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Ascend Vitality vs MadeMed

Ascend Vitality costs $20 less a month, and both sell semaglutide and tirzepatide.

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By Ruth Calder · Enforcement Editor
Editorially reviewed & fact-checked against primary sources · How we verify contentLast reviewed
Ascend Vitality logo

Ascend Vitality

5.6
★★★☆☆2.8/5

Best for: an oral route if you will not self-inject

Visit Ascend Vitality →
VS
MadeMed logo

MadeMed

6.5
★★★☆☆3.3/5

Best for: compounded semaglutide at $239/month

Visit MadeMed →

If you are choosing between Ascend Vitality and MadeMed, the first difference is cost: Ascend Vitality is $20 a month cheaper at the entry price. Both prescribe semaglutide and tirzepatide, so moving from one to the other would not change your drug. MadeMed leads our six-part score, 6.5 to 5.6.

Ascend Vitality vs MadeMed price

Ascend Vitality is the cheaper way in: $199 a month against $219 a month on a prepaid plan at MadeMed. That is $20 less each month (9% lower), or about $240 over a year of treatment.

MadeMed's figure is a monthly average of a plan billed for several months at once, so the first charge is larger than the number shown.

Drug by drug: Semaglutide is cheaper at Ascend Vitality ($199 a month vs $219 a month on a prepaid plan); tirzepatide costs the same at both, $299 a month.

Medications and formats

Both sell semaglutide and tirzepatide.

On format they match: each offers compounded injections and an oral option.

Where each one treats patients

Neither Ascend Vitality nor MadeMed publishes the states it serves, so enter your state at the very start of each sign-up.

Pricing

Ascend Vitality

Compounded Semaglutide (injectable)Compounded
$199/mo
semaglutide
Compounded Tirzepatide (injectable)Compounded
$299/mo
tirzepatide
Compounded Semaglutide Tablets (oral)Compounded · oral
$199/mo
semaglutide
Compounded Tirzepatide Tablets (oral)Compounded · oral
$299/mo
tirzepatide

MadeMed

Injectable — Starting (billed quarterly, flat at every dose)Compounded
$239/mo
semaglutide

Quarterly plan $239/mo (billed $717/3mo); 6-month plan drops to $199/mo (the site's 'From $199/mo'). Includes L-Carnitine; 2-month supplies.

Injectable — Starting (billed quarterly, flat at every dose)Compounded
$399/mo
tirzepatide

Quarterly $399/mo (billed $1,197/3mo); 6-month $369/mo.

Sublingual tablet — Starting (billed quarterly)Compounded · oral
$219/mo
semaglutide

Quarterly $219/mo (billed $657/3mo); 6-month $179/mo. Includes B6.

Sublingual tablet — Starting (billed quarterly)Compounded · oral
$299/mo
tirzepatide

Quarterly $299/mo (billed $897/3mo); 6-month $279/mo.

What each price covers

Ascend Vitality's price also covers the medication itself, which MadeMed does not claim.

Ascend Vitality is silent on the clinician visit, shipping, lab work and coaching.

MadeMed does not say what its price includes.

That matters most for the drug: unless MadeMed confirms otherwise, budget for medication on top of its listed price.

Ascend Vitality

Covered by the monthly price

Medication

In the price

Clinician visits

Not stated

Shipping

Not stated

Lab work

Not stated

Coaching

Not stated

MadeMed

Inclusions not disclosed.

Where each one scores higher

Overall, MadeMed scores 6.5 and Ascend Vitality 5.6 out of 10.

Ascend Vitality is stronger on value (4.4 vs 3.1).

MadeMed is stronger on user experience (8.0 vs 3.0) and trust & safety (6.5 vs 4.0).

Effectiveness, accessibility and support are within half a point.

How we score

Ascend Vitality

5.6/10

Overall

MadeMed

6.5/10

Value25%

4.4A
vs
B
3.1

Effectiveness25%

10.0A
vs
B
10.0

User Experience15%

3.0A
vs
B
8.0

Trust & Safety15%

4.0A
vs
B
6.5

Accessibility10%

5.0A
vs
B
5.0

Support10%

5.0A
vs
B
5.0

FDA warning letters

Neither Ascend Vitality nor MadeMed has an FDA warning letter on record with us.

Features & Coverage

FeatureAscend VitalityMadeMed
Starting Price✓$199/mo$219/mo prepaid
Features6 features6 features
States AvailableNot disclosedNot disclosed
Compounded✓ Yes✓ Yes
Brand Name——
FSA/HSA Accepted——
FDA Warning LettersNoneNone

About Ascend Vitality

Ascend Vitality starts compounded semaglutide at $199/mo and compounded tirzepatide at $299/mo, sold as both weekly injectables and needle-free daily tablets. The cash-pay seller is LegitScript-certified, with a discount on the 6-month plan and a cancel-anytime subscription model.

Read our full Ascend Vitality review →

About MadeMed

Nothing is priced in public at MadeMed; the number waits inside the product pages or the checkout. Its catalog runs to four distinct products, compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide, each offered as an injection or by mouth, so patients who dislike needles get more choice here than most rivals allow. A LegitScript certification badge is displayed, and unlike chat-only competitors it publishes a phone line for support.

Read our full MadeMed review →

Pros & Cons

Ascend Vitality

What we like

  • Semaglutide costs $199 a month, close to the $184 median for compounded semaglutide across the sellers we compare
  • The monthly price includes the medication
  • We found no FDA warning letters issued to Ascend Vitality
  • Offers both oral and injectable options, so the format is your choice

Watch-outs

  • Tirzepatide costs $299 a month, 20% above the $250 median for compounded tirzepatide across the sellers we compare
  • You only see a price after finishing the medical intake, so you cannot compare costs before sharing health information
  • 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
  • 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

MadeMed

What we like

  • Shows its price before the medical questionnaire, so you can compare it without handing over health information
  • We found no FDA warning letters issued to MadeMed

Watch-outs

  • Semaglutide costs $239 a month, 30% above the $184 median for compounded semaglutide across the sellers we compare
  • Tirzepatide costs $399 a month, 60% 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
  • 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

Winner: MadeMed

MadeMed wins this one, 6.5 to 5.6, above all for compounded semaglutide at $239/month. Ascend Vitality undercuts it by $20 a month, so if the monthly bill is what decides it, Ascend Vitality is the pick. Ascend Vitality fits better if an oral route if you will not self-inject is your priority.

Choose Ascend Vitality if…

You want an oral route if you will not self-inject and an opening price near $199 a month.

Choose MadeMed if…

You want compounded semaglutide at $239/month and an opening price near $219 a month.

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6.5

Sesame Care

Oral orforglipron alongside the injectables

8.4

Collective

Flat any-dose pricing, if you can absorb a $199 annual membership on top

8.6

Found

Tirzepatide at $169/month, 37% below the typical price

Ascend Vitality vs MadeMed: FAQ

Ascend Vitality. It starts at $199 a month; MadeMed starts at $219 a month on a prepaid plan, $20 more per month.
Yes, both sell semaglutide and tirzepatide.
Ascend Vitality does not publish where it ships; MadeMed does not publish where it ships. Confirm your state before paying.
Only Ascend Vitality includes the medication itself.
Ascend Vitality has none. MadeMed has none.
No. Neither Ascend Vitality nor MadeMed pays us anything.

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