Same salts,
a fraction of the packet.
A $1.50 electrolyte packet is mostly salt you can buy in bulk for pennies. See what your daily hydration really costs — and what you save mixing your own.
What you buy out now — the spending we compare against.
1 Your hydration habit
How many electrolyte drinks a day or week? Tap Edit prices to match what your packets cost.
The ingredients you'd use to make it yourself.
2 Your electrolyte mix
The same sodium, potassium, and magnesium a packet delivers costs cents from bulk salts. Pick a recipe or enter a tub price and how many servings it makes.
Fine-tune
3 Fine-tune (optional)
Your savings
Add your usual drinks above to see what you'd save.
Savings after 1, 2 & 3 years
Cost of one serving
Your money over time
Break-even progress
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Build your DIY kit
A shaker and bulk salts is the whole setup — no machine required.
How the big four brands compare
LMNT, Liquid I.V., Nuun, and DripDrop, side by side on dose and price per serving — plus what mixing it yourself costs.
| Brand | Sodium | Potassium | Magnesium | Sugar | Price/serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LMNT stick pack (powder) · 1 stick pack |
1,000 mg | 200 mg | 60 mg | 0 g | $1.50 ~$1.50 per stick pack ($1.25 on subscription) |
| Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier stick pack (16 g) · 1 stick pack (16 g) |
500 mg | 370 mg | — | 11 g | $1.25 ~$1.00–$1.56 per stick pack |
| Nuun Sport effervescent tablet · 1 tablet |
300 mg | 150 mg | 25 mg | 1 g | $0.70 ~$0.67–$0.75 per tablet |
| DripDrop ORS stick pack (10 g) · 1 stick pack (10 g) |
330 mg | 185 mg | 39 mg | 7 g | $1.10 ~$1.00–$1.25 per stick pack |
| 🪑 DIY mix (this site) | you choose | you choose | you choose | you choose | ~$0.03–$0.15 — build your mix → |
See the full breakdown (all doses + extras) →
Health, accuracy & trademark disclaimer
Health & medical disclaimer. DrinkIY is a cost-comparison and educational tool, not a source of medical, nutritional, or health advice, and nothing on this site creates a doctor–patient relationship. Electrolyte needs vary widely from person to person. Consuming too much sodium, potassium, or magnesium can be dangerous — particularly for people with kidney disease, heart conditions, high blood pressure, or diabetes, people taking medications such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or potassium-sparing diuretics, and people who are pregnant or nursing. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any recipe or product shown here, and before making any significant change to your electrolyte or fluid intake. For dehydration caused by illness, use a commercially prepared oral rehydration solution and seek medical care — do not rely on a homemade mix. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration; nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Accuracy. Nutrition-label doses and prices shown were collected from publicly available product labels and retail listings as of July 2026. Formulations and prices change; always verify the current label before purchasing or consuming any product. All information is provided "as is," without warranty of any kind, and your use of it is at your own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, DrinkIY disclaims all liability arising from use of this site's calculators, recipes, and comparisons.
Trademarks. LMNT, Liquid I.V., Nuun, DripDrop, and other brand names are trademarks of their respective owners. DrinkIY is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any of these companies; references are for identification and comparison only.