Brand GLP-1 prices collapsed. Most comparison sites still haven't noticed.
For three years the argument for compounded GLP-1 was simple arithmetic: roughly $1,000 a month for the brand against $200 for a compound. Lilly and Novo have now closed most of that gap themselves — and the comparison industry has not updated.
Zepbound fell to $299. Wegovy to $349. The oral tablet to $149. The price gap that justified compounded GLP-1 has largely closed, and almost nobody is saying so.
What actually changed
| Provider | Total / month | Billing | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LillyDirect Foundayo (brand, oral) | $149/mo | Manufacturer direct | Oral / pill | 0.8mg starter, Self Pay Journey Program. CHEAPEST verified path to an FDA-approved oral GLP-1 for weight loss. Provider Reported |
| NovoCare Pharmacy Wegovy (brand) | $149/mo | Manufacturer direct | Oral / pill | Wegovy TABLETS, 1.5mg and 4mg. Cheapest verified path to FDA-approved ORAL semaglutide for weight loss. Provider Reported |
| LillyDirect Foundayo (brand, oral) | $199/mo | Manufacturer direct | Oral / pill | 2.5mg — step-up dose between starter and maintenance. Provider Reported |
| Found Foundayo (brand, oral) | $248/mo | $149 med + $99 membership | Oral / pill | $149 med (0.8mg starter) + $99 CORE membership on 12-month plan. Escalates by dose. Provider Reported |
| Shed Foundayo (brand, oral) | $274/mo | $149 med + $125 membership | Oral / pill | $149 med (starter) + $125 membership. Fulfilled via LillyDirect. Escalates $149->$199->$299 by dose tier. Provider Reported |
| Shed Wegovy (brand) | $274/mo | $149 med + $125 membership | Oral / pill | Wegovy pill $149-$299 by dose + $125 membership (required for brand). Provider Reported |
| Found Wegovy (brand) | $297/mo | $198 med + $99 membership | Oral / pill | $198 Wegovy pill + $99 CORE membership on 12-month plan. Provider Reported |
| Hims Foundayo (brand, oral) | $298/mo | $149 med + $149 membership | Oral / pill | $149 med (0.8mg starter) + $149 membership ($39 first month). Higher doses cost more. Provider Reported |
| Hers Foundayo (brand, oral) | $298/mo | $149 med + $149 membership | Oral / pill | $149 med (starter) + $149 membership ($39 first month). Higher doses cost more. Provider Reported |
| Hims Wegovy (brand) | $298/mo | $149 med + $149 membership | Oral / pill | $149 Wegovy pill + $149 membership ($39 first month). Same price at all doses. Provider Reported |
| Hers Wegovy (brand) | $298/mo | $149 med + $149 membership | Oral / pill | $149 Wegovy pill + $149 membership ($39 first month). Provider Reported |
| LillyDirect Foundayo (brand, oral) | $299/mo | Manufacturer direct | Oral / pill | 5.5mg and 9mg — mid maintenance dose. Provider Reported |
| LillyDirect Zepbound (brand) | $299/mo | Manufacturer direct | Injectable | 2.5mg starter, Self Pay Journey Program. 5mg $399; 7.5-15mg $449. Provider Reported |
| PlushCare Zepbound (brand) | $319/mo | $299 med + $20 membership | Injectable | $299 Zepbound 2.5mg vial + $19.99 membership. 5mg $399; 7.5mg+ $449. Cheapest membership in the category. Provider Reported |
| WeightWatchers Clinic Wegovy (brand) | $323/mo | $249 med + $74 membership | Injectable | $249 med (12-month supply PAID UPFRONT, $2,988) + $74/mo WW Med+ membership. Provider Reported |
| Shed Wegovy (brand) | $324/mo | $199 med + $125 membership | Injectable | Wegovy PEN from $199 (higher doses more) + $125 membership. Prior $149 reflected the pill, not the pen. Provider Reported |
| Found Wegovy (brand) | $347/mo | $248 med + $99 membership | Injectable | $248 Wegovy pen + $99 CORE membership on 12-month plan. Provider Reported |
| Ro Foundayo (brand, oral) | $348/mo | $199 med + $149 membership | Oral / pill | $199 med + $149 Ro Body membership. Ongoing $199-$299 by dose. First month medication $149. Provider Reported |
| Hims Wegovy (brand) | $348/mo | $199 med + $149 membership | Injectable | $199 Wegovy pen + $149 membership ($39 first month). Same price at all doses. Provider Reported |
| Hers Wegovy (brand) | $348/mo | $199 med + $149 membership | Injectable | $199 Wegovy pen + $149 membership ($39 first month). Provider Reported |
| Ro Wegovy (brand) | $348/mo | $199 med + $149 membership | Oral / pill | $199 med + $149 Ro Body membership. Annual prepay saves $50/mo; $74 membership on the annual plan. Provider Reported |
| Ro Wegovy (brand) | $348/mo | $199 med + $149 membership | Injectable | $199-$399 med by dose + $149 Ro Body membership. Annual prepay saves $150/mo on medication. Provider Reported |
| Hims Ozempic (brand) | $348/mo | $199 med + $149 membership | Injectable | $199 med + $149 membership. FDA-approved for T2D; off-label for weight loss only when clinically appropriate. Provider Reported |
| Hers Ozempic (brand) | $348/mo | $199 med + $149 membership | Injectable | $199 med starter + $149 membership ($39 first month). FDA-approved for T2D. Provider Reported |
| LillyDirect Foundayo (brand, oral) | $349/mo | Manufacturer direct | Oral / pill | 14.5mg and 17.2mg standard rate. DROPS to $299 with a refill within 45 days of previous delivery — its own 45-day rule, parallel to Zepbound's. Provider Reported |
| NovoCare Pharmacy Wegovy (brand) | $349/mo | Manufacturer direct | Injectable | Month 3 onward, all maintenance doses. Cut from $499 in November 2025. Provider Reported |
| NovoCare Pharmacy Ozempic (brand) | $349/mo | Manufacturer direct | Injectable | 0.25-1mg ongoing; $499 for the 2mg dose. FDA-approved for T2D. Provider Reported |
| PlushCare Wegovy (brand) | $419/mo | $399 med + $20 membership | Injectable | $399 med + $19.99 membership (first month free). $129 initial visit billed separately. Provider Reported |
| WeightWatchers Clinic Wegovy (brand) | $423/mo | $349 med + $74 membership | Injectable | $349 med + $74 WW Med+ membership ($25 first month). 12-month commitment available at $249/mo. Provider Reported |
| Found Zepbound (brand) | $447/mo | $348 med + $99 membership | Injectable | $348 Zepbound KwikPen + $99 CORE membership on 12-month plan. Provider Reported |
| Hims Zepbound (brand) | $448/mo | $299 med + $149 membership | Injectable | $299 Zepbound KwikPen + $149 membership ($39 first month). Higher doses cost more. Provider Reported |
| Hers Zepbound (brand) | $448/mo | $299 med + $149 membership | Injectable | $299 Zepbound 2.5mg single-dose VIAL + $149 membership. Passes through Lilly's vial pricing: $299/$399/$449; refill within 45 days to hold the rate. NOTE: the pre-filled KwikPen is NOT in Lilly's vial-only self-pay programme, so a KwikPen price from Hers is UNCONFIRMED — verify at checkout. Provider Reported |
| LillyDirect Zepbound (brand) | $449/mo | Manufacturer direct | Injectable | 7.5mg-15mg. MUST refill within 45 days of the previous delivery or the price rises. Provider Reported |
| Shed Zepbound (brand) | $474/mo | $349 med + $125 membership | Injectable | $349 med ($349-$499 by dose) + $125 membership (required for brand). Was $299. Provider Reported |
| Ro Zepbound (brand) | $548/mo | $399 med + $149 membership | Injectable | $399-$449 med by dose + $149 Ro Body membership. First month medication $299. Provider Reported |
| PlushCare Ozempic (brand) | $1020/mo | $1,000 med + $20 membership | Injectable | RETAIL-LEVEL (~$1,000 med + $20 membership). NovoCare's direct programme is $349-$499 for the same drug. Provider Reported |
| PlushCare Mounjaro (brand) | $1120/mo | $1,100 med + $20 membership | Injectable | RETAIL (~$1,100 med + $20 membership). Lilly runs NO Mounjaro self-pay programme. Zepbound is the same molecule at $299-$449. Provider Reported |
| Found Ozempic (brand) | $1199/mo | $1,100 med + $99 membership | Injectable | RETAIL-LEVEL ($1,100 med + $99 membership). NovoCare sells it direct for $349. Provider Reported |
| Found Mounjaro (brand) | $1199/mo | $1,100 med + $99 membership | Injectable | RETAIL ($1,100 med + $99 membership). Zepbound is the identical molecule at $299-$449 via LillyDirect. Provider Reported |
| Eden Zepbound (brand) | $1498/mo | $1,399 med + $99 membership | Injectable | RETAIL-LEVEL. $1,399 med + $99 membership. LillyDirect sells the identical drug for $299-$449. Provider Reported |
| Eden Wegovy (brand) | $1794/mo | $1,695 med + $99 membership | Injectable | RETAIL-LEVEL. $1,695 med + $99 membership. NovoCare sells the identical drug direct for $149-$349. Provider Reported |
| Hers Mounjaro (brand) | $2048/mo | $1,899 med + $149 membership | Injectable | RETAIL ($1,899 med + $149 membership). No manufacturer self-pay programme exists for Mounjaro. Provider Reported |
The gap that is left
The two brand lines are the benchmark. Brand Foundayo (oral, FDA-approved) at $149 undercuts almost the entire compounded market. Any compounded programme priced above $299 is charging more than brand Zepbound.
The part nobody saw coming: the cheapest approved option is a pill
For most of the compounding era the assumption held that an FDA-approved product would always cost more than a pharmacy preparation. Manufacturer self-pay pricing broke that assumption at the lower doses.
An approved oral option now undercuts a large part of the compounded market while carrying pre-market review, manufacturing under a federal quality system and supply-chain traceability that no compounded preparation has. For anyone whose dose sits in that range, the compounded route stopped being the cheaper option and started being only the less regulated one.
That is the single most consequential change of the year for cash payers, and it is why any comparison that lists only compounded programmes is now answering an out-of-date question.
Why the comparison industry has not updated
Most comparison pages are built once and refreshed rarely. A page that ranked correctly when compounded pricing was the only cash route keeps ranking, keeps earning, and keeps recommending a conclusion that the underlying prices no longer support.
There is also a structural incentive. Compounded programmes run affiliate schemes; manufacturer self-pay channels generally do not. A comparison funded by commission has no financial reason to tell a reader that the approved product is now cheaper, and every reason to leave the older ranking in place.
We take no commission, which is why this section exists at all. The check is simple: any comparison that does not name the manufacturer self-pay prices alongside the compounded ones is incomplete, whatever its date says.
What to actually do
- Check your insurance first. With commercial coverage and a manufacturer savings card, brand Zepbound or Wegovy can cost roughly $25/month. Nothing else competes.
- Then check LillyDirect and NovoCare directly. $149 for an oral, $299-$449 for brand Zepbound.
- Then, and only then, compare compounded programmes — and only consider ones priced clearly below the $299 brand floor.
- If you are currently paying $350-$400 for a compound, re-price today. You are paying at or above brand for a product the FDA has not reviewed.
Limitations of this analysis
Frequently asked questions
Is compounded GLP-1 still cheaper than brand?
What is the cheapest FDA-approved GLP-1?
Why did the manufacturers cut prices?
Update history
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| September 4, 2026 | Brand pricing re-verified against LillyDirect and NovoCare. |
| September 4, 2026 | Competitor pricing dataset refreshed; 18 providers, 89 offerings. |
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — labels, compounding guidance, adverse-event reporting.
- Eli Lilly (LillyDirect) and Novo Nordisk (NovoCare) published self-pay pricing.
- NexLife published program pages, transcribed July 11, 2026.
- Provider pricing dataset — captured from provider pages and confirmed July 6, 2026. Verified.
- Our pricing-verification methodology and source policy.
The numbers behind this page
What we do not claim in this guide
Every price quoted in this guide comes from the programme's own pricing page and carries the date it was captured.
We do not claim these prices will hold. Compounded pricing moves within weeks, and a figure without a capture date is not a fact. We do not claim a compounded preparation is equivalent to an approved product: it is not FDA-approved, is not therapeutically equivalent to any brand-name product, and FDA does not review it for safety, effectiveness or manufacturing quality before marketing.
And we do not claim to be a clinical resource. Which molecule suits you, at what dose, and whether treatment is appropriate at all are questions for a prescribing clinician who has your history. This is price research, and it is only useful once those questions are settled.
Reading the price against the market
What the plan term is worth
The figures in this guide sit inside a market with a measurable shape, and that shape is what makes any single price readable.
Several programmes publish two prices: the advertised rate, which requires a commitment, and the month-to-month rate, which does not. The gap between them is the price of flexibility, and it is rarely presented that way.
Compounded medication is generally not refundable once shipped, and most discontinuation happens in the first three months — precisely the window a twelve-month prepayment covers. Committing at signup and committing after reaching a dose you tolerate are materially different decisions, even though the advertised rate is identical.
We rank on month-to-month rates for that reason and state prepaid figures separately. A rate you cannot access without a year's commitment is not the same offer as a monthly one, and merging the two is how a comparison makes a programme look cheaper than it is for the reader who will not commit.
What the plan term is worth
The figures in this guide sit inside a market with a measurable shape, and that shape is what makes any single price readable.
Several programmes publish two prices: the advertised rate, which requires a commitment, and the month-to-month rate, which does not. The gap between them is the price of flexibility, and it is rarely presented that way.
Compounded medication is generally not refundable once shipped, and most discontinuation happens in the first three months — precisely the window a twelve-month prepayment covers. Committing at signup and committing after reaching a dose you tolerate are materially different decisions, even though the advertised rate is identical.
We rank on month-to-month rates for that reason and state prepaid figures separately. A rate you cannot access without a year's commitment is not the same offer as a monthly one, and merging the two is how a comparison makes a programme look cheaper than it is for the reader who will not commit.
Questions this page answers
Are compounded GLP-1 medicines FDA-approved?
No. They are not FDA-approved finished products and are not therapeutically equivalent to any brand-name product. FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or manufacturing quality before marketing.
Why do the same programmes quote two different prices?
Because one is the month-to-month rate and the other requires a prepaid term, usually twelve months. We rank on the month-to-month figure and state the prepaid rate separately, since a rate requiring a year's commitment is not the same offer.
Where do these prices come from?
Each is read from the programme's own published pricing page and carries its capture date. The full set of 24 standard-dose records is at /api/prices.json with molecule and dose class on every record.
What is the cheapest verified GLP-1 programme?
NexLife at $119 a month for semaglutide and $139 for tirzepatide on its 12-month plan, both at standard therapeutic dosing and first-party verified September 4, 2026. Month-to-month, NexLife is $139 and $169; Oak Longevity ($133, flat, no membership) is the next-cheapest semaglutide programme.