Paying for a GLP-1 Without Insurance: Every Option and What It Costs
There are three main ways to pay cash for semaglutide or tirzepatide. Here is how each works, what we found when we checked real prices, and the questions to ask before you hand over a card.
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- Lowest cost: compounded medicine from an online clinic, $69 to $129 a month in our October check, usually with the clinician included.
- Lowest-cost brand-name: the Wegovy® pill from $149 a month at the starting dose, rising to $299 at higher doses.
- The add-on to watch: program memberships of $39 to $149 a month on top of brand-name medicine.
Option 1: Brand-name through an online program
Ro and Hims both prescribe brand-name GLP-1s and charge a membership on top. Here is Ro’s published cash price list, which was the most complete we found:
| Plan | Semaglutide | Tirzepatide |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy pill 1.5 mg | $149 | — |
| Wegovy pill 4 mg | $199 | — |
| Wegovy pill 9–25 mg | $299 | — |
| Wegovy pen 0.25–0.5 mg | $199 (intro, list $349) | — |
| Wegovy pen 1–2.4 mg | $349 | — |
| Zepbound KwikPen 2.5 mg | — | $299 |
| Zepbound 5 mg | — | $399 |
| Zepbound 7.5–15 mg | — | $449 (with offer) |
Prices read from Ro's own site on October 25, 2026. Confirm at checkout.
Ro’s membership is $39 the first month, then $74 to $149 a month depending on plan ($74 if you prepay a year). Hims charges $39 then $149 a month. Medicine is billed separately.
Option 2: Brand-name direct from the maker
Novo Nordisk (NovoCare Pharmacy) and Eli Lilly (LillyDirect) sell to cash-pay patients. You still need a prescription from a clinician. Prices rise with dose, so look at the dose you are likely to stay on, not just the starting one.
Option 3: Compounded through an online clinic
The cheapest route. Many clinics include the clinician visit and shipping in one monthly price. In our check: Embody $69, Eden $99 and TotalRx from $129 a month for compounded semaglutide. These products are not FDA-approved and the FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality.
Compare a year of treatment
| Provider | Month 1 | Each month after | Total |
|---|
Uses each provider's lowest public price on the date we checked, with any membership added. Brand-name prices usually rise with dose. Providers that do not publish a price after month one are left out. Confirm at checkout.
Five questions to ask before you pay
- What will I pay in month two, and month six?
- Is there a membership on top of the medicine?
- Does the price change when my dose goes up?
- How often will my card be charged?
- What do I get back if I am not approved, or if I stop early?