# Private label vs white label: what is the difference?

> White label is a product that already exists, supplied with your label on it. Private label is a product developed with you and sold under your name. Most brands start white label and move to private label once a product sells.

Source: https://www.nordicfunctional.com/guides/private-label-vs-white-label
Updated: 2026-10-21
Contact: info@nordicfunctional.com

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| White label | An existing product supplied with your label |
| Private label | A product developed with you and supplied under your brand. Ask us about exclusivity for your product. |
| Capsules and tablets | From 300 jars per product |
| Powders | From 100 kg per powder for an own run, 4 to 6 weeks |
| Drinks in cans | Our ready drink from 480 cans, 2.5 weeks after design approval |
| Payment | Upfront by bank transfer |

## White label: An existing product with your name on it.

White label is the fastest start. The product, the recipe and the pack already exist; your label goes on it. You choose from what is available, and you can be selling in the time it takes to approve a label and receive the stock.

Other brands can sell the same product under their own names. What makes it yours is the brand, the label and where you sell it.

## Private label: A product developed with you, sold under your name.

Private label means the product is developed with you: the flavour, the format, the pack and the label text. It is made by specialist producers and supplied under your brand.

It takes longer than white label, because the product is built for you, and it is the step most brands take once they know what their buyers want.

## Which to choose: Start with what your buyers already ask for.

If you have an audience and want to test demand, start white label with one or two products. If you already know what sells and want a product made to your own brief, go private label. You can do both: start with an existing product and move to your own when it sells.

- White label: fastest start, existing products, your label
- Private label: your own product, developed with you, under your brand
- Both: the same steps, a mock-up on the real pack, samples, then your order

## How it works: The same five steps either way.

1. Send your logo and website. Tell us the format and roughly how much you want. Your logo and your website are the brief.
2. See it on the real pack. We send a mock-up of your label on the real pack, so you see the product before anything is made.
3. Samples, then your order. You check samples first. When you are happy with them, you place your order.
4. Pay upfront. Our ready drink and stock formats are paid upfront by bank transfer.
5. We label, pack and ship. We label, pack and ship your products under your brand.

## What we need from you

- Your logo, as a vector file if you have one.
- Your website or social page, so the label matches your brand.
- The format and flavour you have in mind.
- The quantity you want to start with.
- Where you plan to sell.

## Questions

### What is the difference between private label and white label?

White label is an existing product supplied with your label. Private label is a product developed with you and sold under your brand.

### Is white label cheaper to start?

It is usually the smaller start, because the product already exists. Minimums depend on the format: capsules and tablets from 300 jars, powders from 100 kg per powder.

### Can I move from white label to private label?

Yes. Start with an existing product under your label and develop your own when it sells.

### Who makes the products?

We develop the product with you and it is made by specialist producers under your brand.