GLP-1 Cost in 2026: Compounded vs Wegovy and Zepbound Prices

The price of a GLP-1 depends on three things: whether you use a brand-name drug or a compounded one, whether insurance covers it, and how much the program adds in membership or visit fees. We checked every price below on the seller's own page on November 2, 2026.

Brand-name GLP-1 prices without insurance

• Wegovy pill (semaglutide): $149 a month at 1.5 mg, $199 at 4 mg and $299 at 9 or 25 mg, through Novo Nordisk's NovoCare self-pay program.
• Wegovy pen (semaglutide): $349 a month for most doses. New self-pay patients pay $199 for each of the first two fills at 0.25 or 0.5 mg through December 31, 2026. Wegovy HD 7.2 mg is $399 a month.
• Zepbound (tirzepatide): from $299 a month at the starting dose up to $449 a month at higher doses through Lilly's self-pay program, as listed by Walgreens.
• Foundayo (orforglipron), Lilly's daily GLP-1 pill: $149 a month for the two lowest doses through December 31, 2026, then $199 to $299 a month by dose, per Walgreens.

If your commercial insurance covers Wegovy or Zepbound, Novo Nordisk and Lilly savings cards can bring the cost down to as little as $25 a month (up to $100 in savings a month). People on Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE cannot use them.

Compounded GLP-1 prices from online programs

Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are prepared by a pharmacy for one patient. They cost less, but they are not FDA-approved and the trials behind the brand names did not test them. Here is what six online programs published:

• T-TIME: semaglutide $99 a month at every dose (tablet billed monthly; injection on a three-month plan). Tirzepatide $447 per three months, about $149 a month. No membership fee.
• Henry Meds: semaglutide injection $297 a month month to month, or $2,364 prepaid for 12 months (about $197 a month).
• Found: compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide program at $289 a month month to month, or $169 a month on a 12-month prepaid cash plan, medication included.
• Mochi Health: compounded semaglutide from $60 and tirzepatide from $90 at the lowest dose, rising with dose, plus a $79 monthly membership (first month free on the monthly plan, from $49 a month on longer plans).
• Hims and Ro: both charge a weight-loss membership of $39 for the first month and $149 a month after, with medication billed separately.

Why the monthly membership matters

A $149 membership on top of a $149 medication is $298 a month, which is more than a self-pay Wegovy pill at the same dose. When you compare programs, add the membership, visit fees and any dose-based price increase. Programs that keep one price at every dose are easier to budget, because GLP-1 doses usually rise for the first few months.

What a year costs

GLP-1 treatment is usually long term: in the STEP 1 extension, people regained about two-thirds of their lost weight within a year of stopping semaglutide, and in SURMOUNT-4, people switched from tirzepatide to placebo regained 14% of their body weight. So the yearly cost is the number to compare.

• T-TIME semaglutide: 12 x $99 = $1,188.
• T-TIME tirzepatide: 4 x $447 = $1,788.
• Henry Meds semaglutide: $2,364 prepaid, or $3,564 month to month.
• Found compounded: $2,028 on the 12-month cash plan, or $3,468 month to month.
• Wegovy pen self-pay: 2 x $199 + 10 x $349 = $3,888 for a new patient in 2026.
• Zepbound self-pay at a higher dose: about 12 x $449 = $5,388.

These totals use published prices only and leave out labs and taxes. Prices change often, so confirm at checkout.

How to pick a program

• Start with insurance. If your plan covers Wegovy or Zepbound, the brand drug may be the cheapest option.
• If you pay cash and want an FDA-approved product, compare the manufacturer self-pay prices first.
• If you choose compounded, pick a clinician-led program that prescribes by dose, names its pharmacy and keeps follow-up open, and avoid the red flags FDA lists, such as claims that a compounded drug is the same as Wegovy.
• Compare the full year, not the first month.

Where to go next: Compare programs in our GLP-1 guide for men, or see how losing weight affects low testosterone.

FAQ

What is the cheapest way to get semaglutide?

If your commercial insurance covers Wegovy or Zepbound, Novo Nordisk and Lilly savings cards can bring the cost down to as little as $25 a month (up to $100 in savings a month). People on Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE cannot use them.

Why is compounded semaglutide cheaper than Wegovy?

It is prepared by a pharmacy without the costs of an FDA-approved finished product, its clinical trials or brand marketing. The trade-off is that FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality.

Is tirzepatide more expensive than semaglutide?

Usually, yes. Self-pay Zepbound runs $299 to $449 a month, and compounded tirzepatide also tends to cost more than compounded semaglutide, for example $149 vs $99 a month at T-TIME.