Which vape juice gives you the most for your money?
If value is your priority, larger shortfill bottles will usually give you more liquid for your money, particularly when you buy a 100ml bottle or take advantage of a multi buy offer. Nic salts can still be good value for anyone who prefers a smaller, ready mixed bottle, especially if they do not get through much e liquid.
The cheapest bottle is not necessarily the cheapest option once you look at how much liquid you are actually getting. This guide breaks down how vape juice is priced across different formats, so you can compare the real cost rather than simply picking the bottle with the lowest price tag.
Which vape juice offers the best value for money?
For many regular vapers, a large shortfill is one of the most economical ways to buy e liquid. You are paying for a larger volume in one bottle rather than buying several smaller bottles, which can make a noticeable difference to the price per ml.
A 100ml shortfill can work out considerably cheaper per ml than buying the same amount in 10ml bottles, particularly when you add nic shots and take advantage of a good deal. That is one reason shortfills are popular with people who get through a lot of e liquid.
Nic salts sit somewhere else on the value scale. They can cost more per ml, but they offer convenience and are particularly suited to pod kits. If you only use a small amount of liquid, paying slightly more per ml may not make much difference to what you spend overall.
Why does a shortfill work out cheaper than a 10ml bottle?
A shortfill works out cheaper because most of the manufacturing and packaging cost of any e-liquid sits in the bottle, the cap and the labelling, not in the liquid itself. Buying one 100ml bottle instead of ten separate 10ml bottles means you are paying for one lot of packaging rather than ten, and that saving is passed on to you.
Brands also price larger formats more competitively, knowing regular vapers compare cost per ml rather than cost per bottle before they buy. A shortfill that looks expensive next to a 10ml bottle on the shelf is usually the cheaper option once you divide the price by the millilitres inside.
Nic salts or shortfills: which is the better buy?
Shortfills are the better buy for anyone who wants the lowest possible cost per ml and does not mind adding their own nic shots. Nic salts are the better buy for anyone who vapes a pod kit, wants a stronger nicotine hit in a small draw, or simply prefers a bottle that is ready to use straight away.
The honest answer is that neither format is universally "best value", because value depends on how much you vape and what device you use. A heavy sub ohm vaper burning through liquid every few days will save the most money on 100ml shortfills bought in multi buy deals. An occasional pod vaper who makes one nic salt bottle last a fortnight may find a smaller bottle works out just as economical overall.
How do you actually work out cost per ml?
Working out cost per ml is simple: divide the total price of the bottle by the total volume in millilitres, remembering to include any nic shots you add to a shortfill in both the cost and the final volume. A £10 shortfill plus two £1 nic shots gives you 120ml for £12, which is 10p per ml, a figure that a standalone 10ml bottle priced at £4 cannot come close to matching.
This is the only genuine way to compare best shortfill value against nic salts or 10ml bottles, because sticker prices alone are designed to look cheap, not to be cheap. Once you start doing this sum before every purchase, the best value option becomes obvious.
Vape juice deals worth checking out
Rather than guessing which bottle is cheapest, it helps to shop by format and let the multi buy pricing do the work. A few places worth starting at Vapes Direct:
Recommended
100ml Shortfills
The lowest cost per ml for regular sub ohm vapers.
Shortfills
The lowest cost per ml for regular sub ohm vapers.
Nic Salts Ready mixed convenience for pod kits, at a fair price per ml.
Shop nic salts →
Full E-Liquid Range Compare every format and size side by side.
Browse all e-liquids →
How do you choose the best value vape juice for you?
Choosing good value vape juice is really about buying the right amount for your own vaping habits. There is little point buying a huge bottle simply because it has a lower cost per ml if you are unlikely to use it before the liquid loses its freshness.
Start by working out roughly how much liquid you use each week. You can then compare shortfills, nic salts and 10ml bottles based on the amount you are actually likely to use.
For regular sub ohm vapers, a 100ml shortfill can offer some of the best value, especially when combined with a multi buy deal. For lighter or pod based vaping, nic salts may be a more practical choice, even if the cost per ml is higher.
In other words, the best deal is not always the bottle with the lowest price. It is the one that gives you a sensible amount of liquid at a price that works for how you vape.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best value vape juice in the UK?
The best value vape juice is usually a 100ml shortfill, because the cost per ml drops sharply compared with smaller bottles. Nic salts cost more per ml but suit pod kit users who prefer a ready mixed liquid.
Is it cheaper to buy shortfills or nic salts?
Shortfills are cheaper per ml, but nic salts save you the step of adding nic shots yourself. Which is cheaper overall depends on how much liquid you get through and what device you vape with.
How do I work out cost per ml on vape juice?
Divide the total price of the bottle, including any nic shots added, by the total volume in millilitres once mixed. This gives a true figure you can use to compare bottles fairly, rather than relying on the price shown on the shelf.
Do multi-buy deals actually save money on e-liquid?
Yes, multi-buy deals are usually where the biggest savings sit, often working out cheaper per ml than even a single large shortfill bought on its own. It is worth checking multi-buy pricing before buying any bottle individually.
Why are small e-liquid bottles more expensive per ml?
Small bottles cost more per ml because packaging, bottling and labelling make up a larger share of the price when the liquid volume is low. Buying in bulk spreads those fixed costs across more millilitres, which is why shortfills work out cheaper.