Benzodiazepines compared

Compare all 21 benzodiazepines side by side, used for conditions such as sleep initiation and maintenance disorders, anxiety disorders, catatonia. Benzodiazepines are the Benzodiazepine class. They share one FDA-defined mechanism but differ in approved uses, prescription status, brand-vs-generic options, price, and FDA recall-safety record — which our independent rating scores. The highest-rated is flurazepam hydrochloride.

9 of 21 drugs in this class carry a pharmaranks safety score, ranging 60–72 out of 100 — computed from FDA recall records, not from reviews.

Rated against independent sources·Last updated July 30, 2026·How we rate

Top-rated benzodiazepine: 1. Flurazepam Hydrochloride · 2. Lorazepam · 3. Temazepam

Benzodiazepine drugs compared side by side, with pharmaranks' FDA recall-safety rating
Drug	Generic	Form	Status	Used for	Safety ratingFDA recall-based	Pharmacy pays
Flurazepam Hydrochloride	—	Capsule	Prescription	Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders	72/100	—
Lorazepam	—	Injectable	Prescription	Anxiety Disorders, Catatonia	72/100	$1
Temazepam	—	Capsule	Prescription	Depressive Disorder, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders	72/100	$3
Nayzilam	Midazolam	Spray/Inhaler	Prescription	Anxiety Disorders, Psychomotor Agitation	70/100	$0
Onfi	Clobazam	Suspension	Prescription	Seizures, Lennox Gastaut Syndrome	70/100	$7
Ativan	Lorazepam	Injectable	Prescription	Anxiety Disorders, Catatonia	66/100	$1
Diazepam	—	Injectable	Prescription	Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium, Muscle Spasticity	66/100	$1
Halcion	Triazolam	Tablet	Prescription	Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders	60/100	$10
Midazolam Hydrochloride	—	Injectable	Prescription	Anxiety Disorders, Psychomotor Agitation	60/100	$0
Clonazepam	—	Tablet	Prescription	Bipolar Disorder, Dysarthria	Not yet rated	$1
Diastat	Diazepam	Topical	Prescription	Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium, Muscle Spasticity	Not yet rated	$1
Diastat Acudial	Diazepam	Topical	Prescription	Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium, Muscle Spasticity	Not yet rated	$1

The safety rating column is unique to pharmaranks — an independent 0–100 score from FDA regulatory recall data. Higher is safer. Not medical advice.

Best benzodiazepine by condition

for sleep initiation and maintenance disorders for anxiety disorders for catatonia for depressive disorder for partial epilepsies for psychotic disorders

Full ranking · 21 drugs

Frequently asked questions

What is the Benzodiazepine drug class?

Benzodiazepine is an FDA Established Pharmacologic Class (EPC) — a group of drugs that share a mechanism of action. pharmaranks lists 21 Benzodiazepine products, each independently rated.

Are all Benzodiazepine drugs the same?

No. Benzodiazepine drugs share the same core mechanism — that is why they sit in one FDA class — but they differ in their approved uses, available forms, whether they are prescription or over-the-counter, brand-vs-generic options and price, and their FDA recall-safety record.

Is "benzodiazepines" the same as the Benzodiazepine class?

Yes — "benzodiazepines" is the everyday name for the Benzodiazepine drug class. This page compares the 21 benzodiazepines pharmaranks rates, with our independent FDA recall-safety score for each.

What conditions do Benzodiazepine drugs treat?

Per NIH RxClass drug-classification data, Benzodiazepine drugs are used for conditions including sleep initiation and maintenance disorders, anxiety disorders, catatonia, depressive disorder, epilepsies, partial, psychotic disorders.

Which Benzodiazepine drug is best-rated?

By our independent rating, flurazepam hydrochloride currently ranks highest among Benzodiazepine drugs. Ratings are based on FDA regulatory (recall-safety) data — always consult a professional.

Sources: the Benzodiazepine class definition and its member drugs come from the U.S. NLM RxClass (Established Pharmacologic Class); how the class works is summarized from Benzodiazepines — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH). Ratings are pharmaranks’ independent FDA recall-safety analysis.