What it actually costs
Every provider advertises one number. Almost nobody pays that number for
long. Here's what moves it, and what to ask before you hand over a card.
No affiliate links on this page. If that changes I'll say so in this box,
at the top, before you've read anything. See
about.
The one that gets everyone: price goes up as your dose does
Most compounding providers price by milligram. Your quote was for the starting dose. The
schedule on the tirzepatide chart has you at four
times that dose by month five, and for a lot of providers the bill moves with it.
So the honest way to compare two providers isn't the headline. It's the total across the
titration you're actually going to do.
An illustrative six months on a dose-tiered plan — the shape of the problem, not
any one provider's prices.
| Month | Dose | Tier price | Running total |
|---|
| 1 | 2.5 mg | $199 | $199 |
| 2 | 5 mg | $249 | $448 |
| 3 | 5 mg | $249 | $697 |
| 4 | 7.5 mg | $329 | $1,026 |
| 5 | 10 mg | $399 | $1,425 |
| 6 | 10 mg | $399 | $1,824 |
Advertised as "from $199". Averages $304 a month over six.
A flat-rate provider at $279 looks more expensive on the homepage and is cheaper by
month four. That's the comparison nobody puts in the marketing.
The other four
Membership is often billed separately
Two line items: the medication, and a monthly membership or "care" fee that covers the
prescriber. A plan quoting $100 for medication plus $99 for membership is a $199 plan.
Both numbers exist on the pricing page; only one of them is in the headline.
The headline is usually the twelve-month prepay rate
Lowest advertised price generally means paying a year up front. Month to month is
meaningfully more. Worth knowing before you commit twelve months to a medication you
haven't taken yet and might not tolerate.
First-month pricing expires
$25 or $49 for month one is a real discount and a real price — for one month. Look at
month two before you judge the offer.
Branded and compounded are different markets
Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide exist in a different price tier from Zepbound,
Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic, and the rules around compounding have moved more than once
since the FDA shortage designations ended. Whether a given compounder can still supply what
they're advertising is a fair question to ask them directly.
Roughly where the tiers sat when I last looked
Advertised US prices as listed in early September 2026, gathered from providers'
own pages and press coverage. These move constantly — treat them as a shape, not a quote,
and check the source before you act on any of it.
| Route | Advertised range / mo | Notes |
|---|
| Compounded, prepaid year | $150 – $200 |
Lowest rung. Usually dose-tiered on top. |
| Compounded, monthly | $200 – $400 |
Check whether membership is inside or outside this. |
| Branded, self-pay direct | $299 – $499 |
Manufacturer self-pay programmes and pharmacy weight-management plans. |
| Branded, list price | $499 – $1,086 |
28-day supply of Zepbound, per GoodRx as of January 2026. What you pay with no
insurance and no programme. |
| With insurance coverage | $0 – $150 |
Copay, when your plan covers it for your indication. Many don't cover weight loss. |
Five questions before you pay
- "What's the price at 10 mg, not the starting dose?" The single most useful
question on this page.
- "Is the membership fee included in that number?"
- "Is that the monthly rate or the prepay rate?"
- "What happens if I stop in month two?" Refund policy on a prepaid year is the
thing you'll care about if the side effects don't settle.
- "What concentration are the vials?" Not a price question, but ask it in the same
breath — it decides whether your dose is drawable later on. The
chart shows why.
If you have insurance, check this first
Before comparing cash providers at all: find out whether your plan covers a GLP-1 for
your specific indication. Coverage for type 2 diabetes is common; coverage for weight
management is much less so, and plans that do cover it often want documentation first.
A covered copay beats every cash price on this page, and manufacturer savings cards can
apply on top. It's a phone call, and it's worth making it before you spend anything.