altRX vs Direct Meds
altRX costs $100 less a month, and both sell semaglutide and tirzepatide.
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If you are choosing between altRX and Direct Meds, the first difference is cost: altRX is $100 a month cheaper at the entry price. Both prescribe semaglutide and tirzepatide, so moving from one to the other would not change your drug. altRX leads our six-part score, 6.7 to 6.4. Both have drawn an FDA warning letter.
altRX vs Direct Meds price
altRX is the cheaper way in: $149 a month against $249 a month at Direct Meds. That is $100 less each month (40% lower), or about $1,200 over a year of treatment.
Drug by drug: Semaglutide is cheaper at altRX ($149 a month vs $249 a month); tirzepatide is cheaper at altRX ($249 a month vs $299 a month).
Medications and formats
Both sell semaglutide and tirzepatide.
On format, altRX prices compounded injections and brand-name pens, while Direct Meds prices compounded injections.
If you want the FDA-approved brand rather than a compounded version, altRX is the only one of the two with a brand-name price.
Where each one treats patients
Neither altRX nor Direct Meds publishes the states it serves, so enter your state at the very start of each sign-up.
Pricing
altRX
Direct Meds
'As low as $249' per month, on a 90-day supply billed monthly; some doses run as low as $237/mo.
'As low as $297' per month ($9.58 a day), an 84-day three-pack billed monthly.
'As low as $299' per month ($9.65 a day) on a 90-day supply billed monthly. Down from $399 earlier.
'As low as $399' per month ($12.87 a day).
What each price covers
Both prices cover the clinician visit, the medication itself and shipping.
altRX is silent on lab work and coaching.
Direct Meds is silent on lab work and coaching.
altRX
Covered by the monthly price
Medication
In the price
Clinician visits
In the price
Shipping
In the price
Lab work
Not stated
Coaching
Not stated
Direct Meds
Covered by the monthly price
Medication
In the price
Clinician visits
In the price
Shipping
In the price
Lab work
Not stated
Coaching
Not stated
Where each one scores higher
Overall, altRX scores 6.7 and Direct Meds 6.4 out of 10.
altRX is stronger on value (5.0 vs 3.7).
Effectiveness, user experience, trust & safety, accessibility and support are within half a point.
altRX
6.7/10
Direct Meds
6.4/10
Value25%
Effectiveness25%
User Experience15%
Trust & Safety15%
Accessibility10%
Support10%
FDA warning letters
The FDA sent altRX a warning letter dated June 8, 2026 (letter 728236), and it is still open.
The FDA sent Direct Meds a warning letter dated September 9, 2025 (letter 716822), and it is still open.
Features & Coverage
| Feature | altRX | Direct Meds |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | ✓$149/mo | $249/mo |
| Features | ✓8 features | 5 features |
| States Available | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Compounded | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Brand Name | ✓ Yes | — |
| FSA/HSA Accepted | — | — |
| FDA Warning Letters | 1 letter | 1 letter |
About altRX
Compounded plans open at $149 for semaglutide and $249 for tirzepatide. Branded medication runs $1,149-$1,579, a figure that already contains the consult and the shipping. Every one of the four FDA-approved brands is stocked, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound, which no other entry in our directory matches. altRX works in both modalities, holds LegitScript certification, and prints the FDA compounded-medication disclaimer.
Read our full altRX review →About Direct Meds
The FDA sent Direct Meds a warning letter in September 2025 over misleading marketing, and customers have reported a documented pattern of unexpected 3-month commitment charges. We list the company with both disclosed in full; read the warnings and the cons first. Its products are compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide, sold from Utah in injection and sublingual form.
Read our full Direct Meds review →Pros & Cons
altRX
What we like
- Tirzepatide costs $1249 a month, close to the $1249 median for brand-name tirzepatide across the sellers we compare
- Shows its price before the medical questionnaire, so you can compare it without handing over health information
- The monthly price includes the medication, clinician visits and shipping
Watch-outs
- Semaglutide costs $1149 a month, 16% above the $990 median for brand-name semaglutide across the sellers we compare
- Confirm it serves your state before you start the intake
- Ask which pharmacy fills the prescription before you pay, so you can check its license
- The FDA has issued altRX a warning letter. Read what it alleges: a letter flags a problem but does not by itself rule a seller out
- Its semaglutide and tirzepatide are compounded rather than FDA-approved, so they have not been reviewed by the agency for safety, effectiveness or manufacturing quality
Direct Meds
What we like
- Shows its price before the medical questionnaire, so you can compare it without handing over health information
- The monthly price includes the medication, clinician visits and shipping
Watch-outs
- Semaglutide costs $249 a month, 35% above the $184 median for compounded semaglutide across the sellers we compare
- Tirzepatide costs $299 a month, 20% above the $250 median for compounded tirzepatide across the sellers we compare
- Confirm it serves your state before you start the intake
- Ask which pharmacy fills the prescription before you pay, so you can check its license
- The FDA has issued Direct Meds a warning letter. Read what it alleges: a letter flags a problem but does not by itself rule a seller out
- Its semaglutide and tirzepatide are compounded rather than FDA-approved, so they have not been reviewed by the agency for safety, effectiveness or manufacturing quality
Our Verdict
Direct Meds is where we would start, above all for compounded semaglutide at $249/month. altRX undercuts it by $100 a month, so if the monthly bill is what decides it, altRX is the pick. altRX fits better if semaglutide from $1149/month is your priority.
Choose altRX if…
You want semaglutide from $1149/month and an opening price near $149 a month.
Choose Direct Meds if…
You want compounded semaglutide at $249/month and an opening price near $249 a month.
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He & She MD
Starting below a standard dose, with microdose tiers
From $99/mo
Get started →Wellorithm
Compounded semaglutide at $247/month
From $247/mo
Get started →Willow
Seeing what it charges before you answer any medical questions
From $299/mo
Get started →altRX vs Direct Meds: FAQ
Close alternatives to altRX and Direct Meds
- altRX vs Gala
- altRX vs Sprout Health
- altRX vs Aquivia Health
- altRX vs Vytora Health
- Direct Meds vs Henry Meds
- Direct Meds vs Fridays
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.