The advertised price of a GLP-1 program is almost never what you end up paying. Between membership fees charged separately from medication, introductory rates that expire after one month, and prices that climb as you titrate to a maintenance dose, the number on the landing page is closer to a starting bid than a cost. Here is how to work out what you will actually spend.
The Short Answer
Budget $125 to $300 per month for a compounded GLP-1 program once membership fees and a realistic maintenance dose are included — roughly $1,500 to $3,600 per year. The cheapest all-inclusive programs sit near $99 to $125 per month with no separate fees. Brand-name Wegovy, Ozempic or Zepbound without insurance coverage runs closer to $1,000 to $1,840 per month, or over $14,000 annually. Insurance coverage, where you can get it, is the single biggest variable.
The Four Components of Your Bill
Nearly every online GLP-1 program bills in some combination of these four buckets. Knowing which ones apply to a given provider is most of the work.
1. Medication cost
The largest line item, and the one that varies most. Published compounded prices across the providers we researched span roughly $74 to $299 per month for semaglutide and $125 to $299 for tirzepatide. Brand-name products are an order of magnitude higher.
2. Membership or care fees
Most programs charge a recurring platform or clinical fee on top of medication. Published examples include $19.99/month at PlushCare, $49/month at Lemonaid Health and Aspire Health, $74.99/month at Ivím Health, and $79/month at Nurx and Hello Alpha. A cheap medication paired with an expensive membership can easily cost more than the reverse.
A handful of programs avoid this second bucket entirely. Trimi Health folds medication, clinician visits, check-ins and shipping into one flat rate, and Renlo Health, Good Life Meds and OrderlyMeds each state they charge no separate membership. When comparing, always add the two numbers together before deciding which program is cheaper.
3. Lab work
Some programs include labs, some charge separately, and many do not mention them at all. Shapely offers a $75 flat rate at Labcorp for uninsured patients and says labs are typically covered by insurance. TrimRx bundles lab work into its plan. PlushCare orders a full obesity panel covering CBC, CMP, lipids, A1C, TSH and insulin.
4. Shipping and supplies
Frequently included, but worth confirming. Shapely includes free 2-day shipping plus syringes and alcohol pads. OrderlyMeds and 24hrdoc both ship free. Where supplies are not included, syringes and alcohol swabs are a small but real recurring cost.
The Introductory Rate Trap
Introductory pricing is standard in this category, and the step-up is steep. Two examples that publish both numbers honestly:
- OrderlyMeds — compounded semaglutide $74 first month, then $149/month; tirzepatide $149 first month, then $299/month
- 24hrdoc — semaglutide $149 on sale versus $249 regularly; tirzepatide $239 on sale versus $339 regularly
Before enrolling anywhere, ask one question in writing: what will I be charged in month three?
Why Your Cost Rises Over Time
GLP-1 medications are titrated upward over months. Semaglutide typically starts at 0.25mg and works toward a maintenance dose; tirzepatide starts at 2.5mg and can climb to 15mg. Because compounded pricing is usually tied to the quantity of active ingredient, your monthly cost rises with your dose.
Only a few providers publish this clearly. Aspire Health lists a price for every vial strength — compounded semaglutide from $129 to $189 and tirzepatide from $149 to $299. Shapely publishes distinct tiers at $99, $139 and $179 for semaglutide. Most competitors quote only the starting dose.
When you model your annual cost, use the price at the dose you expect to settle on — not the one you will take for the first four weeks.
Realistic Annual Scenarios
Lean compounded program
~$149/month medication, no separate membership → roughly $1,800/year
Typical compounded program
~$149–$179/month medication plus a $49–$75 membership → roughly $2,400–$3,000/year
Full-service program
Higher-dose medication plus a $99 membership with dietitian visits and labs → roughly $3,300/year
Brand-name, no coverage
Ozempic at $1,199/month or Wegovy at $1,599/month → over $14,000/year
These are illustrative ranges built from published prices, not quotes. Your actual cost depends on dose, state, plan length and whatever promotion is running when you enroll.
Five Ways to Genuinely Lower the Cost
- Pursue insurance coverage first. If a brand-name GLP-1 can be covered, nothing else comes close. Providers like PlushCare handle prior authorization as part of the service.
- Pay with HSA or FSA funds. Compounded medication is rarely reimbursed by insurance, but Ivím Health, Aspire Health, 24hrdoc and Doctronic all state they accept HSA or FSA cards — effectively a discount equal to your marginal tax rate.
- Consider a multi-month plan once you know you tolerate the medication. Lemonaid Health drops compounded tirzepatide from $299 to $249 (3 months) or $229 (6 months).
- Ask about microdose plans. Lemonaid prices microdoses at $199/month versus $299 standard. Whether a lower dose suits your goals is a clinical question.
- Compare non-GLP-1 options honestly. Nurx prices metformin at $15/month and topiramate at $15–$30, both potentially $0 with insurance. Different medications, different results — but worth discussing.
Questions to Ask Before You Pay
- What is the total monthly charge, including every fee?
- What will I pay in month three, after any promotion ends?
- What does the medication cost at my likely maintenance dose?
- Are labs, shipping and injection supplies included?
- What happens to my money if a provider declines to prescribe?
- Can I cancel without penalty, and what is the refund window?
For a provider-by-provider breakdown of every published fee, see our GLP-1 provider comparison table or our ranked guide to the cheapest GLP-1 programs.