Tirzepatide access
MedVi vs Start Willow: Which One Offers Tirzepatide? (2026)
MedVi costs $3,468 a year against $3,538 for Start Willow. Full 2026 comparison of price, medication class and included support.
Published · Pricing as published in our provider dataset, synced · Editorial scores 9.2 and 7.3 out of 10
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Start Willow and MedVi both promise a fast route to GLP-1 treatment without an office visit. What they promise afterward is where they separate.
Start Willow will prescribe tirzepatide, the dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist; MedVi, on published information, will not. If you already know you want tirzepatide, that decides it before price enters the conversation.
Each program is read on its own published terms first, then against the other on the four things that decide satisfaction: price, predictability, formulary and access to a clinician. Gaps in a provider's disclosure are reported as gaps, because they are part of what you are buying.
The short answer
- Lowest 12-month cost
- MedVi — $2,592 against $3,538 at Start Willow, on each provider's own best published pricing.
- Most support for the money
- Start Willow — Direct-pay model that bypasses insurance pre-authorization.
- Tirzepatide access
- Start Willow — The only one of the two that publishes a dual GIP/GLP-1 option.
- Widest medication choice
- Start Willow — compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide.
Side-by-side comparison
Scan the pricing rows first, then the medication row. Those two settle most of these decisions between them.
| MedVi | Start Willow | |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised price | $179 promotional first month | From $249 the first month, then $299/mo |
| Rate after promotions | $299/mo | $299/mo |
| Pricing structure | Promotional first month, then standard rate | Promotional first month, then standard rate |
| Medication | Compounded semaglutide | Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide |
| Tirzepatide | Not published | Available |
| Shipping | Fast, free shipping | Delivery guaranteed in 3 days or less |
| Payment options | Card only, no financing published | Card only, no financing published |
| Price transparency | Published upfront | Published upfront |
| Support model | No coaching program stated | No coaching program stated |
| Patient reviews | 12,896 | 6,385 |
| eRxDoctor score | 9.2/10 | 7.3/10 |
MedVi vs Start Willow on total cost, not entry price
Both providers lead with a number designed to get you through the intake. The totals below are the honest version, built from the rates each provider publishes.
| MedVi | Start Willow | |
|---|---|---|
| First month | $179 | $249 |
| Months 2 onward | $299/mo | $299/mo |
| 6-month total | $1,674 | $1,744 |
| 12-month total | $3,468 | $3,538 |
| Best published plan | 3-month plan at $649 — $2,592/yr | No multi-month discount published |
The twelve-month spread is $946. That is the number to hold Start Willow against: it has to justify roughly $79 extra every month.
Price escalation to plan for: MedVi moves from $179 to $299, a 67% increase and Start Willow moves from $249 to $299, a 20% increase. Set a calendar reminder for the month it changes.
Semaglutide, tirzepatide, and having somewhere to go next
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. Tirzepatide adds GIP activity, and in head-to-head trial data it has produced larger average weight reductions. That does not make it the right first choice for everyone — it is typically more expensive and the side-effect profile is its own conversation — but it is the usual next step when semaglutide underdelivers.
Start Willow publishes both. MedVi publishes compounded semaglutide, so switching molecules would mean switching provider, repeating an intake and losing whatever pricing you had locked in.
The question to ask yourself is not which molecule you want now, but how much friction a change would create later.
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.
You start with simple online process, no clinic visits; medication arrives via fast, free shipping. The price behaves as promotional first month, then standard rate.
24/7 support from certified medical professionals. The formulary covers 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 Start Willow specifically, the trade you are making: the price roughly doubles to $299 once the promotional month ends.
A closer look at Start Willow
From $249 per Month
From signup to first shipment: fully online, no in-person visits, then delivery guaranteed in 3 days or less. Billing follows a promotional first month, then standard rate structure.
Support: direct-pay model that bypasses insurance pre-authorization. The medications on offer are compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide.
Start Willow pros
- Fully online, no in-person visits or insurance forms
- Direct-pay model bypasses insurance pre-authorization entirely
- Delivery guaranteed in 3 days or less
- Medications comparable to Ozempic and tirzepatide
Start Willow cons
- Compounded medication only, no branded Ozempic or Wegovy
- Price rises from $249 first month to $299/month ongoing
- Ongoing $299/month is among the higher rates on this list
Set beside MedVi, the thing to weigh: at $299 ongoing it is among the most expensive compounded programs here.
Which one fits which patient
Choose MedVi if:
- the level of clinical contact suits you: 24/7 support from certified medical professionals
- the feature you would actually use: a genuinely low promotional entry point with 24/7 clinical support behind it
- the twelve-month total is what you are optimizing ($3,468 against $3,538)
- you are willing to commit for a term in exchange for a lower effective rate (3-month plan at $649)
Choose Start Willow if:
- delivery works the way you want it to: delivery guaranteed in 3 days or less
- you want to start on their timeline: fully online, no in-person visits
- the level of clinical contact suits you: direct-pay model that bypasses insurance pre-authorization
- what it leads on is worth paying for in your case: a delivery guarantee of three days or less and no membership stacked on the medication price
Where each program concedes something
On price. Only MedVi publishes a rate you can plan against ($179 promotional first month). The other quotes after intake, which is a cost of a different kind: you cannot budget the year in advance.
On access. MedVi advertises simple online process, no clinic visits and fast, free shipping; Start Willow advertises fully online, no in-person visits and delivery guaranteed in 3 days or less. Neither publishes its state coverage, so confirm you are eligible before paying for anything.
On predictability. Both run on promotional first month, then standard rate, so neither has an advantage here. The more predictable structure is worth a premium to anyone who has been surprised by a telehealth invoice before.
On clinical contact. The support models differ — 24/7 support from certified medical professionals against direct-pay model that bypasses insurance pre-authorization — and that difference is felt in week two, not week one.
The clinical evidence, separated from the marketing
Neither MedVi nor Start Willow manufactures the molecule it prescribes, and the clinical evidence behind GLP-1 treatment belongs to the drug rather than to any platform selling access to it.
STEP 1 recorded a mean 14.9% reduction in body weight over 68 weeks on weekly semaglutide, against 2.4% for placebo, per NEJM, STEP 1.
Tirzepatide was approved for chronic weight management in November 2023, per FDA.
Take the clinical questions to the prescribing clinician at whichever platform you choose; take the pricing questions to their support team before you pay.
MedVi vs Start Willow: common questions
What happens when MedVi's promotional price ends?
The rate moves to $299/mo, a 67% 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, MedVi or Start Willow?
MedVi, at $179 against $249. 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 costs less over a year, MedVi or Start Willow?
MedVi, at roughly $2,592 for twelve months against $3,538 at Start Willow, using each provider's own best published pricing. Those totals cover medication and program fees as published; they exclude anything a provider bills separately, and they assume you stay on the same plan for the full year.
Which has more patient reviews, MedVi or Start Willow?
MedVi, with 12,896 against 6,385. 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.
Is MedVi or Start Willow better for a first GLP-1 prescription?
First-timers usually get more from clinical access than from a lower rate, because the first two months are where most people stop. On that basis MedVi has the stronger case; after month three, cost should take over.
What happens if I stop taking the medication?
Neither MedVi nor Start Willow 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 MedVi and Start Willow legitimate?
Both are licensed telehealth platforms that route a prescription through a clinician review before anything is dispensed; neither sells medication without one. MedVi operates on promotional first month, then standard rate with pricing published upfront, Start Willow on promotional first month, then standard rate, published upfront. The meaningful due diligence is on the medication category and the terms, not on whether the platforms are real.
The verdict
Strictly on cost, MedVi takes it — $2,592 to $3,538 over twelve months.
Where Start Willow justifies itself is a delivery guarantee of three days or less and no membership stacked on the medication price. Where it does not is anywhere the extra spend buys features you will never open.
Whichever way you go, the medication is the same class of drug and the clinical questions belong to a clinician. What you are choosing here is a billing model and a support structure.
Keep comparing
- MedVi vs WellorithmPublished price vs quote-only
- MedVi vs Ro.coBrand-name vs compounded
- Start Willow vs LIV BodyLocked price vs escalating price
- Start Willow vs IVIM HealthBudget vs premium
- TrimRx vs MaximusTirzepatide access
- TrimRx vs TMatesTirzepatide access
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 MedVi or Start Willow, and does not sell treatment. Read our ranking methodology.