GLP-1 price comparison: what you'll actually pay
Last verified August 21, 2026.
Semaglutide injections start at $135 a month all-in at Gentle Health. At Hims and Ro, the same medication runs $498 a month once their membership fee is added. Below is the full side-by-side comparison of semaglutide, oral semaglutide and tirzepatide, dose by dose; every competitor price comes from that company's own website, checked in August 2026.
Why are we more affordable?
What you pay for
- Medication
- Doctor reviews and dose decisions
- Messaging and video visits
- Refrigerated delivery
- Licenses and independent quality checks
Costs we cut
- Insurance billing and prior authorizations
- Repeated paperwork
- Administrative layers
- Large advertising campaigns
- Paying extra for the brand
Who's in this comparison
- Gentle Health (that's us)
- Compounded GLP-1 medication — pharmacy-grade, base-form active ingredient verified by certificate of analysis, made to order for you by a licensed US pharmacy. One monthly price that includes your doctor visits, messaging, and shipping. (Compounded medications are prepared by a pharmacy, are not FDA-approved, and are not generic versions of the brand products.)
- Hims & Ro
- Online services that sell the brand-name GLP-1s at the manufacturer's price, plus a separate membership fee of about $149 a month on top of the medication.
- Brand-name GLP-1s direct
- Buying the brand-name medication directly from the manufacturers and paying cash. This is the medication only — it does not include a doctor visit or prescription.
How to read these tables: each table is one medication. Rows are treatment stages — most people start at a low dose and step up over time — and every price is the total you'd pay per month.
Oral semaglutide
Taken every day instead of injected. Ours is a liquid you place under your tongue; the brand-name version is a tablet you swallow. A liquid and a tablet aren't the same milligram-for-milligram, so these rows line up by treatment stage, not by dose.
| Stage | Gentle Health | Hims | Ro | Brand-name oral semaglutide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting lowest daily dose | $112/mo | $348/mo | $348/mo | $199/mo |
Medium middle daily dose | $189/mo | $448/mo | $448/mo | $299/mo |
High-dose full daily dose | $258/mo | $448/mo | $448/mo | $299/mo |
Semaglutide injections
A once-a-week shot you give yourself at home.
| Stage | Gentle Health | Hims | Ro | Brand-name semaglutide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting 0.24–0.48 mg a week | $135/mo | $498/mo | $498/mo | $349/mo |
Medium 1 mg a week | $159/mo | $498/mo | $498/mo | $349/mo |
High-dose 1.7–2.4 mg a week | $199/mo | $498/mo | $498/mo | $349/mo |
Tirzepatide injections
A once-a-week shot you give yourself at home.
| Stage | Gentle Health | Hims | Ro | Brand-name tirzepatide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting 2.5–5 mg a week | $169/mo | $448–$548/mo | $448–$548/mo | $299–$399/mo |
Medium 5–10 mg a week | $219/mo | $598/mo* | $598/mo* | $449/mo* |
High-dose 10–15 mg a week | $269/mo | $598/mo* | $598/mo* | $449/mo* |
Good to know
Prices as of August 2026, taken from each company's published self-pay pricing. Competitor prices change often — please check their sites for current rates.
Hims and Ro charge the medication's price plus a required membership billed on top — $149 a month at each (first month $39). The totals shown include the membership. Both columns are the manufacturer price each one fills through, plus its membership: Ro publishes a per-dose table, Hims publishes none. Pay-ahead plans at either can lower the cost.
The brand-name GLP-1s are FDA-approved. Gentle Health prescribes compounded GLP-1 medication prepared by a licensed US pharmacy; compounded medication is not FDA-approved. The brand-direct prices are for the medication only — no doctor visit or prescription included. Gentle Health's price includes your doctor visits, messaging, and shipping.
*Brand-name tirzepatide at $449 a month for the 7.5–15 mg doses requires reordering within 45 days of your previous delivery; otherwise it is $499 (7.5 mg) or $699 (10–15 mg). Hims and Ro fill brand tirzepatide through the manufacturer's self-pay program, so the same 45-day condition applies there, plus their membership.
Brand-name semaglutide starter offers, not included in the prices above: new patients pay $199 a month for their first two fills of the 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg injection, sign-up by 12/31/2026; the 4 mg oral version is $149 a month through 8/31/2026, then $199. Maintenance doses are not discounted.
This comparison uses standard month-to-month pricing; some competitors offer discounts for paying several months up front.
HSA/FSA: GLP-1 treatment prescribed for a diagnosed condition is generally a qualified medical expense. You can pay with your HSA or FSA card at checkout, or pay as usual and submit your itemized receipt for reimbursement; Dr. Simmons can provide a Letter of Medical Necessity on request.