Aspartame vs Stevia: What’s the Difference?

Hint: only one of them actually grows in the ground.

If you’re trying to cut back on sugar, you’ve probably seen these two names pop up over and over: Aspartame and stevia. 

They’re both low-calorie sweeteners. They both show up in “zero sugar” products. And they’re both sweet — but that’s about where the similarities end.

Let’s break down the key differences between the two, and why one of them has a permanent spot in every can of Sero.

🧪 Aspartame: the synthetic shortcut

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener created in a lab. It’s made from two amino acids (aspartic acid and phenylalanine) and is about 200x sweeter than sugar. It’s been widely used in diet sodas and low-calorie snacks since the 1980s.

Common products that use aspartame:

• Diet Coke

• Diet Pepsi

• Sugar-free gum

• “Light” yogurt

• Some low-calorie desserts

It’s cheap. It’s effective. But it’s also synthetic — and for some people, that’s a dealbreaker.

🍃 Stevia: the plant-based sweetener

Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant. The sweetness comes from steviol glycosides — naturally occurring compounds extracted from the leaves.

Why we love it:

• It’s plant-based and non-GMO

• It has zero calories and zero sugar

• It won’t spike your blood sugar

• It doesn’t come with the same controversies or side effects as synthetic options

At Sero, we use purified stevia extract to deliver clean, balanced sweetness — without any artificial weirdness.

⚖️ Aspartame vs Stevia — Side-by-Side

So… which one’s better?

We’re biased, but we’re also honest: If you care about what goes in your body, stevia is the better choice. It’s natural. It’s clean. And with the right formulation? It actually tastes great.

Aspartame might be everywhere — but “everywhere” doesn’t mean “good.”

Sero’s take?

We’ve never used aspartame. We never will. Because when you build a brand on zero sugar and nothing artificial, you don’t cut corners. You cut the crap.