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Research Labs vs EllieMD

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

Research Labs vs EllieMD: Overview

Choosing between Research Labs and EllieMD 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. EllieMD also provides both semaglutide and tirzepatide at $229/month with a 7.2/10 rating.

The price difference of $169/month is significant - Research Labs 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

$169/mo

Rating Difference

1.7

Winner

EllieMD

Best For

Quality

Research Labs

View full Research Labs review →

Rating

5.5/10

Monthly Price

$60Cheaper

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

Choose Research Labs

EllieMD

View full EllieMD review →

Rating

7.2/10Better

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	Research Labs	EllieMD
Monthly Price	$60	$229
Rating	5.5/10	7.2/10
Medications	GLP-1 peptides, BPC-157, TB-500, NAD+	semaglutide, tirzepatide
Insurance Accepted	No	No
Support Hours	Not published	Company advertises 24/7 support from doctors and specialists, included in the plan
Live Chat	No	Available
Free Shipping	Yes	Yes
Shipping Speed	Nationwide US shipping, free on orders over $150	Typically 2-10 business days; no shipping fees
Mobile App	No	No
Dedicated Coach	Not included	Not included
Follow-up Frequency	None - there is no clinical relationship	24/7 direct access to a provider included in the plan
Money-back Guarantee	See the site's refund policy; no clinical guarantee applies	Payment refunded if the medical provider determines you are not eligible
Cancellation Policy	One-off purchases rather than a subscription	A refund and returns policy is published; multi-month programmes are billed as a total

Which should you choose?

Choose Research Labs if you:

→Want to save $169/month with a more affordable option
→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

Get started with Research Labs

Choose EllieMD if you:

→Prefer a higher-rated service (7.2/10 vs 5.5/10)
→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

Research Labs

Research Labs website

EllieMD

EllieMD website

Our recommendation

EllieMD comes out ahead with a higher rating of 7.2/10. It also provides multiple medication options including both semaglutide and tirzepatide.

Get started with EllieMD

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