Ritual vs. Perelel: Which Prenatals Come Out On Top?

In partnership with Ritual. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.

When I first found out I was pregnant in January, I was quickly overwhelmed by the number of decisions and lifestyle changes I had to make (not to mention coming to terms with a rapidly changing body). One of my first pregnancy-related homework assignments from my doctor was to start taking a prenatal multivitamin, and the extensive list of options immediately brought a new wave of overwhelm. 

The world of pregnancy vitamins is large, varied, and not always the easiest to navigate. With buzzwords like “clinically studied” and “sustainable” thrown around casually, it’s hard to know which brands you can trust to get your growing baby the nutrients they need. Two names that quickly rose to the surface during my research were Ritual and Perelel. Both DTC brands had loud proponents online who described positive experiences taking the pills throughout one or multiple pregnancies.

Off the bat, the two brands have notably different prenatal offerings. Ritual has an all-in-one prenatal multivitamin to support nutritional needs during both trying to conceive and throughout your entire pregnancy. Their prenatal was developed with experts in pregnancy nutrition to include 12 key ingredients in clean, Made Traceable^® forms in just two capsules a day, and their formulations are entirely vegan.

Perelel, on the other hand, offers uniquely formulated products for each trimester. Their point of view is that the needs of both mom and baby evolve over 40 weeks. For example, nausea is common during the first trimester; by the third trimester, baby’s bones are developing and mom needs to prepare for birth with nutrients like calcium and magnesium to ease muscle cramping. 

I’m now well over halfway through my pregnancy and have put both products to the test. Here’s what you need to know about Ritual and Perelel prenatal multivitamins, and how to choose the right brand for you. 

Ingredients

Both Perelel and Ritual focus on the top-line nutrients recommended for pregnant women and are formulated in plant-based capsules. They contain roughly the same amount of nutrients like vitamin D, E, iodine, magnesium, and omega-3 – but their folate, B12,K2, and iron nutrient levels differ. 

Folate is a critical nutrient during pregnancy, as it supports the baby’s brain development and red blood cell formation. Both Ritual and Perelel provide folate amounts that exceed the recommended 600 mcg Daily Value (DV) for pregnant women. Ritual’s Essential Prenatal delivers a consistent 1,000 mcg of folate (167% DV) per serving, throughout all three trimesters. 

In contrast, Perelel's core prenatal capsules contain 700 mcg (117% DV), but in the first trimester, the total folate increases with an additional 825 mcg from the Folate + Anti-Nausea Blend capsule, bringing the total to over 1,500 mcg. In the second and third trimesters, Perelel returns to the 700 mcg dose. That does mean that Perelel provides 300 mcg less folate per dose than Ritual later in pregnancy, but is still above the RDA and within safe limits.

Meeting daily iron needs is also essential during pregnancy to support the growing baby and placenta. Ritual provides 18 mg of iron (67% DV), slightly more than Perelel’s 16 mg (59% DV). Ritual also includes 8 mcg (286% DV) of vitamin B12, compared to Perelel’s 2.4 mcg (86% DV). This nutrient helps support baby’s brain health and normal DNA synthesis, as well as red blood cell production. Additionally, Ritual supplies 90 mcg of vitamin K2, supporting bone health, while Perelel includes 30 mcg.*

Despite the additional pill for anti-nausea relief in the Perelel packet, I had no luck escaping day-long pregnancy sickness when taking this prenatal in my first trimester. That said, it’s hard to say whether the extra 300 milligrams of ginger and 25 milligrams of vitamin B6 helped lessen my nausea.   

All of Ritual’s ingredients are also vegan — while Perelel uses a fish oil source for its Omega-3, Ritual’s Omega-3 comes from microalgae. 

‍Winner: Ritual

Quality

Both vitamin brands emphasize the high quality of their ingredient sourcing and production methods. They both use third parties to test for potential contaminants such as heavy metals, allergens, microbes, and bacteria.

Ritual is Made Traceable^®, meaning that they show where their active and other ingredients are sourced from (the supplier and final place of manufacturing). You can even check the final place of manufacturing of each ingredient on the Ritual website (many of which are in America). In addition to having a Scientific Advisory Board of OB/GYNs, a reproductive endocrinologist, and PhDs in Nutrition, Ritual also ran a a 24-week randomized, double-blind, university-led clinical study on its prenatal vitamin compared to a leading competitor, in partnership with Brooklyn College and Cornell University. They included a diverse representation of pregnant women to evaluate key biomarkers of maternal and fetal health. The study found that Essential Prenatal delivered key nutrients for mom during pregnancy, including 2.4x more biotin in moms’ blood, well-absorbed folate, and lower overall cortisol levels during pregnancy in moms taking Essential Prenatal, compared to a leading prenatal.^†* 

While Perelel hasn’t completed a clinical trial on their prenatal offerings (according to the website, “independent studies” are in the works), the products are backed by a panel of medical advisors, including OB/GYNs, dieticians, psychiatrists, and doulas. 

Both Ritual and Perelel are are tested throughout production and post-production by third parties who assess for heavy metals and microbiological contaminants; both brands meet California’s Proposition 65 standards.

‍Winner: Ritual

Taste

In my experience with vitamins, including prenatals, taste isn’t always a selling factor. Whether it’s an overly fishy dose of DHA or a chalky multivitamin, most manufacturers don’t consider the daily experience of consuming their pills. That’s not the case with one of our contenders. 

Ritual prenatals come in two essences: citrus and mint. I’ve been taking the citrus-essenced option and find it pleasantly lemony. The taste doesn’t linger after you swallow, though, which I appreciate. In fact, findings from their clinical study show that moms taking Essential Prenatal rated it easier to take/swallow than the leading competitor.*† 

Perelel vitamins are unflavored and easy enough to take down. But when you’re fighting nausea and morning sickness, taking 4-5 pills from Perelel (the number of capsules varies by pack) can be unpleasant and all the more nauseating vs. only 2 from Ritual.

‍Winner: Ritual

Cost

There’s no beating around the bush, prenatal multivitamins can be pricey. Both Ritual and Perelel come at a premium compared to drugstore brands, but you’re paying for the quality and peace of mind that your prenatal formula contains the nutrients necessary to nurture you and your growing baby. 

A one-time purchase of a 30-day supply from Ritual costs $44. Subscribing to monthly delivery takes this down to $39, and a three-month delivery cadence costs $88 per shipment. There is a 20% discount for first-time subscribers. 

A one-time 30-day supply from Perelel costs $58.24 and a monthly subscription costs $49.50. 

Both services allow cancellation at any time and free shipping on subscriptions.

Winner: Ritual

Packaging

Both Ritual and Perelel come in attractive packages with sleek, modern branding. Both brands offer one-time purchases or recurring shipments that ensure you won’t run out. 

Ritual comes in a clear bottle with a serving size of two average-sized capsules daily. Especially when I was in the throes of first-trimester pregnancy sickness, the fewer pills I had to choke down the better. I also appreciate Ritual’s recycled packaging – the bottle is made from post-consumer recycled plastic, shipped in a carton made from post-consumer recycled material, and recurring orders are shipped in mailers that are made from recycled content (garbage-repurposed newsprint and plant fibers).

Perelel prenatal are packaged in individual sachets that contain a small handful of pills. The 1st Trimester Prenatal Pack contains four pills: two Core Prenatals, an omega DHA + EPA, and an anti-nausea and folate capsule. The 2nd and 3rd Trimester Packs contain a fifth capsule, which is a Magnesium + Calcium tablet. The individual sachets come in a larger box, and these components are 100% recyclable, the extra packaging feels wasteful and is also a drawback.

Winner: Ritual

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, though I didn’t have an adverse reaction to either prenatal, I prefer the smaller serving size and simpler packaging of Ritual. I also think the price is fairer and given the robust nutritional profile, clinical research, high-quality ingredients, and focus on sustainability, Ritual offers high value and ease that makes me more confident taking it throughout my pregnancy.

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