Budget vs premium
altRx vs MedVi: Which Costs Less Over 12 Months? (2026)
altRx $89/mo vs MedVi $299/mo. 2026 comparison of pricing, medication and support, with 12-month totals rather than first-month offers.
Published · Pricing as published in our provider dataset, synced · Editorial scores 9.9 and 9.0 out of 10
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Comparing altRx with MedVi means comparing two business models more than two medications. The molecules overlap; the terms do not.
The gap is 3.4x: $89/mo at altRx, $299/mo at MedVi. Neither number is unusual for the market, but paying the higher one only makes sense if you can name what it adds.
Everything here is drawn from each provider's own published pricing and program detail, then extended into six- and twelve-month totals so the two become comparable. Where a provider quotes only after intake, that is recorded as the answer rather than replaced with a guess.
The short answer
- Lowest 12-month cost
- altRx — $1,068 against $2,592 at MedVi, on each provider's own best published pricing.
- Most predictable bill
- altRx — Flat rate at every dose, so titration does not change what you are charged.
- Tirzepatide access
- altRx — Tirzepatide at $149/mo; the other side publishes semaglutide only.
- Longest public track record
- altRx — 14,820 patient reviews against 12,896.
Side-by-side comparison
Read the second row before the first: the advertised price and the price you actually run at are frequently different numbers.
| altRx | MedVi | |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised price | Semaglutide $89/mo, tirzepatide $149/mo | $179 promotional first month |
| Rate after promotions | $89/mo | $299/mo |
| Pricing structure | Flat rate at every dose | Promotional first month, then standard rate |
| Medication | Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide | Compounded semaglutide |
| Tirzepatide | $149/mo | Not published |
| Price transparency | Published upfront | Published upfront |
| Shipping | Free, discreet 2-day delivery | Fast, free shipping |
| Support model | Clinician messaging included | No coaching program stated |
| Patient reviews | 14,820 | 12,896 |
| eRxDoctor score | 9.9/10 | 9.0/10 |
Cost over a full course of treatment
Almost every complaint about telehealth GLP-1 pricing traces back to comparing month one instead of month twelve. So the table works in the timeframe treatment actually happens in.
| altRx | MedVi | |
|---|---|---|
| First month | $89 | $179 |
| Months 2 onward | $89/mo | $299/mo |
| 6-month total | $534 | $1,674 |
| 12-month total | $1,068 | $3,468 |
| Best published plan | No multi-month discount published | 3-month plan at $649 — $2,592/yr |
altRx finishes the year $1,524 cheaper. For some patients the support MedVi bundles closes that gap; for a patient who only needs the prescription written, it does not.
Price escalation to plan for: MedVi moves from $179 to $299, a 67% increase. Set a calendar reminder for the month it changes.
altRx is cheaper. Does that make it better?
The gap runs to 3.4x a month. What MedVi offers for it: 24/7 support from certified medical professionals, plus fast, free shipping.
altRx counters with the cheapest published tirzepatide rate on this list at $149, with the injection kit included, and the thing it asks you to accept in return: the rate is a limited offer and the platform does not operate in every state.
Price gaps in this market rarely reflect a different molecule; they reflect a different amount of human contact. Decide how much of that you actually intend to use before paying for it.
A closer look at altRx
altRx is the most affordable GLP-1 program, limited offer: semaglutide $89/month and tirzepatide $149/month. 100% online medical visits, no membership, insurance or hidden fees, free and discreet 2-day delivery. Against MedVi, that puts it in the position of the cheaper option.
From signup to first shipment: 100% online medical visits, then free, discreet 2-day delivery. Billing follows a flat rate at every dose structure.
What continues after the first shipment: responsive care team for ongoing clinician-guided support. Formulary: compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide.
altRx pros
- Complete treatment kit: vials, syringes, prep pads, and step-by-step guidance
- Responsive care team for ongoing clinician-guided support
- Free and discreet 2-day delivery
- No commitment, cancel anytime
altRx cons
- Compounded medication, not FDA-approved branded product
- Not available in all U.S. states
Set beside MedVi, the thing to weigh: the rate is a limited offer and the platform does not operate in every state.
How MedVi works
MedVi positions itself on a genuinely low promotional entry point with 24/7 clinical support behind it. MedVi provides compounded semaglutide starting at $179/month with a simple online intake, no clinic visits, and 24/7 certified medical support for weight loss.
Practically: simple online process, no clinic visits, fast, free shipping, and a pricing model that is promotional first month, then standard rate.
On the clinical side, 24/7 support from certified medical professionals, prescribing compounded semaglutide.
MedVi pros
- Three-month plan available at $649 (about $216/month) for patients who commit
- 24/7 support from certified medical professionals
- Simple online process with no clinic visits required
- Low promotional first month at $179 including fast, free shipping
MedVi cons
- No published outcome or weight loss guarantee
- Compounded medication only, no branded Ozempic or Wegovy
- Semaglutide only, no tirzepatide option
Against altRx specifically, the trade you are making: the price roughly doubles to $299 once the promotional month ends.
Who should choose altRx, and who should choose MedVi
Choose altRx if:
- the level of clinical contact suits you: responsive care team for ongoing clinician-guided support
- you want to start on their timeline: 100% online medical visits
- the twelve-month total is what you are optimizing ($1,068 against $3,468)
- what it leads on is worth paying for in your case: the cheapest published tirzepatide rate on this list at $149, with the injection kit included
Choose MedVi if:
- you are willing to commit for a term in exchange for a lower effective rate (3-month plan at $649)
- what it leads on is worth paying for in your case: a genuinely low promotional entry point with 24/7 clinical support behind it
- the level of clinical contact suits you: 24/7 support from certified medical professionals
- you want to start on their timeline: simple online process, no clinic visits
The trade-offs, stated plainly
On price. The monthly gap is 3.4x in altRx's favor. Whether that is a saving or a false economy turns on one thing: the rate is a limited offer and the platform does not operate in every state.
On medication. altRx covers compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide; MedVi covers compounded semaglutide. Only altRx publishes a tirzepatide route, which matters if semaglutide underdelivers.
On clinical contact. The support models differ — responsive care team for ongoing clinician-guided support against 24/7 support from certified medical professionals — and that difference is felt in week two, not week one.
On predictability. Flat rate at every dose versus promotional first month, then standard rate. Whichever you pick, get the maintenance-dose price in writing at intake.
The clinical evidence, separated from the marketing
Both platforms sell access to the same drug class, so the clinical record below applies equally to each.
The FDA has published specific concerns about unapproved GLP-1 drugs sold for weight loss, including dosing errors made when patients measure their own doses, per FDA.
The FDA maintains a standing page on medications containing semaglutide, including what separates an approved product from a copy, per FDA.
None of that settles which of these two to use. It does mean the drug is doing the work, and you are choosing who supplies it and on what terms.
altRx vs MedVi: common questions
What happens when altRx's promotional price ends?
The rate moves to $89/mo, a 0% increase on the advertised entry price. Budget from that number rather than the headline, because it is the one you will pay for eleven of your first twelve months.
Which has more patient reviews, altRx or MedVi?
altRx, with 14,820 against 12,896. Ratings across this market cluster tightly, so volume is the more useful signal: it indicates how much operational load the platform has already absorbed, not how good the medication is.
How fast can I start with altRx compared with MedVi?
altRx advertises 100% online medical visits, with free, discreet 2-day delivery. MedVi advertises simple online process, no clinic visits, with fast, free shipping. Both are subject to clinician review and to whether your state and health history clear, so treat the advertised timeline as a best case rather than a commitment.
Do altRx or MedVi take insurance?
Both run on a direct-pay basis: you pay the platform and it does not bill your insurer. Neither publishes HSA/FSA acceptance, so budget the full amount as out-of-pocket spending.
Does altRx or MedVi offer tirzepatide?
altRx does, at $149/mo. MedVi publishes compounded semaglutide only, so moving to tirzepatide would mean moving provider — a new intake, a new price, and the loss of any rate you had locked in.
Do altRx and MedVi prescribe the same medication?
Both dispense compounded GLP-1 preparations. altRx lists compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide and MedVi lists compounded semaglutide, so the molecules overlap even where the formulary does not match exactly.
The verdict
altRx is the cheaper year by $1,524, and for a straightforward course of treatment that settles it.
MedVi earns the difference in one situation: when a genuinely low promotional entry point with 24/7 clinical support behind it is something you will genuinely use. If you cannot say that out loud, take the cheaper program.
Get the maintenance-dose price in writing from whichever one you pick. That single question prevents most of the regret in this category.
Keep comparing
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- altRx vs Start WillowBudget vs premium
- MedVi vs Start WillowTirzepatide access
- Shed vs MedViPublished price vs quote-only
- TrimRx vs Start WillowBudget vs premium
See every provider in context on the weight loss rankings, or browse the full comparison index.
Disclaimers and methodology
Medical content is informational only and does not replace professional diagnosis, treatment, or emergency care.
Some links are affiliate links and may generate commission at no extra cost to you.
Pricing reflects what each provider published as of the sync date above and changes frequently; confirm the current rate, and the rate at your maintenance dose, before you pay. Six- and twelve-month totals are calculated from those published rates and exclude anything a provider bills separately.
eRxDoctor is an independent publisher. It is not a medical provider, is not affiliated with or endorsed by altRx or MedVi, and does not sell treatment. Read our ranking methodology.