Brand guides
Quit soda by brand: pick your guide
Different sodas have different caffeine and different habits around them. Find yours below and open the guide that fits.
Not medical advice. QuitSoda is habit support for adults. If caffeine, sugar, pregnancy, medicines, or a health condition affect your plan, ask your clinician.
Short answer: Find your soda in the list and open its guide. The plan is the same for every brand: count your cans, pick an unsweetened drink for each moment, decide about caffeine, then cut back or set a quit date. What changes is the caffeine, from 0 mg in Sprite to 54 mg in Mountain Dew, so each guide starts with the numbers for that can.
Sugar and caffeine by brand
Start here if you are not sure which guide fits. The plan is the same for every brand, but the caffeine is not, so each guide begins with the numbers for that can. If you are ready to start now, join the free 30-day challenge.
| Drink | Sugar | Caffeine | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola Original | 39 g | 34 mg | How to quit Coke |
| Coca-Cola Zero Sugar | 0 g | 34 mg | How to stop drinking Coke Zero |
| Diet Coke | 0 g | 46 mg | Diet Coke withdrawal |
| Pepsi | 41 g | 38 mg | How to quit Pepsi |
| Diet Pepsi | 0 g | 35 mg | How to quit Pepsi |
| Pepsi Zero Sugar | 0 g | 38 mg | How to quit Pepsi |
| Mountain Dew | 46 g | 54 mg | How to quit Mountain Dew |
| Dr Pepper | 39 g | about 41 mg | How to quit Dr Pepper |
| Diet Dr Pepper | 0 g | about 41 mg | How to quit Dr Pepper |
| Sprite | 38 g | 0 mg | How to quit soda (no Sprite guide yet) |
Checked Nov 3, 2026. Fountain drinks, larger bottles, and other flavors can differ, so the label on your can is the final word. Full lists: caffeine in soda and sugar in a can of soda.
Pick your guide
- Coke: How to quit Coke covers the full-sugar can and the daily moments around it.
- Coke Zero: How to stop drinking Coke Zero is for zero sugar fans who still have the caffeine and the routine.
- Diet Coke and other diet sodas: how to quit diet soda, Diet Coke withdrawal for symptoms and a taper, and alternatives to Diet Coke for drinks that fit the challenge.
- Pepsi: How to quit Pepsi includes Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Zero Sugar.
- Mountain Dew: How to quit Mountain Dew starts with the highest caffeine on this list.
- Dr Pepper: How to quit Dr Pepper covers regular, diet, and zero sugar.
- Something else: how to quit soda works for any brand.
The plan is the same for every brand
- Count your cans for three days and note the time and place. The free 30-day worksheet has room for it.
- Pick an unsweetened drink for each moment. On plan are unsweetened still water, plain unsweetened sparkling water (a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime at home is fine), and unsweetened tea or coffee.
- Decide about caffeine. Keep some from tea or coffee, or taper it with the soda.
- Choose your pace. Taper one can at a time or pick a quit date.
- Clear the supply and keep the replacement where the cans used to be.
Diet, zero sugar, and flavored sparkling water all count as soda on the challenge. Stuck on why it feels so hard? Read why it is hard to stop drinking soda.
Where the brands differ most: caffeine
Caffeine in the brands above runs from none in Sprite to 54 mg in Mountain Dew. If your can has caffeine and you stop suddenly, you may get a headache or low energy for a few days. Headache after quitting soda explains the timeline and when to ask a clinician. The FDA says it is best to cut back on caffeine gradually if you drink it every day.
Sources
- Coca-Cola US: Coca-Cola Original, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, and Sprite: sugar and caffeine per 12 fl oz.
- PepsiCo product facts: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, and Mountain Dew: caffeine per 12 fl oz.
- USDA FoodData Central: Pepsi (FDC 2653655) and Mountain Dew (FDC 2560241): sugar per 12 fl oz can.
- Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts: Dr Pepper 12 fl oz, Diet Dr Pepper, and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar: calories, sugar, and caffeine per 12 fl oz (caffeine is listed as approximate).
- FDA: Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?: the 400 mg figure for most adults and the advice to cut back gradually.
- MedlinePlus (NIH): Caffeine: 12 oz cola range, withdrawal symptoms and how long they usually last, and who should check with a provider about caffeine.
Start the free 30-day challenge
Works for any brand. A welcome email, then one short email a day. No app. No credit card.
Frequently asked questions
Which soda is the hardest to quit?
There is no ranking we can back up. What makes a soda hard is usually your moments and, if it has caffeine, how much. Caffeine on this page runs from 0 mg in Sprite to 54 mg in Mountain Dew. Start with the guide for the can you drink most.
Do diet and zero sugar sodas count as soda?
On the QuitSoda challenge, yes. Diet, zero sugar, and flavored sparkling water all count as soda. On plan are unsweetened still water, plain unsweetened sparkling water (a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime at home is fine), and unsweetened tea or coffee.
Do all sodas have caffeine?
No. Coca-Cola US lists none for Sprite, Fanta, and Caffeine Free Coca-Cola. Check the label or the brand page. The FDA says caffeine added to a packaged food as its own ingredient has to be listed in the ingredients.
What if I drink more than one brand?
Start with the guide for the one you drink most and use the same plan for the rest. Count every can together when you taper, since the caffeine adds up.
Is there a guide for my soda?
There are guides for Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke and other diet soda, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Dr Pepper. If yours is not listed, how to quit soda and caffeine in soda cover any brand.