Brand-name vs compounded
Hers vs Refills: Brand-Name or Compounded? (2026)
Hers or Refills? 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 7.7 out of 10
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Put Hers and Refills side by side and the marketing reads almost identically. The programs underneath do not.
The dividing line is regulatory, not cosmetic: Hers works with product the FDA has reviewed and approved, while Refills 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.
The comparison below starts from published pricing, converts it into annual cost, and then asks what the more expensive side is delivering for the difference. Anything a provider declines to disclose is marked undisclosed rather than filled in.
The short answer
- Lowest 12-month cost
- Refills — $1,188 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
- Refills — The only one of the two that publishes a dual GIP/GLP-1 option.
- Easiest to pay for
- Hers — Neither publishes financing; both expect the full amount monthly.
The short version: Hers vs Refills
The rows below are the ones that differ enough between these two to be worth your attention.
| Hers | Refills | |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised price | Wegovy pill from $149/mo, injectable from $199/mo | GLP-1 from $99/mo, about $5 a day |
| Rate after promotions | $149/mo | $99/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 GIP+GLP-1 dual agonist |
| Payment options | Card only, no financing published | Card only, no financing published |
| Membership fee | None | None |
| How fast you start | Online intake with clinician review | 3-minute approval quiz |
| State coverage | Not published | Availability varies by state |
| Patient reviews | 6,200 | 7,400 |
| eRxDoctor score | 9.8/10 | 7.7/10 |
Cost over a full course of treatment
Comparing entry prices across these two would be actively misleading, because they escalate differently. The figures underneath convert both offers into what you will have spent by month six and month twelve.
| Hers | Refills | |
|---|---|---|
| First month | $149 | $99 |
| Months 2 onward | $149/mo | $99/mo |
| 6-month total | $894 | $594 |
| 12-month total | $1,788 | $1,188 |
| Best published plan | No multi-month discount published | No multi-month discount published |
Refills finishes the year $600 cheaper. For some patients the support Hers bundles closes that gap; for a patient who only needs the prescription written, it does not.
The regulatory difference, in plain terms
Hers supplies FDA-approved Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) and Wegovy injectable pen. A brand-name GLP-1 is a finished drug the FDA has reviewed for safety, efficacy and manufacturing quality, and every vial or pen is the same product made to the same specification.
Across from that, Refills offers compounded semaglutide and GIP+GLP-1 dual agonist — prepared by a pharmacy rather than manufactured under approval. The price advantage and the reduced oversight are the same fact seen from two sides.
The honest framing is a trade, not a ranking. Compounded access is what has put GLP-1 treatment within reach of people whose insurance will not cover it; approved product is what removes a category of uncertainty about what is in the vial. Both of those are real.
A closer look at Hers
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.
Ongoing care is personalized care team with ongoing dose check-ins, and the medication list runs to 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 Refills: there is no compounded tier to fall back on if the brand-name price stops working for you.
Inside the Refills program
Refills offers personalized compounded GLP-1 from $99/month (~$5/day) with flat pricing, the same price at every dosage, plus free discreet shipping, 24/7 health concierge support, and no membership or app fees.
From signup to first shipment: 3-minute approval quiz, then free, fast and discreet shipping on every order. Billing follows a flat rate at every dose structure.
Support: free 24/7 health concierge. The medications on offer are compounded semaglutide and GIP+GLP-1 dual agonist.
Refills pros
- Personalized GLP-1 from $99/mo (~$5/day); GIP+GLP-1 dual agonist available
- Flat pricing, the same low price at every dosage, no titration upcharges
- No monthly memberships or app fees
- 40% off new patient special offers
Refills cons
- Compounded medication, not an FDA-approved branded product
- Clinicians come from partner telehealth networks (Beluga, Bask, Wasef Health)
- Availability varies by state
Set beside Hers, the thing to weigh: clinicians come from partner networks and availability varies by state.
Picking between them
Choose Hers if:
- delivery works the way you want it to: home delivery, no insurance required
- 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
Choose Refills if:
- the twelve-month total is what you are optimizing ($1,188 against $1,788)
- you want tirzepatide available without changing provider later
- you want the price you sign up at to survive titration
- the monthly rate is the constraint — $99/mo against $149/mo
Where each program concedes something
On price. Refills is the cheaper program at $99/mo against $149/mo. What Refills gives up for that is clinicians come from partner networks and availability varies by state; what Hers charges for is brand-name Wegovy at a price that usually buys compounded medication elsewhere.
On commitment. Neither publishes a multi-month discount, so both are month-to-month decisions and neither asks you to prepay for a response you have not had yet. Neither publishes financing options, so plan for the full amount each month.
On clinical contact. Personalized care team with ongoing dose check-ins at Hers; free 24/7 health concierge at Refills. 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; Refills covers compounded semaglutide and GIP+GLP-1 dual agonist. Only Refills publishes a tirzepatide route, which matters if semaglutide underdelivers.
What the trials and the FDA say
It is worth separating the program from the pharmacology. What follows is true of the medication regardless of which of these two writes the prescription.
Cardiovascular benefit has been demonstrated for semaglutide in a specific population: adults with overweight or obesity and existing cardiovascular disease but no diabetes, per NEJM, SELECT.
In SURMOUNT-4, stopping tirzepatide after a lead-in period produced significant weight regain, where staying on it did not, per JAMA, SURMOUNT-4.
Read alongside the pricing above, that is the case for treating the medication decision as clinical and the provider decision as commercial. They are not the same choice.
Hers vs Refills: common questions
Which has more patient reviews, Hers or Refills?
Refills, with 7,400 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 Refills 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.
What happens if I stop taking the medication?
Neither Hers nor Refills penalizes you for stopping, but the medication does. The published follow-up data on withdrawal shows substantial regain, which is why the twelve-month totals above matter more than either provider's introductory offer.
Are Hers and Refills legitimate?
Both are licensed telehealth platforms that route a prescription through a clinician review before anything is dispensed; neither sells medication without one. Hers operates on published rate per medication with pricing published upfront, Refills on flat rate at every dose, published upfront. The meaningful due diligence is on the medication category and the terms, not on whether the platforms are real.
Can I switch from Hers to Refills later?
You can, and people do — usually when an introductory price expires. Budget for a repeat intake and a short overlap in supply, and confirm what happens to any unused portion of a multi-month plan before you cancel it.
Is Hers or Refills better for a first GLP-1 prescription?
For a first prescription, weight support over price. Hers offers more contact (personalized care team with ongoing dose check-ins), which matters most in the first eight weeks when side effects and titration questions are at their peak. Once you know how you tolerate the medication, the cheaper program becomes the rational choice.
The verdict
Refills is the cheaper year by $600, and for a straightforward course of treatment that settles it.
The case for Hers is brand-name Wegovy at a price that usually buys compounded medication elsewhere. That is worth $50 a month to some patients and nothing at all to others — be honest about which you are.
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 Refills, and does not sell treatment. Read our ranking methodology.