE also contains a special blend of smart ingredients like taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins that work together to give you a smooth energy boost without the crash afterward.
Best of all, REIZE ships straight to your door for only about $1 per drink.
That’s amazing value for money, and far more affordable than either Monster or Bang.
Try REIZE today and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a smarter option than Monster or Bang.