McDonald's iced coffee vs Red Bull: which has more caffeine?

McDonald's iced coffee has more caffeine than Red Bull on both counts: 133mg per 11.5 oz medium against 80mg per 8.4 oz can, and about 12mg per fluid ounce against 10. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

These are different categories of drink, which changes how the caffeine arrives. Energy drinks and sodas list an exact number because caffeine is a measured additive; brewed drinks vary with the beans and the brew, so their figures are compiled averages. The numbers here are the standard published values for each.

McDonald's iced coffee vs Red Bull: the numbers

Sources: McDonald's iced coffee's figure is verified in our McDonald's iced coffee caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); Red Bull's figure is verified in our Red Bull guide against Red Bull label / Caffeine Informer (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Red Bull when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and McDonald's iced coffee when you actually need the bigger hit and know your tolerance. If you are stacking either with other caffeinated drinks through the day, run the math against the 400mg reference rather than guessing.

For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. Tolerance and health vary, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.

Related reading

• McDonald's iced coffee: the full caffeine guide
• Red Bull: the full caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Does McDonald's iced coffee or Red Bull have more caffeine? McDonald's iced coffee: 133mg per 11.5 oz medium versus 80mg per 8.4 oz can for Red Bull.

Which is stronger per ounce? McDonald's iced coffee, at about 11.6mg per fluid ounce versus 9.5mg for Red Bull.