Povidone-iodine has been the default household antiseptic in India for decades, and these are its two best-known brand names. The molecule is identical and the standard strengths are identical, which makes this one of the few comparisons where the honest verdict is 'check the strength on the carton and buy the cheaper one'. What is worth knowing is not which brand, but where povidone-iodine is the wrong choice altogether.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Balaji Krishnan, MBBS · Updated September 2026
Our verdict
There is no clinical winner here, and that is the useful answer. Both are povidone-iodine at the same standard strengths — 5% solution, 10% solution, 5% ointment — so an equivalent pack does an equivalent job. Betadine carries the wider format range, including the gargle most people actually know it for. Cipladine is usually the cheaper pack of the same molecule. Buy on format and price; there is nothing to gain from paying more for the name.
Written by the PingMeDoc™ doctor team. We stock the products below — the verdict above doesn't change based on what earns us more.
Pick Betadine if…
You want a specific format — the mint gargle, a particular ointment tube size, or a surgical scrub — where Betadine's range is deeper.
Shop BetadinePick Cipladine if…
You want plain povidone-iodine for a household first-aid box and would rather not pay a brand premium for the same molecule at the same strength.
Shop Cipladine| Betadine | Cipladine | |
|---|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Povidone-iodine | Povidone-iodine |
| Standard strengths | 5% and 10% | 5% and 10% |
| Antiseptic effectiveness | Equivalent at equal strength | Equivalent at equal strength |
| Format range | Wider — gargle, scrub, ointment, solution | Narrower — mainly ointment and solution |
| Typical price for like-for-like | Higher | Lower |
| Prescription needed | No | No |
≈₹100–₹260 depending on format and pack size
The original — widest format range in Indian pharmacies
Where it loses: Costs more than equivalent generics for the same molecule and strength. The range breadth cuts both ways: the gargle, the 5% solution and the 10% solution are different products for different jobs, and people routinely buy the wrong one.
≈₹60–₹180 depending on format and pack size
Cipla's povidone-iodine — same molecule, lower shelf price
Where it loses: Narrower format range than Betadine, so the exact presentation you want may not be stocked. As with any povidone-iodine, the ointment and the solution are not interchangeable for every use.
ointment - 15 gm - 15 g
CIPLA LIMITED
Prescription required
Check delivery at checkout
ointment - 20 gm - 20 g
CIPLA LIMITED
Prescription required
Check delivery at checkout