Tools

Why these calculators exist

Compounded-GLP-1 pricing is deliberately hard to compare because providers quote different things: a medication-only price here, an all-inclusive price there, a first-month discount somewhere else, a prepaid "monthly equivalent" that hides a large upfront charge. The result is a market where the cheapest-looking option often isn't the cheapest, and the number you compare on isn't the number you pay. These tools convert any provider's marketing figures into the numbers that actually let you compare and budget: effective monthly cost, first-month cost, and total commitment. Each runs entirely in your browser, stores nothing, and recommends no medication, determines no eligibility, and replaces no medical advice.

Which tool to use when

Use the true-cost calculator when comparing providers, because it produces the single all-inclusive effective monthly figure that makes different pricing structures comparable. Use the first-month calculator when a provider advertises an introductory discount, because it shows what you pay up front alongside the renewal month. Use the commitment calculator before any prepaid multi-month plan, because it converts a tempting "monthly equivalent" into the amount due today and the money at risk if you stop early. Use the comparison tool to shortlist across the captured market with evidence statuses attached.

The shared vocabulary

All three calculators use the same terms, and getting them straight is half the value. Effective monthly cost is the all-inclusive figure that makes providers comparable — total mandatory cost divided by months supplied. First-month cost is what actually leaves your account to start, which on a prepaid plan is the entire term and on a monthly plan is roughly one month plus one-time fees. Total commitment is everything you've agreed to pay across a plan's length. Monthly equivalent is the arithmetic figure providers advertise on prepaid plans — real division, but not a billing schedule. The single most expensive misunderstanding in this market is treating a monthly equivalent as a monthly bill; the calculators exist to prevent it.

What the tools deliberately exclude

The calculators follow the site's affordability methodology, leaving out savings a general shopper can't reliably obtain or that don't reflect true cost: coupons and influencer codes, referral credits, FSA/HSA tax effects, conditional rebates, financing benefits, and insurance savings unavailable to the comparison population. Excluding these produces a higher, more honest number — the one most people actually pay — rather than a best-case figure that flatters a provider. If you have a durable personal discount, apply it after the tool, knowing it's specific to you.

A worked example across all three tools

Suppose you are weighing three real captured semaglutide programs: a bundler at $145/month with no membership (NexLife's month-to-month rate), a membership provider at $99 medication plus a required $79 membership (Mochi's structure), and a hypothetical long-term prepaid plan at $130/month on a 12-month commitment. The true-cost calculator normalizes them: the bundler is $145 effective, the membership provider is $178 effective (the $99 headline plus the mandatory $79), and the prepaid plan is $130 effective — but only if you complete the full year. On effective monthly cost alone, the prepaid plan is lowest and the membership provider's "$99" headline is actually the most expensive of the three (these illustrative figures show the method; see the pricing pages for current rankable programs).

Now the commitment calculator reframes the prepaid plan: $130/month on a 12-month term means about $1,560 due today, with much of that at risk if you stop early against refund terms that are usually unverified. And the first-month calculator shows the membership provider may advertise a $39 first month — attractive at signup — that renews at the full $178. The three tools together turn a confusing set of headlines into a clear picture: the prepaid plan is cheapest if you are certain you will stay in treatment a full year, the bundler is the safest middle option with no upfront risk, and the membership provider's low headline is the most misleading of the three. That is the decision the tools are built to support — not which medication to take, which remains a clinical question for your prescriber.

Limitations

A calculator is only as good as the numbers you feed it, and the hardest part is getting complete, current figures from providers — undisclosed fees are the main trap, since an unknown fee entered as zero understates the result. Treat any figure that omits a possible fee as a floor, not the final price. The tools also can't see renewal pricing or cancellation terms unless you enter them, and the authoritative number is always the provider's actual checkout total. Verify the dispensing pharmacy and full terms before committing, whatever the math says.

Frequently asked questions

Do the calculators store or send my inputs?

No. Every calculation runs locally in your browser and nothing is stored or transmitted. You can use them without an account, and refreshing the page clears everything. That's deliberate for a health-adjacent tool — there's no reason for us to hold your numbers.

Why is my calculated cost higher than the provider's advertised price?

Because the tool adds the mandatory costs the advertised price often leaves out — memberships, required fees, shipping, dose surcharges — and prices prepaid plans by what's actually due. That gap between headline and true cost is the entire reason these tools exist. If your number is much higher, check whether a membership fee or dose surcharge is driving it.

Can these tools tell me which medication or dose to take?

No, and they never will. They compare cost only. Whether semaglutide or tirzepatide, standard dose or microdose, injection or oral is appropriate for you is a clinical decision for a licensed prescriber who knows your history. The tools are budgeting instruments, not medical ones.

Which tool should I start with?

Start with the true-cost calculator to normalize each provider to a comparable effective monthly figure. If a plan is prepaid, follow with the commitment calculator to see the amount due today and early-stop exposure. If a provider leads with an introductory price, use the first-month calculator to separate the starter offer from the renewal rate. Most decisions need only the true-cost calculator plus one of the other two, depending on how the provider structures its pricing.