PlushCare vs Male Excel
Compare pricing, features, and medications to find the best GLP-1 provider for your weight loss journey
PlushCare vs Male Excel: Overview
Choosing between PlushCare and Male Excel 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. Male Excel also provides both semaglutide and tirzepatide at $194/month with a 7.8/10 rating.
The price difference of $174/month is significant - PlushCare is the more budget-friendly option, while Male Excel 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.
At a glance
Price Difference
$174/mo
Rating Difference
0.7
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
Male Excel
View full Male Excel review →Rating
7.8/10
Monthly Price
$194
Medications
testosterone cypionatecompounded testosterone creamclomiphene citratethyroid medicationsildenafiltadalafil
Pros
- ✓Prices are published per treatment option rather than hidden behind an intake: Triclozene oral from $95/mo, injectable testosterone cypionate from $120/mo, topical testosterone cream from $132/mo (checked July 28, 2026)
- ✓BBB Accredited with an A+ rating and 7 years in business, plus a real Charlotte, NC street address and a staffed phone line at (833) 625-3392
- ✓Roughly 6,000 Trustpilot reviews averaging 4.5 - a far larger evidence base than the handful of reviews most compounded-medication brands have
- ✓Requires that you have had an in-person physical with vitals taken in the past 3 years before it will prescribe. This rules out some customers, and it is a genuine safety gate that most online hormone clinics skip
- ✓States plainly that prescription testosterone is a Schedule III controlled substance requiring medical monitoring, rather than glossing over it
- ✓ED medications are FDA-approved generics - sildenafil and tadalafil - at $65/month with a $35 first month, not compounded formulations
- ✓No contract, cancel anytime, and treatment costs are FSA/HSA eligible
- ✓The $99/month membership covers unlimited e-visits and unlimited messaging with a dedicated provider, so follow-up questions do not trigger per-visit fees
- ✓Publishes its excluded states openly instead of letting you discover the restriction at checkout
Cons
- ✗The headline 'as low as $95 a month' is roughly half the real cost. A $99/month Medical Membership is mandatory for treatment, so the true entry price is about $194/month, plus a one-time $99 online medical consultation and shipping on top. The membership requirement is disclosed, but only in fine print beneath the plan cards
- ✗The cheapest 'TRT solution' at $95/month is not testosterone. Triclozene is a proprietary compounded blend of clomiphene citrate and thyroid ingredients meant to stimulate your own production. Clomiphene is FDA-approved for ovulation induction in women; prescribing it to men is off-label
- ✗Thyroid medication is bundled into the standard injectable and topical packages by default, described as helping 'with testosterone effectiveness'. Giving thyroid hormone to men without documented hypothyroidism is not supported by Endocrine Society guidance and is worth questioning your provider about directly
- ✗The testosterone cream is explicitly a compounded blend of bioidentical testosterone powder in a Lipoderm base. Compounded preparations are not FDA-approved, and the product page does not mention the FDA at all
- ✗The pricing page claims the cream is '20x more powerful than commercial cream' with no citation, dosing comparison or study attached
- ✗Advertised prices are 60-day supplies billed bi-monthly, so the monthly figures are derived rather than what actually leaves your account
- ✗Not available in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire or Rhode Island
- ✗The 'over 100,000 members' figure is the company's own and we found no independent verification of it
- ✗Testosterone therapy carries real risks - it suppresses fertility, can raise red blood cell counts, and is not appropriate for men with prostate or breast cancer or those trying to conceive
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | PlushCare | Male Excel |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $20 | $194 |
| Rating | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Medications | semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide | testosterone cypionate, compounded testosterone cream, clomiphene citrate, thyroid medication, sildenafil, tadalafil |
| Insurance Accepted | Yes | No |
| Support Hours | Video visits available 24/7 | Not published |
| Live Chat | No | No |
| Free Shipping | No | No |
| Shipping Speed | Filled at your pharmacy; not shipped by PlushCare | 2-day shipping on ED medication; hormone orders ship after lab review. Shipping and handling billed on top of plan price |
| Mobile App | Available | No |
| Dedicated Coach | Not included | Included |
| Follow-up Frequency | Ongoing management with a board-certified primary care physician | 60-day follow-ups, with unlimited e-visits and messaging included in the $99/month membership |
| Money-back Guarantee | Full refund if the doctor is unable to treat you; medication and lab costs are never included | None published; no contract and cancel anytime |
| Cancellation Policy | Cancel anytime, no minimum commitment; first month of membership is free | No contract, cancel anytime. Medication billed bi-monthly for a 60-day supply |
Which should you choose?
Choose PlushCare if you:
- →Want to save $174/month with a more affordable option
- →Prefer a higher-rated service (8.5/10 vs 7.8/10)
- →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
Choose Male Excel if you:
- →Want more medication options to choose from
- →Want personalized coaching support included
- →Value: prices are published per treatment option rather than hidden behind an intake: triclozene oral from $95/mo, injectable testosterone cypionate from $120/mo, topical testosterone cream from $132/mo (checked july 28, 2026)
Website previews
PlushCare
Male Excel
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 PlushCareRelated comparisons
PlushCare vs CoreAge Rx
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$99
★ 9.6
PlushCare vs Zepbound
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$450
★ 9.3
PlushCare vs Mounjaro
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$1080
★ 9.2
PlushCare vs Wegovy Pill
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$149
★ 9.2
PlushCare vs Foundayo
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$149
★ 9.2
PlushCare vs Wegovy
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$349
★ 9.1
PlushCare vs NovoCare Pharmacy
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$149
★ 9
PlushCare vs Ozempic
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$349
★ 8.9
PlushCare vs Form Health
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$299
★ 8.8
PlushCare vs Henry Meds
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$179
★ 8.7
PlushCare vs Sesame Care
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$59
★ 8.7
PlushCare vs FuturHealth
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$225
★ 8.7
PlushCare vs Circle Medical
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$35
★ 8.7
PlushCare vs Ro
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$149
★ 8.6
PlushCare vs Midi Health
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$164
★ 8.6
PlushCare vs Noom Med
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$149
★ 8.6
PlushCare vs Precision Telemed
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$150
★ 8.6
PlushCare vs Hims
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$298
★ 8.5
PlushCare vs Calibrate
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$199
★ 8.5
PlushCare vs LifeMD
$20
★ 8.5
vs
$199
★ 8.5
Compare other providers
Compare GLP-1 Brands
vs