Vidalista (tadalafil) vs Viagra: the facts for UK patients
Reviewed by the My London Pharmacy clinical team
·21 October 2026
·6 min read
·Reviews on Trustpilot
Quick answer
Vidalista and Viagra contain different drugs. Viagra is licensed sildenafil; Vidalista is tadalafil made in India without a UK licence and sold online at doses far above the UK maximum. Tadalafil lasts longer than sildenafil, which is the real reason some men prefer it, and licensed tadalafil from a registered UK pharmacy offers exactly that with a prescriber check and a known dose.
Two different drugs, not two versions of one
Vidalista is advertised as a cheaper, longer-lasting alternative to Viagra, and many men assume it is a generic version of the same tablet. It is not. Viagra contains sildenafil, licensed in the UK since 1998 and now available as inexpensive generic sildenafil. Vidalista is a brand name used by Centurion Laboratories in India for tablets containing tadalafil, the drug in Cialis.
So there are really two comparisons hiding in the question. The first is tadalafil against sildenafil, which is a fair clinical comparison with real differences. The second is an unlicensed import against a licensed medicine, which is not a close contest at all.
Tadalafil vs sildenafil: the real differences
Both are PDE5 inhibitors. They relax the smooth muscle in the penis so that blood flow increases in response to sexual stimulation; neither produces an erection without arousal and neither changes desire. The practical differences are in duration, food and dosing pattern.
- How long they last. Sildenafil is effective for roughly four to five hours. Tadalafil has a half-life of about 17.5 hours and can work for up to 36 hours.
- Food. A heavy or fatty meal delays sildenafil noticeably. Tadalafil is much less affected.
- Daily dosing. Tadalafil is licensed at 2.5 mg or 5 mg once a day for men who are sexually active more than twice a week or prefer spontaneity. Sildenafil is only licensed for use as needed.
- Side effects. Headache, flushing and indigestion occur with both. Visual disturbance and a blocked nose are slightly more common with sildenafil; back pain and muscle aches are more typical of tadalafil.
Every one of these differences belongs to the drug rather than the brand. Licensed tadalafil gives the same 36-hour window that Vidalista advertises.
Vidalista 20, 40, 60 and 80: the strengths that should not exist
Vidalista is sold in 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg strengths, alongside Vidalista Black 80, a chewable Vidalista CT and Super Vidalista, which adds dapoxetine. Licensed tadalafil for erectile dysfunction is 10 mg or 20 mg as needed, with a maximum of one dose in 24 hours, or 2.5 mg to 5 mg once daily.
No regulator in the UK, Europe or the United States has approved 40, 60 or 80 mg tadalafil for erectile dysfunction, because the dose-finding studies showed no useful gain beyond 20 mg and a steady rise in side effects. A Vidalista 80 tablet is four times the licensed maximum, taken by a man whose suitability for even 10 mg has never been assessed. Because tadalafil stays in the body for well over a day, an excessive dose is not a brief mistake: low blood pressure, severe back pain and prolonged erections can persist, and taking it on consecutive days means the drug accumulates.
Is Vidalista safe?
Three problems stack up, and any one would be enough to advise against it. It is unlicensed, so the MHRA has not assessed the product or inspected the factory and there is no UK assurance of what each tablet contains; testing of seized unlicensed erectile dysfunction tablets has repeatedly found under-dosed, over-dosed and contaminated products in convincing packaging. It is sold without a prescriber check, even though tadalafil must not be combined with nitrates or riociguat, needs care with alpha blockers and some antifungal, antibiotic and HIV medicines, and is not advised after a recent heart attack or stroke or with significant liver or kidney disease. And the doses on sale are wrong.
Tadalafil and sildenafil are both safe for the great majority of men when prescribed properly. What makes Vidalista unsafe is not the molecule; it is the missing licence, the missing check and the missing restraint on dose.
Vidalista, Viagra and licensed tadalafil side by side
| Product | Active ingredient | UK licence | Clinical check | Doses sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viagra / generic sildenafil | Sildenafil | Yes | Yes | 25, 50, 100 mg |
| Cialis / generic tadalafil | Tadalafil | Yes | Yes | 2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg |
| Vidalista | Tadalafil (stated) | No | No | Up to 80 mg |
Laid out like this the comparison answers itself. If the appeal of Vidalista is the longer window, licensed tadalafil from My London Pharmacy gives you that window with a dose chosen against your health and your other medicines. If you would rather have sildenafil, the licensed version does the same job with the same safeguards.
Who should not take either drug
Some men should not take any PDE5 inhibitor and some need a lower dose or closer follow-up: men taking nitrate medicines or using poppers; men on riociguat; men who have had a heart attack or stroke in the last six months; men with unstable angina, severe heart failure or uncontrolled blood pressure; men with certain inherited eye conditions or a previous episode of sudden vision loss; and men with severe liver disease. Alpha blockers, some antifungals and antibiotics, HIV protease inhibitors and grapefruit juice all raise tadalafil levels and need to be taken into account.
This is the standard checklist a UK prescriber works through during a consultation. The men at highest risk from an unlicensed 80 mg tablet are the men that checklist exists to identify.
Getting tadalafil the licensed way
Tadalafil is prescription-only in every strength in the UK; unlike sildenafil there is no pharmacy-only version. That does not mean a GP appointment. A GPhC-registered online pharmacy can supply licensed tadalafil after an online consultation reviewed by a UK prescriber, with the dose chosen for you and the option of low-dose daily treatment if that fits your life better. Generic tadalafil has been available in the UK since 2017, so the cost case for an unlicensed import has largely gone.
If you have been using Vidalista, the next step is a consultation rather than another parcel. Tell the clinician what you have taken and at what dose; it is useful history. Our clinicians can review it, discuss whether tadalafil or sildenafil is the better fit, and supply a licensed product with a known dose. If you ever have chest pain, an erection lasting more than four hours or sudden loss of vision or hearing after any of these tablets, seek urgent medical help.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vidalista a generic Viagra?
No. Viagra is sildenafil. Vidalista is tadalafil, the drug in Cialis, made by an Indian company and not licensed in the UK. Licensed generic tadalafil and Cialis are the UK equivalents.
Is Vidalista 20 the same as tadalafil 20 mg?
It is labelled as 20 mg tadalafil, but only Cialis and licensed UK generic tadalafil are made and tested under MHRA oversight. The content of a Vidalista tablet has not been verified by any UK authority.
Are Vidalista 40, 60 or 80 safe?
No regulator has approved tadalafil above 20 mg for erectile dysfunction. Higher doses do not reliably work better and increase the risk of low blood pressure, muscle and back pain and prolonged erections, and because tadalafil lasts so long those effects persist.
Does Vidalista last longer than Viagra?
Tadalafil can be active for up to 36 hours and sildenafil for around four to five, so yes, but that is a property of tadalafil. Licensed tadalafil gives the same window.
Can I get tadalafil in the UK without a GP appointment?
Yes. A GPhC-registered online pharmacy can supply licensed tadalafil after an online consultation reviewed by a UK prescriber. There is no pharmacy-only tadalafil, so a prescription is always needed.