Does Sprite Have Caffeine? No — Here’s What’s in It (2026)

Last reviewed: November 2026. Reflects the U.S. Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar labels (12 fl oz can). Caffeine figures for other sodas are per 12 fl oz from their current U.S. labels and manufacturers’ published amounts.

No. Sprite has no caffeine, and it never has. Regular Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar both have 0 mg, and caffeine doesn’t appear anywhere on the ingredient list. That’s the whole answer, and it’s one people keep asking because Sprite sits in the same cooler as Coke, comes from the same company, and looks a lot like Mountain Dew and Mello Yello, which are loaded with it. What’s worth knowing is what Sprite has instead: 38 grams of corn syrup in a 12-ounce can, a preservative, and a label that’s nearly identical to 7 Up’s. Here’s the full can, the citrus sodas that do contain caffeine, and the one line on any label that tells you for certain.

Quick answer: does Sprite have caffeine?

What’s in Sprite instead

Three things to notice. There are six ingredients and none of them is caffeine; a cola’s list has caffeine near the end, and Sprite’s simply stops without it. High fructose corn syrup is second, which is where all 140 calories and 38 grams of sugar come from, more than the American Heart Association suggests a child have in a whole day. And there’s no color at all, which is why Sprite has been sold in clear bottles since 2022 and why it’s often the soda people reach for when they want something that feels lighter. It isn’t lighter; it’s just clear.

Sprite ingredients, briefly

Carbonated water Fine

The base, about nine-tenths of the can.

High fructose corn syrup Flagged, 38 g

The only thing in Sprite that does anything to your body. 38 g in a can is roughly 9½ teaspoons, close to a can of Coke’s 39 g. Daily sugared soda is consistently linked to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver in large studies; the type of sugar matters much less than the dose. Our high fructose corn syrup breakdown covers the research.

Citric acid, natural flavors Fine

The lemon-lime tartness and flavor. Citric acid makes Sprite acidic enough to soften tooth enamel when it’s sipped slowly; it’s the same acid in lemon juice.

Sodium citrate Fine

Buffers the acidity so the drink tastes rounder. Adds a little sodium.

Sodium benzoate Preservative

Keeps mold and yeast out of an acidic drink. It can form trace benzene when it’s combined with vitamin C, which Sprite doesn’t contain. Our sodium benzoate breakdown explains when that matters. The full line-by-line is in our Sprite ingredients post.

Does Sprite Zero Sugar have caffeine?

No. Sprite Zero Sugar is also 0 mg. It swaps the corn syrup for two sweeteners, aspartame and acesulfame potassium, and uses potassium citrate and potassium benzoate in place of the sodium versions. Because it contains aspartame, the can carries the phenylketonurics warning. Zero calories, zero sugar, zero caffeine.

The flavored and limited-edition Sprites that come and go (cherry, tropical, winter spiced cranberry) have also been caffeine-free, but special editions are exactly where a formula can change. Read the ingredient list on the can in your hand.

The citrus and clear sodas that do have caffeine

The confusion is understandable, because the soda aisle doesn’t sort by caffeine. Three drinks that sit next to Sprite and look like cousins all contain it.

Mountain Dew has 54 mg per 12 oz, more than a can of Coke (34 mg) or Pepsi (38 mg). It’s citrus-flavored, bright yellow-green, and the most caffeinated mainstream soda. Mello Yello, Coca-Cola’s answer to it, has 51 mg. And Sunkist orange soda contains caffeine that the front of the can never mentions, unlike Fanta Orange, which has none.

On the caffeine-free side with Sprite: 7 Up, PepsiCo’s Starry, Fanta, most ginger ales, and most root beers (Barq’s is the well-known exception). If you’re comparing lemon-limes, Sprite and 7 Up are close to the same drink; 7 Up skips the preservative.

How to check any can in five seconds

You don’t need to memorize a list. When caffeine is added to a food or drink sold in the U.S., the FDA requires it to appear in the ingredient list by name. If the word “caffeine” isn’t on the label, none was added. What the rule doesn’t require is the amount; sodas almost never print milligrams, which is why companies’ own nutrition pages and posts like this one fill that gap. The one wrinkle is energy drinks and teas, where caffeine also arrives through guarana, green tea extract, yerba mate, or coffee, and you’ll often see “caffeine from all sources” stated on the can. Sodas like Sprite don’t use those ingredients.

Caffeine in popular sodas

For scale, an 8 oz cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg, and the FDA’s guidance for healthy adults is up to 400 mg a day. Even the most caffeinated soda here is a modest dose; the sugar column is the one that adds up.

Is Sprite a good caffeine-free choice?

The concerns, ranked by evidence:

1. Sugar. 38 g per can; daily sugared soda is the habit the research consistently links to metabolic disease.
2. Teeth. Acid plus sugar, sipped slowly. Clear sodas are just as erosive as dark ones.
3. Sodium benzoate. A preservative with one chemistry footnote (benzene with vitamin C) that doesn’t apply to Sprite’s formula.
4. Caffeine. None. Not a concern.

Sprite for kids, pregnancy, and sleep

Kids: no caffeine, which is why it’s the default party soda. One can is still more added sugar than the AHA’s 25 g daily limit for children. A small cup, not a can, is the reasonable serving.

Pregnancy: caffeine guidance in pregnancy is under 200 mg a day; Sprite contributes none. The sugar is the thing to weigh, especially with gestational diabetes.

Sleep: no caffeine means no effect on sleep from the drink itself, which makes Sprite or Sprite Zero a fine evening soda for people who are sensitive to caffeine.

Cleaner alternatives

For the same lemon-lime taste without the sugar: Sprite Zero Sugar or 7 Up Zero Sugar. For no sweeteners at all: unflavored sparkling water with a squeeze of lime, or a lemon-lime sparkling water. For a soda with real fiber and a few grams of sugar: Olipop or Poppi. Their fruit flavors are caffeine-free; if you pick a cola flavor, check the can.

This article is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about your individual nutrition needs.