The quick answerZepbound (tirzepatide) produced up to 22.5% average weight loss in trials versus ~15% for Wegovy (semaglutide); Ozempic is the same semaglutide under its diabetes label. Verified prices: brand Zepbound $1,249/month and Wegovy $1,579 at altRx, versus compounded semaglutide from $49 and tirzepatide from $89 through licensed telehealth.Prices verified on each provider’s site as of September 21, 2026.
What's the difference between Zepbound, Wegovy and Ozempic?
Three names, two drugs, three FDA labels. Zepbound is tirzepatide, FDA-approved for chronic weight management - it targets two hormone receptors (GIP and GLP-1). Wegovy is semaglutide at weight-management dosing (up to 2.4 mg). Ozempic is the same semaglutide approved for type 2 diabetes at up to 2 mg - widely used off-label for weight loss, but the weight-loss approval belongs to Wegovy. So the real comparison is tirzepatide vs semaglutide, with Ozempic as semaglutide's diabetes-label sibling - our molecule-level comparison goes deeper.
Our top 2 picks
Our two recommended GLP-1 providers, shown with the same verified pricing and ratings as our full comparison.
Our Most Popular
1
Exceptional
9.8out of 10
Limited Offer - GLP-1 for $69/mon
Money-back guaranteeFree expedited delivery
Treatments offered
Compounded semaglutide injections (GLP-1) · Compounded tirzepatide injections (GLP-1 + GIP) · 100% online doctor review and prescription · Dosage adjustments through the patient portal
Starting price
$79$69/month
*Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
- Compounded semaglutide ($69/mo) and tirzepatide ($119/mo)
- 5-minute health qualifier; doctor review usually within 24 hrs
- Free 1-2 day shipping - temperature-controlled, tracked, insured
- No insurance required, no clinic visits, cancel anytime
Pricing starts at
from $69/month
embody offers doctor-prescribed GLP-1 weight loss treatment - compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide injections - through a 100% online process. Getting started takes a roughly 5-minute health qualifier, after which a medical practitioner reviews your chart (embody says usually within 24 hours, often under 5). Pricing is flat and simple: $69/month for semaglutide and $119/month for tirzepatide, with no insurance required, no hidden fees, and no clinic visits. Medication ships in 1-2 days in temperature-controlled, tracked, insured packaging, and embody is LegitScript-certified and works with US-based 503A compounding pharmacies. On Trustpilot, embody averages 3.8 across 9,604 reviews - an honest, mixed-to-positive record whose recent reviews cluster around two themes: responsive, proactive customer service ('from my very first inquiry I've had excellent communication... customer service updated me every step,' writes one tirzepatide patient) and the no-surprises pricing ('Love the fact that there are no surprises as in costly up front cost'). A 3.7 also means a minority of customers had negative experiences - worth reading both ends of the reviews before deciding, as with any provider.
Read full embody review2
Exceptional
9.7out of 10
Most Comprehensive GLP-1 Medication Access
Transparent pricingNo insurance required
Treatments offered
Compounded semaglutide (GLP-1) injection · Compounded tirzepatide (GLP-1 + GIP) injection · Brand-name Zepbound and Wegovy · One simple injection per week
Starting price
$199$89/month
*Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
- Compounded GLP-1 from $89/mo, GLP-1 + GIP from $149/mo
- Brand-name options too: Zepbound and Wegovy
- Clinician-guided - physician, PA, or nurse practitioner
- Free shipping (about 5-7 days)
Pricing starts at
from $89/month
altRx bills itself as "the #1 most affordable GLP-1 program," and its published prices largely back that up: compounded GLP-1 (semaglutide) from $89/month and GLP-1 + GIP (tirzepatide) from $149/month - flat at every dose, so the price doesn't climb as you titrate up - alongside one of the few genuine brand-name shelves in this space (Ozempic $1,149, Zepbound $1,249, Wegovy $1,579 per month). It's a self-pay telehealth service: you complete a short assessment, a licensed provider (physician, PA, or nurse practitioner) reviews it, and if appropriate a prescription goes to a licensed US pharmacy, with free shipping in about 5-7 days. No insurance is required, Buy Now, Pay Later is available, and you can pause or cancel anytime. Two things to know before the details: shipping is slower than the 1-2 day providers (embody, DirectMeds), and Trustpilot does not currently display an aggregate score on altRx's profile - the individual reviews we quote on this page are real, but there's no independent average to lean on the way there is for rivals like Medvi (4.3 across 14,987) or embody (3.8 across 9,604). One of the real 4-star reviews we surface notes a refill 'yet to be fulfilled with zero reason as to why' - worth factoring in alongside the price advantage.
Read full altRx reviewWhich is stronger - Zepbound or Wegovy?
On trial averages, Zepbound. Tirzepatide produced up to 22.5% average body-weight loss in its trials at the highest dose, versus roughly 15% for semaglutide in Wegovy's pivotal trial - a meaningful gap, with the usual honest caveats: averages hide individual variation, the drugs weren't compared head-to-head in those trials, and tolerability differs person to person.
Plenty of people respond excellently to semaglutide; some tolerate one and not the other. "Stronger on average" is true; "stronger for you" is what titration under a clinician discovers.
What do they cost out of pocket?
The verified numbers, not estimates: brand Zepbound runs $1,249/month and brand Wegovy $1,579 at altRx (Ozempic $1,149; Zepbound KwikPens from $299 first month at ro, then $399-$449 plus membership). The compounded route changes the math entirely: compounded semaglutide from a verified $59/month (wellmedr) and compounded tirzepatide from $99 - the same active ingredients through licensed telehealth with US state-licensed pharmacies. Full ladder on our cheapest GLP-1 page, checked against every provider's own site.
Shop GLP-1 plans by product
Every provider's published plans - cheapest first, conditions under each price.
How do the side effects compare?
Same family, same character: GI effects dominate all three - nausea, constipation, diarrhea, especially during dose increases - because that's how this medication class works. Trial discontinuation rates were broadly similar, and the practical differences are individual: some people tolerate tirzepatide's dual mechanism better, some semaglutide.
Management is identical across them - slow titration, eating patterns, hydration - covered in our side-effects guide. Serious-but-rare warnings (pancreatitis, thyroid C-cell warnings) apply across the class.
What To Know Before Starting GLP-1 Treatment
Before starting GLP-1 treatment, it's important to understand a few key things. These medications require a prescription from a licensed clinician and aren't suitable for everyone. Some people may experience side effects, especially during the first few weeks as the body adjusts.
GLP-1s also tend to work best when combined with basic lifestyle habits like balanced nutrition and regular physical activity.
That's why choosing a provider that offers proper medical screening and ongoing follow-up support is essential for both safety and long-term success.
Can you switch from Ozempic to Zepbound?
Yes, people do - and here's the part the search results get dangerously wrong: there is no mg-to-mg dose conversion between semaglutide and tirzepatide. They're different molecules with different dose ladders; a prescriber typically starts the new medication at or near its own starting dose and titrates from there, judging by response and tolerability.
Never attempt a DIY conversion. If the switch you actually want is away from brand pricing rather than between molecules, that's a different move - our switching-to-compounded guide covers it.
Which one should you choose?
Decision logic, honestly ordered. Chasing maximum average efficacy with budget for brand: Zepbound leads the trial numbers.
Insurance covering one of them: the covered one usually wins the math - check your formulary first. Self-pay: the compounded route's $59-$99/month changes the entire question, which is why it's our default starting point for cash payers - compare on the ranking.
Diabetes plus weight goals: that's an Ozempic/Mounjaro-label conversation with your clinician. Whichever route: prescription required, titration takes months, and the provider's follow-up quality matters more than the logo on the pen.