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PlushCare vs EllieMD

Compare pricing, features, and medications to find the best GLP-1 provider for your weight loss journey

PlushCare vs EllieMD: Overview

Choosing between PlushCare and EllieMD for GLP-1 weight loss medication? Both are popular providers, but they differ in pricing, medication options, and service features.

PlushCare offers both semaglutide and tirzepatide at $20/month with a rating of 8.5/10. EllieMD also provides both semaglutide and tirzepatide at $229/month with a 7.2/10 rating.

The price difference of $209/month is significant - PlushCare is the more budget-friendly option, while EllieMD positions itself as a premium service.

Our recommended brand

After reviewing all 148 providers on this platform, we've identified CoreAge Rx as offering the most transparent pricing model. At just $99/month — the same price every month, every dose — there are no surprise charges or hidden fees. Combined with exceptional service quality, personalized support, and access to both semaglutide and tirzepatide, it represents the best value without compromising on care.

Visit CoreAge Rx →Read full review

At a glance

Price Difference

$209/mo

Rating Difference

1.3

Winner

PlushCare

Best For

Budget

PlushCare

View full PlushCare review →

Rating

8.5/10Better

Monthly Price

$20Cheaper

Medications

semaglutidetirzepatideliraglutide

Pros

✓Accepts insurance, which almost nothing else on this site does. Most in-network patients pay a copay of $30 or less for a visit
✓Membership is $19.99/month with the first month free, and there is no minimum commitment
✓Prescribes only FDA-approved medications - Zepbound, Wegovy, Saxenda, Contrave and Xenical - so no compounded product is involved
✓Care comes from board-certified primary care physicians rather than an asynchronous questionnaire review
✓A full refund is offered if the doctor is unable to treat you
✓Membership includes far more than weight care: 24/7 urgent care video visits, mental health support, discounted lab tests and free memberships for family
✓An in-app prescription discount card and HSA/FSA eligibility can reduce medication costs further
✓The site is candid that GLP-1s 'usually cost about $1000 per month out of pocket' and advises checking insurance coverage first, rather than hiding the real figure

Cons

✗The $19.99 membership buys access, not medication. Without insurance coverage the GLP-1 itself can run about $1,000 a month, which PlushCare states openly but which makes the headline price misleading if read as a treatment cost
✗Visits are charged on top of membership - $129 for an initial visit without in-network insurance
✗Trustpilot sits at 3.4 out of 5 across 2,735 reviews, the weakest score of any established provider we have reviewed here
✗Prescriptions are explicitly at the doctor's discretion, so paying for membership and a visit does not guarantee you leave with a GLP-1
✗This is a general telehealth service, so the weight-loss programme has less dedicated structure - no built-in coaching, food tracking or dose-titration support
✗Medication and lab costs are excluded from every advertised price, so your real monthly outlay depends entirely on your insurer
✗Contrave is offered as a $99 cash-pay alternative, but the cash cost of the GLP-1s themselves is not published
✗If you have no insurance and want a GLP-1, this route is likely to cost far more than the compounded providers listed elsewhere on this site

Choose PlushCare

EllieMD

View full EllieMD review →

Rating

7.2/10

Monthly Price

$229

Medications

semaglutidetirzepatide

Pros

✓Published pricing for both microdose programmes: $229/month for the single-agonist GLP-1 ($687 total) and $239/month for the dual-agonist ($717 total)
✓No hidden membership, shipping or consultation fees, stated as a headline on the microdose page
✓Available in all 50 states
✓The partner pharmacy is named - Clover Pharmacy - and described as dispensing from 503A-compliant, state-licensed facilities
✓Payment is refunded if the medical provider determines you are not eligible for an EllieMD programme
✓24/7 access to a provider is included in the plan rather than sold as an upgrade
✓A state-licensed, board-certified MD, DO or qualified medical provider reviews your intake, and a phone call may be required rather than everything being asynchronous
✓The compounding disclaimer is explicit: compounded medications are not FDA-approved and the FDA does not review them for safety, efficacy or quality
✓It discloses that vial appearance, contents and dosage may vary based on your personalised prescription
✓Offers a paid 15-minute consultation with a wellness expert that comes with a $25 credit toward your next order

Cons

✗The whole proposition is microdosing, which has no controlled trial evidence behind it. Every published GLP-1 outcome - the 15% and 20% figures the category is built on - comes from full therapeutic doses
✗Both prices are quoted per month but billed as a multi-month total ($687 and $717), so the real commitment is three months up front
✗Compounded medication, not FDA-approved
✗The catalogue mixes prescription GLP-1s with Thymosin Alpha-1, hormone therapy, protein supplements and skincare, which blurs the line between medicine and wellness retail
✗The claim that "community support can double weight loss efficacy" is footnoted to a 2015 Northwestern citation and used to market a product that citation did not test
✗No phone number, support email or business address is published
✗No insurance billing and no HSA/FSA information
✗It is not clear from the site whether full therapeutic dosing is available at all, or only microdoses

Feature-by-feature comparison

Feature	PlushCare	EllieMD
Monthly Price	$20	$229
Rating	8.5/10	7.2/10
Medications	semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide	semaglutide, tirzepatide
Insurance Accepted	Yes	No
Support Hours	Video visits available 24/7	Company advertises 24/7 support from doctors and specialists, included in the plan
Live Chat	No	Available
Free Shipping	No	Yes
Shipping Speed	Filled at your pharmacy; not shipped by PlushCare	Typically 2-10 business days; no shipping fees
Mobile App	Available	No
Dedicated Coach	Not included	Not included
Follow-up Frequency	Ongoing management with a board-certified primary care physician	24/7 direct access to a provider included in the plan
Money-back Guarantee	Full refund if the doctor is unable to treat you; medication and lab costs are never included	Payment refunded if the medical provider determines you are not eligible
Cancellation Policy	Cancel anytime, no minimum commitment; first month of membership is free	A refund and returns policy is published; multi-month programmes are billed as a total

Which should you choose?

Choose PlushCare if you:

→Want to save $209/month with a more affordable option
→Prefer a higher-rated service (8.5/10 vs 7.2/10)
→Want more medication options to choose from
→Need insurance coverage for your treatment
→Value: accepts insurance, which almost nothing else on this site does. most in-network patients pay a copay of $30 or less for a visit

Get started with PlushCare

Choose EllieMD if you:

→Value: published pricing for both microdose programmes: $229/month for the single-agonist glp-1 ($687 total) and $239/month for the dual-agonist ($717 total)

Get started with EllieMD

Website previews

PlushCare

PlushCare website

EllieMD

EllieMD website

Our recommendation

PlushCare comes out ahead with a higher rating of 8.5/10. It also provides multiple medication options including both semaglutide and tirzepatide.

Get started with PlushCare

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