Kamagra vs Viagra: Same Sildenafil, Different Approval, Dose and Price

Kamagra is often sold as "generic Viagra", and in one sense that is right: both are labelled to contain sildenafil citrate, the same drug that works the same way. The differences that matter are elsewhere. Viagra is an approved medicine in the US, UK, EU and Canada, with published trials and a regulator-checked label. Kamagra is an Indian brand that we could not find in any of those regulators' product databases, it comes mainly in a 100 mg strength that is the top recommended dose, and it costs far less than brand Viagra.

This guide compares the two on the points a buyer actually weighs: what is in them, who approved them, the evidence, strengths and forms, side effects, price and the law where you live. Numbers come from the US prescribing information for Viagra, federal price data and regulator databases, and we say where evidence for Kamagra itself is missing.

The short answer

Kamagra and Viagra share an active ingredient. If a Kamagra 100 mg tablet contains the labelled dose and releases it like the approved tablet, which no regulator has tested or verified, it should act like a Viagra 100 mg tablet. The safety rules are the same either way, including never taking it with nitrates. What you do not get with Kamagra is regulatory approval in the US, UK, EU or Canada, a 25 mg or standard 50 mg tablet in the main range, or published trials of the product itself. What you do get is a much lower price and forms such as an oral jelly that Viagra does not come in. If you are in the UK, Viagra Connect 50 mg from a pharmacy is a licensed option that needs no prescription.

Kamagra and Viagra side by side

	Viagra	Kamagra
Active ingredient	Sildenafil citrate	Sildenafil citrate (as labelled)
Maker	Developed by Pfizer; sold by Viatris in some countries	Ajanta Pharma, India
Approved by FDA, EMA, MHRA, Health Canada	Yes	No; not found in their product databases
Tablet strengths	25, 50 and 100 mg	Mainly 100 mg; Kamagra Gold also as 50 mg
Other forms	Film-coated tablet	Oral jelly, effervescent, chewable and Polo tablets
Published trials of the product	21 placebo-controlled trials in the US label	None that we could find
US pharmacy cost per 100 mg tablet	About $83.72 (brand)	Not sold in US pharmacies; generic sildenafil about $0.13

Same active ingredient, same way of working

Sildenafil blocks an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). During sexual arousal the body releases nitric oxide, which raises a messenger molecule (cGMP) in the penis that relaxes smooth muscle and lets blood flow in. PDE5 breaks cGMP down; blocking it lets the erection build and last. The Viagra label notes that sildenafil "has no effect in the absence of sexual stimulation", and the same applies to any product that contains it.

So the honest comparison is not "which drug is stronger" but "how sure can you be that the tablet contains what the label says, made to the standard the label implies". That is where approval comes in.

Who makes each one

Viagra was developed by Pfizer and approved by the FDA on 27 March 1998. Kamagra is made by Ajanta Pharma, an Indian drug company, which exports Kamagra products; a 2025 Indian report on a customs case named Kamagra Oral Jelly, Super Kamagra and Kamagra Gold among its export consignments.

Because the Kamagra name is widely copied, a pack carrying it is not proof that Ajanta made it. That is true of Viagra too, as the counterfeit section below shows.

Approval is the real difference

Viagra is approved by the FDA, authorised across the EU through the European Medicines Agency's central procedure, and licensed by the UK's MHRA and Health Canada. We checked each regulator's public database we could access in October 2026:

• FDA: no Kamagra product in Drugs@FDA or the FDA's drug listing (NDC) database.
• European Medicines Agency: sildenafil medicines such as Viagra, Vizarsin and Sildenafil Teva are listed; Kamagra is not.
• MHRA: its products database returns no results for Kamagra.
• Health Canada: no Kamagra entry in the Drug Product Database.

Approval means a regulator has assessed the product's quality data and inspected how it is made, and for a generic, that it delivers the same amount of drug into the blood as the original. Without it, you are relying on the manufacturer and on the supply chain between the factory and you.

What evidence there is for each

Viagra's US label summarises 21 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in more than 3,000 men aged 19 to 87, and sildenafil beat placebo in all 21. In four fixed-dose studies, 63%, 74% and 82% of men on 25, 50 and 100 mg reported improved erections, against 24% on placebo.

We found no published trial or bioequivalence study of Kamagra in PubMed or Europe PMC. If a Kamagra tablet contains the labelled 100 mg of sildenafil and releases it normally, the Viagra evidence should apply to it, but that link rests on the product being what it says, which no regulator in the US, UK, EU or Canada has verified.

Strengths: Kamagra starts where Viagra tops out

Viagra comes as 25, 50 and 100 mg tablets. The label recommends 50 mg for most men, taken about an hour before sex, adjusted to 100 mg or down to 25 mg depending on effect and side effects, and no more than once a day. It also recommends considering 25 mg to start in men over 65, men with liver problems or severe kidney problems, and men taking certain medicines.

Standard Kamagra tablets and the oral jelly sachets contain 100 mg, the maximum recommended dose. Kamagra Gold is also sold as a 50 mg tablet. There is no 25 mg Kamagra. A man who would be told to start at 25 or 50 mg therefore starts standard Kamagra at two to four times that dose unless he divides it (Kamagra Gold 50 mg is the only lower option, and there is no 25 mg), and a jelly sachet cannot be divided accurately.

Why the dose matters: side effects by strength

The Viagra label's fixed-dose trials show several side effects rising with the dose. Since Kamagra contains the same drug, the 100 mg column is the one that applies to standard Kamagra.

Side effect	25 mg	50 mg	100 mg	Placebo
Headache	16%	21%	28%	7%
Flushing	10%	19%	18%	2%
Indigestion	3%	9%	17%	2%
Abnormal vision	1%	2%	11%	1%
Stuffy nose	4%	4%	9%	2%

Abnormal vision, mostly a temporary colour tinge (often described as blue), sensitivity to light or blurring, went from 2% at 50 mg to 11% at 100 mg, and indigestion nearly doubled. In the label's flexible-dose trials, where men adjusted their dose, the rates were lower: headache 16%, flushing 10%, indigestion 7%. The data come from Viagra trials, not Kamagra trials.

Forms: where Kamagra offers more choice

Viagra in the US is a single blue, diamond-shaped, film-coated tablet. Kamagra comes in a wider range: standard tablets, Kamagra Gold, an oral jelly in sachets, effervescent tablets, chewable and Polo tablets, and Super Kamagra, which adds dapoxetine. Our guide to Kamagra types compares them one by one, and the Kamagra oral jelly guide covers how to take the jelly.

A different form does not mean a different drug, and dissolving forms are not immune to food. In the first of two 2025 crossover studies (45 men), a high-fat meal delayed the peak of a sildenafil 100 mg dissolving film by about 1.5 hours and cut the peak level by 45%, a larger effect than the label reports for the standard tablet. Kamagra's jelly, effervescent and chewable forms have no published data of their own.

Onset and duration are the same drug's

According to the Viagra label, sildenafil reaches its peak blood level within 30 to 120 minutes (median 60 minutes) on an empty stomach. A high-fat meal delays the peak by about 60 minutes and lowers it by 29%. Both sildenafil and its active breakdown product have a half-life of about 4 hours, and the label allows a dose anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours before sex. A Kamagra tablet would be expected to follow the same pattern only if it matches the approved tablet, which has not been tested. See how long sildenafil lasts for the trial data at 1, 4, 8 and 12 hours.

Price: what you pay for the brand

Price is the main reason people look at Kamagra. In the US, the federal NADAC survey shows the gap between brand Viagra and approved generic sildenafil, both bought by pharmacies.

Product (US pharmacy acquisition cost)	Per tablet
Viagra 100 mg (brand)	$83.72
Generic sildenafil 100 mg	$0.13
Generic sildenafil 50 mg	$0.11
Generic sildenafil 25 mg	$0.12

NADAC file dated 7 October 2026. These are what pharmacies pay, not shelf prices. The point for a US buyer is that approved generic sildenafil is already inexpensive with a prescription, so the saving from Kamagra is mainly against brand Viagra, not against licensed generics. Our US generic Viagra guide tracks these prices over time.

Counterfeits: both names are copied

Brand Viagra is counterfeited. When Pfizer ordered brand Viagra from 22 websites in 2011, 17 of the orders were counterfeit, with only 30% to 50% of the labelled sildenafil. Unlicensed brands are copied too, and outside the licensed supply chain there is no regulator tracking where a pack came from.

The UK regulator's warning applies to any unlicensed erectile dysfunction product bought online: in February 2026 the MHRA said such products "may contain no active ingredient, the wrong dose, hidden drugs or toxic ingredients", after seizing around 19.5 million doses between 2021 and 2025. More on how counterfeit rates compare by channel is in our guide to buying sildenafil online and the prescription rules.

The law where you live

• United States: sildenafil is prescription only, and Kamagra is not an FDA-approved product. The FDA's personal importation page says importing drugs for personal use is illegal in most circumstances.
• United Kingdom: Kamagra has no UK licence. Viagra Connect (sildenafil 50 mg) can be bought from a registered pharmacy after a pharmacist consultation, and other sildenafil products need a prescription.
• Canada: all sildenafil products in Health Canada's database are prescription medicines; Kamagra is not among them.
• Australia: sildenafil is Schedule 4 (prescription only), and in December 2024 the TGA declined to allow pharmacist-only sale. See is Kamagra legal in Australia for the import rules.

The safety rules are identical

Every warning on the Viagra label applies to Kamagra, because the drug is the same:

• Never take it with nitrates (such as nitroglycerin) or nitric oxide donors such as "poppers"; the combination is contraindicated because blood pressure can fall dangerously.
• Do not take it with riociguat.
• Men on alpha blockers should be stable on them first and start at 25 mg, which Kamagra does not offer.
• With ritonavir, the maximum is 25 mg in 48 hours.
• Do not combine it with another PDE5 inhibitor such as tadalafil.
• Get medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours, and stop and seek prompt care for sudden loss of vision or hearing.

Our guide to taking sildenafil safely covers each rule.

Super Kamagra is a different product

Super Kamagra adds dapoxetine, a drug for premature ejaculation, to sildenafil. It is not a stronger Kamagra. The EU product information for dapoxetine (Priligy) says it should not be used in men with erectile dysfunction who are using PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil, because of the risk of blood pressure dropping on standing (orthostatic hypotension), which can lead to fainting. No regulator in the US, UK or EU has approved the combination. If you only have erectile dysfunction, it adds a drug you do not need. The differences are set out in Super Kamagra vs Kamagra.

Which one makes sense for you

If you want a product whose quality a major regulator has checked, choose Viagra or an approved generic sildenafil, which is inexpensive in the US with a prescription. In the UK, Viagra Connect from a pharmacy is the licensed no-prescription route at 50 mg.

If you already know from previous use that 100 mg suits you and price is your main concern, Kamagra contains the same labelled drug at a lower cost, with the trade-off that its quality has not been verified by those regulators. If you have never taken sildenafil, starting at 100 mg is not what the label recommends; it suggests 50 mg for most men, available in brands such as Malegra 50 and Cenforce 50 as well as licensed generics. If you are over 65, have liver or severe kidney problems, or take alpha blockers, ritonavir, strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or erythromycin, the label suggests starting at 25 mg, which Kamagra does not offer: see a doctor first and use a licensed 25 mg sildenafil.

Buying Kamagra: practical points

1. Check the law in your country first; see the list above.
2. Know your dose. Standard Kamagra 100 mg and Kamagra Oral Jelly are both 100 mg; the jelly sachet should not be split.
3. Check the pack on arrival: manufacturer named as Ajanta Pharma, batch number, expiry date, intact blister or sachet.
4. Take no more than one dose in 24 hours, and never with nitrates.
5. Stop and get medical advice if side effects are severe or you notice any vision or hearing change.

Related guides

For other brand comparisons, see Cenforce vs Viagra and the Fildena 100 review. For an assessment of the jelly in use, read the Kamagra Oral Jelly review. For the drug itself, see what is sildenafil, and the erectile dysfunction treatment page compares all the options.

Sources

• VIAGRA (sildenafil citrate) tablets, US prescribing information, Pfizer, sections 2, 4, 5, 6.1, 7, 12 and 14. DailyMed
• US Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA and NDC directory searches for sildenafil and Kamagra (openFDA), accessed October 2026. openFDA
• European Medicines Agency. Medicines data (EPAR list), sildenafil entries, accessed October 2026. EMA
• MHRA. Products database search for Kamagra, accessed October 2026. MHRA Products
• Health Canada. Drug Product Database, accessed October 2026. Health Canada
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), 2026 file, week of 7 October 2026. data.medicaid.gov
• MHRA. 20 million illegal erectile dysfunction pills seized as MHRA warns against risky online buys, 13 February 2026. GOV.UK
• US Food and Drug Administration. Personal Importation. FDA
• Priligy (dapoxetine) EU summary of product characteristics, sections 4.4 and 4.5.
• Therapeutic Goods Administration. Notice of final decisions to amend (or not amend) the current Poisons Standard, June 2024 meetings, published December 2024. TGA
• MHRA. MHRA reclassifies Viagra Connect tablets to a Pharmacy medicine, 28 November 2017. GOV.UK
• Pham et al. Food effect on pharmacokinetic profiles of sildenafil 100 mg oral films in healthy male volunteers: results from two randomized, single dose, crossover studies. Sexual Medicine 2025. PMID 41287751.
• Campbell N et al. Internet-ordered Viagra (sildenafil citrate) is rarely genuine. Journal of Sexual Medicine 2012. PMID 22925379.
• Medical Dialogues. Ajanta Pharma gets relief in erectile dysfunction drug export case, 31 July 2025. Medical Dialogues

This guide is for information only and is not medical or legal advice. Sildenafil is a prescription medicine in most countries; speak to a doctor or pharmacist before using it.