Can ritalin be compared to caffeine?

No not really. The only similarity is that they both have stimulant properties. Caffeine to a significantly smaller degree. Caffeine also has no potential to be abused, unlike Ritalin(methylphenidate). read more

Caffeine to a significantly smaller degree. Caffeine also has no potential to be abused, unlike Ritalin(methylphenidate). Caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist(1) that also positively modulates the binding of dopamine to dopamine receptors via inhibiting adenosine receptors in adenosine dopamine receptor dimers(2). read more

Compared to insured prescriptions of Methylphenidate (MPH) or Amphetamine (AMP) they are surprisingly relatively similar, depending of course on factors of dose/insurance/brand. 3) Although one probably won't fiend for it like cocaine, caffiene is actually addictive, hence the withdrawals. read more

While there don’t appear to be any systematic reviews, there are trials comparing caffeine to other drugs. In one comparison, 20mg of methylphenidate was found to be superior to 160mg of caffeine. read more