Modawake vs Modalert: Same Price, Different Maker. Which One?

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

Most brand comparisons on this site end up being about price, because one tablet is usually cheaper than the other. Modawake vs Modalert breaks that pattern. On Afinil, the two cost the same at every pack size they share, right down to the cent. So if you're weighing them up, the real questions are who made the tablets, how much store history each one has, and whether there's a cheaper option hiding behind the Modawake name.

How we put this together: on November 1, 2026 we went through Afinil's Modawake 200 mg and Modalert 200 mg product pages and noted the price at every tier, the review count and star rating, the named manufacturer and the claims each page makes. We also pulled the price of Modvigil, HAB Pharma's other modafinil brand, because it matters here. Maker details were checked against Indian trade and pharmacy listings, and drug facts against the US prescribing information for Provigil (modafinil). Nobody on our team has taken either brand, so you won't find personal effect reports below. This is a buying guide, not medical advice.

Quick answer

• Active ingredient: modafinil, 200 mg per tablet in both, according to Afinil.
• Manufacturer: HAB Pharmaceuticals for Modawake, Sun Pharma for Modalert.
• Price: identical from 10 to 500 tablets on Afinil. $3.99 a tablet at 10, $1.99 at 100 and $1.59 at 500.
• Bulk: only Modalert comes in a 1,000-tablet pack, at $1.09 a tablet.
• Store reviews: 2 for Modawake (5 out of 5) and 14 for Modalert (4.7 out of 5).
• The twist: HAB's own Modvigil was cheaper than both, at $1.69 a tablet for 100.
• US status: prescription-only, and neither brand is FDA-approved.

If you were hoping one would be the bargain pick, neither is. Modalert brings more history for the same money. Modawake mainly makes sense if you specifically want a HAB tablet, and if you do, Modvigil is the HAB option to price first.

Price comparison

These are the figures Afinil showed on November 1, 2026. The store changes prices without warning, so treat the table as a snapshot and check the live page before ordering.

What the table tells you

• No saving either way. From a 10-pack to a 500-pack, you pay the same whichever brand you choose.
• The 1,000-pack is the only real price difference. At $1.09 each, Modalert's biggest tier is $0.50 a tablet cheaper than either 500-pack. That only matters if you'd genuinely use 1,000 tablets before they expire, which few people will.
• The "Sale!" badges. Both pages show crossed-out regular prices, such as $1,500 for 500 tablets, next to the $799 sale price. The same pattern appears across many Afinil listings, so we wouldn't read it as a time-limited deal.

Afinil uses this exact price ladder for several 200 mg brands, Modalert among them. It looks like a standard pricing tier for brands the store positions near the top, while budget brands sit on a lower ladder. That's our reading of the listings rather than anything Afinil says.

The cheaper HAB option: Modvigil

This is the part most Modawake pages skip. HAB Pharma makes two modafinil 200 mg brands, and on Afinil they're priced very differently:

Modvigil also had 16 reviews on November 1, 2026, compared with 2 for Modawake. So if HAB is the maker you want, Modvigil gives you the same company, a much longer store record and a lower price at every size we checked. We can't promise the two HAB tablets are identical inside, but there's little reason to pay Modalert prices for the less-reviewed HAB brand. Our Modvigil vs Modalert comparison covers that match-up in detail.

A worked example (illustration only)

Imagine a prescription user who takes one tablet on about 150 days a year. Buying a 200-pack of either Modawake or Modalert would cost $349 and leave some tablets over. A 200-pack of Modvigil would cost $279 at the November 1 price, saving $70. Over two years that gap passes $100. These are rough sums built from the listings, only meant to show the scale, and they ignore shipping, discounts and expiry dates.

Who makes them

HAB Pharmaceuticals and Modawake

HAB Pharmaceuticals & Research Ltd is an Indian drug company best known in the modafinil world for Modvigil and its armodafinil brand Artvigil. Indian trade listings name HAB as the manufacturer and trademark owner of Modawake-200, supplied in strips of 10.

Why would one company sell two modafinil brands? Several modafinil sellers describe Modawake (and R-Modawake for armodafinil) as HAB's second line, named to compete with Sun Pharma's Modalert and Waklert. That's a common move in generic medicines: a second brand name can reach a different market without changing much else. None of those sellers show evidence of the formula being identical, and HAB hasn't published one, so keep it as context rather than fact.

One more thing worth knowing: at least one international pharmacy listed Modawake as "currently not being supplied by the manufacturer" when we searched. Afinil still listed it for sale on November 1, 2026. Patchy supply is common for smaller export brands, and it's a reason not to build a long-term routine around one.

Sun Pharma and Modalert

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries is one of India's largest drugmakers, with a major US business through its subsidiaries. Modalert is its modafinil brand and has been exported for many years, which is why it's the name most people meet first when they read about generic modafinil. Indian pharmacy listings put Modalert 200 under Sun Pharma as a prescription medicine.

Does the maker matter if the price is the same?

It's the main thing left to compare. Both companies are real and checkable, which already puts these two ahead of brands with vague or missing maker details. Sun Pharma is the larger company with the longer export record for this specific brand. HAB is smaller but has a long history with Modvigil, one of the most-sold budget generics online.

What a maker name can't tell you is what happened between the factory and your door. That part depends on the store, and on Afinil it's the same for both brands.

Claims on each page worth questioning

The Modawake page

• "Buy Cheap Modawake 200 mg Online OTC." In the US, modafinil isn't over-the-counter. It's a Schedule IV prescription drug.
• "Offers identical results" to Provigil "only at a cheaper price." Matching ingredient and dose make similar effects plausible. But Modawake hasn't been through FDA review, so nobody has shown it performs identically to Provigil.
• "Does not affect the cardiovascular system." The Provigil label says otherwise. It lists increases in blood pressure and heart rate in some patients and warns about use in people with certain heart conditions. Treat this line as marketing.
• Store reviews. The page shows two reviews, both five stars. That's encouraging but tells you very little.

The Modalert page

• The export banner. It says Sun Pharma will stop allowing Modalert and Waklert exports "in a few months" and nudges buyers toward Afinil's own ModaXL and ArmodaXL. We found no Sun Pharma announcement backing this up, and the product is still for sale, so read it as a sales message.
• "Without a prescription" wording. Not a legal option for buyers in the US.

Shipping wording on both

The banner at the top of the store mentions free express shipping over $180, while the box under the price says orders over $130 ship free. Check which threshold applies in your cart before relying on either.

What's the same, whichever you pick

Since the drug and dose match, the US Provigil prescribing information describes both. In brief:

• Approved uses: improving wakefulness in adults with excessive sleepiness due to narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea or shift work disorder. For sleep apnea it's an add-on, not a replacement for treatments like CPAP.
• Usual dose: 200 mg once a day. People with narcolepsy or sleep apnea take it in the morning. People with shift work disorder take it about an hour before the shift starts.
• More isn't clearly better: doses up to 400 mg a day were tolerated in studies, but there wasn't consistent evidence that they worked better than 200 mg.
• Timing: blood levels peak around 2 to 4 hours after a dose, and a meal can push that back by about an hour.
• How long it lasts: with repeated use the effective half-life is around 15 hours, which is why a late dose can wreck your sleep.

Common side effects on the label include headache, nausea, nervousness, runny or stuffy nose, back pain, diarrhea, anxiety, trouble sleeping, dizziness and indigestion. The label also warns about rare but serious rashes and allergic reactions; anyone who develops a rash should stop and get medical help straight away. It also notes that modafinil can make hormonal birth control less effective. Your prescriber should guide dose, timing and any other medicines you take, whichever brand ends up in your hand.

Same milligrams doesn't guarantee the same tablet

Two tablets with the same labelled strength can still differ in fillers, binders and coating, which can change how fast they dissolve. In the US, bioequivalence testing for approved generics is designed to catch this. Modawake and Modalert are imports that haven't gone through that process, so there's no public data proving they behave the same in the body. Known makers lower the risk. They don't eliminate it.

So which should you buy?

Modalert is the better fit if

• You want the longer record for the same money. Since price is a tie, 14 reviews and years of export history count for more than 2 reviews.
• It already works for you. If your prescriber has you on modafinil and Modalert suits you, there's no saving to be had from switching to Modawake.
• You really do need 1,000 tablets. It's the only one of the two with that tier, at $1.09 each.

Modawake is the better fit if

• You specifically prefer a HAB-made tablet and want the Modalert-style branding for some reason.
• Modalert's export warning worries you. Whatever Sun Pharma does or doesn't do with exports, it won't touch a HAB product. (Bear in mind Modawake has had its own supply gaps elsewhere.)

Look at something else if

• You want HAB at a lower price. Modvigil is cheaper at every size and has more reviews. See our guide to where to buy Modvigil.
• You want the cheapest per tablet overall. Several budget brands sit on lower ladders; our Modfil 200 mg review is one example.
• You need faster delivery inside the US. Both brands ship from overseas. Afinil's US-to-US service is built around ModaXL, explained in our domestic USPS shipping review.
• You want a fully legal US route. A prescription filled at a US pharmacy gets you FDA-approved generic modafinil. Our guide to getting a modafinil prescription online explains how telehealth fits in.

Before you order

If you have a prescription and decide to try one of these:

1. Start small. A 10-pack costs $39 for either brand, which is enough to see what actually arrives without much risk.
2. Inspect the strips. Look for the brand name, "modafinil 200 mg", the maker (HAB or Sun Pharma), a batch number and an expiry date. If something's missing or looks off, contact the store before taking any.
3. Match the pack to your use. Per-tablet prices fall steeply up to 100 and only slowly after that. Beyond 100, you mostly pay for tablets you may not use before they expire.
4. Keep the packaging. Store tablets in their original strips at room temperature, away from children, and keep the box until the last strip is used.

Shipping, payment and discounts

Both products are sold on the same terms. Afinil says orders placed before 5 pm Pacific ship the same day, and it promotes a 30-day guarantee and reshipment if a parcel doesn't turn up; our reshipment policy explainer covers the fine print. Delivery from abroad can take one to several weeks. The product pages list credit cards, PayPal and Bitcoin, and the store advertises a 24% discount for Bitcoin payments, credit for returning customers and for reviews, and free sample tablets. Our Bitcoin payment guide and coupon page explain how those work. None of it changes the Modawake vs Modalert comparison, since it applies equally to both.

The legal side for US readers

Modafinil is a federal Schedule IV controlled substance, so you need a valid prescription from a licensed US prescriber to obtain it. Neither Modawake nor Modalert is FDA-approved. Vendor phrases such as "OTC" or "without Rx" don't change the law, and customs can seize parcels that arrive without the right paperwork. Our explainer on whether buying modafinil is legal goes through the rules.

Verdict

Modawake vs Modalert is unusual because price doesn't decide it. Afinil charges the same for both from 10 to 500 tablets. Both makers are real companies. Modalert has more reviews and the only 1,000-pack, so for the same money it's the safer pick of the two. Modawake's best argument is that it's a HAB tablet, but HAB's own Modvigil is cheaper and has more history on the same store. If you have a prescription and you're choosing between these two, take Modalert. If you're drawn to HAB, price Modvigil before you buy Modawake.

*This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a licensed doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.*

FAQ

Is Modawake the same as Modalert?

Both are listed as 200 mg of modafinil per tablet, so the active drug and the amount match. They come from different companies: Modawake from HAB Pharmaceuticals and Modalert from Sun Pharma. Fillers, coating, tablet look and packaging can all differ.

Which is cheaper, Modawake or Modalert?

Neither, at least up to 500 tablets. On November 1, 2026 Afinil charged the same for both at every shared size: $39 for 10, $199 for 100 and $799 for 500. Only Modalert had a 1,000-tablet pack, at $1,099 ($1.09 each).

Who makes Modawake?

Afinil's page names HAB Pharma, and Indian trade listings name HAB Pharmaceuticals & Research Ltd as the manufacturer and trademark owner. HAB also makes Modvigil, the other modafinil brand it's known for.

Is Modawake just Modvigil with a different name?

Both are HAB modafinil 200 mg brands, and several sellers describe Modawake as a second HAB line aimed at the Modalert market. HAB hasn't published a formula comparison, so we can't confirm the two tablets are identical. On Afinil, Modvigil is the cheaper of the two.

Is Modawake stronger than Modalert?

Not on paper. Both are labelled 200 mg. Some sellers call Modawake more "stimulating", but we know of no study comparing the two brands. Reports like that are anecdotes and are easily shaped by sleep, caffeine, timing and expectations.

Is Modawake FDA-approved?

No. Neither is Modalert. In the US, the FDA-approved modafinil products are Provigil and its approved generics, sold by prescription through licensed pharmacies.

Why does Modalert have more reviews?

It's the better-known brand and has likely been on sale longer. On November 1, 2026 Afinil showed 14 Modalert reviews averaging 4.7 stars against 2 for Modawake, both five stars. Two reviews is far too few to judge a product on.

Do I need a prescription for Modawake or Modalert in the US?

Yes. Modafinil is a Schedule IV controlled substance under federal law. Words like "OTC" on a vendor page don't change that, and ordering either brand from abroad without a prescription isn't a legal route.