benazepril vs quinapril

PlainMeds reviewed this comparison against our methodology in August 2026. It places FDA and CMS record fields side by side, without recommending either medication.

Side-by-side comparison of benazepril and quinapril. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

Drug Class
benazepril ACE Inhibitor
quinapril ACE Inhibitor
Type
benazepril Prescription
quinapril Prescription
Summary
benazepril

Benazepril (Lotensin) is a medicine that lowers your blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure helps to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

quinapril

Quinapril is a medicine that lowers blood pressure. It can also help manage heart failure when used with other treatments.

What It Treats
benazepril

Benazepril is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering your blood pressure reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines.

quinapril

Quinapril is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Quinapril can also be used to manage heart failure, along with other medicines like diuretics.

How It Works
benazepril

Benazepril is an ACE inhibitor. It works by relaxing your blood vessels. This makes it easier for your heart to pump blood.

quinapril

Quinapril belongs to a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors. It works by blocking a substance in your body that tightens blood vessels. This helps your blood vessels relax and widens them, which lowers your blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump.

Common Side Effects
benazepril
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Dizziness when standing up
quinapril
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Coughing
  • Nausea
FAERS Reports
benazepril
  • Nausea 439
  • Fatigue 408
  • Dizziness 382
  • Dyspnoea 381
  • Pain 361
quinapril
  • Fall 420
  • Nausea 407
  • Dyspnoea 404
  • Pain 385
  • Diarrhoea 350
Serious Warnings
benazepril

If you become pregnant, stop taking benazepril right away and tell your doctor. This medicine can harm or kill your unborn baby.

quinapril

You should not take quinapril if you are allergic to it or any other ACE inhibitor. You should not take quinapril if you have a history of angioedema (swelling) related to ACE inhibitors. Do not take quinapril with a neprilysin inhibitor like sacubitril. If you have diabetes, do not take quinapril with aliskiren.

Pregnancy
benazepril

Benazepril can cause serious harm to your unborn baby, including death. Stop taking it as soon as you know you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor about other blood pressure medicines if you are planning to become pregnant.

quinapril

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Quinapril can harm your unborn baby, especially if you take it during the second or third trimester. It is not known if quinapril passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This benazepril vs quinapril Comparison

benazepril is classified in the ACE Inhibitor drug class, while quinapril sits within the ACE Inhibitor class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory, but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, benazepril has 1,971 submissions while quinapril has 1,966. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for benazepril or quinapril.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.