Attribute	Salt Nicotine	Freebase Nicotine
pH Level	5-6	7-8
Typical Strength	10-50mg/mL	0-12mg/mL
Throat Hit	Smooth, even at 50mg	Harsh above 8mg
Absorption Speed	Fast (1.8x higher Cmax)	Slower, gradual
Ideal Device	Pods, MTL, disposables	Sub-ohm, RDAs, DTL
Ideal Wattage	10-25W	40-200W
Coil Resistance	≥0.6Ω	<0.5Ω
Cost per mL	$0.33-0.60	$0.15-0.22 CHEAPER
Monthly Cost	~$18 (1mL/day)	~$16 (3mL/day) CHEAPER
FDA-Authorized Products	GLAS, JUUL, NJOY, Logic (closed)	Vuse, Logic (closed, lower strength)
Best For	Smokers switching, stealth vapers	Cloud chasers, flavor enthusiasts CLOUDS
EU/UK Max	20mg/mL	20mg/mL
US Max (practical)	50mg/mL	12mg/mL (self-limiting by harshness)