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Our gelatin and vegetarian empty capsules, also known as pill capsules or gel caps, come in standard numerical sizes: 000, 00E, 00, 0E, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Size 000 is the largest capsule size with the highest fill capacity, while size 5 is the smallest. Most capsule filling machines are designed to be compatible with these industry-standard capsule shell sizes.

What are 00E and 0E capsules? These are elongated capsule shells, offering slightly more volume than their standard counterparts, useful when a formulation's fill weight doesn't quite fit the next size down.

Use the capsule size chart below to compare capsule dimensions, fill weight (mg), and volume capacity, and find the perfect capsule size for your formulation.

Please call us directly if you still need help: 1.866.536.2277

Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
000
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
158
Tolerance
±10
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
163
Tolerance
±10
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
1.37
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
822
0.8 g/ml
1096
1.0 g/ml
1370
1.2 g/ml
1644
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
26.1
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
1.029
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
12.95
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.510
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
22.20
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.879
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
9.91
Cap (inches)
0.390
Body (mm)
9.55
Body (inches)
0.375
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
50,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
00E
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
143
Tolerance
±10
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
152
Tolerance
±10
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
1.00
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
600
0.8 g/ml
800
1.0 g/ml
1000
1.2 g/ml
1200
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
25.3
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
0.906
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
12.95
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.510
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
22.20
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.879
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
8.58
Cap (inches)
0.338
Body (mm)
8.55
Body (inches)
0.376
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
65,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
00
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
123
Tolerance
±7
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
136
Tolerance
±7
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
0.90
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
540
0.8 g/ml
720
1.0 g/ml
900
1.2 g/ml
1080
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
23.4
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
0.921
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
11.80
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.464
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
20.20
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.796
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
8.56
Cap (inches)
0.337
Body (mm)
8.23
Body (inches)
0.322
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
75,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
0E
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
107
Tolerance
±7
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
107
Tolerance
±7
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
0.78
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
468
0.8 g/ml
624
1.0 g/ml
780
1.2 g/ml
936
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
23.5
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
0.909
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
11.68
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.460
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
20.19
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.795
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
7.65
Cap (inches)
0.301
Body (mm)
7.36
Body (inches)
0.322
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
90,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
0
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
99
Tolerance
±6
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
105
Tolerance
±6
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
0.68
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
408
0.8 g/ml
544
1.0 g/ml
680
1.2 g/ml
816
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
21.6
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
0.85
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
10.85
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.427
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
18.35
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.722
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
7.64
Cap (inches)
0.301
Body (mm)
7.35
Body (inches)
0.289
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
100,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
1
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
78
Tolerance
±5
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
79
Tolerance
±5
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
0.48
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
288
0.8 g/ml
384
1.0 g/ml
480
1.2 g/ml
576
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
19.4
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
0.764
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
9.85
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.388
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
16.40
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.645
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
6.96
Cap (inches)
0.274
Body (mm)
6.63
Body (inches)
0.29
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
125,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
2
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
61
Tolerance
±4
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
63
Tolerance
±4
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
0.36
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
216
0.8 g/ml
288
1.0 g/ml
360
1.2 g/ml
432
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
17.6
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
0.693
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
8.80
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.346
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
15.15
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.596
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
6.39
Cap (inches)
0.252
Body (mm)
6.12
Body (inches)
0.240
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
175,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
3
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
48
Tolerance
±3
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
50
Tolerance
±3
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
0.27
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
162
0.8 g/ml
216
1.0 g/ml
270
1.2 g/ml
324
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
15.7
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
0.618
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
8.00
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.315
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
13.45
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.529
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
5.85
Cap (inches)
0.230
Body (mm)
5.60
Body (inches)
0.220
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
200,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
4
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
38
Tolerance
±3
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
40
Tolerance
±3
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
0.20
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
120
0.8 g/ml
160
1.0 g/ml
200
1.2 g/ml
240
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
14.3
Tolerance (mm)
±0.3
Inches
0.563
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
6.20
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Cap (inches)
0.283
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
12.10
Tolerance (mm)
±0.35
Body (inches)
0.476
Tolerance (inches)
±0.014
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
5.33
Cap (inches)
0.210
Body (mm)
5.08
Body (inches)
0.220
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
250,000
Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size
5
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)
28
Tolerance
±2
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)
30
Tolerance
±2
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity
0.13
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
0.6 g/ml
78
0.8 g/ml
104
1.0 g/ml
130
1.2 g/ml
156
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm
11.1
Tolerance (mm)
±0.4
Inches
0.437
Tolerance (inches)
±0.016
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)
6.20
Tolerance (mm)
±0.29
Cap (inches)
0.244
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)
9.30
Tolerance (mm)
±0.29
Body (inches)
0.336
Tolerance (inches)
±0.012
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)
4.91
Cap (inches)
0.193
Body (mm)
4.68
Body (inches)
0.200
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box
350,000
Capsule Size Empty capsules size 000 Empty capsules size 00E Empty capsules size 00 Empty capsules size 0E Empty capsules size 0 Empty capsules size 1 Empty capsules size 2 Empty capsules size 3 Empty capsules size 4 Empty capsules size 5
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EMPTY CAPSULES WEIGHT
Average Weight (mg) 158 143 123 107 99 76 61 48 38 28
Tolerance ±10 ±10 ±7 ±7 ±6 ±5 ±4 ±3 ±3 ±2
Average Weight (mg) 163 152 136 107 105 79 63 50 40 30
Tolerance ±10 ±10 ±7 ±7 ±6 ±5 ±4 ±3 ±3 ±2
Capacity 1.37 1.00 0.90 0.78 0.68 0.48 0.36 0.27 0.20 0.13
EMPTY CAPSULES WEIGHT CAPACITY BY FORMULATION DENSITY
Formulation Density
0.6 g/ml 822 612 570 462 408 288 216 162 120 78
0.8 g/ml 1096 816 760 616 544 384 288 216 160 104
1.0 g/ml 1370 1020 950 770 680 480 360 270 200 130
1.2 g/ml 1644 1224 1140 924 816 576 432 324 240 156
EMPTY CAPSULES OVERALL CLOSED LENGTH
(mm) 26.1 25.3 23.4 23.5 21.6 19.4 17.6 15.7 14.3 11.1
Tolerance (mm) ±0.3 ±0.3 ±0.3 ±0.3 ±0.3 ±0.3 ±0.3 ±0.3 ±0.3 ±0.4
Inches 1.029 0.996 0.921 0.909 0.85 0.764 0.693 0.618 0.563 0.437
Tolerance inches ±0.012 ±0.012 ±0.012 ±0.012 ±0.012 ±0.012 ±0.012 ±0.012 ±0.012 ±0.016
EMPTY CAPSULES INDIVIDUAL LENGTH (CAP)
Cap (mm) 12.95 12.95 11.80 11.68 10.85 9.85 8.80 8.00 7.20 6.20
Tolerance ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.29
Cap (inches) 0.510 0.510 0.464 0.460 0.427 0.388 0.346 0.315 0.283 0.244
Tolerance ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.012
EMPTY CAPSULES INDIVIDUAL LENGTH (BODY)
Body (mm) 22.20 22.20 20.22 20.19 18.35 16.40 15.15 13.45 12.10 9.30
Tolerance ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.35 ±0.29
Body (inches) 0.879 0.879 0.796 0.795 0.722 0.645 0.596 0.529 0.476 0.366
Tolerance ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.014 ±0.012
EMPTY CAPSULES EXTERNAL DIAMETER
Cap (mm) 9.91 8.58 8.56 7.65 7.64 6.96 6.39 5.85 5.33 4.91
Cap (inches) 0.390 0.338 0.337 0.301 0.301 0.274 0.252 0.230 0.210 0.193
Body (mm) 9.55 8.25 8.23 7.36 7.35 6.63 6.12 5.6 5.08 4.68
Body (inches) 0.375 0.376 0.322 0.289 0.289 0.290 0.240 0.220 0.200 0.184
Capsules Per Box 50,000 65,000 75,000 90,000 100,000 125,000 175,000 200,000 250,000 350,000

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The Empty Capsule Size Guide

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How to read Capsuline’s Empty Capsule Size Chart

  • Capsule Weight - The total weight of the capsule, measured in milligrams (mg).
  • Volume Capacity - The total volume of the inside of the capsule in milliliters (ml) - Note 1 milliliter(ml) = 1 gram(g).
  • Weight Capacity by Formulation - The total weight capacity of the capsule measured in milligrams(mg) depending on the density of your formulation.
  • Overall Closed Length (also called locking length) - The total length of the capsule when it is fully closed and locked.
  • Individual Lengths - Measures both the body and the cap of the capsule’s in both millimeters and inches. The Body is the longer part of the capsule that is filled with your material. The Cap is shorter than the body and is placed over the body to form a complete capsule.
  • External Diameter - The total diameter of both the body and the cap.
  • Tolerance - The allowable variance in dimensions that is allowed prior to a product being considered flawed and/or unfit for sale.

Empty Capsules Size Video

We've created this video to help you understand capsule sizing

Empty Capsules Scale Chart

Capsules are categorized by sizes ranging from 5 (smallest) to 000 (largest.)
The larger the number, the smaller the capsule

What is the most popular size capsule?

Capsules 00 and 0 are the most common sizes due to their suitable size and high fill weight. Not sure whether you need size 0 or 00? Check the FAQ below for a quick comparison

FAQs

Size 5 is the smallest empty capsule size Capsuline offers, and size 000 is the largest, with the highest fill capacity. If you're not sure which size fits your formulation, our guide to choosing the right capsule size for your needs walks through how to pick the best one

Size 00 capsules are larger than size 0, with a higher weight capacity and volume — meaning they hold more powder or formulation per capsule. Compare exact dimensions and best-fit use cases in our size 0 capsule and size 00 capsule guides.

Empty capsule weight and fill capacity vary by size — see the "Average Weight (mg)" and "Volume Capacity" rows in the chart above for exact figures per size and formulation density. For more on how capsule size relates to dosage, see our guide to capsule dosage forms.

The right capsule size for a given dosage depends on the density of your formulation, not just the milligram amount, see the "Weight Capacity by Formulation Density" section of the chart above to estimate what your powder will fill per size. Our guides to capsule dosage forms and choosing the right capsule size cover this in more detail