American Peptides edges Ascension Peptides on our transparency method (7.6 vs 7.4) because it names a testing lab, Bioviridian, on its homepage and publishes its legal entity and city. Ascension Peptides matches it on COA access, with an 85-record library you can search by lot, and has a cleaner labeling record. Neither has independent test data as of September 26, 2026. American Peptides is #1 and Ascension #4 in our editors' order, which isn't sorted by score.
Notice: Both vendors sell products for in-vitro laboratory research only. They are not FDA-approved and not for human or animal consumption. This comparison covers supplier transparency only, based on public documentation. We didn't purchase or test products.
Side-by-side
| American Peptides | Ascension Peptides | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency score (method) | 7.6 | 7.4 |
| Entity and location | American Peptides LLC, Shreveport, LA (city only) | No entity or address on site; phone only |
| Business age | Domain registered February 2026 | Founded 2024, per a third-party review |
| COA format | Lot-matched PDFs, lot lookup (126 on file) | 85 records, searchable by batch/lot |
| Lab named | Bioviridian, on homepage only | Not on site; MZ Biolabs per independent reviews |
| Finnrick | Profile, 0 tests | Profile, 0 tests |
| Coded product names | None found; health-style bundle names | C-10, R-10, R-30, S-5, T-10, T-30 |
| Free shipping | Over $300 | Not stated |
| Ships to | US and international | US only |
| Payment | Cards, ACH, crypto | Not listed on site |
| Returns | All sales final; damage within 72 hours | All sales final; damage within 24 hours |
| Our code | None | AFFILIATE50OFF (50% off first order) |
| FDA warning letter | None found | None found |
Sources: American Peptides homepage, AP verify, AP terms, AP refund policy, AP WHOIS, Ascension homepage, Ascension COAs, Ascension terms, Finnrick: American Peptides, Finnrick: Ascension, FDA warning letters.
COAs: two lot-level systems
This is where the two are closest. Both scored 9.25 on COA publication in our reviews.
American Peptides has a verify page where you type the lot number from a vial and pull up its certificate. It said 126 lot-matched certificates were on file. The COA page keeps older, "superseded" lots available.
Ascension Peptides runs a COA library of 85 records. You can filter by product name, SKU, batch/lot, cap color, purity and date, so a lot number takes you straight to its certificate.
Both lookups run on the vendor's own site. That shows traceability, not independence. To confirm a report, you need the lab.
Labs: named in one place vs not at all
American Peptides says on its homepage that every batch is verified by Bioviridian, a College Station, TX lab with its own COA search. Its COA page and lookup don't name a lab, and we couldn't read the lab name on the PDFs we opened.
Ascension Peptides says "third-party tested" without naming a lab. Two outside reviews fill the gap: Project Biohacking identifies MZ Biolabs in Tucson, AZ, using HPLC-UV-MS, and PepPal names MZ Biolabs and SafeCert Labs. We found no lab verification link on Ascension's site.
American Peptides gets the edge here (7.5 vs 7.0 on lab traceability, on our 5-10 scale), because you know which lab to check with. Our COA guide explains how.
Independent testing: a tie at zero
Finnrick lists both with 0 tests. Ascension's page says "Not enough classifiable tests to rate this vendor yet." Both get the floor score (5.0) on this factor. See Janoshik vs Finnrick for why it matters.
Labeling
Both use strict research-use terms with a 21+ requirement. They lose points differently:
- American Peptides uses health-style names. The ASCEND bundle is a "Metabolic + Glow Up Research Stack," and a dissolving strip is called "Brain-Fuel." It also sells sprays.
- Ascension Peptides sells six items under codes only (C-10, R-10, R-30, S-5, T-10, T-30), so the name doesn't say what's in the vial. Its stacks include names like "GLOW." We found no health claims on its homepage.
We scored Ascension slightly better (7.5 vs 7.0). Benefit-style marketing is what FDA has cited against sellers using research-use labels (background). Both sell GLP-1-class compounds.
Business details, shipping and payment
American Peptides publishes more: an LLC name, a Shreveport location, a phone number and a payment list (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, ACH/wire, crypto). It also offers international shipping, with free shipping over $300.
Ascension publishes a phone number, (303) 518-6550, and terms governed by Kansas law, but no legal entity or address. A third-party review lists a Castle Rock, CO address that we couldn't confirm. It ships only within the US and doesn't list payment methods on the pages we loaded.
Both treat all sales as final. American Peptides allows 72 hours to report damage. Ascension allows 24 hours.
Price and codes
Ascension had BPC-157 10mg at $49 on sale (shop), and our code AFFILIATE50OFF gives 50% off a first order (last verified September 26, 2026). Its partner page says the discount can vary by partner and promotion. See the Ascension Peptides coupon code page.
American Peptides lists BPC-157 from $60 and offers 20% off a first order for email sign-up. We found no public code for it. PeptideChecked may earn a commission from either vendor. That doesn't change scores.
Which should you choose?
- If you want a named lab and more business disclosure, American Peptides is ahead and scores higher. Confirm your report with Bioviridian. Visit American Peptides.
- If you want a searchable lot library, cleaner product names and a large first-order discount, Ascension Peptides is the pick. Ask support which lab issued your report. Visit Ascension Peptides.
- If you need international shipping, only American Peptides offers it.
Either way, match the COA to your lot, confirm it with the lab, and check for Finnrick data as it appears. For lab-handling unit math, use our reconstitution calculator.
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