Brand-name vs compounded
Hers vs altRx: Brand-Name or Compounded? (2026)
Hers or altRx? Side-by-side 2026 pricing, medication and service comparison, extended to six and twelve-month totals.
Published · Pricing as published in our provider dataset, synced · Editorial scores 9.8 and 8.7 out of 10
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The choice between Hers and altRx usually comes down to one difference that neither homepage puts in its headline.
The dividing line is regulatory, not cosmetic: Hers works with product the FDA has reviewed and approved, while altRx runs on compounded medication prepared by a pharmacy rather than manufactured under an approved application. Everything else about the two — price, support, shipping — follows from that decision.
Below, the two programs are set against the things that change the bill — the advertised rate, the rate after the promotion expires, the medication class and the inclusions. 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 $1,788 at Hers, on each provider's own best published pricing.
- FDA-approved medication
- Hers — FDA-approved Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) and Wegovy injectable pen — a finished product the FDA has reviewed, rather than a compounded preparation.
- Tirzepatide access
- altRx — Tirzepatide at $149/mo; the other side publishes semaglutide only.
- Easiest to pay for
- altRx — Affirm, Klarna and Afterpay.
The short version: Hers vs altRx
This is the whole comparison in one screen. The sections underneath explain which of these rows should decide it.
| Hers | altRx | |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised price | Wegovy pill from $149/mo, injectable from $199/mo | Semaglutide $89/mo, tirzepatide $149/mo |
| Rate after promotions | $149/mo | $89/mo |
| Pricing structure | Published rate per medication | Flat rate at every dose |
| Medication | FDA-approved Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) and Wegovy injectable pen | Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide |
| Price transparency | Published upfront | Published upfront |
| Tirzepatide | Not published | $149/mo |
| Support model | Provider check-ins included | Clinician messaging included |
| Shipping | Home delivery, no insurance required | Free, discreet 2-day delivery |
| Patient reviews | 6,200 | 14,820 |
| eRxDoctor score | 9.8/10 | 8.7/10 |
Cost over a full course of treatment
The cheapest first month and the cheapest year are frequently different providers. Below, both are carried out to six and twelve months so the comparison holds at the point it matters.
| Hers | altRx | |
|---|---|---|
| First month | $149 | $89 |
| Months 2 onward | $149/mo | $89/mo |
| 6-month total | $894 | $534 |
| 12-month total | $1,788 | $1,068 |
| Best published plan | No multi-month discount published | No multi-month discount published |
Over a year that is a $720 difference, in altRx's favor. Whether it is the right call depends on whether Hers gives you $60 a month of something you will use.
The regulatory difference, in plain terms
Hers dispenses FDA-approved Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) and Wegovy injectable pen: an approved finished drug, meaning the agency has reviewed both the evidence behind it and the facility that makes it.
altRx works with compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide. Compounding is what puts $89/mo within reach; it also means no approval application stands behind the specific product you receive.
This is the decision to make deliberately rather than by price. If the regulatory status of what you are injecting weekly matters to you, that settles it toward Hers; if cost is the barrier that has kept you from treating at all, altRx exists for a reason.
Hers in detail
The pitch is brand-name Wegovy at a price that usually buys compounded medication elsewhere. Hers offers FDA-approved Wegovy® (brand-name semaglutide) with a personalized care team and ongoing dose check-ins, no compounded medications.
Practically: online intake with clinician review, home delivery, no insurance required, and a pricing model that is published rate per medication.
Personalized care team with ongoing dose check-ins. The formulary covers FDA-approved Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) and Wegovy injectable pen.
Hers pros
- FDA-approved brand-name Wegovy®, not a compounded product
- Personalized care team with ongoing dose check-ins
- No insurance required
Hers cons
- No compounded/generic alternative offered
- Higher starting price than most compounded competitors
Where it gives ground to altRx: there is no compounded tier to fall back on if the brand-name price stops working for you.
altRx: what you are buying
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.
From signup to first shipment: 100% online medical visits, then free, discreet 2-day delivery. Billing follows a flat rate at every dose structure.
Behind the prescription sits responsive care team for ongoing clinician-guided support. Available medication: compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide.
altRx pros
- Free and discreet 2-day delivery
- No commitment, cancel anytime
- Complete treatment kit: vials, syringes, prep pads, and step-by-step guidance
- Responsive care team for ongoing clinician-guided support
altRx cons
- Compounded medication, not FDA-approved branded product
- Not available in all U.S. states
Set beside Hers, the thing to weigh: the rate is a limited offer and the platform does not operate in every state.
Who each program is actually built for
Choose Hers if:
- the level of clinical contact suits you: personalized care team with ongoing dose check-ins
- you want to start on their timeline: online intake with clinician review
- you want an FDA-approved finished medication rather than a compounded preparation
- you would get real value from brand-name Wegovy at a price that usually buys compounded medication elsewhere
Choose altRx if:
- delivery works the way you want it to: free, discreet 2-day delivery
- you want to start on their timeline: 100% online medical visits
- the level of clinical contact suits you: responsive care team for ongoing clinician-guided support
- 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
What each one gives up
On price. $89/mo against $149/mo. Hers is asking you to pay for brand-name Wegovy at a price that usually buys compounded medication elsewhere; decide whether that is a line item you will use.
On clinical contact. Personalized care team with ongoing dose check-ins at Hers; responsive care team for ongoing clinician-guided support at altRx. Neither is a substitute for in-person care if you have complicating conditions, and both bill you directly rather than your insurer.
On medication. Hers covers FDA-approved Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) and Wegovy injectable pen; altRx covers compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide. Only altRx publishes a tirzepatide route, which matters if semaglutide underdelivers.
On access. Hers advertises online intake with clinician review and home delivery, no insurance required; altRx advertises 100% online medical visits and free, discreet 2-day delivery. Coverage differs too — not published against not available in every state — which decides the question before price does if you are in a restricted state.
The clinical evidence, separated from the marketing
Before either program's marketing claims, the underlying evidence — which belongs to the medication, not the platform.
In SURMOUNT-1, tirzepatide reached a mean body-weight reduction of about 21% at the 15 mg dose over 72 weeks, per NEJM, SURMOUNT-1.
Weight regain after withdrawal is the documented pattern: the STEP 1 extension recorded participants returning to close to their starting weight a year after stopping, per Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
Take the clinical questions to the prescribing clinician at whichever platform you choose; take the pricing questions to their support team before you pay.
Hers vs altRx: 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 is cheaper to start, Hers or altRx?
altRx, at $89 against $149. Note that the cheapest first month and the cheapest year are often different providers here — check the 12-month row of the cost table before deciding on the entry price.
Which has more patient reviews, Hers or altRx?
altRx, with 14,820 against 6,200. 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.
Do Hers or altRx 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.
How fast can I start with Hers compared with altRx?
Hers advertises online intake with clinician review, with home delivery, no insurance required. altRx advertises 100% online medical visits, with free, discreet 2-day delivery. 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 Hers and altRx prescribe the same medication?
No. Hers dispenses brand-name, FDA-approved finished medication; altRx dispenses compounded medication prepared by a pharmacy rather than manufactured under an approved application. That is a regulatory difference rather than a branding one, and it is the main reason the two prices are not directly comparable.
The verdict
Strictly on cost, altRx takes it — $1,068 to $1,788 over twelve months.
Hers earns the difference in one situation: when brand-name Wegovy at a price that usually buys compounded medication elsewhere is something you will genuinely use. If you cannot say that out loud, take the cheaper program.
Neither choice is irreversible. Start with the program whose weaknesses you can tolerate, and reassess at month three when you know how you respond to the medication.
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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 Hers or altRx, and does not sell treatment. Read our ranking methodology.