If you want a cod liver oil whose potency and freshness you can check for yourself, Carlson’s Norwegian cod liver oil is the one to buy in 2026. A single teaspoon delivers 870 mg of EPA and DHA combined; it’s widely stocked in US stores, and it carries IFOS certification, a program that publishes test results for individual production lots. Nordic Naturals’ Arctic Cod Liver Oil is a very close second and slightly cheaper per teaspoon. Möller’s, the Norwegian original, is excellent if you can find it.

Most “best cod liver oil” lists rank on vibes: taste, packaging, and brand story. We ranked two things you can put numbers on. First, how much EPA and DHA you actually get per serving, since those two fatty acids are the reason to take a fish oil supplement at all. Second, how much of that claim is backed by testing you can see, rather than a line on the label. Taste, price, and sourcing broke ties.

Why EPA and DHA per serving is the number that matters

Cod liver oil labels often lead with a big “total omega-3” or “fish oil” figure. What you want is the EPA and DHA content. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements’ omega-3 fact sheet for health professionals notes that the FDA advises supplement labels not to recommend more than 2 g a day of EPA and DHA combined. Most people taking cod liver oil for general health are aiming well under that, somewhere between a few hundred milligrams and about a gram, and the products below cover that range very differently.

Cod liver oil also brings vitamins A and D, which is both the appeal and the catch. Those amounts vary widely between brands, and they add up if you also take a multivitamin. We list them for every product so you can check the total.

The ranking at a glance

1. Carlson Cod Liver Oil

Carlson’s oil comes from wild-caught Norwegian Arctic cod and is processed in Norway, and its numbers lead the US shelf. Each 5 mL teaspoon has 500 mg of DHA and 370 mg of EPA, part of 1,100 mg of total omega-3s, along with 850 IU of vitamin A and 400 IU of vitamin D3. That’s a meaningful dose in one swallow, which is the whole argument for liquid over capsules.

What puts it at the top is that you don’t have to take the label on faith. Carlson’s cod liver oil is IFOS certified, and the International Fish Oil Standards program posts its results by individual lot number, so you can match the batch in your fridge to its test report. Few cod liver oils on US shelves offer that level of checkable transparency. The oil is molecularly distilled, nitrogen-flushed and bottled with vitamin E to slow oxidation.

It’s also easier to live with than most. There are four versions (lemon, green apple, fruit splash and unflavored), and the product has won a Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute. For households where getting anyone to take fish oil is the real battle, the flavor range matters. It’s sold in 250 mL and 500 mL bottles, and Carlson says it’s the best-selling cod liver oil in the US.

The trade-offs: It isn’t the cheapest. At list price the 500 mL bottle works out to about 72 cents a teaspoon, while Nordic Naturals’ 16-ounce bottle comes in closer to 52 cents. Its 400 IU of vitamin D3 is also modest if vitamin D is your main reason for buying; Nordic’s Arctic-D version has 1,000 IU. And like every liquid cod liver oil, it has to be refrigerated after opening, and Carlson says to use it within 100 days. That’s exactly one 500 mL bottle for one adult taking a teaspoon a day, but a household that uses it only now and then should buy the smaller bottle.

2. Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil

Nordic Naturals is the brand many people think of first, and its Arctic Cod Liver Oil is almost a match for Carlson on potency, with 510 mg of DHA and 340 mg of EPA per teaspoon. It’s made from wild Arctic cod sourced in Norway, it’s Friend of the Sea certified, and it comes unflavored or in lemon, orange and strawberry. The company publishes certificates of analysis so you can check purity testing.

Its strongest card is value. The 16-ounce bottle holds 96 teaspoons and retails for around $50, which makes it the best price per serving among the premium liquids here. The line is also broader: there are softgels for people who won’t take liquid, and the Arctic-D version adds 1,000 IU of vitamin D3.

The trade-offs: The range is broad enough to be confusing, and the vitamin D content depends on which version you pick up, so read the label before assuming. Like Carlson, it needs refrigerating once opened and is best used within about three months.

3. Möller’s Cod Liver Oil

Möller’s is a household name in Norway, now owned by the Nordic health company Orkla. On paper it has the highest potency here: each 5 mL serving provides 510 mg of DHA and 370 mg of EPA, with 250 µg of vitamin A and 10 µg (400 IU) of vitamin D. It’s made from wild Northeast Arctic cod and has its own Superior Taste Award.

The trade-offs: Availability is the problem. Möller’s isn’t widely stocked in US stores, so most American buyers get it through importers or third-party marketplace sellers, where freshness and storage history are harder to know. The cod stock it depends on is also under pressure, which may affect supply and prices.

4. Wiley’s Finest Cod Liver Oil

Wiley’s Finest is a family-owned brand that’s been making fish oils since 1981, and its orange-flavored cod liver oil is a solid mid-strength option at about 755 mg of omega-3s per serving. The 8.45-ounce bottle holds 50 servings and has been selling for around $20, which makes it one of the cheaper cod liver oils from an established brand. It adds vitamin D3 and vitamin E.

The trade-offs: You get noticeably less EPA and DHA per teaspoon than the top three, and the published details on vitamin A and D amounts are thinner than we’d like.

5. Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil

Rosita is the pick for people who want cod liver oil as close to its traditional form as possible. It’s extracted without heat, solvents or refining, from cod caught by hook and line off northern Norway, and the vitamins A and D are left as they occur naturally rather than adjusted or added back. Batch test results are posted publicly. It’s sold in small bottles, and the 150 mL liquid on Amazon is the easiest place for most US buyers to find it.

The trade-offs: Price and consistency. At around $70 for 150 mL, it costs several times more per teaspoon than anything else here. And because nothing is standardized, EPA, DHA and vitamin content vary more from batch to batch than they do in refined oils.

6. NOW Foods Cod Liver Oil, Extra Strength

For people who simply won’t take a liquid, NOW’s softgels are an inexpensive, widely available option, at about $10 for 90. Each one has 1,000 mg of cod liver oil, with 300 mcg of vitamin A and 400 IU of vitamin D3.

The trade-offs: Each softgel contains only 170 mg of EPA and DHA. Matching a single teaspoon of Carlson would take five softgels, and those five would also deliver 1,500 mcg of vitamin A, half the adult upper limit, before you count anything else you eat. It’s fine as a light daily dose, but it isn’t a cheap route to a high one.

What about plant-based omega-3?

If you don’t eat fish, cod liver oil isn’t for you, but algae oil is a real alternative. Microalgae are where fish get their EPA and DHA in the first place, and algae-based supplements such as Nordic Naturals’ Algae Omega provide both without any fish. Flaxseed and chia provide ALA, a different omega-3 that, as Harvard’s Nutrition Source overview of omega-3 fats explains, the body converts to EPA and DHA only in small amounts, so they’re not a substitute.

How to choose

If you want the most EPA and DHA you can verify, in a flavor your household will actually take, Carlson is the best buy. If price per teaspoon is what matters most, Nordic Naturals’ big bottle is nearly as good for less. Möller’s is worth it if you can buy it fresh. And whichever you choose, add up the vitamin A and D from everything you take before you settle on a dose.

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