Key takeaways
Without insurance, Zepbound (tirzepatide) costs about $663 per month, while Wegovy (semaglutide) costs about $1,807 per month on average, making Zepbound the more affordable option.
Insurance coverage for both weight loss drugs depends on your specific health plan. Medicare and Medicaid coverage are limited.
You can save money on Zepbound and Wegovy with a SingleCare discount card.
Prescription glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications such as Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) have become increasingly popular treatment options, not only for weight loss but for other indications. However, their high monthly costs can put them out of reach for many people, costing between $600 and $1,800 without insurance. SingleCare coupons can help reduce your out-of-pocket cost for both medications.
Zepbound vs. Wegovy cost at a glance |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Drug | Average cost without insurance per month | Average cost with a SingleCare coupon | How to save |
| Zepbound | $663 per 1, 2.4 mL of 2.5 mg/0.6 mL Kwikpen | $409 per 1, 2.4 mL of 2.5 mg/0.6 mL Kwikpen at Kroger or Harris Teeter | SingleCare Zepbound coupon |
| Wegovy | $1,807 for 30, 1.5 mg tablets or prefilled Kwikpens | $1,011 for 30, 1.5 mg tablets or $1,170 for 4, 2.4 mg/0.75 mL pens at Kroger or Harris Teeter | SingleCare Wegovy coupon |
How much does Zepbound cost without insurance?
Without health insurance, Zepbound costs about $663 per month for a 28-day supply of four 2.5 mg/0.6 mL injectable Kwikpens on average. That price can vary depending on the pharmacy you use.
“Most people are genuinely unaware that every pharmacy negotiates separate contracts with wholesalers and PBMs [pharmacy benefit managers] behind the scenes, and those contracts are not made public,” says James J. Chao, MD, FACS, chief medical officer and co-founder of VedaNu Wellness. “You literally need to call around to four or five pharmacies within your 10-mile radius to save around $200 per month on an identical box.”
A free SingleCare coupon can lower the cost of Zepbound to about $409 for the same 28-day supply of 2.5 mg/0.6 ml injectable Kwikpens. You can compare Zepbound prices at pharmacies near you on the SingleCare website or in the SingleCare app.
How much does Wegovy cost without insurance?
Without insurance, Wegovy costs about $1,807 per month, whether in tablet or Kwikpen form. Like Zepbound, the price varies by pharmacy. With a SingleCare coupon, the price of 30, 1.5 mg Wegovy tablets drops to about $1,011 per month, while prefilled Kwikpens cost about $100 more, varying by dose. Additionally, prices may vary by pharmacy, so check the SingleCare website or app to find the lowest price near you.
How much does the new Wegovy pill cost?
In December 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an oral tablet form of Wegovy. The new Wegovy pill is a once-daily oral semaglutide tablet available in 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg, and 25 mg doses. Costs vary by dose.
Wegovy pill cost by dose |
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|---|---|
| Dosage | Average cost with a SingleCare discount |
| 1.5 mg | $1,011 |
| 4 mg | $1,036 |
| 9 mg | $1,011 |
| 25 mg | $1,026 |
“Pills require approximately 70 times the dose of active drug on a weekly basis compared to an injection in order to reach systemic circulation at similar levels,” says Dr. Chao, noting that oral bioavailability is roughly 1% compared to about 89% for injectables, which helps explain why the pill costs about the same despite being a different format.
Is Zepbound cheaper than Wegovy?
Yes. Without insurance, Zepbound costs about $1,144 less per month than Wegovy. Even with SingleCare coupons, Zepbound is still the lower-cost option at around $409 per month, compared to $1,011 per month for Wegovy.
Prices vary based on the pharmacy, dose, and form you use. Zepbound comes as a prefilled, single-use injectable pen and as the Zepbound KwikPen, a multidose pen designed for easier self-administration. Wegovy is available as a weekly injectable pen and a daily oral tablet. Because each form may be priced a little differently, it’s a good idea to check the exact cost at your pharmacy.
Does insurance cover Zepbound or Wegovy?
Insurance coverage for both Zepbound and Wegovy varies based on your prescription drug coverage and drug formulary, which is the list of covered medications organized into different categories and tiers. Some plans through commercial insurance companies cover weight loss medications, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, when prescribed for FDA-approved uses, such as chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition.
However, GLP-1 coverage is not guaranteed, especially when prescribed solely for weight loss. Some plans exclude anti-obesity medications altogether, while others require prior authorization before they will approve coverage.
“One of the biggest issues is that insurance coverage for GLP-1s is still very inconsistent,” says Andrew Shapiro, MD, a board-certified surgeon at Wellington Regional Medical Center. “A lot of denials or delays come down to documentation. Insurers often want very specific details, including BMI, obesity-related health conditions, and prior weight-loss efforts.”
If your plan does cover GLP-1 medications, you can usually check your out-of-pocket costs and coverage details through your insurer or by using the Wegovy coverage tool on Novo Nordisk’s website.
Does Medicare cover Zepbound or Wegovy?
Currently, Medicare does not cover Wegovy or Zepbound for weight reduction alone. However, Medicare Part D may cover Wegovy when it is prescribed to reduce cardiovascular risk, including heart attack and stroke, in adults with obesity or who are overweight with established heart disease, according to the Library of Congress. A new federal program, the BALANCE (Better Approaches to Lifestyle and Nutrition for Comprehensive hEalth) Model, is set to expand Medicare access to GLP-1 medications beginning in 2026, with broader Part D coverage expected by January 2027.
Does Medicaid cover Zepbound or Wegovy?
Medicaid coverage for Wegovy also varies widely by state. As of early 2026, only 16 states cover GLP-1s for obesity. As we learn more about the treatment of obesity, more states are reconsidering their coverage policies. The BALANCE Model also includes a Medicaid component that could begin as early as May 2026 in participating states, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
RELATED: How to get Wegovy covered by insurance
Does Zepbound work better than Wegovy?
In the first head-to-head clinical trial comparing the two medications (SURMOUNT-5), published in the New England Journal of Medicine, people taking Zepbound lost an average of 20.2% of their body weight after 72 weeks, compared with 13.7% for those taking Wegovy. Participants in the Zepbound group also saw greater reductions in waist circumference than those in the Wegovy group. According to the study, both medications were generally well tolerated, with the most common side effect being mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal issues.
Still, cost and insurance coverage can play a major role in deciding which medication is the better fit, according to Dr. Shapiro. “A medication may look better on paper, but if it is too expensive to stay on long-term, that matters,” they explain. “The best option is the one that is safe, effective, accessible, and sustainable for that specific patient.” Dr. Shapiro adds that the decision should also take into account the amount of weight you need to lose, other medical conditions, possible side effects, insurance coverage, and out-of-pocket costs.
If Zepbound or Wegovy don’t work for you, your healthcare provider may recommend another GLP-1 agonist, such as Ozempic (semaglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide), Victoza (liraglutide), Rybelsus (semaglutide), or Mounjaro (tirzepatide). Whether you have Type 2 diabetes can also affect which medication is the best fit, since some GLP-1 drugs are approved to treat diabetes and control blood sugar, while others are prescribed specifically for chronic weight management.
How to save on Zepbound and Wegovy
If you are paying out of pocket for either medication, there are several ways to take advantage of a lower price:
- Use SingleCare coupons. SingleCare offers free prescription coupons that can save you money on Zepbound and Wegovy at over 35,000 participating pharmacies in the U.S. You can search for the lowest price near you on the SingleCare website or through the free SingleCare app. Just show your coupon to the pharmacist when you pick up your prescription. SingleCare is available to anyone with a valid U.S. prescription, whether or not you have insurance. If the SingleCare price is lower than your insurance plan’s copay, you can choose to use the coupon instead.
- Check manufacturer programs. Eli Lilly offers a Zepbound Savings Card for eligible people with commercial insurance, which may reduce the copay to as little as $25 per fill. Lilly also has a self-pay program with discounted pricing on single-dose vials. Novo Nordisk offers savings programs for eligible Wegovy patients through its website.
- Compare pharmacy prices. The cost of the same medication can vary by hundreds of dollars depending on the pharmacy. Searching for your prescription on SingleCare makes it easy to compare prices at pharmacies near you before you fill it.
- Talk to your healthcare provider. If cost is a concern, your healthcare provider may be able to suggest an alternative treatment, help you appeal an insurance denial, or connect you with a patient assistance program.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Wegovy pill cost?
The Wegovy oral tablet costs about the same as the injectable version, depending on the dose and pharmacy. With a SingleCare coupon, you could pay about $1,011 for a 30-day supply of 1.5 mg tablets.
Which is more affordable with insurance, Zepbound or Wegovy?
Whether Zepbound or Wegovy is more affordable without insurance depends on the plan and reason for taking it. If you’re taking Zepbound or Wegovy for an FDA-approved reason other than solely weight loss, it’s more likely to be covered. What you pay out of pocket depends on your plan’s drug formulary.
Can I use SingleCare with insurance?
You can use SingleCare if you have insurance, but you can’t use SingleCare discounts and insurance together. Compare prices to see whether your insurance copay or SingleCare prescription discount card is more affordable.
The SingleCare prices in this article are the most accurate at the time of publishing in ZIP code 23666 as of Jul. 14, 2026. Prices vary by pharmacy. Visit our coupon page for updated drug prices at pharmacies near you.
- Obesity and severe obesity prevalence in adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024)
- What to know about the new semaglutide pill for obesity, Journal of the American Medical Association (2026)
- Medicare coverage of GLP-1 drugs, Library of Congress (2024)
- BALANCE (Better Approaches to Lifestyle and Nutrition for Comprehensive hEalth) model, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2026)
- Medicaid coverage of and spending on GLP-1s, KFF (2026)
- Tirzepatide as compared with semaglutide for the treatment of obesity, The New England Journal of Medicine (2025)
- Medically accurate: SingleCare’s Medical Review Board analyzes all of our content to confirm it’s in line with current medical advice.
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