Skip to content

Coming soon. The store is not open yet.

Menu
Full Measure

Glossary

What is a softgel?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

A softgel is a capsule with a soft, flexible shell sealed around a liquid or semisolid fill. The shell is usually gelatin made pliable with a plasticizer such as glycerin or sorbitol, which makes it thicker than a hard capsule shell. Inside, the active ingredient is dissolved, dispersed or suspended in the fill.1,2

Key facts

  • Soft gelatin capsules are the most widely used pharmaceutical form after tablets, according to a 2024 review of shell design.2
  • A liquid fill lets a softgel carry ingredients that dissolve poorly in water, and very small doses, as a single measured unit.3
  • Gelatin is made from collagen in animal skin, connective tissue or bone.4
  • In 20 softgel labels we reviewed in NIH's label database, glycerin appeared in 16 ingredient lists and gelatin in 14.5
  • FDA's list of dosage forms for drug labels calls this form a liquid filled capsule.1,6

How a softgel differs from a hard capsule

A hard capsule is made of two pieces that fit together, most often around a dry powder. A softgel is a single sealed shell around a liquid or a paste. The plasticizer in a softgel shell, a polyol such as glycerin or sorbitol, keeps it flexible and makes the wall thicker than a hard shell.1,7

Softgel and hard capsule compared1,7,8
FeatureSoftgelHard capsule
ShellGelatin softened with glycerin or sorbitol; some use starchGelatin or a plant polymer such as hypromellose
ContentsLiquid or semisolid fillUsually powder or pellets; liquids are possible
ConstructionOne sealed shellTwo pieces that fit together

Why makers choose softgels

A 2010 review lists the practical reasons. A liquid fill can hold an ingredient that does not dissolve well in water, it can deliver a very low dose in each unit, and it cuts the dust that powders make during manufacturing.3

There is a cost. Softgels are harder to develop and to keep stable through their shelf life, because the shell and the fill can interact, and heat, humidity and light all change how the gelatin behaves.2,3

Reading a softgel label

The shell is an ingredient in its own right, so it appears in the ingredient list along with anything else that is not a dietary ingredient. On the softgel labels we reviewed, that list usually named gelatin, glycerin and water, and often an oil that carries the active ingredient.5,9

Gelatin comes from animals. If that matters to you, look at the other ingredients or ask the maker: one of the 20 labels we reviewed used modified cornstarch and carrageenan in place of gelatin.4,5

Questions people ask

Is a softgel better than a capsule?

It depends on what is inside. Softgels are built for liquid or semisolid fills, while hard capsules mostly hold dry powders, so the form follows the ingredient. The ingredient, its chemical form and the dose matter more than the shell.3,8

Are softgels vegetarian?

Most are not, because the usual shell is gelatin, which is made from animal collagen. Some softgels use plant materials such as starch instead, and the other ingredients list will show which one a product uses.4,5,8

See what we make

Every product shows its whole label and what its lab report covers. The store opens soon.

See the Full Measure line

Sources

  1. NCI Thesaurus, NCI Enterprise Vocabulary Services, National Institutes of Health. Liquid Filled Capsule Dosage Form, code C42954. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. Naharros-Molinero A, Caballo-González MÁ, de la Mata FJ, García-Gallego S. Shell Formulation in Soft Gelatin Capsules: Design and Characterization. Adv Healthc Mater. 2024;13(1):e2302250. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Gullapalli RP. Soft gelatin capsules (softgels). J Pharm Sci. 2010;99(10):4107-4148. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. Medical Subject Headings, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Gelatin, descriptor D005780. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Label Database: review of 20 softgel labels, October 7, 2026. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Structured Product Labeling Resources: Dosage Forms. Content current as of February 3, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Al-Tabakha MM. HPMC capsules: current status and future prospects. J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2010;13(3):428-442. Opened 2026-10-07.
  8. Gullapalli RP, Mazzitelli CL. Gelatin and Non-Gelatin Capsule Dosage Forms. J Pharm Sci. 2017;106(6):1453-1465. Opened 2026-10-07.
  9. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Section 101.4: Food; designation of ingredients. eCFR, current as of October 2026. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.