iHerb vs Vitacost: Both offer a similar selection of healthy goodies, so what’s the difference?
This review was originally posted on my old Cranraspberry Blog, and you can still find it here.
However, it was written all the way back in 2013, and so many things have changed since then! To read an updated 2016 comparison of the two online retailers, check out my recent Vitacost vs iHerb review.
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I agree. iHerb has one of the worst customer service I have ever experienced and will never buy from them again.
Oh no, so sorry to hear that! Vitacost is great, though – I’ve only ordered from iHerb a couple of times because I can get pretty much everything at Vitacost instead.
vitacost ..lmfao 😉 I tried couple of times to live chat and ask some queries about my order . The interesting thing you can never chat with them although the chatting window appeared all the time and agent did ask you ho to assist but fucking you cant write or type anything in the text area. Really disgusting ..Never saw any issues with iherb – with last 10 orders.
That’s most likely a browser issue, not a Vitacost issue. I have the same with Bloomingdales chat support – have to switch to Firefox instead of Chrome, otherwise I can’t type a message. Never had any issues with the Vitacost chat, granted last time I used it was several months ago, but whatever works for you!
I used iHerb for a while, but then kept getting dented stuff. I was asked to take a picture, etc. I was like, “What?” I felt like I was called a liar. I did take the pics and sent them and it was sorted out. But I did not like that.
I switched to Vitacost. They pack really well. When I got some dented stuff, instead of going to c/s, I left a review saying there were dented cans. I got an email asking to fix this issue and I got a refund. They contacted ME to fix it. Since then, no problems. I get my shipment faster than iHerb and they carry stuff I want regularly that iHerb does not (second main reason I switched). I wish Vitacost had the expiration date listed like iHerb: I think that’s a fabulous feature and one that attracted me to iHerb in the first place a few years ago. Both are good places, but for having what I want and getting it fast to me, I prefer Vitacost. I just got 3 boxes today. Everything arrived perfectly and well-packed. I normally get my order within 3 days.
Thanks for sharing, Mirtika! I agree – Vitacost does an amazing job of packaging everything. I recently ordered a bottle of Braggs apple cider vinegar (the Vitacost price is literally half of what we used to pay at our local supermarket), and was a little concerned how the glass bottle would handle the shipping process, but to my huge surprise it came in a special box surrounded by cardboard padding inserts that would make breakage virtually impossible!
Also, since I wrote this review they have definitely increased shipping speed – I keep planning to write an updated comparison, since so much has changed. The downside is that their free shipping option is now LaserShip, and those guys are really hit or miss… I normally pay a little extra for a (slower) UPS Ground update to get that extra peace of mind.
In any case, I’m glad that you are enjoying Vitacost as much as I am, and congrats on three boxes of goodies! I’m about to place a large order of Christmas goodies – healthy stocking stuffers are the best. 🙂
So glad to have found this comparison. I’m going to have to try iHerb. I ordered from Vitacost several times but this past experience was so horrific I won’t be giving them my business anymore. Long story short, BAD customer service, SLOW shipping(I am still waiting for my order), despite the fact that they claim you will receive your order within 1-4 days if you order before 1pm. I never even received an order confirmation and when I called customer service to find out if my order was received, the representative was rude and kept berating me that I had not placed my order before 1pm. I explained to her that I was not trying to make the 1pm deadline, which she did not seem to understand. I definitely won’t be ordering from Vitacost again!:-(
Oh no, so sorry to hear about that! I think shipping times are off right now for all home deliveries because of the snow, but that’s really no excuse to be rude to you over the phone. 🙁 Hopefully you’ll get your package soon – they included a ton of delicious Kind bars in my last shipment, so maybe that will somehow make up for the delay.
iHerb shipping is spectacular though. I recently placed an order on a Friday, and it was on my doorstep the following Tuesday, and that’s a shipment from CA to MA!
Yes shipped from Cal. says it all. I work for an online business and the majority of our manufactures are located in the Northeast. Talk about back orders, due to weather! I hope our customers understand, We are never rude, give out free samples on most orders, and offer free shipping all the time. We also sell on Amazon, they do not allow us to give any kind of samples or customer thanks-yous that would encourage clients to go directly to our site.I work at idealceuticals.com. Before this company, I ordered a lot from Vitacost and had good experiences.
I had been shopping iHerb for a few years, but lately I switched over to Vitacost. I liked how they packed the stuff (iHerb sometimes sent me stuff damaged from poor packing) and I found I got my Vitacost goods withing 3 days, once 2 days. Superfast. Faster than iHerb, and that matters in the warmer days. I like both sites, and I like the “trials” feature at iHerb (though they’ve been slow to increase the inventory on that). Still, speed of shipment and well-packaged with good prices, yeah, Vitacost. I wish they had a better search engine. Doing site searches there can be frustrating. (well, ditto iHerb).
I like VitaCost also, but sometimes I buy my supplements from idealceuticals.com. They don’t have as many selections as vitacost but they carry a lot of choices of high end skin care, which I buy a lot of. Great prices, and always free shipping too, No minimum order to make.
I have used Iherb a lot and noticed that tyey got considerably worse after Easter 2014 with dispatch times going from 8 to over 48 hours.
I also find their support staff not being truthful and a general decline in helpfulness, that said, I have never missed an order or recieved a bad product ( i just have no patience with suport people that really know nothing about their own products!) I will try Vitacost but first I intend to harass then on why their shipping cost is 2.5 times that of iherb! Wish me luck.
Best of luck!!! Let me know how it goes. In the US we are spoiled with free shipping, and I just cringe when I actually have to pay for it, so I can imagine how shipping rates can influence your decision to purchase or not!
so far Vitacost have said their shipping is more because they do not subsidize with high unit costs. i showed this to be untrue with a side by side comparison of what I buy. I buy a lot and it was around $1 difference over 15 items.
I stopped using Vitacost because they will spam you with multiple emails on a daily basis. This got so annoying that I finally had to block them. Now it automatically goes to my spam email which I delete in seconds without opening. I will try iHerb and hope they’re easier to deal with than Vitacost.
Are you receiving emails even after unsubscribing via the link in the email footer? I’d let them know – I unsubscribed almost immediately, since they do send way too much, and haven’t had an issue since. iHerb are great about that, I think I only get a couple of emails a year from them.
I can say from personal experience that Iherb.com is much (I really mean that!) better in terms of shipping to overseas. With Vitacost.com, they use DHL Global Mail where the rates start at $12.99 for up to 3.6 lbs. With Iherb, they use DHL Express-International where the rates start at $10.00 for up to 6 lbs. Not only is DHL Global mail much slower, I can’t understand why it is more expensive than DHL Express-International, which allows up to 6 lbs of weight for $10. I really don’t know how Iherb.com can have such good international shipping rates but it certainly doesn’t augur well for Vitacost.com! As a result, I don’t think I’ll buy from Vitacost.com in future.
Thanks for your comment, Ken! I completely agree – I think Vitacost’s main focus is the North American market, and they aren’t even attempting to compete with iHerb internationally. I know that iHerb even has customer support pages and reps in local languages, to make the ordering process much easier for folks abroad!
Just found this site! I have to agree with Ken. I’ve been buying from iherb for years at a flat rate of $4 shipping. When they were out of something I needed, I tried Vitacost, and the same product would have cost me $40 to ship.
Yes, it has changed, and may vary from one country to another. iherb have some sort of arrangement with Australia Post, which costs more than it did, but is still reasonable. I spent $100 on my last order (it’s sometimes useful to buy in bulk), and maybe because of the large order shippingt was only $4. I was pleasantly surprised.
I am a VIP customer, so I get extra discounts. The service is excellent – emails replied to by next day. So for me there is no question – iherb wins!
I’m really glad you are able to get such inexpensive shipping to Australia with iHerb! I know that a little while ago the international shipping charges changed, and there was quite an uproar on facebook… Looks like they learned their lesson and figured out a way to keep the charges reasonable. Enjoy your healthy goodies!