Does Sprite Have Caffeine? (Plus Starry, 7UP, and a Full Caffeine-Free Soda List)
Roon Team
Does Sprite Have Caffeine? (Plus Starry, 7UP, and a Full Caffeine-Free Soda List)
Sprite contains 0 mg of caffeine per 12 fl oz can. Every variety of Sprite, including Sprite Zero Sugar, Sprite Chill, and Sprite Cherry, is caffeine-free. The same goes for Starry and 7UP. All three major lemon-lime sodas skip caffeine entirely, and they always have. If you grabbed a Sprite hoping for a pick-me-up, you picked the wrong can.
Below is every Sprite variant (plus its two closest competitors) broken down by caffeine, sugar, and calories, sourced from each brand's own product pages.
Every Sprite, Starry, and 7UP Variant: Caffeine, Sugar, and Calories
| Beverage (12 fl oz) | Caffeine (mg) | Sugar (g) | Calories | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprite Original | 0 | 38 | 140 | Coca-Cola |
| Sprite Zero Sugar | 0 | 0 | 0 | Coca-Cola |
| Sprite Chill Cherry Lime | 0 | 38 | 140 | Coca-Cola |
| Sprite Chill Zero Sugar | 0 | 0 | 0 | Coca-Cola |
| Sprite Cherry | 0 | 38 | 140 | Coca-Cola Product Facts |
| Starry | 0 | 39 | 150 | PepsiCo Product Facts |
| Starry Zero Sugar | 0 | 0 | 0 | PepsiCo Partners |
| 7UP Original | 0 | 38 | 140 | 7UP.com |
| 7UP Zero Sugar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7UP.com |
The short version: pick any lemon-lime soda on this list and you get exactly zero caffeine. The only real difference is sugar. Starry runs slightly higher at 39 g per can versus 38 g for Sprite and 7UP.
How Sprite's 0 mg Compares to Caffeinated Sodas
Zero is easy to say but hard to feel without a reference point. Here is Sprite stacked against the most popular caffeinated sodas, plus an 80 mg focus pouch for context.
| Beverage (12 fl oz unless noted) | Caffeine (mg) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sprite | 0 | Coca-Cola |
| Coca-Cola Classic | 34 | Coca-Cola Company |
| Pepsi | 38 | PepsiCo Product Facts |
| Dr Pepper | 41 | Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts |
| Diet Coke | 46 | Coca-Cola Company |
| Mountain Dew | 54 | PepsiCo Product Facts |
| Roon pouch (1 pouch) | 80 | Roon |
Even the most caffeinated mainstream soda (Mountain Dew, 54 mg) sits well below the FDA's general daily guidance of 400 mg for healthy adults. Sprite sits at the absolute bottom: zero. If someone told you Sprite wired them up, it was the 38 g of sugar talking, not caffeine.
What Soft Drinks Have No Caffeine?
Lemon-lime sodas are the obvious picks, but the caffeine-free soda list is longer than most people realize. Here are the major brands confirmed caffeine-free by their manufacturers:
- Sprite (all varieties), 0 mg, Coca-Cola
- Starry (regular and Zero Sugar), 0 mg, PepsiCo
- 7UP (all varieties), 0 mg, 7UP.com
- Fanta (all flavors), 0 mg, Coca-Cola
- Fresca, 0 mg, Coca-Cola
- A&W Root Beer, 0 mg, Keurig Dr Pepper
- Mug Root Beer, 0 mg, PepsiCo
- Canada Dry Ginger Ale, 0 mg
- Crush (Orange, Grape, etc.), 0 mg
Watch out for two common traps. Sunkist Orange Soda contains 19 mg of caffeine per 12 oz can, per Keurig Dr Pepper's product facts page. Most people assume all orange sodas are caffeine-free because Fanta and Crush are. Sunkist is not. And Barq's Root Beer packs about 22 mg of caffeine per can, unlike every other major root beer brand. If you are strictly avoiding caffeine, read the label, not the color.
Is Sprite or 7UP Caffeine Free?
Both are completely caffeine-free. Sprite is made by Coca-Cola; 7UP is made by Keurig Dr Pepper. Different companies, same answer: 0 mg of caffeine across every flavor in both lineups. 7UP's own site states it plainly, and Coca-Cola's ingredient FAQ confirms the same for Sprite.
The confusion usually comes from people grouping all sodas together. Colas (Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper) have caffeine. Lemon-lime sodas do not. That split is not accidental. It traces back to FDA regulation.
Does Starry Have Caffeine?
No. Starry, PepsiCo's lemon-lime soda that replaced Sierra Mist in 2023, contains 0 mg of caffeine in both its regular and Zero Sugar versions. PepsiCo confirms this directly: Starry is caffeine-free.
This matters because Starry sits in the PepsiCo portfolio next to Mountain Dew, which has 54 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. Same parent company, very different formulas. Do not assume one tells you about the other.
Will Sprite Keep You Awake? Why It Never Had Caffeine
Sprite will not keep you awake through caffeine, because it has none and never has. Coca-Cola launched Sprite in the U.S. in 1961 as a direct competitor to 7UP, which was already positioned as "The Uncola," a caffeine-free alternative to Coke and Pepsi.
The regulatory backdrop matters. Under 21 CFR 182.1180, the FDA classifies caffeine as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) specifically for cola-type beverages. A separate FDA guideline caps caffeine in soft drinks at 0.02% by weight, which works out to roughly 71 mg per 12 oz. Lemon-lime sodas were never part of that tradition. Caffeine was associated with colas from the start (Coca-Cola originally used kola nut extract), and lemon-lime brands carved out their niche by being the opposite.
That said, a can of regular Sprite still delivers 38 g of sugar, roughly 9.5 teaspoons. A rapid blood-sugar spike can produce a short burst of alertness that some people mistake for a caffeine effect. If you want actual, sustained energy without the sugar load, you will need something that contains caffeine, whether that is coffee, tea, or a caffeine pouch.
Is Sprite the Healthiest Soda?
This question comes up often, and the honest answer is that no regular soda qualifies as a health food. A 12 oz Sprite has 140 calories and 38 g of added sugar. That 38 g is just under the American Heart Association's recommended daily ceiling of 36 g for men and 25 g for women. One can and you are at or over the limit for the day.
Sprite Zero Sugar drops both numbers to zero by using artificial sweeteners. If your concern is sugar and calories, it is the lighter option. If your concern is caffeine, every Sprite variant already covers that. But "healthiest soda" is a relative claim, not an absolute one. If you are interested in how Coke Zero compares to Sprite on caffeine, we break that down separately.
The Caffeine Question Comes Down to What You Actually Want
Sprite, Starry, and 7UP are all caffeine-free. They always have been. If you are reaching for one of them, you are choosing flavor and fizz, not a stimulant. For anyone sensitive to caffeine, dealing with evening cravings for soda, or just wanting a soft drink without the jitters, lemon-lime sodas are safe picks across every brand and every variant.
If you do want caffeine, know how much you are getting. A Coke has 34 mg. A Mountain Dew has 54 mg. And the FDA considers up to 400 mg per day acceptable for most healthy adults. Choose based on the actual numbers, not the brand name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sprite Zero have caffeine?
No. Sprite Zero Sugar contains 0 mg of caffeine, 0 g of sugar, and 0 calories per 12 oz can. It matches regular Sprite's caffeine content (also zero) while cutting the sugar entirely. Coca-Cola confirms this on its product page.
Is Sprite or 7UP caffeine free?
Both are. Sprite (Coca-Cola) and 7UP (Keurig Dr Pepper) contain 0 mg of caffeine across all their varieties. This includes zero-sugar and flavored versions of both brands.
Does Starry have caffeine?
No. Starry, PepsiCo's lemon-lime soda, is caffeine-free in both its regular and Zero Sugar versions. PepsiCo confirms 0 mg of caffeine per serving.
What sodas have no caffeine?
The major caffeine-free soda brands include Sprite, Starry, 7UP, Fanta, Fresca, A&W Root Beer, Mug Root Beer, Canada Dry, and Crush. Notable exceptions: Sunkist Orange has 19 mg per can, and Barq's Root Beer has about 22 mg. Always check the label.
Will Sprite keep me awake?
Sprite has no caffeine, so it will not produce the alertness that caffeine does. However, its 38 g of sugar can cause a short blood-sugar spike that some people perceive as a temporary energy boost. This fades quickly and is not the same as caffeine's mechanism.
How much sugar is in a Sprite?
A 12 oz can of regular Sprite contains 38 g of added sugar and 140 calories. Sprite Zero Sugar has 0 g of sugar and 0 calories. Starry is slightly higher at 39 g of sugar and 150 calories.
Is Sunkist Orange caffeine-free?
No. Unlike most orange sodas (Fanta, Crush), Sunkist Orange contains approximately 19 mg of caffeine per 12 oz, per Keurig Dr Pepper. If you want a caffeine-free orange soda, Fanta or Crush are better options.
Why don't lemon-lime sodas have caffeine?
Caffeine in soft drinks traces back to cola-type beverages, which originally used kola nut extract. The FDA's GRAS classification for caffeine (21 CFR 182.1180) specifically references cola-type beverages. Lemon-lime sodas were designed as a caffeine-free alternative from the start.
When You Want the Caffeine Sprite Doesn't Have
Sprite does exactly what it is built to do: deliver lemon-lime flavor with zero caffeine. But if you landed on this page because you wanted caffeine and were hoping Sprite had some, the gap is obvious.
Roon is a zero-nicotine oral pouch that delivers 80 mg of caffeine alongside 60 mg of L-theanine, 25 mg of methylliberine (Dynamine), and 5 mg of theacrine (TeaCrine). It is not a soda and does not pretend to be one. It is a zero-sugar, zero-calorie caffeine source with a 5-to-10-minute onset designed for a 6-to-8-hour window instead of the spike-and-crash cycle you get from a sugary drink.
Where a can of Coke gives you 34 mg of caffeine buried in 39 g of sugar, and Sprite gives you 38 g of sugar with nothing else, Roon skips the sugar entirely. Tins start at $9.16 for a 12-tin subscription (that is $0.61 per pouch). It is not a soda replacement. It is what you reach for when flavor is not the point and you actually need to focus.
Related from Roon:
- Does Coke Zero Have Caffeine?
- How Much Caffeine Is in a Cup of Coffee?
- How Much Caffeine Is in a Focus Pouch? Is 80 mg Too Much?
- Caffeine Tolerance Reset
Written by Roon Team
