Artvigil vs Nuvigil: How HAB's Generic Stacks Up Against the Brand

Written by Dr. Marcus Bennett · Medically reviewed by Dr. Elena Marquez, MD · Fact-checked October 2026 · How we review

Artvigil vs Nuvigil comes down to one question: do you want the drug through the US system, or the same drug from India at a fraction of the price? Both tablets contain armodafinil, the longer-lasting half of the modafinil molecule. Almost everything else about them is different: who makes them, who checks them, what they cost and how you can legally get them.

We haven't bought or tested either product. Facts below come from the Nuvigil prescribing information, US government price data and Afinil's live product pages, checked on October 28, 2026. We earn a commission if you buy through our Afinil links, at no cost to you. None of this is medical advice.

Artvigil vs Nuvigil at a glance

Who makes each one

Nuvigil is the original armodafinil brand. Cephalon developed it as a follow-up to Provigil, and the FDA approved it in 2007. Teva now owns the brand. Every Nuvigil batch sold in the US is made under FDA rules, and its label lists the clinical trials behind its approved uses.

Artvigil comes from HAB Pharmaceuticals and Research Ltd, a registered Mumbai-based generics company with factories in Dehradun and the Mumbai area. We looked at the company in depth in Is HAB Pharmaceuticals legit?. The short version: HAB is a real, licensed manufacturer, but in a 2025 statement to the Times of India it said it doesn't export armodafinil and sells it only in India, on prescription. Overseas vendors still list Artvigil, and nobody outside the supply chain can say exactly how those strips leave India.

Is the drug inside actually the same?

On paper, yes. Armodafinil is armodafinil, whoever presses the tablet. A 150 mg Artvigil and a 150 mg Nuvigil are both meant to deliver 150 mg of the same molecule.

What differs is the proof.

• Nuvigil, and the FDA-approved US generics, must meet US manufacturing standards, and a US generic has to show the FDA it's bioequivalent to Nuvigil, meaning it gets into the blood at a closely matching rate and amount.
• Artvigil has never been through that US review. It's made to Indian standards, which include government spot-testing, but no US regulator checks the batches sold through export websites.

So the honest answer to "is Artvigil as good as Nuvigil?" is: it may well be, but you're taking that on trust in HAB and in your vendor, not on the FDA's word. Strength claims you'll see on forums ("Artvigil hits harder", "Nuvigil is smoother") are personal impressions, not evidence.

Strengths and dosing

The Nuvigil label is the only official dosing source here, and it applies to the drug in general.

• Obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy: 150 mg or 250 mg once in the morning. For sleep apnea, the label says 250 mg hasn't shown consistent extra benefit over 150 mg.
• Shift work disorder: 150 mg about an hour before the start of the shift.
• Timing: blood levels peak about 2 hours after a dose on an empty stomach, and food can push that back by 2 to 4 hours.
• Half-life: about 15 hours, which is why a dose taken late can cost you sleep.

Artvigil only comes in 150 mg and 250 mg, which covers the label doses. Nuvigil also comes in 50 mg and 200 mg, giving a prescriber finer control, which is one practical edge for the brand. If you're weighing the two higher strengths, our armodafinil 150 vs 250 guide goes deeper, and the full HAB range is covered in our Artvigil 150 review and Artvigil 250 mg review.

Price: the reason most people compare these

This is where the gap is enormous.

Nuvigil. CMS publishes NADAC, the average price US pharmacies pay wholesalers for a drug. In data current to October 2026, a Nuvigil 250 mg tablet cost pharmacies about $34.70. That's an acquisition cost, not a retail price, and your cash price at the counter would usually be higher.

US generic armodafinil. The same CMS data put generic armodafinil 150 mg at about $0.80 per tablet and 250 mg at about $0.88. Again, that's what pharmacies pay, not what you pay, but it shows how cheap the legal generic has become.

Artvigil at Afinil. On October 28, 2026, Afinil listed Artvigil 150 mg at:

Shipping is extra on small orders, and Afinil says express shipping is free on orders over $180. Prices change, so check the live cart.

A made-up example to show the scale: 30 days of Nuvigil 250 mg at roughly the pharmacy cost above is over $1,000 before any markup, while 30 Artvigil tablets from Afinil list at about $78 plus shipping. But a prescription for US generic armodafinil may cost far less than either brand Nuvigil or the import, depending on your pharmacy and plan. Our armodafinil 150 mg price guide breaks the numbers down further.

What Afinil's Artvigil page gets wrong

The listing is useful for prices, but a few claims are inaccurate:

• "This drug has approval from the Food and Drug Administration." It doesn't. The FDA approved Nuvigil and US generics, not Artvigil.
• Weight loss. The page frames weight loss as a benefit. Decreased appetite is a side effect on the armodafinil label, not an approved use.
• "Taste test" for fakes. The page suggests telling fakes by taste or by how strongly you feel it. Neither is a reliable test, and neither is a good idea.

That doesn't mean the tablets are bad. It means the store page is marketing, so check claims against the official label, as with any HAB product.

Side effects and safety

The armodafinil label's most common side effects are headache, nausea, dizziness and trouble sleeping. It warns about rare but serious rashes, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, allergic reactions, and psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety or mania. Get urgent help for any rash, blistering, mouth sores or swelling. Armodafinil can make hormonal birth control less effective during use and for a month afterward. All of that applies equally to Artvigil and Nuvigil, because it's the same drug. See our medical disclaimer.

The legal side in the US

Armodafinil is a Schedule IV controlled substance in the US, whether the tablet says Nuvigil or Artvigil.

• With a prescription, you can legally fill Nuvigil or FDA-approved generic armodafinil at a licensed US pharmacy.
• Artvigil isn't sold through US pharmacies, and a pharmacist can't swap it in for Nuvigil.
• Ordering Artvigil from an overseas vendor without a prescription isn't a legal route, whatever the store says, and customs can seize the parcel.

If you don't have a prescriber, start with our guide to getting a prescription through an online doctor, and see our legal notes for the US rules. For the brand route, our page on where to buy Nuvigil covers your options.

Which should you choose?

Pick Nuvigil if your insurance covers the brand, your prescriber wants the 50 mg or 200 mg strengths, or you want FDA oversight of every batch and don't mind paying for it.

Pick US generic armodafinil if you have a prescription and want the cheapest fully legal route. For most US readers, this beats both Nuvigil and Artvigil.

Artvigil is the option people look at when price is the main concern and they're comfortable trusting an Indian maker and an overseas vendor. If you go that way, choose an established seller with written refund and reship terms, check every strip for HAB's name, a batch number and an expiry date, and keep a prescriber involved.

How it compares with Sun Pharma's armodafinil is covered in Artvigil vs Waklert.

Bottom line

Artvigil and Nuvigil contain the same armodafinil, and at matching doses they should work the same way. Nuvigil comes with FDA approval, more strengths and a much higher price. Artvigil is cheap, but it's an Indian-market generic with no US oversight, sold abroad through channels its own maker says it doesn't supply. If you have a prescription, US generic armodafinil is usually the sensible middle ground. Whatever you choose, it's a prescription drug in the US, so talk to a doctor first.

FAQ

Is Artvigil the same as Nuvigil?

They contain the same drug, armodafinil, at overlapping strengths. Nuvigil is the FDA-approved brand. Artvigil is made by HAB Pharmaceuticals for the Indian market and is not an FDA-approved product.

Is Artvigil as strong as Nuvigil?

At the same labeled dose, say 150 mg, they're meant to deliver the same amount of armodafinil. Only Nuvigil and US generics have FDA-reviewed proof of that, so for Artvigil you're trusting the maker and the supply chain.

Does Artvigil last as long as Nuvigil?

The Nuvigil label gives armodafinil a half-life of about 15 hours. Artvigil contains the same drug, so it should behave similarly, but HAB hasn't published US-reviewed data for its tablet.

Why is Artvigil so much cheaper than Nuvigil?

Indian generic pricing and no US brand costs. In October 2026, US pharmacies paid about $34.70 per Nuvigil 250 mg tablet on CMS data, while Afinil listed Artvigil 150 mg from $2.99 down to $0.89 per tablet.

Is there a cheaper legal option than Nuvigil?

Yes. FDA-approved generic armodafinil is sold at US pharmacies with a prescription. CMS data put US pharmacy acquisition cost at about $0.80 per 150 mg tablet in October 2026, though what you pay at the counter will be higher.

Can I use Artvigil instead of my Nuvigil prescription?

A US pharmacist can't substitute Artvigil, because it isn't an FDA-approved generic. Switching to an imported tablet is a decision to discuss with your prescriber.

Is Artvigil FDA approved?

No. Some store pages say otherwise, but the FDA approved brand Nuvigil and US generic armodafinil, not HAB's Artvigil.

Is it legal to order Artvigil in the US?

Armodafinil is Schedule IV in the US. Importing Artvigil without a prescription isn't a legal route, and customs can seize the parcel.