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If you're trying to conceive right now, there are probably three prenatal brands you're deciding among. In fact, Perelel, Needed, and Ritual are basically the only vitamin brands you guys ever ask about!
In this post, I'll take you through how Dr. Michael Hopkins and I evaluated brands when we wrote the Prenatal Vitamin Guide, and why we settled on Needed as the best of these three popular options.
You'll note that this article refers to the newer Needed Prenatal Multivitamin. This is a pared-down version of their original Prenatal Multivitamin Pro, which requires swallowing eight capsules per day.
We believe that this tighter version of the Needed prenatal supplement still delivers sufficient nutrition for most pregnant women, but you can learn more about the Pro version near the end of this article.
Gimme users can use code GIMME20 for 20% off your first Needed order.
Why You Need A Prenatal Vitamin
First things first: While a nutrient-rich diet is always the goal, pregnancy significantly increases nutrient demands, and many women don't meet those needs through food alone.
There is broad consensus that several nutrients are especially important during pregnancy, including:
-
Folate for neural tube development
-
Calcium for fetal bone development*
-
Vitamin D for bone and immune health*
Emerging evidence also supports the importance of choline, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA) for neurocognitive development.*
In addition to seeking a prenatal vitamin that includes adequate amounts of at least the seven nutrients mentioned above, you'll also want to be sure that whichever brand you choose is able to provide you with a third-party Certificate of Analysis that demonstrates the purity and potency of their formula.
Needed vs. Ritual vs. Perelel: At a Glance
All three of these brands are better than most prenatals on the market, and all are third-party tested for contaminants.
Still, the differences between them are important, and I will lay them out here so you can see why I prefer Needed over the other two:
|
Brand |
# of Nutrients |
Omega-3s |
Vitamin B12 |
Choline |
Iron |
Vitamin D |
Pills/Day |
Cost per Day† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Needed |
22 |
Separate |
150 mcg |
200 mg |
Intentionally Separate* |
4000 IU |
3 (also has a powder option) |
~$1.15–$1.43 |
|
Ritual |
12 |
Included |
8 mcg |
55 mg |
Included |
2000 IU |
2 |
~$1.30–$1.43 |
|
Perelel |
21 |
Included |
24 mcg |
120 mg |
Included |
2000 IU |
4 |
~$1.66–$1.95 |
*Iron needs differ by individual and trimester, making it best taken separately from a prenatal. Additionally, iron can interfere with the absorption of other essential minerals like zinc. Needed offers Iron separately from their prenatals, so that women can tailor dosing to their individual needs and to ensure optimal absorption of all nutrients.
†price as of April 2026.
TLDR: Needed includes the most nutrients, and higher levels of some especially important nutrients, while also coming in at a lower daily cost than both Ritual and Perelel.
Key Nutrient Differences Between Needed, Ritual, and Perelel
Let's dig in a bit more to the specific nutrients mentioned in the table above, because they really do matter.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 works with folate to support neural tube development, DNA synthesis, and fetal brain formation. Low maternal B12 has been linked to an increased risk of neural tube defects, preterm birth, and poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes.* Needed's prenatal has at least 18 times more B12 than either Ritual or Perelel†.
Choline
Choline supports fetal brain development, neural tube formation, and placental function.* Because it takes up significant space in a capsule, many prenatals include very little choline, but Needed's contains the most of these three brands. In fact, it's the only one of these three to contain the RDA of 200 mg of choline.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is crucial for immune function and bone development, and you probably already know that many of us are deficient.* Needed includes a much higher dose of Vitamin D than the other two prenatal formulas in this comparison.
Iron
Iron needs vary widely between individuals and by trimester, and while iron deficiency is common, excessive iron intake can also be problematic. I was a vegetarian through both of my pregnancies, and my OB was surprised that I was never anemic, but he agreed I should not take an iron supplement as it can interfere with absorption of other minerals.
Ritual and Perelel both include iron in their capsules, but Needed offers iron separately, which allows women to supplement based on lab work rather than taking a fixed amount.
Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids—particularly DHA—are critical for fetal brain and eye development*, and omega-3 intake is typically low in modern diets. Experts recommend that pregnant women consume about 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood per week, which provides roughly 100-205 mg of omega-3s daily.
For women who don't eat this much (or any) fish, or for those who are worried about heavy metal contamination in seafood, a DHA supplement makes sense.
Unfortunately, fatty acids can oxidize when combined with minerals in a capsule. Some brands (like Ritual) use a capsule-within-a-capsule design to keep them separate, while others—including Needed—offer omega-3 as an optional add-on. Perelel also offers omega-3 within its broader prenatal system. Needed is the only one to allow DHA to be optional.
