Cheapest GLP-1 Online: Brand vs Compounded Costs in 2026

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At a glance

• The lowest cash price for a brand-name GLP-1 is $149 a month for a starting dose of the Wegovy pill or Foundayo pill. Higher doses cost up to $299 for either pill, $399 for Wegovy pens and $449 for Zepbound. The highest-dose Foundayo and Zepbound prices require on-time refills.
• A prescriber’s fee is extra. Sesame Care charges $59 a month on its annual plan or $99 month to month, bringing its lowest total to $208 a month. Compounded programs listed here start at $165 a month all-in after the first month, but compounded drugs are not FDA approved.
• Savings cards can bring Wegovy or a Zepbound pen to $25 a month with commercial insurance that covers the drug. Medicare has offered eligible members a $50 copay since July 1, 2026.

The advertised price of a GLP-1 may cover only the medication. Before choosing an online program, check what you will pay for the prescription visit and whether the drug’s price increases with your dose.

Semaglutide is sold as Wegovy, and tirzepatide is sold as Zepbound. Their manufacturers, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, offer cash prices through their online pharmacies, NovoCare and LillyDirect. Neither pharmacy writes prescriptions, so you will need a clinician.

Sesame Care lets you choose a clinician for video visits. Its weight-loss program prescribes only FDA-approved brand-name drugs. Your total includes the prescriber’s fee, if any, plus the medication at the dose your clinician prescribes.

See Sesame Care’s GLP-1 weight loss program

Monthly cost of each GLP-1 option online

Every route in the table except Henry Meds charges separately for the prescriber and medication. Drug prices are the manufacturers’ self-pay prices for cash prescriptions filled through NovoCare or LillyDirect.

Prices are as of October 19, 2026. Pharmacy-only rows do not include your clinician’s visit fee. Each Sesame clinician sets their own price, and some may charge more than the listed fee.

For someone paying cash who does not already have a prescriber, Sesame’s annual plan has the lowest brand-name total in this comparison: $208 a month with a starting-dose pill.

Without an annual commitment, the same pill costs $248 with Sesame’s month-to-month plan. Hims costs $298 after the first month.

Compare Sesame Care’s weight loss plans

Cheapest GLP-1 online without insurance

The lowest brand-name price without insurance is $149 a month. That buys the 1.5 mg Wegovy pill from NovoCare or the 0.8 mg or 2.5 mg Foundayo pill from LillyDirect.

Several prices depend on temporary offers or refill timing:

• Lilly’s reduced prices for 2.5 mg and 5.5 mg Foundayo run through December 31, 2026.
• Zepbound costs $449 only when you refill within 45 days. A late refill costs $499 to $699.
• The Wegovy pen’s $199 offer covers two fills for new patients through December 31, 2026.
• The 4 mg Wegovy pill launched at $149 in January 2026 and increased to $199 after April 15.

Our Wegovy coupon guide, Ozempic cost guide and Mounjaro coupon guide explain the manufacturers’ savings offers.

There is no generic semaglutide or tirzepatide sold in the US. Teva launched a generic of Saxenda, a daily liraglutide injection for weight management, on August 28, 2025. Discount-card prices for that generic are listed per pen. Ask the pharmacy for a monthly quote, since the number of pens you need depends on your dose.

Cash purchases through NovoCare and LillyDirect do not count toward your insurance deductible.

GLP-1 online without a membership fee

You can avoid a membership fee by having your prescription sent directly to NovoCare or LillyDirect. Both charge only for the medication and offer free delivery. If your own doctor prescribes it, you pay for that visit without adding a monthly membership.

LillyDirect’s doctor finder also lists telehealth prescribers who charge per visit. Visits average about $25 with insurance, while a self-pay chat visit costs $29 to $30.

Membership programs include different services. Sesame covers video visits, messaging and labs in most states. Henry Meds combines visits and medication in one price without a separate membership fee, but it sells only compounded drugs. Hims requires a membership to buy medication.

GLP-1 program fees and extra costs

Success by Sesame, Sesame’s weight-loss subscription, includes video visits, unlimited messaging and ongoing care from a clinician you choose. Quest labs are included except in nine states, including New York and New Jersey. Medication costs extra.

The fee depends on how long you subscribe:

• Annual: $708 a year, about $59 a month.
• 6 months: $414, about $69 a month.
• 3 months: $237, about $79 a month.
• Month to month: $99, billed every 28 days.

Sesame refunds the full fee if you cancel at least 3 hours before the first visit. After that visit, the first month is non-refundable.

Hims charges a non-refundable $39 for the first month. The membership then renews at $149.

As of October 12, 2026, Sesame had a 4.6 rating from 4,544 Trustpilot reviews. Complaints about GLP-1 costs in 2026 focused on the subscription. Two reviewers described unexpected recurring charges of $89 or $99. Another said the $99 membership was not clear when booking a visit.

Positive reviews praised individual clinicians and fast prescriptions. Our Sesame Care review covers the full platform.

Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide online

Compounded GLP-1s are mixed by a pharmacy. They have the lowest all-in prices in this comparison, but they are not FDA approved.

In late September 2026, HealthRX listed compounded semaglutide at $149 for the first month and $165 afterward. Its compounded tirzepatide cost $193 for the first month and $214 afterward.

Noom’s compounded microdose plans start at $79 for the first four weeks, then $179 a month. Henry Meds charges $179 to $297 a month for compounded semaglutide and offers tirzepatide only as an oral tablet. Sesame and Hims do not sell compounded GLP-1s.

The FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are sold. It says these drugs should be used only when an approved drug cannot meet a patient’s needs.¹

The FDA declared the semaglutide shortage resolved in February 2025. Its leeway for compounders of semaglutide and tirzepatide had expired by late May 2025.²

On April 30, 2026, the FDA proposed excluding semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide from the list of bulk ingredients that outsourcing facilities may compound. It had not issued a final decision by October 19, 2026.³

Our compounded semaglutide guide explains the compounded drug in more detail.

GLP-1 online with insurance

If your insurance covers the medication, combining that coverage with a manufacturer’s savings card is the cheapest way to get a GLP-1 online. A savings card can bring Wegovy or a Zepbound pen to $25 a month.

The limits matter. Wegovy’s card saves up to $100 a month, so you pay $25 only if your copay is $125 or less. Zepbound’s card saves up to $1,300 a year and expires December 31, 2026.

If your commercial plan does not cover Zepbound, its card brings the pen price to $499. That is more than the self-pay price for a LillyDirect vial or KwikPen.

Coverage varies by employer. In 2025, 19% of large employers offering health benefits covered GLP-1s for weight loss. Among companies with at least 5,000 workers, 43% offered coverage.⁴ Plans that cover the medication may require prior authorization.

Sesame does not bill insurance for its program fee, but its clinicians complete prior authorization paperwork for medication. Hims and Henry Meds do not accept insurance.

Manufacturer savings cards exclude Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and VA coverage.

Does Medicare or Medicaid cover GLP-1s?

Medicare covers some GLP-1s for weight loss through a temporary program. Medicaid coverage for obesity depends on the state.

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge began July 1, 2026, and runs through December 31, 2027. Eligible members pay a $50 copay for a month’s supply.⁵ It covers Foundayo, Wegovy injections and tablets, and the Zepbound KwikPen.⁶

Bridge eligibility starts at a BMI of 35, or lower with conditions such as prediabetes or a past heart attack. People with type 2 diabetes, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea or fatty liver disease do not qualify for the Bridge, though Part D may cover their GLP-1. The prescriber must complete prior authorization.⁶

States decide whether their Medicaid programs cover GLP-1s for obesity. As of January 2026, 13 state programs provided that coverage under fee-for-service. California, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and South Carolina had dropped coverage.⁷

Sesame does not accept Medicare or Medicaid for visits.

Paying with an HSA or FSA

IRS rules treat prescribed drugs as medical expenses. Weight-loss program fees also qualify when the program treats a disease diagnosed by a physician, such as obesity.⁸

Your plan makes the final decision. The companies describe eligibility as follows:

• Sesame: Provides an itemized bill on request and says most subscription services may qualify.
• Hims: Says medication is eligible, but membership is not.
• LillyDirect: Says eligibility varies by plan.
• Henry Meds: Does not guarantee that you can use these funds.

Red flags in a cheap GLP-1 offer

A brand-name cash offer below $149 a month, the lowest manufacturer price, deserves a closer look. So does anything marketed as generic semaglutide, since no generic is sold in the US.

The FDA identifies these warning signs:¹

• A seller claims its compounded version matches an FDA-approved drug.
• Discounts look too good to be true.
• Medication ships without a screening and prescription from a licensed doctor.
• The medicine differs from the product pictured, arrives damaged or comes without instructions.

The FDA also warns against products labeled “for research purposes.” It says semaglutide salt forms contain different active ingredients from the approved drugs.

As of May 31, 2026, the FDA had received 990 adverse event reports linked to compounded semaglutide and more than 730 linked to compounded tirzepatide.¹ Nearly 95% of websites selling prescription-only drugs operate illegally, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.⁹

This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or licensed clinician before starting, stopping, or changing any treatment, and follow your prescriber and the pharmacy label on dosing. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For a medical emergency, call 911.

Start with a Sesame Care clinician