1st Optimal vs AskRx
An in-depth comparison of two leading GLP-1 Providers
Some of the links on this page earn us money. If you sign up with a provider after following one, that provider may pay GLP Watchdog a commission. Learn more
1st Optimal
Best for: coaching bundled into the price rather than sold separately
Visit 1st Optimal →
AskRx
Best for: coverage in all 50 states, which most of the register will not confirm
Visit AskRx →Two GLP-1 Providers chasing the same patients, trading off price, geography and what lands in the box differently. On our scoring, AskRx starts at $199/mo, and AskRx finishes ahead, 8.8 to 3.9. What follows: the prices, what each plan actually covers, the six-dimension score, where each one is weak, and who should pick which.
Pricing
1st Optimal
Pricing not publicly listed.
AskRx
What’s included
1st Optimal
Covered by the monthly price
Medication
Not stated
Clinician visits
In the price
Shipping
In the price
Lab work
Not stated
Coaching
In the price
AskRx
Inclusions not disclosed.
Score breakdown
Both providers are scored on the same six-dimension framework. The gradient bar marks the stronger side on each dimension.
1st Optimal
3.9/10
AskRx
8.8/10
Value25%
Effectiveness25%
User Experience15%
Trust & Safety15%
Accessibility10%
Support10%
Features & Coverage
| Feature | 1st Optimal | AskRx |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | — | $199/mo |
| Features | 8 features | 8 features |
| States Available | Not disclosed | 50 |
| Compounded | — | — |
| Brand Name | — | ✓ Yes |
| FSA/HSA Accepted | — | ✓ Yes |
| FDA Warnings | None | None |
About 1st Optimal
Neither a monthly price nor a list of states is published. 1st Optimal operates out of Michigan across telehealth and functional medicine, writing the GLP-1s semaglutide and tirzepatide either as a weekly injection or as a daily oral tablet. Around the prescription it stacks at-home lab testing, interpretation of the blood work, coaching without limit and protocols built individually, all framed as long-term weight loss and longevity. Credentialed providers work virtually, treatment goes to the home, and nothing binds you to a long contract.
Read our full 1st Optimal review →About AskRx
The subscription buys a physician, not a drug: $99-149/mo, with medication invoiced separately. AskRx never dispenses, compounds or sells anything; it routes the script to a manufacturer pharmacy, NovoCare or LillyDirect, whichever the patient picks. Its board-certified physicians write nothing compounded, only FDA-approved brand-name GLP-1s: Zepbound (tirzepatide), plus the Wegovy pen and pill (semaglutide). LegitScript approval and HIPAA compliance are claimed across all 50 states, and the subscription may qualify for HSA/FSA.
Read our full AskRx review →Pros & Cons
1st Optimal
What we like
- The monthly figure covers consult, shipping, coaching
- No FDA warning letter matched this operator when we searched our enforcement register
- A live video visit with a clinician is required before a prescription, which is slower than a form and is the more careful intake
- Baseline bloodwork is required before a prescription
Watch-outs
- No price appears until the medical intake is complete, so the cost cannot be compared before health information is submitted
- No state list is on record here, so whether it serves your state cannot be confirmed from this page
- No dispensing pharmacy is named in our record, so its accreditation cannot be looked up from here
AskRx
What we like
- Semaglutide at $199 a month, 85% below the $1299 median for the same drug and form across this register
- Tirzepatide at $299 a month, 76% below the $1249 median for the same drug and form across this register
- Publishes a price on its own site before the medical questionnaire, so it can be compared without handing over health information
- Coverage is published for all 50 states
- No FDA warning letter matched this operator when we searched our enforcement register
Watch-outs
- No dispensing pharmacy is named in our record, so its accreditation cannot be looked up from here
Our Verdict
AskRx takes it, 8.8 against 3.9, and it is especially strong on coverage in all 50 states, which most of the register will not confirm. 1st Optimal is no weak second and may fit you better on coaching bundled into the price rather than sold separately.
Choose 1st Optimal if…
You want coaching bundled into the price rather than sold separately.
Choose AskRx if…
You want coverage in all 50 states, which most of the register will not confirm and an opening price near $199 a month.
Ready to start? Vetted GLP-1 providers
Vetted telehealth providers that prescribe GLP-1 online.
No insurance needed · vetted by our editors
Some of the links on this page earn us money. If you sign up with a provider after following one, that provider may pay GLP Watchdog a commission. Learn more
Trimi Health
Knowing which pharmacy fills the vial — it names VialsRx
From $99/mo
Get started →Strut Health
Semaglutide at $99/month, 48% under the register median
From $99/mo
Get started →Oak
Semaglutide at $119/month, 37% under the register median
From $119/mo
Get started →1st Optimal vs AskRx: FAQ
Glossary
The words sellers use, defined. Tap any term.
- Semaglutide · Drugs and brands
- Tirzepatide · Drugs and brands
- Compounded GLP-1 · Pharmacy and drug forms
- 503A pharmacy · Pharmacy and drug forms
- PCAB accreditation · Pharmacy and drug forms
- Prior authorization (PA) · Insurance and regulatory
- Off-label use · Insurance and regulatory
- FDA Drug Shortage List · Insurance and regulatory
Related comparisons
Continue exploring 1st Optimal and AskRx head-to-heads in the same category.
- 1st Optimal vs Trimi Health
- 1st Optimal vs Embody
- 1st Optimal vs He & She MD
- AskRx vs Lean Meds
- AskRx vs NextMeds
- AskRx vs bmiMD
Or see the full category ranking.
Novo Nordisk A/S owns the Wegovy®, Ozempic® and Rybelsus® marks; Eli Lilly and Company owns Mounjaro® and Zepbound®. Every other product name and mark on this page belongs to whoever owns it. No pharmaceutical manufacturer is affiliated with GLP Watchdog. See trademark disclaimer.