Yes, Advil and Motrin are the same medication. Both contain ibuprofen as their sole active ingredient, and over-the-counter versions of both deliver it in the same standard dose: 200 mg per tablet or caplet. The difference between them is purely a matter of branding, packaging, and the inactive ingredients used to hold the pill together.
Same Drug, Different Companies
Advil is owned by GSK (GlaxoSmithKline), while Motrin is a Johnson & Johnson brand. Both were introduced in the 1980s as ibuprofen became available without a prescription in the United States. Because they contain identical amounts of the same active ingredient, they work the same way: blocking the enzymes that produce inflammation, pain, and fever. One is not stronger or more effective than the other at the same dose.
Generic store-brand ibuprofen is also the same drug at the same strength, typically at a lower price.
Where They Actually Differ
The real differences are in the inactive ingredients, which are the fillers, coatings, and dyes that give each pill its shape, color, and shelf stability. Advil tablets use sucrose, white wax, and synthetic iron oxide in their coating, while Motrin IB tablets use polyvinyl alcohol, talc, and FD&C red no. 40 aluminum lake. These ingredients don’t affect how the ibuprofen works, but they can matter if you have a sensitivity or allergy to a specific dye or additive.
If you’ve had a reaction to one brand, check the inactive ingredients list on the other. They’re different enough that switching brands could solve the problem.
Liquid Gels Work Faster
Both Advil and Motrin sell liquid-filled capsule versions alongside standard tablets. This is where the format of the pill starts to matter more than the brand name. A meta-analysis in the Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences found that ibuprofen liquid gels deliver meaningful pain relief in about 35 minutes, compared to roughly 104 minutes for standard tablets. Both formats eventually provide the same level of relief, but the liquid gel dissolves and absorbs considerably faster.
First perceptible relief (the moment you start noticing any change) was similar between formats, around 25 to 33 minutes. The bigger gap showed up in when relief became meaningful enough to actually matter. If speed is your priority for a headache or menstrual cramps, a liquid gel from either brand will outperform a standard tablet from either brand.
Dosing Is Identical
Because the active ingredient and strength are the same, the dosing rules are interchangeable. For adults, the standard over-the-counter dose is 200 to 400 mg every four to six hours as needed. The typical ceiling for self-treating is 1,200 mg per day (six standard tablets), though doctors sometimes prescribe higher amounts for conditions like arthritis, up to 3,200 mg daily under supervision.
For children, both Children’s Advil and Children’s Motrin are liquid ibuprofen suspensions dosed by the child’s weight. Ibuprofen should not be given to babies under 6 months old. You can give it every 6 to 8 hours as needed, and the dose is the same regardless of brand. If you’re switching between Children’s Advil and Children’s Motrin mid-illness, just match the milligram dose rather than going by teaspoon volume, since concentrations can vary between product lines.
Choosing Between Them
For most people, the decision comes down to price, availability, and which bottle is already in the medicine cabinet. There is no clinical reason to prefer one brand over the other. A few practical factors worth considering:
- Cost: Generic ibuprofen is almost always cheaper than both and works identically.
- Form options: Advil sells a wider range of formats (tablets, caplets, gel caplets, liquid gels, a dual-action version with acetaminophen). Motrin’s OTC lineup is more limited.
- Dye sensitivities: The two brands use different colorants. Motrin IB tablets contain FD&C red no. 40 and yellow no. 6 aluminum lakes. Advil standard tablets avoid those dyes but use synthetic iron oxide instead. Advil gel caplets do contain FD&C red no. 40 and yellow no. 6.
You can freely switch between Advil, Motrin, and generic ibuprofen without any concern about differences in effectiveness. They are, at the molecular level, the same medicine.