Coffee vs energy drinks: which has more caffeine?
A cup of coffee has about 95 mg; energy drinks range from about 80 mg (Red Bull) to 200 mg+ (Celsius). See how they stack up.
It depends on which energy drink. A plain 8 oz cup of coffee (about 95 mg) beats a Red Bull (about 80 mg), but Monster and Celsius both beat coffee.
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine | Per ounce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewed coffee | 8 oz | 95 mg | 11.9 mg/oz |
| Red Bull | 8.4 oz | 80 mg | 9.5 mg/oz |
| Monster | 16 oz | 160 mg | 10 mg/oz |
| Celsius Original | 12 oz | 200 mg | 16.7 mg/oz |
Watch the cup size
Coffee numbers here are for 8 oz. Most mugs and cafe cups are 12 to 20 oz, so a real-world coffee often lands near or above a Monster.
Go deeper
Compare more: energy drinks ranked and caffeine in coffee. See them side by side on the Caffeine Bubble Map, or add these to your day in the Caffeine Calculator.
Written by Mike Zagare · Published
Mike Zagare is the founder of Knuckle. He tapered off a 500 to 600mg-a-day habit and built Knuckle from that protocol.
Common questions
Does a Red Bull have more caffeine than coffee?
No. A Red Bull has about 80 mg versus about 95 mg in 8 oz of brewed coffee.
Which energy drinks beat coffee?
Monster (about 160 mg) and Celsius (about 200 mg) both have more than a standard cup.
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