Nic Salt vs Freebase E-Liquid: Which One Should You Buy?

Nic Salt vs Freebase: What's the Actual Difference?

Every e-liquid bottle uses one of two nicotine types, and they vape differently. Freebase has been the standard since vaping kicked off over a decade ago. Nic salts came along later and pretty much took over the pod kit market.

Freebase nicotine gets harsh once you go above 12mg, but nic salts don't have that problem. Even at 20mg, nic salts stay smooth because the nicotine is treated with an acid that brings the pH down. They also absorb into your body faster, so fewer puffs to feel satisfied.

What kit you use and how much you used to smoke tells you which one to grab.

Which One Suits Your Kit?

This is where most people go wrong when picking e-liquid. The type of nicotine matters less than whether it matches your hardware.

If you're using a pod kit, nic salts are the better pick nine times out of ten. If you're running a sub-ohm setup, freebase is the only sensible option at those wattages.

Which One Based on Smoking History?

Your old cigarette habit tells you more about the right choice than any spec sheet.

Our nic salt strengths guide goes deeper on choosing between 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg if you've already decided on nic salts.

Throat Hit: The Biggest Practical Difference

Forget absorption rates and pH levels for a minute though. The thing you'll actually notice day to day is how the throat hit feels.

Freebase nicotine kicks hard at the back of your throat, and at 12mg and above that kick gets seriously strong. At 18mg freebase, some people find it too harsh to vape comfortably. If you liked the scratch of a cigarette, freebase at a moderate strength gives you something close.

Nic salts barely register on your throat even at high strengths. At 20mg, the draw still feels smooth and there's none of that peppery bite you get from freebase. A lot of ex-smokers who tried freebase years ago and went back to cigarettes have had better luck switching to nic salts instead.

Neither type is better than the other on this front. It comes down to what you want from the inhale.

Can You Switch Between Them?

You can swap between nic salt and freebase in the same kit, same pod, same coil without any issues. The nicotine type doesn't change how your hardware runs at all.

Just match the mg strength and you won't notice any hardware difference. A 10mg nic salt and a 10mg freebase have the same nicotine in the bottle. The only difference is the throat hit and how fast it kicks in.

Some vapers use nic salts during the day for quick satisfaction and swap to a lower strength freebase in the evening for longer sessions. There's no rule that says you pick one and stick with it.

Quick Comparison Table