These two take different approaches. VigRX Plus is an herbal blend with its own published trial, while Male Extra relies on larger doses of a few nutrients and amino acids.
VigRX Plus has the stronger evidence, because the product itself was tested in a small placebo-controlled trial, while we found no published trial of Male Extra as a finished product. Male Extra lists its doses openly and uses ingredients like L-arginine and pomegranate extract that have their own research, plus a longer refund window. Neither is a treatment for erectile dysfunction (see a doctor about persistent symptoms), and both carry interaction risks worth checking with a doctor.
VigRX Plus and Male Extra are made by different companies and built on different ideas. VigRX Plus, from Leading Edge Health, is a blend of traditional aphrodisiac herbs like ginseng, ginkgo and damiana. Male Extra, sold by a UK company called Health Nutrition Limited according to its US site, is built around pomegranate extract and L-arginine, which the company says support nitric oxide and blood flow.
The biggest practical difference is evidence versus transparency. VigRX Plus has a published trial on the product but does not show doses on its sales page. Male Extra shows doses but, as far as we could find, has no published trial of the product itself.
| VigRX Plus | Male Extra | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Leading Edge Health (Canada, Cyprus, US) | Health Nutrition Limited (England and Wales), per its US site |
| Approach | Multi-herb aphrodisiac blend | Nitric oxide support: pomegranate, L-arginine, plus nutrients |
| Daily dose | 1 pill twice a day | 3 capsules once a day |
| Doses shown on sales page | No | Yes |
| Published trial of the product | Yes, 2012, 75 completers, 12 weeks | None we could find |
| Guarantee | 67 days, return empty containers | 100 days, conditions apply (see below) |
Here is what each company lists. VigRX Plus does not publish amounts on its main page, so check the Supplement Facts panel on the bottle. The Male Extra amounts come from its US site, which lists them by ingredient but does not say outright whether they are per capsule or per three-capsule serving. We assume per serving, which is how such figures are normally shown.
| VigRX Plus | Male Extra (as listed) |
|---|---|
| Damiana | Pomegranate extract, 40% ellagic acid: 500 mg |
| Asian red ginseng | L-arginine HCl: 600 mg |
| Muira puama | MSM (methylsulfonylmethane): 100 mg |
| Hawthorn berry | L-methionine: 100 mg |
| Catuaba bark | Zinc (as citrate): 45 mg |
| Saw palmetto | Cordyceps: 25 mg |
| Ginkgo biloba | Niacin (vitamin B3): 18 mg |
| Bioperine (black pepper extract) |
A few things stand out. The 600 mg of L-arginine is modest compared with the multi-gram amounts often used in research on the amino acid. The 25 mg of cordyceps is small. And the zinc figure deserves attention: the NIH's upper limit for adults is 40 mg a day from all sources, so 45 mg from Male Extra alone would be above it. Long-term zinc intake of 50 mg or more a day can lower copper levels, so check your total zinc intake from all supplements, including any multivitamin, with a pharmacist.
Other review sites list slightly different Male Extra ingredient lists, which suggests the formula has changed over the years. Go by the label on the bottle you receive.
VigRX Plus was tested in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in 2012. Men aged 25 to 50 with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction took two capsules twice a day for 12 weeks, and 75 completed it. Erectile function scores on the International Index of Erectile Function rose by an average of 9 points versus 0.61 on placebo. Our article on whether VigRX Plus works goes into those results.
The limits are real: one small study, healthy younger men, an unusually weak placebo response, and no clear funding statement. The formula tested also had 11 ingredients, while the current site lists eight. We look at the company and the trial in more depth in our piece on whether VigRX Plus is legit.
Male Extra's US site cites studies on individual ingredients, such as L-arginine, pomegranate and cordyceps, rather than a trial of Male Extra itself. That is a weaker kind of evidence, because results from one ingredient at a specific dose do not tell you what this particular combination and dose will do.
When we read the site's citations, a few did not match the claims they were attached to. For example, a zinc and testosterone claim pointed to a reference described as a zinc absorption study. The site also describes the product as "100% safe" with "no side effects," which no supplement can honestly claim.
Both products can interact with common medicines, but in different ways.
If you take nitrates for chest pain, blood thinners, blood pressure or diabetes medicines, or prescription erection drugs, talk to your doctor before trying either product. Ongoing erection problems can also be an early sign of heart or blood vessel disease, so they are worth a checkup on their own.
When we checked the VigRX Plus site in October 2026, a one-month supply was listed at as low as about $62 and a three-month supply at as low as about $52 a month. The Male Extra US site we reviewed listed one month at $59.99 and three months at $119.99, with free shipping. We could not load the main maleextra.com store directly, so treat those Male Extra prices as a guide and confirm at checkout.
VigRX Plus offers a 67-day guarantee: return the two empty containers, plus any unopened ones, so they arrive within 67 days of delivery. Shipping is not refunded and it is one refund per customer.
Male Extra advertises a 100-day guarantee, but we saw two versions of the terms. Pages on maleextra.com describe returning unused, unopened product within 100 days, refunding the price minus shipping, for orders of more than one month's supply. The US site says you must use it for at least 50 days and email within 50 to 100 days of receiving your order, with a $15 fee deducted, and only on a first purchase of more than a month's supply. Read the terms on the site you actually buy from. Our VigRX Plus vs Semenax comparison covers another option if volume is your main interest.
If evidence on the finished product matters most to you, VigRX Plus has the edge, even though its single trial is small. If you prefer seeing exact doses on the label and a longer refund window, Male Extra is more transparent, but it has no product trial we could find and its listed 45 mg of zinc is above the NIH's 40 mg daily upper limit for adults. Neither treats erectile dysfunction, and both can interact with heart, blood pressure and blood-thinning medicines. For our full verdict on ingredients and value, read our complete VigRX Plus review.
Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. 67-day money-back guarantee: try two containers over 60 days; the empty containers (plus any unopened ones) must reach the warehouse within 67 days of delivery; shipping isn't refunded; one order per customer.