Ozempic alternatives

Worth getting straight first: Ozempic and Wegovy are both semaglutide, but Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for weight management. If weight loss is the goal, Ozempic is not the product designed for it.

That matters practically as well as technically — insurers are considerably less willing to cover Ozempic for weight loss, and the dosing tops out lower. The alternatives below deliver semaglutide through routes intended for weight management, at prices well under branded pricing.

Inclusion criteria

• Delivers semaglutide, the same active ingredient as Ozempic.
• Will either pursue insurance coverage on your behalf or dispense the FDA-approved branded product — because the Ozempic question is usually a coverage question.
• Ranked on our overall score. For the lowest cash price regardless of coverage, see best compounded semaglutide.

5 of the 21 providers we track qualify. Pricing verified 2026-09-18 and re-checked periodically.

The list

Cheapest qualifying option: Zealthy at $151 a month. Our featured partner is pinned to the top of the list where it qualifies — see how we rate for who scores higher.

1. Mochi Health — Insurance concierge support

$178 a month, including the $79 fee. Telehealth weight-care clinic with a membership model, an insurance concierge team, and compounded medication offered alongside covered branded prescriptions.

Labs are billed separately. Ask what the clinic expects to order before you sign up. Read the full Mochi Health review.

2. Hims & Hers — Widest range of formats

$188 a month, including the $39 fee. Large publicly traded telehealth platform. Sells oral kits, compounded injections and branded Zepbound side by side, with a membership required across the board.

The advertised entry prices and the membership are separate charges. Add $39/month to whatever medication figure you were quoted. Read the full Hims & Hers review.

3. Ro — Branded medication with insurance help

$448 a month, including the $149 fee. Membership-first telehealth service. Ro exited compounded GLP-1s and now routes patients to FDA-approved branded medication, billed separately from the membership.

The membership and the medication are two separate bills. A $39 first month does not mean a $39 prescription. Read the full Ro review.

4. Zealthy — Low-cost entry with insurance routing

$151 a month, no membership fee. Broad telehealth platform with a weight programme that offers both compounded medication and insurance-billed branded prescriptions.

The widely quoted $25/month is an insured price. Cash payers should plan on $151+ for semaglutide. Read the full Zealthy review.

Frequently asked

What is the difference between Ozempic and Wegovy?

Both are semaglutide from Novo Nordisk. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes and dosed up to 2 mg; Wegovy is approved for weight management and dosed up to 2.4 mg.

Can I get Ozempic for weight loss?

It is prescribed off-label in some cases, but it is not what the approval covers and insurers frequently decline it on that basis. A programme prescribing for weight management is the more straightforward route.

What the price does not tell you

Compounded preparations are not FDA-approved. Two approved oral GLP-1s now start around $149 a month, and from 1 July 2026 eligible Medicare beneficiaries can access certain GLP-1s for $50 a month — both of which beat a large part of this market. See the approved pills and the Medicare programme.

In STEP-1, adults on 2.4 mg lost an average of about 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks. That figure comes from a controlled trial of the active ingredient, not from any particular seller's product.