Does Green Tea Have Less Caffeine Than Coffee?
Yes — a standard cup of green tea contains roughly half the caffeine of a cup of coffee. But the full answer has a genuinely interesting twist once matcha enters the picture.

The Numbers, Side by Side

An 8oz cup of green tea typically contains between 30mg and 50mg of caffeine. That's noticeably less than black tea, which averages around 55mg, and considerably less than brewed coffee, which sits between 80mg and 200mg depending on strength and preparation.

Green Tea 30mg – 50mg

Black Tea 25mg – 110mg

Coffee 80mg – 200mg

0mg 250mg per cup

These ranges are consistent with a peer-reviewed laboratory analysis published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, which tested 20 commercial tea products and found white, green, and black teas ranged from 14mg to 61mg of caffeine per serving, while herbal varieties contained none at all.

Why Green Tea Has Less Caffeine

Brewing time and water temperature

Green tea is typically brewed for a shorter time at a lower temperature than black tea or coffee, which naturally extracts less caffeine from the leaves.

You're drinking a leaf infusion, not the leaf itself

With steeped tea, the leaves are removed before drinking — only the caffeine that transferred into the water ends up in your cup, unlike ground coffee or powdered tea.

The Exception

Matcha Breaks the Rule

Matcha is made by grinding whole green tea leaves into a fine powder, which is then whisked directly into hot water rather than steeped and removed. Because you're consuming the entire leaf, matcha typically contains between 38mg and 176mg of caffeine per cup — meaning a strong serving of matcha can actually match or exceed a cup of coffee, despite coming from the same plant as much gentler green tea.

Read the Full Guide

Tea vs Coffee: Caffeine Content, Health Benefits & Which to Choose →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does brewing green tea for longer increase its caffeine content?
Yes. The longer green tea steeps and the hotter the water used, the more caffeine is extracted from the leaves into your cup. If you want a lower-caffeine cup, a shorter steep with slightly cooler water will reduce the caffeine content.
Is decaf green tea completely caffeine-free?
Not entirely — decaffeination typically removes around 90-97% of the caffeine, so a small trace usually remains. If you need to avoid caffeine completely, a herbal infusion (which isn't made from the tea plant at all) is a safer choice.
Why does matcha feel different from a strong cup of coffee, even with similar caffeine?
Matcha still contains L-theanine, the calming amino acid found throughout the tea plant, which coffee doesn't have. Even at a similar caffeine level, this combination tends to produce a steadier, less jittery lift than coffee alone.
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