Decanting Potions for Profit in OSRS — how it works

Decanting is one of the cleanest "conversion" flips in the game: potions of the same type but different dose sizes often trade at different prices per dose, and decanting between sizes is free and lossless — so the gap is pure profit.

Where and how to decant

• Zahur in Nardah — decants any potions (noted or unnoted) into any dose, free.
• Bob Barter at the Grand Exchange — same service, but members only, super convenient since you're already at the GE.
• The only cost is 5 gp per missing vial when you split down to a smaller dose (because you end up with more potions than you started). Splitting up is free.

Why it's lossless

Doses always carry over. Combining a 3-dose with a 1-dose gives a 4-dose and an empty vial; three 4-dose potions (12 doses) become four 3-dose potions, and so on. Nothing is lost — only the packaging changes. That's what makes the flip work.

The flip

1. Find a potion whose dose sizes trade at different prices per dose (e.g. the 3-dose is cheap per dose but the 4-dose is rich per dose).
2. Buy the cheapest-per-dose size on the GE.
3. Decant to the richest-per-dose size at Zahur or Bob Barter.
4. Sell, keeping the gap minus the 2% Grand Exchange tax on the sale (and the tiny vial fee if you split down).

Honest caveats

• Per-potion margins are small; the money is in volume, which is limited by buy limits and your decanting time.
• Big "margins" on low-volume potions are usually stale prices that won't actually fill — favour liquid potions (the live board filters for this).
• It's a manual activity. Never automate the Grand Exchange or decanting — it breaks Jagex's rules.

Not affiliated with Jagex; not financial advice. Mechanics can change with updates — check the current in-game decanting service.

The dose arithmetic, worked out

Potions exist in 1, 2, 3 and 4-dose forms, and decanting rearranges doses without destroying any. Because the total dose count is conserved, the conversions are simple ratios:

The rule behind the last column: you pay 5 gp per additional vial, and you only need additional vials when you end up holding more potions than you started with — that is, when splitting down. Merging up is always free.

Compare per dose, never per potion

This is the single mistake that ruins decant calculations. A 4-dose potion at 1,000 gp and a 3-dose at 780 gp are not comparable until you divide: 250 gp per dose versus 260 gp per dose. The 4-dose is the cheaper source despite the higher sticker price.

So the flip is: find the size with the lowest price per dose, buy it, decant into the size with the highest price per dose, and sell. Your profit per dose is the gap, minus the 2% GE tax on the sale and any vial fee. A worked example at those prices: buy 4 × 3-dose (12 doses) for 3,120 gp, decant to 3 × 4-dose, sell at 1,000 gp each for 3,000 gp — that is a loss, which is exactly why you check the direction rather than assuming it. Reverse it and the numbers work.

Where to decant

• Zahur in Nardah — decants any potion, noted or unnoted, into any dose, free of charge.
• Bob Barter at the Grand Exchange — the same service, and vastly more convenient because you are already standing where you buy and sell.

Bob Barter's location is the real advantage: decanting at the GE removes the travel leg entirely, which is what makes this viable at volume. Zahur remains useful when you are already in Nardah.

Why the gap exists at all

It is a convenience premium driven by how players consume potions. 4-dose potions are what people want for a boss trip because they fill an inventory slot most efficiently, so demand concentrates there. Meanwhile 1, 2 and 3-dose potions are produced constantly as leftovers — someone drinks two doses and banks the remainder. Structurally, the awkward sizes are over-supplied and the 4-dose is over-demanded, and decanting is the arbitrage between the two.

Because the cause is structural rather than a fluke, the opportunity tends to persist — but the exact size and direction of the gap shifts constantly with supply, which is why a live board beats a fixed list.

The honest limits

• Buy limits cap you. Each potion size has its own limit, so your real ceiling is margin per potion × limit, not margin × however many you could decant.
• Margins are small per potion. This is a volume play; the per-unit profit rarely impresses.
• It costs real attention. Buying, decanting and relisting is manual work — factor your time in before comparing the hourly rate to a passive flip.
• Thin potions lie. A large gap on a rarely-traded potion is usually a stale price that will not fill.

FAQ — frequently asked questions

Is decanting potions profitable in OSRS?

Often yes, but in small amounts per potion. The profit comes from the price-per-dose gap between dose sizes, so it is a volume activity limited by buy limits and your own decanting time.

Where can I decant potions in OSRS?

Zahur in Nardah decants any potion into any dose for free, and Bob Barter does the same at the Grand Exchange. Bob Barter is far more convenient because you are already where you buy and sell.

Does decanting lose doses?

No, decanting is lossless — the total dose count is always conserved. The only cost is 5 gp per extra vial when you split into smaller doses and therefore end up with more potions than you began with. Merging into larger doses is free.

Why are 4-dose potions worth more per dose?

Convenience. Players want 4-dose potions for boss trips because they use inventory space best, while smaller doses are constantly created as leftovers. That supply and demand mismatch is the gap decanting captures.

Do I pay GE tax on decanting flips?

Yes, the usual 2% applies when you sell the decanted potions, since that is an ordinary Grand Exchange sale. Buying the original potions is untaxed.

Start flipping free — live board ↗ How the numbers work

Related guides

• OSRS Grand Exchange Tax, Explained (2% cap & exemptions)
• High-Volume vs High-Margin Flipping (and Why Public Flips Crash)
• OSRS GE Buy Limits Explained — and How to Flip Around Them