SS 201 vs SS 304: Difference, Composition, Price & Which to Choose (India)
SS 304 carries 8–10.5% nickel and stands as the more corrosion-resistant, food-grade default for anything wet, outdoor or food-contact. SS 201 and Jindal's copper-bearing SS 204Cu use far less nickel. They're topped up instead with manganese, nitrogen and, in 204Cu's case, copper, which makes them cheaper and stronger but quicker to rust. Sinks, tanks, coastal work and wet-food applications call for 304. Dry, indoor, cost-sensitive or deep-drawn jobs are where 201 or 204Cu earn their keep.
That gap in nickel content is what drives the whole ss 201 vs 304 decision, and it's the same logic that answers 204cu vs 304.
Jindal Stainless (JSL) flat products are the focus here, and only JSL: "Jindal" means Jindal Stainless Limited, not Jindal SAW, JSW Steel or JSPL. SS 204Cu is Jindal's own chrome-mangan-copper grade, known internally as J204. All three grades below are genuine JSL-melted 201 vs 304 stainless steel (also searched as 304 vs 201, and 204Cu), sold as sheet, patta or patti, coil and circle. The hinglish question 201 aur 304 me antar (the difference between 201 and 304 stainless steel) gets the same answer every time: match the grade to the environment, not to the lowest rate.
By the Relinox Technical Team, Jindal Stainless MoU Partner, based at Ajmeri Gate, one of Delhi's main stainless steel markets.
SS 201 vs 304 at a glance: the decision table
SS 201 vs. 304, one clear comparison. This answers 201 vs 304 which is better, and the hinglish version too: 201 ya 304 konsa better. 304 takes the win on corrosion resistance and food safety, while 201 and 204Cu pull ahead on price and raw strength. As for is 201 stainless steel good, the short answer holds up: yes, for the right job, dry and indoors.
| Grade | Nickel (Ni) | Corrosion resistance | Relative cost | Best-fit use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS 201 | 3.5–5.5% | Moderate, rusts/tea-stains sooner in damp or coastal air | Lower (less nickel) | Dry indoor: decorative panels, trim, low-exposure fabrication |
| SS 204Cu (J204) | 1.5–3.5% | Moderate, similar to 201; below 304 | Often the lowest of the three | Deep-drawn cookware bodies, utensil blanks, dry work |
| SS 304 | 8.0–10.5% | Higher, benchmark austenitic for general and food use | Higher (nickel-linked) | Wet, outdoor, food-contact: sinks, tanks, cladding, utensils |
For the full owned specs, see the SS 201 grade & full composition, the SS 204Cu (J204) grade specification, and the SS 304 grade specification.
What are SS 201, 204Cu and 304?
SS 201 (AISI 201 / UNS S20100, also traded as J201) belongs to the 200-series family of austenitic stainless steels. Engineers developed the 200-series to conserve nickel. Part of the costly nickel gets swapped out for manganese and nitrogen, which keeps the steel austenitic while adding strength and cutting alloy cost. The result: 201 sits at the budget end of true stainless. It's genuinely stainless, but it has less corrosion headroom than 304.
SS 204Cu (J204 / UNS S20430) is Jindal's copper-bearing chrome-manganese grade, a 200-series austenitic with 2–4% copper added. That copper improves cold formability and deep-drawing. It's why 204Cu shows up so often in utensil and cookware bodies. Of the three, it carries the least nickel, so on a 201 vs 204 stainless steel comparison it lines up with 201 for corrosion resistance, yet it draws better.
SS 304 is the reference 300-series grade, AISI 304, UNS S30400, EN 1.4301, the "18/8" stainless most people actually mean when they say "stainless steel." With 18% chromium and 8%-plus nickel, it delivers broad corrosion resistance, forms easily, and carries well-established food-contact credentials. That combination makes it the default choice for kitchens, architecture and general fabrication across India. As for the 200 series vs 304 question, or 200 series vs 300 series more broadly, the trade-off comes down to one grade in a single sentence: 304 costs more because nickel costs more.
Composition: the nickel-vs-manganese trade-off: 201 vs 304 composition
Here is the 201 vs 304 composition and 201 vs 304 chemical picture at element level, using standard published ranges per ASTM A240 (mirrored by IS 6911). The headline is the 201 vs 304 nickel content gap: 304 roughly doubles the nickel of 201 and carries several times that of 204Cu, while the 200-series grades make up the difference with manganese, nitrogen and copper.
| Element | SS 201 (%) | SS 204Cu (%) | SS 304 (%) | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chromium (Cr) | 16.0–18.0 | 15.5–17.5 | 18.0–20.0 | 304 has the most chromium |
| Nickel (Ni) | 3.5–5.5 | 1.5–3.5 | 8.0–10.5 | The key gap, 304 far richer; 204Cu lowest |
| Manganese (Mn) | 5.5–7.5 | 6.5–9.0 | 2.0 max | 200-series substitute Mn (with N) for nickel |
| Copper (Cu) | residual | 2.0–4.0 | residual | Cu in 204Cu aids deep-draw/formability |
| Nitrogen (N) | 0.25 max | 0.05–0.25 | 0.10 max | 200-series use nitrogen for strength |
| Carbon (C) | 0.15 max | 0.15 max | 0.08 max | 200-series run higher carbon |
| Structure | Austenitic (200-series) | Austenitic (200-series) | Austenitic (300-series) | All non-hardenable by heat treatment |
Nickel drives the cost here, and it's tied to the LME. The 200-series get around that by swapping most of it out for manganese, nitrogen, and, in the case of 204Cu, copper. That's the whole trick behind 201 and 204Cu being cheaper. It's also why they give up some corrosion resistance: nickel does a lot of work holding the passive film together. Whatever heat analysis a given coil actually carries, the mill test certificate (MTC) confirms it.
Corrosion resistance & rust: which lasts longer? 201 vs 304 rust
If you're weighing 201 vs 304 rust or 201 vs 304 corrosion resistance, 304 holds up longer in almost every real-world setting. No stainless steel is truly rust-proof. But 304's higher nickel content keeps its passive film stable against humidity, condensation and mild chlorides. That's why it stays clean in kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor architecture for years.
SS 201 and SS 204Cu, with their lower nickel content, tend to show tea-staining (light brown surface discolouration) sooner and can eventually pit in damp, humid or coastal air, especially where water, salt or acidic cleaning are frequent. Put them somewhere dry and indoors, though, and it's a different story. Decorative wall panels, signage backing, furniture trim kept away from moisture: both grades hold up perfectly well there, and they cost less. But once the application turns wet, washed-down, coastal or outdoor, 304 is the safer specification.
Is SS 201 magnetic vs 304?
Is 201 stainless steel magnetic compared to 304? All three grades are austenitic, so in the annealed condition, they're all essentially non-magnetic. Cold work (rolling, deep drawing, hard bending) can bring out slight magnetism in any of them, and 201 and 204Cu tend to pick up a bit more from the working process. A fridge magnet, as a result, can't reliably separate 201 or 204Cu from 304, and it certainly won't tell you whether a piece marked 304 is genuine or a cheaper substitute. For a method you can actually trust, including how to identify 201 vs 304, pull the mill test certificate or run a spot/PMI test instead of reaching for a magnet. See the magnet & acid test to identify real 304.
Strength, formability & welding
The mechanical trade-off runs the other way. Thanks to their manganese-plus-nitrogen chemistry, SS 201 and SS 204Cu come out stronger than annealed 304, higher yield strength, higher tensile strength, and they work-harden faster too. That can work in your favor when you want thin-gauge stiffness without paying a premium.
Cu in 204Cu gives it a real edge in formability, since the copper content improves cold flow. That's why SS 204Cu deep-draws so well and shows up often in pressed cookware bodies. SS 304 remains the best all-round former, with excellent ductility and deep-draw behavior suited to sinks, utensils and pressed components. 201, by contrast, work-hardens fastest and gives the least room for error in severe draws.
Welding is straightforward for all three grades, using standard TIG or MIG practice. The 200-series carries higher carbon, though, which calls for a bit more caution against sensitisation on welded parts that see wet service. 304, and its low-carbon cousin 304L, weld far more cleanly by comparison.
Here are the property deltas:
| Attribute | SS 201 | SS 204Cu | SS 304 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosion resistance | Moderate, tea-stains/pits sooner in damp air | Moderate, similar 200-series behaviour; below 304 | Higher, benchmark for general and wet use |
| Magnetic response (annealed) | Largely non-magnetic; slight rise after cold work | Largely non-magnetic; mild magnetism after cold work | Non-magnetic; mild magnetism after heavy cold work |
| Mechanical strength | Higher yield/tensile; work-hardens fast | High strength; good work-hardening | Lower yield than 200-series; excellent ductility |
| Formability / deep-draw | Good, but work-hardens faster | Excellent, copper aids deep-draw (utensils) | Excellent, preferred for deep-drawn sinks/utensils |
| Density | ~7.8–7.9 g/cm³ | ~7.8–7.9 g/cm³ | ~7.90–8.00 g/cm³ |
| Weldability | Weldable; watch higher carbon | Weldable | Excellent (use 304L for critical welds) |
| Food contact | Dry/low-corrosion contact only | Common for cookware bodies; confirm end-use | Established food-grade choice |
201 and 204Cu run about 7.8–7.9 g/cm³, and 304 sits near 7.9–8.0 g/cm³. That gap is tiny. So a 201, 204Cu or 304 sheet, same size and same thickness, ends up weighing almost the same. Don't take our word for it, though: check any of them on the sheet weight calculator. What actually separates 201 vs 304 weight and 201 vs 304 density in your budget isn't the kilograms at all. It's the rate you pay per kg.
SS 204Cu vs 304 (and how 201, 202 & 204Cu differ)
On ss 204 vs 304, 204cu vs 304 and j204 vs 304, the 204 vs 304 difference plays out like the 201 story, just on a bigger scale. 204Cu carries even less nickel, somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5%, and adds 2–4% copper to help it form. That combination lets it deep-draw beautifully, and it's often the cheapest of the three grades. 304, though, holds up better against corrosion. So on 204 vs 304 which is better: pick 204Cu for dry, deep-drawn or budget-driven jobs, and reach for 304 when the part will face moisture, the outdoors, or food contact.
Within the 200-series itself, buyers often ask how 201 vs 202 stainless steel compare, and where 201 vs 202 vs 204 part ways. All three trade nickel for manganese and nitrogen. Here's where they actually diverge in practice:
| Grade | Nickel (Ni) | Manganese (Mn) | Copper (Cu) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS 201 | 3.5–5.5% | 5.5–7.5% | residual | Dry indoor panels, trim, general budget fabrication |
| SS 202 | 4.0–6.0% | 7.5–10.0% | residual | Slightly higher Ni/Mn than 201; decorative and dry work |
| SS 204Cu (J204) | 1.5–3.5% | 6.5–9.0% | 2.0–4.0% | Deep-drawn cookware bodies, utensil blanks |
In short, 202 carries a bit more nickel and manganese than 201, whereas 204Cu has the least nickel of the group but adds copper for a superior draw. Full specs sit at SS 204Cu (J204) and SS 202 grade (200-series family). For the 202-only decision, check SS 202 vs 304 comparison.
Price difference: how much cheaper are 201 & 204Cu?: 201 vs 304 price
The 201-vs-304 price gap is real, and it mostly comes down to one thing: nickel. SS 304 carries roughly double the nickel content of 201, and several times that of 204Cu. Nickel is priced on the LME and moves daily. So 304 sits above the 200-series on a 201 vs 304 per kg basis, and the 201 vs 304 price difference widens or narrows right along with the nickel market. That's the honest reason 201 and 204Cu come in cheaper. It isn't a "lower quality" discount; these are genuinely leaner alloys. 204Cu, in fact, is often the cheapest of the three.
Because the rate moves every day, we don't print a fixed figure here. For 201 vs 304 price today and the current 201 vs 304 rate today, check our dated indicative list, today's SS 304 sheet rate. The 201 and 204Cu rate, though, gets confirmed only on request. Need a 201 vs 304 price list for a running order? Send your size and quantity through the RFQ form, and we'll share current indicative levels for all three grades.
Which is better for kitchen, utensils & food?: 201 vs 304 for kitchen
This is where most buyers land, and the answer to 201 vs 304 for kitchen, 201 vs 304 for utensils and 201 vs 304 food grade is clear: for anything that gets wet or touches food, go with 304. 204Cu holds its own on the cookware bench thanks to its deep-draw properties. But wet and acidic food contact still calls for 304.
| Application | Recommended grade | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Utensil / cookware body (deep-drawn) | SS 204Cu (or 304) | Copper aids severe draws; 304 where wet/acidic food contact matters |
| Kitchen sink | SS 304 | Constant water/detergent contact; 304 resists staining and draws cleanly |
| Indoor railing / trim (dry) | SS 201 (or 304) | 201 works if dry and indoor; 304 if wiped down or humid |
| Outdoor / coastal fabrication | SS 304 (min.) | Humidity and salt attack the 200-series' leaner passive film |
| Food processing / dairy | SS 304 / 316 | Hygienic, wash-down service; step up to 316 with chlorides |
SS 304 is the established food-grade default. SS 201 and 204Cu can touch dry, low-corrosion food, but they're not the right pick for sinks or wet/acidic food contact. For the full definition, see what counts as food-grade stainless. For utensil blanks and cookware, check stainless steel for utensils & cookware, and for equipment builds see stainless steel for kitchen equipment.
Where do 316 and 430 fit?
If your environment involves salt water or chemicals, neither grade fits the job well. SS 316 adds 2–3% molybdenum for chloride and pitting resistance, so coastal, marine, pharma and chemical service should step up a grade: see how 316 compares. On the other end, if you want something cheaper, magnetic, and suited to dry service, and you can drop the 200-series entirely, the ferritic budget option is 430. Details here: 304 vs 430 (ferritic budget grade).
Why buy 201, 204Cu & 304 from Relinox
Relinox Stainless is a Jindal Stainless MoU partner, an authorized channel for genuine JSL-melted material, not re-rolled bazaar stock. On the common jindal 201 sheet, jindal 204cu sheet and jindal 304 sheet enquiries, we hold all three as verified Jindal flat product and supply them honestly. We'll tell you when 201 or 204Cu is enough and when 304 is the right call, rather than push one grade over another. As a working 201 vs 304 dealer, stockist, distributor, trader and supplier, we stock all three in:
- 201 vs 304 sheet, patta or patti, see SS sheets (201, 204Cu & 304) and SS patta / patti strips.
- Coil and stainless steel circles for utensil and cookware makers, with cut-to-size available on genuine Jindal base too.
Every dispatch carries the mill test certificate (MTC) confirming conformance to ASTM A240 / IS 6911 as produced by Jindal Stainless. We are a distributor and stockist based at Ajmeri Gate, one of Delhi's main stainless steel markets, with pan-India dispatch. Buyers searching a 201 vs 304 sheet dealer in delhi or a 201 vs 304 supplier near me can order all three grades from a single verified source. Send your requirement via the RFQ form for a quote with MTC, or open a dealer pricing enquiry if you resell. More on the partnership: Jindal Stainless MoU partnership and our quality & mill test certificates.
Related comparisons & resources
- SS 202 vs 304 comparison, the neighbouring budget-vs-304 decision.
- J4 vs 304, Jindal's J4 economy grade against 304.
- SS 304 vs 316, how 316 compares and 304 vs 430 (ferritic budget grade).
- Magnet & acid test to identify real 304 and what counts as food-grade stainless.
- Grade pages: SS 201 · SS 204Cu · SS 202 · SS 304 · Grades hub: all stainless grades.
- Standards: ASTM A240 · IS 6911 · Guides hub: all guides.
- Tools: calculate sheet weight in kg.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between SS 201 and SS 304?
SS 304 carries roughly 8–10.5% nickel, well above the 3.5–5.5% found in SS 201. That extra nickel is why 304 holds up better against corrosion and tea-staining, and it's the grade you'll see as the food-grade default. SS 201 swaps in manganese and nitrogen where the nickel would be. It ends up cheaper and stronger, but corrosion resistance takes a hit.
Which is better, SS 201 or 304?
Depends on the environment. SS 304 works better for wet, outdoor, food-contact and durability-critical jobs; SS 201 makes sense only for dry, indoor, cost-sensitive work like decorative panels and low-exposure trim.
What is the difference between SS 204Cu and 304?
SS 204Cu (J204) carries even less nickel, roughly 1.5–3.5%, and adds 2–4% copper for formability. That copper is what makes it deep-draw so well, and it's usually the cheapest option on the shelf. SS 304 gives up some of that price advantage but resists corrosion better. Go with 204Cu for dry or deep-drawn parts; save 304 for wet environments or anything touching food.
Is SS 201 rust-free?
No stainless is completely rust-proof. SS 201 resists corrosion less than 304 does, and it can tea-stain or pit in humid, coastal or frequently wet conditions. Keep it to dry indoor use.
Is SS 201 magnetic and 304 not?
Both grades come out essentially non-magnetic after annealing, and cold work can nudge either one toward slight magnetism. So a magnet test alone won't reliably tell 201 from 304. Pull a mill test certificate or run a spot/PMI test instead.
Why are SS 201 and 204Cu cheaper than 304?
They swap out most of 304's costly nickel for cheaper manganese and nitrogen, plus copper in the case of 204Cu, which brings the price per kg down. SS 304's cost tracks nickel on the LME. That's why the gap between them shifts as the alloy market moves.
Can I use SS 201 or 204Cu for utensils?
SS 204Cu is common for deep-drawn cookware bodies, and SS 201 works fine for dry or decorative items. But for sinks and anything with wet or acidic food contact, SS 304 remains the safer, established food-grade choice. See our utensils and kitchenware page for guidance.
What is the difference between 201, 202 and 204Cu?
All three are 200-series grades where manganese and nitrogen stand in for nickel. SS 202 carries slightly more nickel and manganese than 201. SS 204Cu, by contrast, has the least nickel of the three and works in 2–4% copper, which gives it the best deep-draw formability.
Do you supply genuine Jindal 201, 204Cu and 304?
Yes, Relinox is a Jindal Stainless MoU partner and authorized channel, and all three are supplied as genuine JSL flat product with mill test certificates. We're a distributor and stockist, not a re-roller.
What sizes and forms do 201, 204Cu and 304 come in?
All three come as sheet, patta/patti strip, coil and circle, in standard Indian sizes such as 1250×2500 (4×8), 1250×3050 (4×10) and 1500×3000 (5×10) mm. Send your exact thickness and size through the RFQ form so we can confirm current availability.
What are today's 201, 204Cu and 304 rates?
Rates track nickel and shift every day, so we post dated indicative price lists instead of one fixed figure. For today's 304 level, check our SS 304 sheet price page. For 201 and 204Cu, send us your size and quantity through the RFQ form and we'll get you the current rate.
Do you deliver outside Delhi?
Yes, we ship pan-India from our stock point at Ajmeri Gate, Delhi. Just note your delivery location on the RFQ form, and we'll get back to you with a dispatch timeline and freight terms.