How Much Does a GLP-1 Cost Per Month Without Insurance?
Brand-name weight-loss GLP-1s cost $149 to $449 a month without insurance at the makers’ own cash prices in September 2026, and the diabetes versions cost up to $499. Compounded versions usually cost less, but they aren’t FDA-approved.
Cost stops many people. In a KFF poll from November 2025, 56% of GLP-1 users said the drugs were difficult to afford, and 27% had insurance but paid the full cost themselves.
Two rules shape your GLP-1 cost without insurance. The price follows the dose, and most people step up over the first few months. Weekly shots also come in 28-day boxes, so a year takes 13 fills, not 12.
The table uses the makers’ own price pages, checked September 25–26, 2026. LillyDirect is Lilly’s online pharmacy, and NovoCare Pharmacy is Novo Nordisk’s.
| Drug and form | Dose | Cash price per month | Where this price applies | Fine print |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zepbound vial or KwikPen | 2.5 mg | $299 | LillyDirect (home delivery or Walmart pickup); KwikPen also at retail pharmacies with Lilly’s savings card (Amazon Pharmacy lists it from $299) | Starting dose only |
| Zepbound vial or KwikPen | 5 mg | $399 | Same as above | None |
| Zepbound vial or KwikPen | 7.5–15 mg | $449 | Same as above | $499 (7.5 mg) or $699 (10–15 mg) if you refill after 45 days |
| Mounjaro pen (diabetes) | All doses | $499 | LillyDirect | Self-pay only |
| Foundayo pill | 0.8 and 2.5 mg / 5.5 mg / 9–17.2 mg | $149 / $199 / $299 | LillyDirect | 2.5 and 5.5 mg prices are temporary, through Dec 31, 2026 |
| Wegovy pen | 0.25 and 0.5 mg | $199 for 2 fills, then $349 | NovoCare, local pharmacies with Novo’s offer, TrumpRx coupon, Costco | $199 is for new patients, through Dec 31, 2026 |
| Wegovy pen | 1, 1.7 and 2.4 mg | $349 | Same as above | $249–$329 on 3- to 12-month telehealth subscriptions |
| Wegovy HD pen | 7.2 mg | $399 | NovoCare, local pharmacies with Novo’s offer, TrumpRx coupon | None |
| Wegovy pill | 1.5 mg / 4 mg / 9 and 25 mg | $149 / $199 / $299 | NovoCare, TrumpRx, Amazon Pharmacy | 30 tablets |
| Ozempic pen (diabetes) | 0.25–1 mg / 2 mg | $349 / $499 | NovoCare, TrumpRx | $199 for 2 fills of 0.25 or 0.5 mg for new patients |
Sources: LillyDirect product pages (August–September 2026), Novo’s Wegovy price guide (April 2026) and Ozempic guide (May 2026), TrumpRx.gov, and Novo Nordisk (March 31, 2026).
Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved for type 2 diabetes and share active ingredients with Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide). List prices are far higher than these cash prices: $1,349.02 for Wegovy, $1,087 for Zepbound and $1,027.51 for Ozempic, per TrumpRx.gov.
How Much Does Zepbound Cost Without Insurance?
Zepbound costs $299 to $449 a month without insurance when you buy vials or the KwikPen at Lilly’s self-pay prices, as of September 2026.
On LillyDirect, the 2.5 mg starting dose is $299, 5 mg is $399, and every dose from 7.5 mg to 15 mg is $449. A month means 28 days: four single-dose vials or one four-dose KwikPen.
The $449 price has a catch: you must refill within 45 days of your last delivery. Miss that window and Lilly’s regular price applies, $499 for 7.5 mg and $699 for 10 to 15 mg. One late box can cost $250 extra.
Needles and syringes cost extra, and the self-pay price doesn’t cover the single-dose autoinjector pen. Mounjaro, Lilly’s tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes, costs $499 a month at every dose.
Vials or KwikPen: Which Is Cheaper?
Neither. Lilly charges the same for both, so the choice comes down to where you buy. Lilly sells vials only through LillyDirect, with free delivery or free pickup at a Walmart pharmacy. You can also buy the KwikPen at Amazon Pharmacy from $299 or at retail pharmacies with Lilly’s KwikPen Self-Pay Savings Card. That card allows up to 11 fills per calendar year and expires December 31, 2026. A full year of weekly doses takes 13 fills, so ask how the last fills of the year will be priced.
How Much Does Wegovy Cost Without Insurance?
Wegovy costs $349 a month without insurance at Novo Nordisk’s self-pay price, or $399 for the 7.2 mg Wegovy HD dose, as of September 2026.
New patients pay $199 a month for their first two fills of the 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg starting doses, through December 31, 2026, per Novo’s April 2026 price guide. A month is one box of four pens. The prices cover home delivery from NovoCare Pharmacy and local pharmacy pickup with Novo’s self-pay offer.
Since March 31, 2026, Novo has also sold subscriptions through Ro, WeightWatchers and LifeMD: $329 a month on a 3-month plan, $299 on 6 months and $249 on 12 months. Ask whether the telehealth company adds its own fee. Ozempic, Novo’s semaglutide for type 2 diabetes, costs $349 a month up to 1 mg and $499 at 2 mg.
How Much Do GLP-1 Pills Cost Without Insurance?
GLP-1 pills cost $149 to $299 a month, the lowest GLP-1 cost without insurance for an FDA-approved drug in 2026.
The Wegovy pill costs $149 at 1.5 mg, $199 at 4 mg and $299 at 9 or 25 mg for 30 tablets. Lilly’s Foundayo (orforglipron) costs $149 at 0.8 and 2.5 mg, $199 at 5.5 mg and $299 from 9 to 17.2 mg. Lilly says the 2.5 and 5.5 mg prices are “temporarily reduced through December 31, 2026.”
At maintenance, a pill costs $299 a month: $50 less than a Wegovy pen and $150 less than Zepbound at 7.5 mg and up. Foundayo’s 14.5 and 17.2 mg doses need a refill within 45 days to keep that price.
Is TrumpRx, Costco, Walmart or Amazon Cheaper?
No. In September 2026, these channels pass through the same Lilly and Novo cash prices.
TrumpRx.gov works more like a price list than a discount. It lists the Wegovy pill, Wegovy pen, Ozempic and Zepbound, but not Mounjaro or Foundayo. For Novo’s drugs you show a TrumpRx coupon at a pharmacy; Zepbound orders go through LillyDirect. The coupons are self-pay only, so the cost can’t count toward an insurance deductible.
Costco began selling Wegovy and Ozempic to members for $499 a month in October 2025, CBS News reported. After Novo’s November cut, Costco’s telehealth partner Sesame listed $349 plus the $199 intro. You need an active Costco membership. Confirm the current price with your local Costco pharmacy.
Walmart pharmacies are a free pickup point for LillyDirect’s Zepbound vials and KwikPens. Amazon Pharmacy sells the Zepbound KwikPen from $299, carries the Wegovy pill and fills $50 Medicare Bridge prescriptions.
Watch out for brand-name drugs resold through telehealth sites. In our September 2026 check, Eden listed Zepbound at $1,399 a month and Wegovy at $1,695, and Wellmedr listed Zepbound from $1,399. That’s three to five times what Lilly and Novo charge directly.
Do GLP-1 Savings Cards Work Without Insurance?
No. Manufacturer savings cards for Zepbound, Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Foundayo require commercial insurance, so they won’t lower your GLP-1 cost without insurance. They exclude Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the VA and other government plans.
If your commercial plan covers Zepbound, Lilly’s savings card lets you pay as little as $25 for up to a 3-month fill of the single-dose pen. Savings top out at $100 a month and $1,300 a year, and the card ends December 31, 2026. Novo’s Wegovy and Ozempic offers also cap savings at $100 a month, so a $300 copay drops only to $200.
If your plan doesn’t cover the drug, the card price is as little as $499 a month for the Zepbound single-dose pen or for Mounjaro. Read more in does insurance cover GLP-1s for weight loss.
On Medicare? Check the $50 Bridge First
Since July 1, 2026, eligible Part D members pay $50 for a 28- or 30-day supply of Wegovy (pen or pill), Zepbound KwikPen or Foundayo, per Medicare.gov. CMS says the program runs through December 31, 2027. The copay doesn’t count toward your Part D deductible or out-of-pocket limit. Our Medicare GLP-1 Bridge guide explains who qualifies.
How Much Do Compounded Semaglutide and Tirzepatide Cost?
In our data from 33 telehealth providers, compounded semaglutide has a median month-to-month price of $154 and compounded tirzepatide $207, as of September 22–23, 2026.
Compounded drugs can cut your GLP-1 cost without insurance roughly in half compared with brand-name prices. Of the 33 providers, 25 publish a compounded price; the rest show prices only after an assessment or sell brand-name drugs only. The ranges below count only providers that name the drug next to the price: 13 for semaglutide and 10 for tirzepatide. We left out microdose, oral and insurance prices.
| Drug | Price type | Lowest | Median | Highest | Providers counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide | First month | $49* | $129 | $179 | 11 |
| Semaglutide | Month-to-month | $49* | $154 | $289 | 10 |
| Semaglutide | Longest prepaid plan, per month | $49* | $124 | $212 | 12 |
| Tirzepatide | First month | $89* | $149 | $259 | 9 |
| Tirzepatide | Month-to-month | $89* | $207 | $359 | 8 |
| Tirzepatide | Longest prepaid plan, per month | $89* | $179 | $259 | 9 |
*Wellmedr’s limited-time fall sale. Without it, the lowest regular prices were $79 a month for semaglutide and $99 to $129 for tirzepatide. You can compare compounded semaglutide prices by provider.
Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA-approved. The FDA says it does “not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.” By May 31, 2026, it had logged 990 adverse event reports for compounded semaglutide. See our FDA-approved vs. compounded GLP-1 guide.
Why a $99 Price Rarely Means $99 Every Month
Low headline prices usually come with a condition. Of the 25 providers that publish a price, 10 advertise $99 or less, but only two (YourEra and Eden) describe a flat month-to-month price for a full-dose injection.
- Teaser prices end after month one. SkinnyRx charges $99 for the first month and shows later prices only at checkout. System Labs goes from $99 to $179, and Enhance.MD from $112 to $212.
- Memberships can sit on top of the drug price. Eden’s plan pages say $99 with no membership fee, but its terms describe a $39, then $99 monthly membership, with medication “separate from and in addition to” it. Confirm the total at checkout.
- The lowest rates often need prepayment. bmiMD’s $119 semaglutide price needs a 12-month plan paid upfront ($1,428), and Trimi’s $99 needs $1,188 upfront.
- Some prices rise with your dose. At least 9 of the 33 providers say one price covers every dose; others quote a “from” price, so ask for the full schedule.
Compare 33 Providers’ GLP-1 Prices
Lowest prices among the six providers we’ve reviewed (see how we make money):
- Eden (our score 3.7): $99 for semaglutide and $129 for tirzepatide at every dose. FDA warning letter in June 2026 over misleading labels and claims.
- SkinnyRx (4.9): $99 for the first month of either injection. FDA warning letter in February 2026 over vial labels and “same active ingredient” claims.
- bmiMD (4.7): $119 a month on a 12-month plan or $159 month-to-month; a $50 fee if you cancel after your intake form is sent.
What Is the First-Year GLP-1 Cost Without Insurance?
A first year on a brand-name GLP-1 costs about $3,300 to $5,600 without insurance in 2026, while typical compounded semaglutide costs about $1,850. Your dose makes the biggest difference.
We followed the dose steps on each FDA label; your prescriber decides your actual doses. Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg for four weeks, then 5 mg, with maintenance at 5, 10 or 15 mg. Wegovy steps up every four weeks and reaches 2.4 mg in week 17. Each year of weekly shots takes 13 fills.
| Scenario | How the year adds up | First-year total | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zepbound vials or KwikPen (LillyDirect), up to 10–15 mg | $299 + $399 + 11 fills × $449 | $5,637 | $470 |
| Zepbound, staying on 5 mg | $299 + 12 fills × $399 | $5,087 | $424 |
| Wegovy pen (NovoCare), new patient, up to 2.4 mg | 2 fills × $199 + 11 fills × $349 | $4,237 | $353 |
| Wegovy pen, Novo 12-month subscription | 12 × $249, plus any telehealth fee | $2,988 | $249 |
| Wegovy pill, up to 25 mg (12 bottles) | $149 + $199 + 10 × $299 | $3,338 | $278 |
| Compounded semaglutide, median month-to-month price | 12 × $154 | $1,848 | $154 |
| Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, if eligible | 12 to 13 fills × $50 | $600–$650 | $50–$54 |
The totals leave out prescriber fees, needles, labs and taxes, and the Wegovy intro price assumes your first two fills happen by December 31, 2026. A compounded plan billed every 28 days, as Found bills, has 13 charges a year: $2,002 at the $154 median.
Hidden Costs the Monthly Price Leaves Out
Fees outside the drug price can raise your GLP-1 cost without insurance. These show up most often in provider terms:
- AgelessRx adds a $65 monthly membership on top of the NovoCare or LillyDirect price for Wegovy or Zepbound ($50 for the Wegovy pill). Sesame charges $59 a month for care, plus the drug.
- Found’s insurance plans require video visits with a copay of about $30 each, per Found.
- Some programs include labs; Enhance.MD lists metabolic lab testing every 6 months. Others order labs when needed, so ask who pays.
- LillyDirect vials and KwikPens need needles bought separately. Shipping is usually free at LillyDirect, NovoCare and many telehealth plans in our data.
- Cancellation rules can cost you. bmiMD charges $50 if you cancel after your intake form is sent, and Found refunds its membership only within 3 days of purchase or before your first consultation.
Before you pay, run through our 7 questions to ask a GLP-1 provider.
Why Did GLP-1 Prices Drop From 2024 to 2026?
Brand-name cash prices fell 10% to 30% from 2024 to 2026, after Lilly and Novo began selling direct and struck a pricing deal with the White House. List prices did not fall.
- August 2024: Lilly launched Zepbound vials on LillyDirect at $399 for 2.5 mg and $549 for 5 mg.
- October 2025: Costco began selling Wegovy and Ozempic at $499. Walmart became a LillyDirect pickup point, with vials at $349 and $499.
- November 2025: The White House announced its deal with Lilly and Novo on November 6. On November 17, Novo cut Wegovy and Ozempic to $349, with a $199 intro.
- December 2025: Lilly cut vials to $299, $399 and $449.
- Early 2026: The Wegovy pill launched at $149 to $299, the Zepbound KwikPen arrived at vial prices, and Novo added a $249 subscription.
- July 2026: The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge began at $50 a month.
Direct sales cut out middlemen. Lilly said its self-pay channel “enables a transparent price by removing third-party supply chain entities.” When Novo cut prices, pharmaphorum reported pressure from Lilly and from compounded semaglutide. The White House deal also set a TrumpRx target of $350 a month for Wegovy, which now sells for $349.
List prices haven’t moved, so always ask for the self-pay price by name. Several offers end December 31, 2026, and Novo says its pricing will be “updated after” that date.
How Can You Lower Your GLP-1 Cost Without Insurance?
Most of the savings come from buying at the makers’ self-pay prices and refilling on time. Your prescriber decides the dose; these tips are about the bill.
- Refill on time. Zepbound’s $449 price (7.5 mg and up) and Foundayo’s $299 price (14.5 and 17.2 mg) need a refill within 45 days of your last delivery.
- Pick the form that gets the self-pay price. Zepbound vials and KwikPens cost the same, but the single-dose pen doesn’t qualify. At maintenance, the Wegovy pill ($299) costs $50 a month less than the pen ($349).
- Prepay only if you plan to stay. Novo’s 12-month subscription brings Wegovy to $249 a month. bmiMD’s 12-month semaglutide plan saves $480 over a year of monthly payments, but you pay $1,428 upfront, and refunds stop once an order ships.
- Use HSA or FSA money where your plan allows it. IRS Publication 502 counts prescribed drugs and weight-loss treatment for a disease diagnosed by a physician, such as obesity, as medical expenses. LillyDirect says HSA/FSA eligibility “may vary by plan,” and Lilly’s retail KwikPen card terms bar reimbursement from a “healthcare reimbursement account.” Check with your plan first; this isn’t tax advice.
- Budget for the dose steps. Zepbound climbs from $299 to $449 by the third fill, and Wegovy from $199 to $349. At least 9 of the 33 compounded providers in our data charge one price at every dose.