Retinoid drugs compared

Compare all 13 Retinoid drugs side by side, used for conditions such as acne vulgaris, facial dermatoses, leukemia, promyelocytic, acute. 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 retin-a.

6 of 13 drugs in this class carry a pharmaranks safety score, ranging 66–74 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 retinoid: 1. Retin-A · 2. Fabior · 3. Avage

Retinoid drugs compared side by side, with pharmaranks' FDA recall-safety rating
Drug	Generic	Form	Status	Used for	Safety ratingFDA recall-based	Pharmacy pays
Retin-A	Tretinoin	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Facial Dermatoses	74/100	$1
Fabior	Tazarotene	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Psoriasis	72/100	$7
Avage	Tazarotene	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Psoriasis	70/100	$7
Tazarotene	—	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Psoriasis	70/100	$7
Tazorac	Tazarotene	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Psoriasis	70/100	$7
Tretinoin	—	Capsule	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Facial Dermatoses	66/100	$1
Absorica	Isotretinoin	Capsule	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Leukemia	Not yet rated	$153
Absorica Ld	Isotretinoin	Capsule	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Leukemia	Not yet rated	$153
Arazlo	Tazarotene	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Psoriasis	Not yet rated	$7
Atralin	Tretinoin	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Facial Dermatoses	Not yet rated	$1
Differin	Adapalene	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris	Not yet rated	$1
Retin-A-Micro	Tretinoin	Topical	Prescription	Acne Vulgaris, Facial Dermatoses	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 retinoid by condition

for acne vulgaris for facial dermatoses for acute promyelocytic leukemia for hyperpigmentation for psoriasis for leukemia

Full ranking · 13 drugs

Frequently asked questions

What is the Retinoid drug class?

Retinoid is an FDA Established Pharmacologic Class (EPC) — a group of drugs that share a mechanism of action. pharmaranks lists 13 Retinoid products, each independently rated.

Are all Retinoid drugs the same?

No. Retinoid 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.

What conditions do Retinoid drugs treat?

Per NIH RxClass drug-classification data, Retinoid drugs are used for conditions including acne vulgaris, facial dermatoses, leukemia, promyelocytic, acute, hyperpigmentation, psoriasis, leukemia.

Which Retinoid drug is best-rated?

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

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