Softgel or tablet: choosing the right dosage form

The decision in one table

Softgel, tablet or two-piece capsule is not a branding choice. The active, the dose, the taste and the moisture sensitivity decide the format before the artwork does. The table below is the comparison we use in the first technical call.

The decision usually comes down to the active. An oil goes into a softgel because a tablet cannot hold it without a large carrier. A mineral blend goes into a tablet because the dose is too large for a capsule. A hygroscopic extract can go into either, but the coating and the packaging have to be specified together.

Softgel formats

Softgels are made on a rotary die line: two gelatin ribbons are formed, filled and sealed in one cycle. The format is fixed by the die, so the fill weight, the shape and the seam are set at tooling. Standard shapes are oval, oblong and round; the fill range is roughly 250–1200 mg.

• Shell — gelatin-glycerin by default. Fish gelatin is available for labels that avoid bovine or porcine gelatin; vegetarian shells use a different polymer and have a narrower fill range.
• Enteric — an enteric shell or coating is used when the fill has to pass the stomach. It adds a process step and a release test.
• Opaque vs clear — oils that oxidise in light are filled into opaque shells; the shell colour is part of the specification.
• Fill weight — 500 mg and 1000 mg are the common stock sizes; 150 mg and 250 mg are used for high-strength oils.

Tablet formats

Tablets are compressed on a press with a punch set. The shape, the tablet weight and the embossing are fixed by the punch; the coating is a separate step. Standard shapes are round, oval and caplet; the tablet weight range is roughly 100–1500 mg.

• Uncoated — the simplest and the most porous. Suitable for stable powders; not ideal for hygroscopic extracts.
• Film-coated — a thin polymer coat for taste, colour and moisture. The default for shilajit and for combination tablets.
• Enteric-coated — an acid-resistant coat for actives that degrade in the stomach. SAMe is the clear example in this category.
• Sustained release — a matrix or a coated particle system. It changes the dissolution method and the release specification, so it is agreed before the batch.

Matching the active to the format

The same active can often be made in more than one format, but the specification changes. The table below is the default logic for this category.

If your label calls for a format that does not match the active, say so early. It is usually possible to make the format work, but the fill weight, the coating and the stability protocol all change, and the quotation has to reflect that.

Tooling and the first run

Tooling is the long lead item. A new softgel die or a new tablet punch set is made to the shape and the embossing, and it is ordered before the first commercial batch. Once the tooling exists, the fill weight and the tablet weight are fixed; changing them means new tooling.

For a stock shape, the first run can usually be scheduled without new tooling. For a custom shape or a custom embossing, the tooling is quoted separately and the first run is planned around its lead time. The quotation states which case applies.

What the specification fixes

• Format — softgel, tablet or capsule; shape and dimensions.
• Fill or tablet weight — the nominal and the individual range.
• Shell or coating — gelatin type, film coat, enteric coat, colour.
• Marker and method — the assay that releases the batch.
• Packaging — bottle count, seal, desiccant, carton.

Product-specific notes

Each row maps one product in this range to the parameter this document controls. The product pages link back to their own row; when you compare two products, compare the method column before the number.