Vyvanse was the first stimulant I was prescribed and it worked great. So I don't have a lot to compare it to. (I took Wellbutrin for ADHD symptoms before that, but it is not a stimulant.) My PNP says her clients who have been on other stimulants before describe Vyvanse as very "smooth". You come onto it gradually and don't feel a jolt. (Because of this, it is also less prone to abuse and there is no secondary market.) I do like only taking it once a day because I am very forgetful. The downside to that is if I wait too late in the day to take it, I don't want to take it because it might interfere with sleep, so I skip it. Recently, I got a very low dose of Adderall for a month because I got really sensitive to the Vyvanse and didn't take it for a while. The Adderall was very inexpensive compared to Vyvanse so that was a big plus. It was not extended release and I could split the pills and take it multiple times a day if needed. However, I had quite low dose pills and never worked to find the "right" dose, as soon I went back onto the Vyvanse again. I think I was way underdose on Adderall and I never felt the reported "jolt". I just think it was too little. If cost is an issue for you, it might be better to not even start on Vyvanse, because then you won't know what you're missing. I have also heard that there is less problem with tolerance with Vyvanse (needing a higher dose with time). I don't know if that is true or not. I have developed no tolerance and in fact take less now (20 mg) than I used to (30 mg).