How much does tretinoin cost without insurance?

Tretinoin costs $28 to $35 a month at the four online providers we checked that publish a price for it, as of October 18, 2026. Two of those sell generic tretinoin cream, and two sell tretinoin only inside a compounded cream. Three more providers prescribe tretinoin without showing the price before you sign up. The headline number is only part of the bill, though: consult fees, memberships and billing cycles change what you pay.

Tretinoin prices, provider by provider

These are the prices each provider lists for a tretinoin product on its own site, read on October 18, 2026.

Scroll sideways to see the full table

For the full ranking by price, see our list of the best places to get tretinoin online, and the tretinoin medication guide for doses and warnings.

What the monthly price covers

At Alloy and Musely, one price covers the cream, the clinician and shipping. Alloy’s skin pages say each product includes unlimited doctor access at $0 and free delivery. Musely includes the doctor and free shipping, and adds no sales tax.

Wisp lists the cream itself, starting at $28 a month for 3 months, as a one-time order or a subscription. Its tretinoin page doesn’t say whether a consult fee or shipping is added, so check the total at checkout.

Nurx splits the bill. The medication is $90 for a 45 g tube, which Nurx shows as $30 a month for 3 months. On top of that you pay a $40 consult for each request, which isn’t billed to insurance, and a flat $3 support fee in months when you order. Shipping is free.

Generic or compounded: why the label matters

Generic tretinoin cream is FDA-approved for acne. Its label says to apply it once a day before bed and that results should show after 2 to 3 weeks, though more than 6 weeks may be needed (label). The version approved for fine facial wrinkles is Renova 0.02%; using an acne-labeled generic for wrinkles is off-label.

A compounded tretinoin cream is different. A pharmacy mixes it for your prescription, often adding niacinamide or hyaluronic acid, and it isn’t FDA-approved. The FDA doesn’t review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality before they’re sold (FDA), and a compounded cream may not be essentially a copy of an approved one (FDA guidance). Evernow’s page says plainly that its 0.03% cream is compounded and not FDA-approved. Alloy’s and Musely’s pages don’t use the word; we list both creams as compounded because each mixes tretinoin with niacinamide in the provider’s own formula.

Price doesn’t separate the two. Alloy’s compounded cream costs the same $30 a month as Nurx’s generic tube, and Wisp’s generic is the cheapest of the four.

Custom creams that can include tretinoin

Many providers sell tretinoin only inside a custom formula with other ingredients, such as clindamycin, azelaic acid or niacinamide. These are compounded and not FDA-approved. They can make sense if you want one product instead of several, but you are paying for the mix, not only the tretinoin.

Scroll sideways to see the full table

That puts custom creams at about $30 to $65 a month where a monthly price can be worked out, against $28 to $35 for tretinoin on its own. Our custom compounded cream guide explains what goes into them, and the Curology review covers the cheapest way to try one.

Fees that change the total

Three things move the real cost away from the headline price.

Consult fees. Nurx’s $40 consult and $3 support fee turn a $90 tube into $133 for the first 3 months, about $44 a month.

Memberships. Evernow bills a membership of $49 month to month, $129 for 3 months or $420 for 12 months, and the cream is extra at a price it doesn’t publish. Twentyeight Health charges $19.99 a month for Complete Care without insurance, and you pay your pharmacy for the medication, which Twentyeight says costs under $30 for most prescriptions.

Visits. Midi Health charges $250 for a first self-pay video visit and $150 for a continued-care visit, and doesn’t publish its cream prices. With in-network insurance, the visit can cost only your copay.

Using insurance or an HSA

Most online tretinoin is cash-pay, but a few routes use insurance. Nurx bills insurance for skin prescriptions, which can bring them to $0, though the $40 consult isn’t covered. Twentyeight Health takes many commercial and Medicaid plans, and in-network provider care can be $0. Midi Health is in network with most major plans for visits, and Evernow takes UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield for video visits.

For pre-tax money, Wisp accepts FSA and HSA cards but says dermatology treatments often need a letter of medical necessity. Alloy marks its products HSA/FSA eligible, and Curology says you may be able to use an HSA or FSA card after the trial box.

How to compare quotes

Before you pay, check these on the provider’s site:

• The total for your first order, including any consult, membership or support fee.
• Whether the cream is generic tretinoin or a compounded mix.
• Whether the price is the same at 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.1%.
• How often it ships and bills (every month, 2 months or 3 months) and how to cancel.
• Whether shipping and clinician messaging are included.

If the dermatology visit is the part you want to price, our guide to what an online dermatologist costs compares visit fees and memberships.

The bottom line

Generic tretinoin cream costs $28 to $30 a month online at Wisp and Nurx, and compounded tretinoin creams $30 to $35 at Alloy and Musely, as of October 2026. Add Nurx’s $40 consult, or a membership at Evernow or Twentyeight Health, and the cheapest headline price may not be the cheapest total. Compare the full first-order cost, ask whether the cream is generic or compounded, and see our skin care hub for every provider we track.