If you are deciding between using Noopept vs Oxiracetam, chances are that you have some familiarity with cognitive enhancement supplements already.
Noopept and Oxiracetam are two of the more powerful nootropic supplements that people will upgrade to after using Piracetam. Oxiracetam has a potency about 5 times that of Piracetam and Noopept is famously considered over 1,000 times stronger than Piracetam.
But this is not the only factor to look at when deciding between Oxiracetam vs Noopept. What is more important is considering their specific benefits and matching yourself with the right supplement based on your goals and needs.
It is interesting to note that while Oxiracetam and Noopept both produce a number of similar cognitive effects, they do have some significant differences. Knowing these differences and similarities are the key to deciding which one would be the best fit for you between Noopept or Oxiracetam.



- Supports memory, focus & mood
- Boosts mental alertness & energy
- Increases BDNF & promotes brain health
Noopept Comparison:
Related Topics
- What is Noopept?
- User Reviews
- Reported Benefits
- How it Works
- Negative Side Effects
- Typical Experiences
- Recommended Dosage
- Best Way to Take
- Stacking with Choline
- Recommended Nootropic Stacks
- Purchasing Guide
- What is Oxiracetam?
- Dosage Guide
- Reviews
- Oxiracetam Effects
- Side Effects & Safety
- Experience Reports
- Where to Purchase
A number of different studies have shown that Noopept is very effective at improving memory, learning, and recall.
Of particular note is that this supplement facilitates both the early stages of memory formation as well as the stages of memory consolidation and retrieval.
This is important for maintaining long-term connections between your neurons and ensuring that those connections are not pruned away. Among Nootropics, this is fairly unique, since most memory-boosting supplements only focus on the early stages of short-term memory.
The speed of recall is also enhanced when taking Noopept powder. Sometimes, users report being able to recall everything from full dreams to minute details of conversations.
This supplement is also very neuroprotective. In other words, it can help to prevent brain damage in cases ranging from oxidative stress to apoptosis. It has even been show to help reverse (and prevent further) damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
This may also be related to Noopept working as a powerful anti-oxidant. It also helps to remove excess calcium from the brain which is important for balancing the process by which neurotransmitters are released from your neurons.
Another area of benefit is related to an increase in levels of Nerve Growth factor (NGF) and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). NGF is responsible for the growth and survival of a number of different types of neurons, while BDNF actually helps to keep existing neurons in good health and encourages their growth and specialization.
BDNF is also believed to be very important in the development of long-term memory. Research continues to suggest that Noopept also forms more connections between the two hemispheres of the brain, helping to increase communication, problem solving, creative thinking and also improve memory.
Noopept Method of Action:
While the specific method of action(s) is still not completed understood, Noopept is thought to work by acting primarily upon glutamate receptors within the brain. After it is ingested, the supplement is absorbed through the GI tract with a very high degree of oral bioavailability.
It easily penetrates the blood-brain barrier and reaches maximum concentration within the brain in as little as 15-20 minutes.
The supplement then actually binds to the glutamate AMPA receptor sites. This allows for this important neurotransmitter to move more freely between brain cells. It is this binding and moving action that is thought to be primarily responsible for most of the cognitive enhancing effects of Noopept supplements.
Noopept can be stacked with everything from Choline supplements like Citicoline or Alpha GPC to Smart Drugs such as Modafinil and Adrafinil.



- Heightens focus, alertness & perception
- Promotes analytical thinking & memory
- Boosts energy & reduces mental fatigue
Oxiracetam Comparison:
Oxiracetam is a water soluble Nootropic supplement that can help to improve cognitive functioning. Oxiracetam is affectionately referred to as the logic enhancer, ideal for people studying highly technical subject matters like math, engineering or the sciences. Taking Oxiracetam includes improved thinking in the areas of computation, data manipulation, and analytical reasoning.
This enhanced left brain functioning is felt in users differently and can range from slight to significant. Oxiracetam also possess most of the same benefits seen in Piracetam with regards to improved knowledge retention, increased memory and better ability of the brain to form abstract connections.
It is also thought to be a central nervous system stimulant, but only slightly. Many researchers feel this is what is responsible for an overall improved sense of motivation and generally faster speed of thought processes. This might also explain why Oxiracetam is the nootropic that most students will turn to as a study pill or smart drug.
Unlike other Racetams, Oxiracetam does not seem to have as many effects on mood enhancement and anxiety levels. According to many Oxiracetam reviews, one of the first benefits a user is likely to notice will be heightened sensory perceptions. While this does happen with other Nootropics, this one is a bit unusual in the fact that it affects hearing and sound primarily. Treble is particularly effected.

- Focus longer, clear brain fog & feel more motivated
- Boost energy, alertnes & memory
- Contains 12 safe and natural nootropic ingredients
Oxiracetam Method of Action:
This supplement affects the production of several key neurotransmitters within the brain – glutamate and acetylcholine.
Glutamate itself is a non-essential amino acid that plays a vital role in a number of cognitive processes including memory formation, learning, and sustaining neuron transmissions.
Acetylcholine is the only neurotransmitter used in the motor division of the somatic nervous system, playing an important part in the ability to sustain attention in the CNS.
Oxiracetam is also able to cross the blood-brain barrier and then reach its intended target very quickly. It binds to receptor sites for both of the major neurotransmitters listed above, helping these powerful chemicals to influence a number of cognitive processes.
Like Noopept, Oxiracetam modulates the receptors to make them more sensitive to sustained stimulation from these neurotransmitters. This compound may also play a role in increasing the amount of acetylcholine that is released at the synaptic vesicle by influencing calcium channels.
Oxiracetam performs well when stacked with Choline, but it is also commonly taken alongside Aniracetam or Piracetam to provide a more well-rounded set of benefits.
Comparison of Oxiracetam vs Noopept
The bottom line is that which supplement to take between Noopept and Oxiracetam is an intensely personal decision. Both Oxiracetam and Noopept are effective at boosting overall cognitive power and are very safe and generally well-tolerated.
Noopept tends to be more powerful for improving your fluid intelligence, but not everyone will have the exact same experience. Oxiracetam powder has an edge over Noopept for very analytical reasoning tasks such as if you were studying for the LSATs or GMATs.
Noopept also poses some benefits for anxiety and improving your mood that Oxiracetam does not provide. If you are looking solely for enhanced sensory perception, especially related to sound and hearing, then Oxiracetam is probably the best choice.
Other than that, both of these supplements do produce fairly similar results. Why not give them both a try and see which works best for you?
- Lecaillon JB, Dubois JP, Coppens H, Darragon T, Theobald W, Reumond G, Beck H. Pharmacokinetics of oxiracetam in elderly patients after 800 mg oral doses, comparison with non-geriatric healthy subjects. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 1990
- Hlinák Z, Krejcà I. Oxiracetam prevented the scopolamine but not the diazepam induced memory deficits in mice. Behav Brain Res. 2002
- Cavoy A, Van Golf-Racht B, Delacour J. Relationships between arousal and cognition-enhancing effects of oxiracetam. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1994
- Perucca E, Albrici A, Gatti G, Spalluto R, Visconti M, Crema A. Pharmacokinetics of oxiracetam following intravenous and oral administration in healthy volunteers. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 1984
- Nardella C, Terracina L, Brunetti M, Avellini L, De Medio GE, Gaiti A, Belfiore P, Mariani O. Choline incorporation into phospholipids in brain areas from spontaneously hypertensive rats: effect of oxiracetam treatment. Farmaco. 1991
- Pugliese AM, Corradetti R, Ballerini L, Pepeu G. Effect of the nootropic drug oxiracetam on field potentials of rat hippocampal slices. Br J Pharmacol. 1990
- Ammassari-Teule M, D'Amato FR, Sansone M, Oliverio A. Avoidance facilitation in adult mice by prenatal administration of the nootropic drug oxiracetam. Pharmacol Res Commun. 1986
- Raiteri M, Costa R, Marchi M. Effects of oxiracetam on neurotransmitter release from rat hippocampus slices and synaptosomes. Neurosci Lett. 1992
- Ostrovskaia RU, Mirzoev TKh, Firova FA, Trofimof SS, Gudasheva TA, Grechenko TN, Gutyrchik EF, Barkova EB. [Behavioral and electrophysiological analysis of the choline-positive effect of nootropic dipeptide acylproline (GVS-111)]. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2001
- Uyanaev AA, Fisenko VP, Khitrov NK. Effect of noopept and afobazole on the development of neurosis of learned helplessness in rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2003
- Radionova KS, Belnik AP, Ostrovskaya RU. Original nootropic drug noopept prevents memory deficit in rats with muscarinic and nicotinic receptor blockade. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2008
- Ostrovskaia RU, Liapina LA, Pastorova VE, Mirzoev TKh, Gudasheva TA, Seredenin SB, Ashmarin IP. [Multicomponent antithrombotic effect of the neuroprotective prolyl dipeptide GVS-111 and its major metabolite cyclo-L-prolylglycine]. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2002
- [No authors listed] [The dynamics of behavioral and neuroreceptor effects after acute and long-term noopept administration in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice]. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2014
- Jia X, Gharibyan AL, Ã-hman A, Liu Y, Olofsson A, Morozova-Roche LA. Neuroprotective and nootropic drug noopept rescues α-synuclein amyloid cytotoxicity. J Mol Biol. 2011
- Ostrovskaia RU, Liapina LA, Pastorova VE, Mirzoev TKh, Gudasheva TA, Seredenin SB, Ashmarin IP. [Multicomponent antithrombotic effect of the neuroprotective prolyl dipeptide GVS-111 and its major metabolite cyclo-L-prolylglycine]. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2002
- Trofimov SS, Voronina TA, Guzevatykh LS. Early postnatal effects of noopept and piracetam on declarative and procedural memory of adult male and female rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2005
- Ostrovskaia RU. [Evolution of the neuroprotection concept]. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2003
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment
4 Comments
Can you take Noopept and Oxiracetam together?
Hey Jason,
Yes that’s an effective stack – as are any of the Racetam/Noopept combos. It would be a good idea to add some choline to that stack like Citicoline or Alpha GPC.
How many Nootropics can you stack at a single time?
Hi Kody,
I would recommend that you start with stacking a maximum of two within the Racetam class. While there is no established number of the maximum nootropics that you can stack, there will be a point at which a diminishing return is experienced. It’s better to start simple and test to determine what is actually working.