Which is better, juice or soft drink?
They sit on the same supermarket aisle and often get lumped together in conversation, but in the UK, juice and soft drinks are legally and nutritionally distinct categories — and the difference isn't just marketing language. It's written directly into tax law.

The Core Difference

The simplest way to think about it: juice is an ingredient, while "soft drink" is a manufactured product category that sugar and flavourings are added to — sometimes using juice as one component, but never being defined by juice content alone.

An Ingredient

Juice

Liquid extracted directly from fruit or vegetables. To be legally labelled "juice" in the UK, it must be 100% fruit or vegetable content, with no added sugar.

A Product Category

Soft Drink

A broad category of non-alcoholic, manufactured beverages — sodas, lemonades, mixers, flavoured waters — typically with added sugar, sweeteners, or flavouring, whether or not juice is used as an ingredient.

The UK Sugar Tax Draws This Line Precisely

Since April 2018, the UK's Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) — better known as the "sugar tax" — has taxed manufacturers based on a drink's sugar content per 100ml. Crucially, it defines exactly what does and doesn't count as a taxable soft drink, and pure fruit juice is explicitly excluded.

Under 5g sugar / 100ml Most diet and zero-sugar drinks
No levy
5g – 8g sugar / 100ml Standard band
19.4p / litre
8g+ sugar / 100ml Higher band
25.9p / litre
Pure fruit juice No added sugar, whatever the natural sugar content
Exempt entirely

According to the Institute for Government, pure fruit juices, milk-based drinks, and drinks made by small producers are all exempt from the levy, regardless of their natural sugar content — because the tax specifically targets added sugar in manufactured soft drinks.

Tax-Exempt Doesn't Mean Sugar-Free

This is the nuance worth understanding: 100% fruit juice is exempt from the levy specifically because it contains no added sugar — but the natural fructose in juice can still add up to a similar amount of total sugar as a taxed soft drink. The legal distinction is about how the sugar got there, not how much of it exists in the glass.

What Actually Falls Under "Soft Drinks"

Once you look past the tax definition, "soft drinks" is genuinely broad — covering far more than the fizzy cans most people picture first.

Lemonade & Fruit Soda

Craft and classic carbonated drinks built around real fruit flavour combinations.

Ginger Ale & Craft Soda

Small-batch sodas, often dry-hopped or naturally brewed for a less artificial taste.

Coconut Water & Isotonic Drinks

Hydration-focused options that work well after exercise or as a lighter everyday choice.

Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Mixers

Ready-to-drink mojito, spritz, and gin & tonic-style beverages with zero alcohol content.

So, Which Should You Reach For?

Neither is automatically the "healthier" choice by default — it depends what you're comparing and why. A little context makes the decision easier.

Want vitamins alongside natural sweetness? Reach for 100% juice, in moderation.
Watching total sugar closely? Check the label either way — "no added sugar" isn't the same as "low sugar."
Hosting or entertaining? Non-alcoholic mixers and craft sodas offer more variety than either category alone.

Explore Our Soft Drinks & Juice Range

From craft sodas to non-alcoholic mocktail mixers, find your next refreshment.

Shop Soft Drinks

Frequently Asked Questions

Is smoothie the same as juice under UK rules?
No — a smoothie typically contains blended whole fruit (including fibre), whereas juice is the extracted liquid only, with the fibre-rich pulp removed. Both can be exempt from the sugar levy if no sugar is added, but they're nutritionally different products.
Does "no added sugar" mean a drink has no sugar at all?
No. "No added sugar" only means no extra sugar was introduced during manufacturing — the drink can still contain substantial natural sugar, particularly true of 100% fruit juice, which is often naturally high in fructose.
Are diet or zero-sugar soft drinks taxed under the sugar levy?
No, drinks with less than 5g of sugar per 100ml fall below the levy's lower threshold and aren't taxed, which is why many diet and zero-sugar soft drinks were specifically reformulated to sit under this line.
Why do some juice-based drinks still count as soft drinks for tax purposes?
If a drink contains juice as an ingredient but isn't 100% juice — for example, a juice drink with added sugar, water, or flavouring — it no longer qualifies for the pure juice exemption and is instead assessed under the standard soft drinks sugar bands.
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