GLP-1 without insurance: every cash-pay option by true monthly cost

Without insurance, the cheapest FDA-approved GLP-1s cost $149 a month at their starting doses: the Wegovy pill from NovoCare Pharmacy and Foundayo from LillyDirect. At maintenance doses, brand-name cash prices run $299 to $449 a month with on-time refills. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide cost $89 to $399 a month at the 39 programs we rank (each program’s lowest ongoing price), as of October 2026, but they are not FDA-approved, and your true monthly cost also depends on dose steps, membership fees and refill timing.

Every cash-pay option at a glance

These are monthly self-pay prices read on October 17, 2026, before any separate membership fee.

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Our cheapest GLP-1 rankings compare programs at each of these price points.

Brand-name GLP-1s, bought direct

Wegovy pill and Wegovy pen (NovoCare Pharmacy)

NovoCare prices the Wegovy pill by dose: $149 for 1.5 mg, $199 for 4 mg, and $299 for 9 mg or 25 mg, per 30-tablet bottle. These prices carry a “limited time offer” label with no end date shown. The Wegovy label says to take it once daily on an empty stomach and wait at least 30 minutes before food or drink.

The Wegovy pen costs $349 a month at doses from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg and $399 at 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD), per box of 4 pens. New patients pay $199 for the 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses on their first 2 monthly fills, through December 31, 2026. The label holds each of those doses for 4 weeks, so the $199 price covers about your first 8 weeks. Our Wegovy pill guide has more detail.

Zepbound (LillyDirect)

LillyDirect sells Zepbound vials and KwikPens at the same price: $299 for 2.5 mg, $399 for 5 mg and $449 for 7.5 mg to 15 mg. The $449 price requires a refill within 45 days. Refill later and 7.5 mg costs $499, while 10 mg to 15 mg cost $699. A month is 4 vials or 1 KwikPen (28 days).

Foundayo (LillyDirect)

LillyDirect charges $149 for Foundayo at 0.8 mg and 2.5 mg, $199 at 5.5 mg and $299 at 9 mg, 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg. The 2.5 mg and 5.5 mg prices are temporarily reduced through December 31, 2026, and the two top doses need a refill within 45 days. Unlike the Wegovy pill, Foundayo can be taken at any time of day, with or without food (label). See our Foundayo guide.

TrumpRx.gov, Ozempic and generic liraglutide

TrumpRx.gov lists the Wegovy pill at $149, the Wegovy pen at $199, Ozempic at $199 and Zepbound at $299 a month, with no doses shown. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes and has no weight-management indication (label).

Teva launched the first generic of Saxenda (liraglutide), a once-daily injection indicated for weight loss, on August 28, 2025 (Teva). Ask a pharmacy for its cash price.

Compounded GLP-1s: all-in monthly programs

Most online compounded programs bundle the clinician review, medication and shipping into one monthly price. At the 39 programs we rank, as of October 2026, taking each program’s lowest ongoing monthly price, compounded semaglutide costs $89 to $299 a month and compounded tirzepatide $125 to $399. A sample:

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Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not Wegovy or Zepbound, and not generics of them. A compounding pharmacy prepares them, and compounded drugs are not FDA-approved or reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality before marketing (FDA). Before choosing one, read is compounded semaglutide still legal and safe and our compounded tirzepatide price guide.

What drives your true monthly cost

Dose steps

Brand-name prices rise with the dose, and the labels step the dose up over the first months. On the Wegovy pill label, you take 1.5 mg, then 4 mg, then 9 mg for 30 days each, then 25 mg from day 91. At NovoCare’s prices that adds up to $647 for the first 3 months and $299 a month after. Foundayo’s steps (at least 30 days each) cost $149, $149 and $199 before reaching $299 at 9 mg or above. Your clinician sets your own pace, so your bill may differ.

Memberships

Some programs charge for care separately from the drug. Vineyard’s membership is $150 a month, and you pay the pharmacy for medication on top. Vineyard lists cash ranges of $149 to $299 for the Wegovy pill or Foundayo, $199 to $399 for the Wegovy injection (the $199 covers only the first two fills for new patients, then $349 to $399) and $299 to $449 for Zepbound with on-time refills. So the Wegovy pill at 25 mg through Vineyard comes to $449 a month all in. See our Vineyard review.

Refill windows and expiring offers

If you refill Zepbound 10 mg to 15 mg after the 45-day window, the price jumps from $449 to $699. Wegovy’s $199 starter fills, Foundayo’s reduced 2.5 mg and 5.5 mg prices and Lilly’s Zepbound savings cards all end on December 31, 2026 (Lilly). LumiMeds’ $89 semaglutide sale price shows no end date.

Cost isn’t the only difference

These results come from separate trials with different people and lengths, so they can’t be compared head to head, and no trial predicts what you will lose.

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A licensed clinician can help you weigh these results against price and side effects.

If you have some coverage after all

“Without insurance” often means your plan doesn’t cover a particular drug. If a commercial plan does cover Wegovy or Zepbound, the makers’ savings cards can bring the cost to as little as $25 a month, though government beneficiaries are excluded. On Medicare Part D, the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge charges eligible enrollees $50 a month from July 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027, for Foundayo, Wegovy and Zepbound KwikPen (CMS). More in does Medicare cover Wegovy or Zepbound.

The bottom line

The lowest cash price for an FDA-approved GLP-1 is $149 a month, for the Wegovy pill or Foundayo at their starting doses, and maintenance doses cost $299 to $449 with on-time refills. Compounded options start lower, at $89 to $125, but they aren’t FDA-approved. Compare prices at the dose you’re likely to stay on, add any membership fee, and note which offers end on December 31, 2026. Then talk with a licensed clinician about which medication fits you.