Research Labs vs Circle Medical
Compare pricing, features, and medications to find the best GLP-1 provider for your weight loss journey
These two prices are not directly comparable
- Circle Medical: the $35 figure is a per-visit consultation fee, not a month of treatment - the medication is billed separately.
Research Labs vs Circle Medical: Overview
Choosing between Research Labs and Circle Medical for GLP-1 weight loss medication? Both are popular providers, but they differ in pricing, medication options, and service features.
Research Labs offers both semaglutide and tirzepatide at $60/month with a rating of 5.5/10. Circle Medical also provides both semaglutide and tirzepatide at $35/month with a 8.7/10 rating.
With only a $25/month price difference, your choice will likely come down to features, support quality, and medication options.
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
$25/mo
Rating Difference
3.2
Winner
Circle Medical
Best For
Budget
Research Labs
View full Research Labs review →Rating
5.5/10
Monthly Price
$60
Medications
GLP-1 peptidesBPC-157TB-500NAD+
Pros
- ✓The quality documentation is genuinely thorough for this category: HPLC and mass spectrometry on every lot, a signed certificate of purity shipped with every order, and a public lab-report library you can read before buying
- ✓Endotoxin testing (LAL assay) and microbial screening to USP standards on every batch before release
- ✓Full batch traceability - each vial traced to its production lot, raw materials and test results
- ✓States an average of 99.3% HPLC purity across all batches and publishes the underlying numbers rather than only the claim
- ✓Partner labs described as GMP-aligned, with documented SOPs and controlled environments
- ✓Pricing is straightforward and published: individual peptides run roughly $59.99 to $159.99, with free shipping over $150 (checked July 28, 2026)
- ✓The research-use-only status is disclosed up front behind an acknowledgement gate, not buried in a footer after checkout
- ✓A published phone number and a catalogue organised into peptides, blends, sprays and capsules, with a reference database
Cons
- ✗This is not a treatment and cannot lawfully be sold as one. Everything here is labelled for research use only and explicitly not for human consumption. If you are reading this site to find help with weight loss, this is not an option - it is laboratory material
- ✗There is no clinician at any point. Nobody takes a history, nobody checks your contraindications, nobody sets a dose and nobody monitors you. The safety net that every licensed provider on this site provides simply does not exist here
- ✗A certificate of analysis tells you what is in the vial. It tells you nothing about whether the contents are safe for you, what dose is appropriate, or how it interacts with your medications
- ✗Products arrive as lyophilised powder requiring reconstitution, and bacteriostatic water, syringes and other supplies are not included - so self-administration would also mean improvising sterile technique
- ✗Peptides such as BPC-157 and TB-500 appear on the FDA's list of substances that raise significant safety concerns for compounding, and have little or no published human trial evidence
- ✗There is no prescription, no pharmacy oversight and no adverse-event reporting pathway. If something goes wrong there is no clinical record and no provider to call
- ✗No Trustpilot or BBB record exists, so there is no independent consumer feedback of any kind
- ✗Our rating reflects suitability for someone seeking treatment, which is what this site compares. As a laboratory supplier the documentation is strong; as a route to a GLP-1 or peptide for your own health it is the wrong door, and a licensed provider is the right one
Circle Medical
View full Circle Medical review →Rating
8.7/10Better
Monthly Price
$35Cheaper
Medications
semaglutidetirzepatideoral semaglutide
Pros
- ✓It bills your insurance instead of asking you to forget insurance exists. Circle Medical states it is in-network with most commercial plans
- ✓Publishes a real out-of-pocket figure rather than a marketing one: patients with accepted insurance paid an average of $35 per appointment over the previous six months
- ✓FDA-approved medication only - Wegovy, Zepbound and non-GLP-1 options such as Contrave when appropriate. No compounded product
- ✓No membership and no hidden fees, which is rare among insurance-accepting telehealth services
- ✓This is a full primary-care practice, so weight management sits inside ongoing medical care rather than being a standalone drug subscription
- ✓Clear, conventional eligibility criteria published up front: BMI 27+ with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes or sleep apnea, or BMI 30+ without one
- ✓A mobile app with regular provider check-ins
- ✓Honest about supply and coverage: the site warns these treatments have significant stock issues and are not always covered
- ✓Insurance verification is built into the booking flow, so you find out where you stand before the appointment
Cons
- ✗Your cost is whatever your plan says it is. $35 is an average, not a price - deductibles and exclusions can leave you paying far more
- ✗The medication itself is a separate cost from the visit, and coverage for weight-loss drugs is the single most commonly denied benefit in this category
- ✗You must live in the state you are treated in and have your primary pharmacy in that same state, which rules out anyone splitting time between states
- ✗The full list of available states is not published - you have to start booking an appointment to see it
- ✗You may be booked with any available provider (MD, DO, PA-C or NP) rather than choosing one
- ✗If your insurance denies weight-loss coverage, there is no cash-pay compounded fallback here
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Research Labs | Circle Medical |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $60 | $35 |
| Rating | 5.5/10 | 8.7/10 |
| Medications | GLP-1 peptides, BPC-157, TB-500, NAD+ | semaglutide, tirzepatide, oral semaglutide |
| Insurance Accepted | No | Yes |
| Support Hours | Not published | Not published |
| Live Chat | No | No |
| Free Shipping | Yes | No |
| Shipping Speed | Nationwide US shipping, free on orders over $150 | Prescriptions go to your own pharmacy rather than shipping from the provider |
| Mobile App | No | Available |
| Dedicated Coach | Not included | Not included |
| Follow-up Frequency | None - there is no clinical relationship | Regular provider check-ins to monitor progress |
| Money-back Guarantee | See the site's refund policy; no clinical guarantee applies | None published |
| Cancellation Policy | One-off purchases rather than a subscription | Appointment-based care - there is no subscription to cancel |
Which should you choose?
Choose Research Labs if you:
- →Want more medication options to choose from
- →Value: the quality documentation is genuinely thorough for this category: hplc and mass spectrometry on every lot, a signed certificate of purity shipped with every order, and a public lab-report library you can read before buying
Choose Circle Medical if you:
- →Want to save $25/month with a more affordable option
- →Prefer a higher-rated service (8.7/10 vs 5.5/10)
- →Need insurance coverage for your treatment
- →Value: it bills your insurance instead of asking you to forget insurance exists. circle medical states it is in-network with most commercial plans
Website previews
Research Labs
Circle Medical
Our recommendation
Circle Medical comes out ahead with a higher rating of 8.7/10. It also provides multiple medication options including both semaglutide and tirzepatide.
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