Mountain Dew and Sprite are both carbonated soft drinks, but their standard U.S. formulas have an important difference: regular Mountain Dew contains caffeine, while regular Sprite does not.

For this comparison, Mountain Dew means the regular U.S. Mountain Dew formula and Sprite means regular U.S. Sprite, with both compared at 12 fl oz. Both brands also sell other products, so the exact flavor and formulation should always be checked.

Mountain Dew vs Sprite at a Glance

Feature	Mountain Dew	Sprite
Serving size	12 fl oz	12 fl oz
Calories	170	140
Total sugar	46 g	38 g
Caffeine	54 mg	0 mg
Sodium	60 mg	65 mg
Main flavor	Citrus	Lemon-lime
Caffeine-free	No	Yes
Zero-sugar version	Available	Available

The current U.S. Mountain Dew label lists 170 calories, 46 g total sugar, 60 mg sodium and 54 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz. (PepsiCo SmartLabel)

Coca-Cola’s current U.S. Sprite page lists 140 calories, 38 g sugar, 65 mg sodium and no caffeine per 12 fl oz. (Coca-Cola)

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Which Has More Caffeine?

This is the clearest difference.

Mountain Dew

54 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz

Sprite

0 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz

Mountain Dew’s current label lists 54 mg caffeine, while Coca-Cola identifies regular Sprite as caffeine-free. (PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

Caffeine winner: Mountain Dew

Choose Mountain Dew if you specifically want caffeine from your soda.

Choose Sprite if you want a caffeine-free soft drink.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite: Sugar

Regular Mountain Dew contains:

46 g sugar per 12 fl oz

Regular Sprite contains:

38 g sugar per 12 fl oz. (PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

Sugar winner: Sprite

Sprite has 8 g less sugar per 12-ounce serving in this comparison.

That does not make Sprite a low-sugar drink. Both regular versions contain substantial sugar.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite: Calories

Mountain Dew

170 calories

Sprite

140 calories

(PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

Calorie winner: Sprite

Sprite has 30 fewer calories per 12 fl oz in the current U.S. comparison.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite: Sodium

The current U.S. labels list:

Mountain Dew: 60 mg

Sprite: 65 mg

per 12 fl oz. (Coca-Cola)

Sodium takeaway

Sprite has 5 mg more sodium in the current U.S. labels.

That is a small nutritional difference and is not a meaningful reason by itself to choose one soda over the other.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite: Ingredients

Regular Mountain Dew’s U.S. ingredient information includes carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, concentrated orange juice, citric acid, natural flavor, caffeine and other ingredients.

Sprite’s current U.S. ingredient list includes carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium citrate and sodium benzoate. It contains no caffeine. (Coca-Cola)

The formulas are clearly different.

That doesn’t establish that one ingredient list is universally healthier than the other.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite: Taste

Taste is subjective.

Mountain Dew has a citrus-oriented flavor profile, while Sprite is a lemon-lime soft drink. Coca-Cola describes Sprite as having a crisp lemon-lime taste. (Coca-Cola)

Taste winner: Personal preference

There is no objective winner without controlled taste testing.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite for Caffeine Avoidance

This comparison is straightforward:

Drink	Caffeine per 12 oz
Mountain Dew	54 mg
Sprite	0 mg

(PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

Recommendation

Sprite is the clear choice if you want a caffeine-free soda.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite for Sugar Avoidance

Between the regular versions:

Sprite has less sugar.

Mountain Dew: 46 g

Sprite: 38 g

(PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

Recommendation

Sprite is the lower-sugar option among these regular formulas.

Neither is a low-sugar beverage.

Both brands also sell zero-sugar products, which should be compared separately if reducing sugar is the main goal.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite for Calories

The regular 12-ounce comparison is:

Mountain Dew: 170 calories

Sprite: 140 calories. (PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

Recommendation

Sprite is the lower-calorie choice among the regular versions.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite for Energy

Mountain Dew contains 54 mg caffeine, while Sprite contains none.

That means Mountain Dew contributes caffeine to your daily intake; Sprite does not. (PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

It would be inaccurate to turn that into a claim that Mountain Dew provides “better energy.”

The factual distinction is simply:

54 mg caffeine vs 0 mg caffeine.

Recommendation

Choose Mountain Dew if you specifically want caffeine from your soft drink.

Choose Sprite if you want to avoid caffeine.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite: Which Is Healthier?

There isn’t a useful universal answer without defining what matters.

For the regular 12-ounce U.S. products compared here:

• Sprite has fewer calories.
• Sprite has less sugar.
• Sprite contains no caffeine.
• Mountain Dew contains 54 mg caffeine.
• Both contain substantial sugar in their regular versions.

So it would be too broad to call one universally healthier.

A Better Comparison

Priority	Better starting point
Lower calories	Sprite
Lower sugar	Sprite
No caffeine	Sprite
Caffeine	Mountain Dew
Citrus flavor	Mountain Dew
Lemon-lime flavor	Sprite
Taste	Personal preference
Overall	Depends on your priority

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite for Kids and Teens

Regular Mountain Dew contains 54 mg caffeine per 12 ounces, while regular Sprite contains no caffeine. (PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that avoiding caffeine is the best choice for children.

Recommendation

For a child or teenager, Sprite avoids the caffeine found in regular Mountain Dew, but regular Sprite still contains 38 g sugar per 12 ounces. (Coca-Cola)

So caffeine and sugar are separate considerations.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite: Zero-Sugar Options

Both brands offer zero-sugar alternatives.

Coca-Cola’s current U.S. information lists Sprite Zero Sugar at 0 calories and 0 g sugar per 12 fl oz, with 35 mg sodium. (Coca-Cola)

Mountain Dew also sells zero-sugar products.

Therefore, if your main goal is reducing sugar or calories, the more relevant comparison is:

Mountain Dew Zero Sugar vs Sprite Zero Sugar

rather than comparing the regular products.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite for Weight Management

Neither regular soda should be treated as a weight-loss product.

The current regular 12-ounce comparison is:

Mountain Dew: 170 calories, 46 g sugar

Sprite: 140 calories, 38 g sugar

(PepsiCo SmartLabel; (Coca-Cola))

Recommendation

If calories and sugar are your main concerns, Sprite has the lower numbers among the regular products compared here.

If your goal is substantially reducing sugar, compare the zero-sugar versions instead.

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Mountain Dew vs Sprite: Product Variations Matter

Neither brand has only one formula.

Coca-Cola’s current U.S. Sprite range includes:

• Sprite
• Sprite Zero Sugar
• Sprite Chill
• Sprite Chill Zero Sugar
• Other flavor variations. (Coca-Cola)

Mountain Dew also has multiple flavors and zero-sugar products.

That means a nutrition number from one version should not automatically be applied to every product carrying the same brand name.

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Quick Decision Guide

If your priority is…	Better starting point
More caffeine	Mountain Dew
No caffeine	Sprite
Lower sugar	Sprite
Lower calories	Sprite
Citrus flavor	Mountain Dew
Lemon-lime flavor	Sprite
Zero-sugar option	Both
Taste	Personal preference
Overall	Depends on your priority

Final Verdict: Mountain Dew vs Sprite

For the regular 12-ounce U.S. products:

Mountain Dew: 170 calories, 46 g sugar, 60 mg sodium and 54 mg caffeine. (PepsiCo SmartLabel)

Sprite: 140 calories, 38 g sugar, 65 mg sodium and 0 mg caffeine. (Coca-Cola)

So:

Choose Mountain Dew if you want caffeine and prefer its citrus flavor.

Choose Sprite if you want fewer calories, less sugar and no caffeine.

Choose the zero-sugar version of either brand if reducing sugar is your primary goal.

For taste, choose based on personal preference.

The current U.S. Sprite label does list 65 mg sodium, so that figure should not be removed on the basis that it is factually wrong. Regional formulations can differ—for example, Coca-Cola’s current India Sprite page lists 10.1 mg sodium per 100 ml—which is why the article should always identify the market and exact product. (Coca-Cola)