Peptide Plugs scores higher than Ascension Peptides on our transparency method (8.1 vs 7.4). It names its lab, Freedom Diagnostics, on its own site, gives accession codes you can check on the lab's COA search, and publishes a legal entity and street address. Ascension Peptides has the easier COA library to search by lot, and our code AFFILIATE50OFF takes 50% off a first order. Neither has independent test data. Ascension is #4 and Peptide Plugs #5 in our editors' order, which isn't sorted by score.
Notice: Research peptides are sold for in-vitro laboratory research only. They are not FDA-approved, not for human or animal consumption, and this page is not medical advice. This comparison covers supplier transparency only, based on public documentation. We didn't purchase or test products.
Side-by-side
| Ascension Peptides | Peptide Plugs | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency score (method) | 7.4 | 8.1 |
| Entity and address | None on site; phone only | Austin Research Products LLC, Liberty Hill, TX |
| Business age | Founded 2024, per a third-party review | Domain registered December 2025 |
| COA format | 85 records, searchable by batch/lot | 117 dated COAs across 62 products |
| Lab named | On product pages per batch (Kovera Labs, MZ Biolabs) | Freedom Diagnostics, on site and every entry |
| Lab-side verification | No link found | Accession codes on product pages |
| Finnrick | Profile, 0 tests | Profile, 0 tests |
| Labeling issues | Six code-named items; "GLOW"-style stacks | "Weight Loss"/"Anti-Aging" categories; coded GLP blend |
| Shipping | UPS Ground, $15 flat, US only | UPS, free over $200, US only |
| Payment | Visa, Discover, Amex, Apple/Google Pay, ACH (FAQ) | Credit card (networks not named) |
| Returns | All sales final; damage within 24 hours | All sales final; damage within 7 days |
| Our code | AFFILIATE50OFF (50% off first order) | None |
| FDA warning letter | None found | None found |
Sources: Ascension COAs, Ascension BPC-157 page, Ascension terms, Ascension FAQ, Ascension shipping, Peptide Plugs COAs, Peptide Plugs terms, Peptide Plugs shipping, Peptide Plugs refunds, Peptide Plugs WHOIS, Finnrick: Ascension, Finnrick: Peptide Plugs, FDA warning letters. All checked September 26, 2026.
COAs and labs: the deciding factor
Both publish a lot of certificates. The difference is how far you can check them.
Peptide Plugs' COA page lists 117 certificates, each with the test date, the lab ("Freedom"), purity and measured content. Product pages add a lot number and an accession code with a link to Freedom Diagnostics' COA search. Its BPC-157 20 mg page shows 99.56% purity and 20.86 mg measured. Because the lookup runs on the lab's site, it's a stronger check than a PDF alone. The main COA page doesn't show lot numbers, so you'll need the product page to match your vial.
Ascension's COA library has 85 records you can filter by product, SKU, batch/lot, purity and date, which makes it quick to find the certificate for your lot. The library doesn't name labs, but product pages now do. The BPC-157 10 mg page lists Kovera Labs (batch 12-05260628, July 10, 2026) and MZ Biolabs (batch 12-01260229, March 6, 2026), checked September 26, 2026. We found no link to a lab-side verification tool.
Ascension ties Peptide Plugs on COA publication (9.25 each), but Peptide Plugs leads on lab traceability (9.0 vs 7.0). Our COA guide walks through the checks.
Independent testing: a tie at zero
Finnrick shows 0 tests for Ascension and for Peptide Plugs. Both get the floor score (5.0). Peptide Plugs' about page offers $100 store credit for verified COAs submitted from Freedom Diagnostics, Finnrick or Janoshik, but we found no published results from it. See Janoshik vs Finnrick.
Labeling
Both scored 7.5 on this factor, for different reasons.
- Ascension uses strict wording ("IN-VITRO LABORATORY RESEARCH USE ONLY" in its terms) and a 21+ gate, but sells six items only under codes: C-10, R-10, R-30, S-5, T-10 and T-30. In its August 2026 letter to Peptide Partners, FDA identified similar abbreviations as GLP-1-class drugs.
- Peptide Plugs says it makes "no health, dosing, or therapeutic claims of any kind," but sorts its shop into categories such as "Weight Loss," "Anti-Aging" and "Sleep," and sells a coded blend called "GLP3 + Elora."
We cover GLP-1-class products for research use only, with no dosing content. Background: FDA peptide regulation in 2026.
Business details, shipping and payment
Peptide Plugs publishes some of the most business detail of our eight vendors: Austin Research Products LLC, 126 Holmes Rd #8, Liberty Hill, TX, with Texas-law terms. It ships by UPS within 1-2 business days per its policy, free over $200. It accepts credit cards but doesn't name the networks in text.
Ascension lists a phone number and Kansas-law terms, but no entity or address. Orders placed before 2 PM Central ship within 24 hours, by UPS Ground only, for a flat $15 with no free-shipping threshold we could find (fastest shipping). Its FAQ lists Visa, Discover, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay and ACH, while its terms mention Visa or Mastercard. Check at checkout.
Peptide Plugs leads on business transparency (9.5 vs 7.0).
Price and codes
Checked September 26, 2026 (cheapest peptide vendors):
| Item | Ascension | Ascension with AFFILIATE50OFF | Peptide Plugs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | $49 (10 mg), $4.90/mg | $24.50, $2.45/mg | $50 (20 mg), $2.50/mg |
| TB-500 | $54 (5 mg), $10.80/mg | $27, $5.40/mg | $50 (10 mg), $5.00/mg |
The code applies to a first order only, and we couldn't confirm whether it stacks with sale prices. Ascension's $15 flat shipping also changes the math on small orders. Ascension code: AFFILIATE50OFF (Ascension Peptides coupon code). We found no public code for Peptide Plugs, which runs a points program. PeptideChecked may earn a commission from our code. Codes don't change scores.
Which should you choose?
- If you want to verify a certificate at the lab itself and deal with a vendor that publishes its address, Peptide Plugs is ahead and has the top score on our transparency method. Visit Peptide Plugs.
- If you want fast lot search across a big library, or the lowest first-order price, Ascension Peptides with AFFILIATE50OFF fits. Visit Ascension Peptides.
Either way, match the lot on your vial to its certificate. For concentration math after reconstitution, use our reconstitution calculator.
Related: best peptide vendors in the USA · NextGenPeps vs Peptide Plugs · PSPeptides vs Ascension Peptides · best BPC-157 vendors