Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
CoreAge Rx vs Direct Meds
Two GLP-1 programs on the bench, scored on the same six factors. Here's how their real cost of ownership compares — and which one we'd start with.
CoreAge Rx
Anyone optimizing for real value — a transparent flat price you can model for a full year, nationwide, without a bait-and-switch.
Visit CoreAge RxDirect Meds
Needle-averse shoppers who want a sublingual route on either molecule and will pay above the going rate for it, having accepted a three-month supply as the smallest unit sold.
Visit Direct MedsThe verdict
CoreAge Rx takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 94 to 71. Best value on the board: both molecules at one flat, all-50 price with no teaser step-ups — the lowest true cost of ownership, not the lowest teaser. Direct Meds still earns a C — Needle-averse shoppers who want a sublingual route on either molecule and will pay above the going rate for it, having accepted a three-month supply as the smallest unit sold.
Factor by factor
Both providers scored on our six Cost-Efficiency Index factors. The stronger side on each row is marked in teal.
Normalized Cost/Month
Price Transparency
Nationwide Access
Formulation Options
Clinical Oversight
Contract Flexibility
Pricing, coverage & formulary
The disclosed facts behind the scores. Lower price wins its row (teal).
| Spec | CoreAge Rx | Direct Meds |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 94/100 | 71/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $149/mo | $249/mo (sublingual, 90-day supply billed monthly) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $349/mo | $299/mo (sublingual, 90-day supply billed monthly) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $1,788 | $2,988 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $4,188 | $3,588 |
| Coverage | All 50 states | Not disclosed |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank on the board | #1 | #34 |
CoreAge Rx
94/100Where the value is
- Flat all-in monthly price — no intro rate that silently triples after month one, so the modeled annual cost is the real cost
- Both compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide on one account at published prices
- Available in all 50 states — no coverage gamble
The tradeoffs
- Not the rock-bottom sticker price — cheaper teaser tiers exist (Direct GLP lists $65, Ondra $93 on semaglutide)
- No FDA-approved brand-name option (compounded only)
Direct Meds
71/100Where the value is
- Sublingual AND injection on BOTH molecules — four GLP-1 SKUs, the widest formulation range of any provider on this board
- Every price is published per SKU in a public shop, with no quiz, intake or email capture in front of it
- Each product page prints a per-day equivalent beside the monthly rate ($8.03/day at $249), which is unusually concrete for this category
The tradeoffs
- $249/mo sublingual is well above this board's ~$144 median, and the injection route is $297 — the cheapest thing here is dearer than most rows' headline price
- The only purchasable option on every product page is a 90-DAY SUPPLY billed monthly, so three months is the smallest unit sold — there is no month-to-month rate to compare against the rows beside it
Assume any provider we list may compensate us — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes the Cost-Efficiency Index. Pricing, states and verification reflect each provider's public disclosures at last review; prices change — confirm on the provider's site. Not medical advice. See our disclosure.