Guide
Every GLP-1 Medication, and Which Providers Actually Offer It
Five molecules are in play: semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide, orforglipron and the oral semaglutide tablet. They differ in efficacy, route, price and how many provid
Five molecules are in play: semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide, orforglipron and the oral semaglutide tablet. They differ in efficacy, route, price and how many providers carry them. Pick the medication first — the cheapest provider for tirzepatide is rarely the cheapest for semaglutide.
Start here, not with the provider
Almost every comparison in this category asks you to choose a provider and then tells you what it sells. That is backwards. The medication determines the evidence that applies to you, the price band you are shopping in, and which providers are even candidates.
| Medication | Route | Trial result | Brand self-pay | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) | Weekly injection | 22.5% | $299–$449 | FDA-approved |
| Semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) | Weekly injection | 14.9% | $349 | FDA-approved |
| Oral semaglutide (Wegovy tablet) | Daily tablet | 15.1% | $149 | FDA-approved December 2025 |
| Orforglipron (Foundayo) | Daily tablet, no food or water restriction | 12.4% | $149 | FDA-approved 1 April 2026 |
| Liraglutide (Saxenda) | Daily injection | ~8% | — | FDA-approved, largely superseded |
Trial figures are means from the pivotal programmes for the FDA-approved products: SURMOUNT-1 for tirzepatide, STEP-1 for semaglutide, ATTAIN-1 for orforglipron. They do not transfer to compounded preparations, microdoses or orally disintegrating tablets.
The head-to-head that settles the efficacy question
SURMOUNT-5 compared them directly, open-label, over 72 weeks: tirzepatide 20.2% against semaglutide 13.7%. Tirzepatide wins on weight loss. That is not the whole decision.
Semaglutide has the longer cardiovascular outcomes record and, since December 2025, an approved oral form. Orforglipron is the only pill with no food or water restriction. Cost, route and tolerability decide as often as efficacy does.
Compare providers on the medication you actually want
Every provider we track that offers semaglutide, with price structure and evidence grade.
The comparison matrix: every provider against every field that decides a choice.
Coverage, savings card, LillyDirect self-pay and the 45-day condition.
Compounded, brand and oral, ranked on what twelve months costs.
Why the cheapest provider changes with the molecule
Compounded tirzepatide runs roughly $50 to $100 a month above compounded semaglutide, which is usually attributed to the active ingredient being harder to source. A provider priced competitively on one is not necessarily competitive on the other, and several publish very different structures for each.
One provider in our dataset charges $199 a month for tirzepatide and $99 for semaglutide, both flat at every dose, plus a $79 membership either way. The membership makes the semaglutide programme 44% more expensive than its headline and the tirzepatide programme 40% more. Same company, same fee, different distortion.
The oral options changed the arithmetic in 2026
Two approved pills now sit at $149 a month self-pay: the oral Wegovy tablet, approved December 2025, and Foundayo, approved 1 April 2026. Both are FDA-approved finished products with their own trial programmes.
That matters because it puts an approved drug below most compounded injectable programmes. A compounded preparation priced above $149 is now more expensive than an approved pill, and the compounded product carries no trial evidence of its own.
| Step | What the label says | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Starting dosage | 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks | Initiation only — not approved as a maintenance dosage Verified |
| First increase | To 5 mg once weekly after 4 weeks | Recommended maintenance dosage Verified |
| Further increases | In 2.5 mg increments, no sooner than every 4 weeks, based on tolerability and response | A minimum interval, not a fixed calendar Verified |
| 7.5 mg and 12.5 mg | Available strengths used during titration | Titration steps, not recommended maintenance dosages Verified |
| 10 mg | Once weekly | Recommended maintenance dosage Verified |
| 15 mg | Once weekly | Recommended maintenance dosage and the maximum Verified |
| Above 15 mg | No approved dosage exists | Verified Verified |
| Program type | What it covers | Comparable with |
|---|---|---|
| Starter program | Introductory period, often lower doses | Other starter programs only |
| Ongoing program | Standard continuing supply | Other ongoing programs only |
| Maintenance program | Post-titration supply, often a fixed dose | Other maintenance programs only |
| Prepaid term | Several months paid upfront | Monthly plans only after conversion |
| Month-to-month | Cancellable each cycle | Other month-to-month plans only |
| Microdose program | Sub-therapeutic dosing outside trial evidence | Other microdose programs only |
Questions readers actually ask
Which GLP-1 medication is most effective?
In the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head, tirzepatide produced 20.2% mean weight loss against semaglutide's 13.7% over 72 weeks. Tirzepatide leads on weight loss; semaglutide has the longer cardiovascular record.
Is there a GLP-1 pill?
Two approved pills, both at $149 a month self-pay: the oral Wegovy tablet approved December 2025, and Foundayo (orforglipron) approved 1 April 2026, which has no food or water restriction.
Why is compounded tirzepatide dearer than compounded semaglutide?
Roughly $50 to $100 a month dearer, usually attributed to the active ingredient being harder to source.
Should I pick the provider or the medication first?
The medication. It determines which evidence applies, the price band, and which providers are even candidates. The cheapest provider for tirzepatide is rarely the cheapest for semaglutide.
Related on this site
- Provider ranking methodologyCore & Trust
- GLP-1 total cost calculatorTools
- Download the pricing recordsData
- GLP-1 Telehealth vs Local Weight-Loss ClinicComparisons
- GLP-1 Data API DocumentationData
- Found vs Henry MedsComparisons
- Found Tirzepatide ReviewProviders
- Enhance.MD Tirzepatide ReviewProviders
- Compare Tirzepatide Providers Side by SidePillar / Money
- Best Tirzepatide Providers Online in 2026Pillar / Money
Related coverage
Tirzepatide Provider Comparison. “Every GLP-1 Medication, and Which Providers Actually Offer It.” S.J Partners LLC, 2026-07-26. https://tirzepatideprovidercomparison.com/medications/
Quote the capture date beside a figure, not the date you read this page. Why.
Capture standing: 35 of 86 price records in this dataset were read at the source by us: 24 from NexLife and 6 from Lilly's own pages for brand Zepbound. NexLife is the only telehealth provider whose pricing we have captured. Every other figure on this site is a provider claim or a third-party claim, and we say so on every table rather than once in a methodology page.