Pendulum Alternatives (2026): Personalized and Targeted Options
Quick answer: It depends on what you want. For a probiotic built from your own gut data, the alternative is Flore (formerly Sun Genomics): a CLIA-certified partner lab tests your stool, and Flore manufactures a probiotic and prebiotic formula from your results, then updates it when you retest. For another ready-made, targeted option with no test, there is GoodOnes from Flore. For one daily formula for everyone, Seed DS-01 or Ritual Synbiotic+.
Pendulum does serious work on specific strains, Akkermansia above all. If you are looking past it, the real question is whether you want another fixed product or a formula built from your own gut. Here is the map.
Pendulum alternatives at a glance
| Option | What it is | Built from your gut data? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flore | A gut test run by a CLIA-certified partner lab, then a probiotic and prebiotic formula made for you (up to 68 curated strains, 40+ prebiotics), as capsules or powder | Yes. The formula is manufactured from your results and updated when you retest | People who want a formula built for them, or who tried one-formula probiotics and could not tell what they did |
| Flore GLP Program | An OATS urine test and a gut test, plus 3 months of personalized Flore probiotics and The GLP One, for people who choose to use a GLP-1 or a peptide | Yes | Knowing your baseline, retesting, and sharing results with your clinician |
| GoodOnes™ (from Flore) | Ready-made targeted synbiotics, one job each, no test. $49 for one, $90 for two, $179 for four | No. Targeted, not personalized | A simple first step, before or alongside a Flore formula |
| Seed DS-01 | One 24-strain daily synbiotic with a non-fiber prebiotic | No. Same formula for everyone | General daily support, no test |
| Ritual Synbiotic+ | One 3-in-1 capsule: prebiotic, probiotic (LGG and BB-12) and postbiotic (tributyrin) | No. Same formula for everyone | A simple daily synbiotic |
Where Pendulum is strong
Pendulum builds products around specific strains, including Pendulum Akkermansia, Glucose Control, Metabolic Daily and GLP-1 Probiotic. If you want one well-defined strain product for a metabolic goal and you don't want to test, it is a credible pick.
How to choose
- One metabolic goal, no test? A fixed strain product like Pendulum's fits.
- Want something ready-made and simple? GoodOnes from Flore, $49 to start.
- Want the formula built for your gut? Test first, then get a formula made from the result. That is Flore.
How the Flore option works
- Test. You collect a stool sample at home. A CLIA-certified partner lab sequences it. Flore does not run lab tests itself. Already have results from a professional test? Flore can build from those.
- Build. Flore manufactures a probiotic and prebiotic formula from your results, chosen from up to 68 curated strains and 40+ prebiotics.
- Retest. You test again, see what changed, and the formula changes with you.
What it costs. Microbiome Test-to-Treat, test included: from $109.75/mo for 6 months ($658.50 total), or $128/mo for 3 months ($384 total). Bringing your own results: $99/mo for 3 months ($297 total). Fixed terms, nothing auto-renews.
Track record. Flore Inc. (formerly Sun Genomics) has served 18,700+ guts and made 40,000+ personalized formulations. Its research includes a 2024 pilot open-label study in mSystems (PMID 38661344; not a randomized controlled trial) and a 2021 IBS study in mSystems (PMID 34726487). Rated 4.6 on Trustpilot.
Build your formula from your gut data →
Related: Flore vs Pendulum · Seed DS-01 alternatives · Personalized vs one-size probiotics · GLP-1, probiotics and weight · Best personalized probiotic 2026
Frequently asked questions
What are good alternatives to Pendulum probiotics?
It depends on what you want. For a probiotic built from your own gut data, the alternative is Flore (formerly Sun Genomics): a CLIA-certified partner lab tests your stool, and Flore manufactures a probiotic and prebiotic formula from your results, then updates it when you retest. For another ready-made, targeted option with no test, there is GoodOnes from Flore. For one daily formula for everyone, Seed DS-01 or Ritual Synbiotic+.
Is there a personalized alternative to Pendulum?
Yes. Flore makes one. Pendulum sells fixed products chosen by goal. Flore builds a formula from your gut test, chosen from up to 68 curated strains and 40+ prebiotics, and changes it when you retest.
Is there an alternative to Pendulum for people on a GLP-1?
Flore's GLP Program is for people who choose to use a GLP-1 or a peptide: an OATS urine test and a gut microbiome test, plus 3 months of personalized Flore probiotics and The GLP One, $235/mo for 3 months ($705 total) or $605 paid in full. A probiotic is not a GLP-1 medicine and does not act like one, and Flore does not sell GLP-1 medications.
Does Pendulum require a microbiome test?
No. Pendulum's products are picked by goal, with no gut test. Flore starts from a gut test so the formula is built from your results.
Sources: Pendulum product range; Seed DS-01 product page; Ritual Synbiotic+ product page; Flore GLP Program; Phan et al., mSystems 2024.
This page is general wellness information and is not medical advice. Flore products are dietary supplements. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Individual results vary. Pendulum, Akkermansia (product name), Seed, DS-01, Ritual and Synbiotic+ are trademarks of their respective owners; comparisons use information those companies publish, checked November 6, 2026.