I'm comparing my options
Compounded against brand name, ten routes priced side by side.
By The GLP1 Support team · Last reviewed September 2026
The ten routes
Your own doctor, with insurance
$0 to $25/moPrice checked September 2026
The cheapest route by far for anyone whose plan covers weight management. Also the least predictable, because your plan decides rather than you.
Research Labs
$29/moPrice checked September 2026
Lowest advertised cash price on this page. Vials of compound and bacteriostatic water ship separately; you reconstitute and draw your own dose.
Lttl
$89/moPrice checked September 2026
Subscription including supplies and check-ins. Lowest monthly price among the telehealth subscriptions.
Ro
$149/moPrice checked September 2026
Membership fee separate from medication. Will help pursue insurance coverage first.
Noom Med
$179 to $279/moPrice checked October 2026
A behavioural programme with medication attached, rather than medication with support attached. Several programmes at several prices.
Hims
$199/moPrice checked September 2026
Bundled pricing with check-ins. Brand fills priced separately and higher.
ConciergeMD LA
From $199/moPrice checked September 2026
A concierge medical practice selling compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide injections alongside a wide range of peptide therapies online. Virtual consultation, medication shipped to your home, self-administered.
Fridays
$279/moPrice checked September 2026
Telehealth subscription with medication included. Dose changes reviewed by a clinician.
LillyDirect
$299 to $449/moPrice checked October 2026
Eli Lilly's own self-pay channel for Zepbound. Vials or pens, priced by dose strength rather than flat.
NovoCare Pharmacy
$349/moPrice checked October 2026
Novo Nordisk's own self-pay channel for Wegovy. One price across dose strengths.
What actually differs between them
Price is the axis everyone compares on and the least interesting one. These routes differ on five things, and four of them do not appear on a pricing page.
- What ships. Unmixed vials you reconstitute, a compounded multi-dose vial, or an FDA-approved brand pen. These are genuinely different products.
- Who sets your dose. Their clinician, your own doctor, or you.
- What oversight exists. An approved product carries batch testing, inspection and recall machinery. A 503B outsourcing facility carries some of that. A 503A pharmacy carries less. A research vendor carries none.
- What happens when supply tightens. Brand availability moves with manufacturing. Compounded availability moves with regulatory status, which changes faster and with less notice.
- Who is responsible when something goes wrong, and whether there is anyone to call.
The questions worth asking any of them
- Is the medication compounded, and if so at a 503A pharmacy or a 503B outsourcing facility?
- Is there a batch certificate of analysis from an independent laboratory?
- Does the price change as my dose escalates?
- Is this an introductory rate?
- Is medication included or billed separately from any membership fee?
- What is the minimum commitment and what does cancelling cost?
- What happens to my treatment if the product becomes unavailable?
Compounded or brand name: what actually differs · What a year on tirzepatide costs, route by route
What semaglutide costs by channel
Insurance coverage for weight management is inconsistent and often requires prior authorisation.