Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Ondra Health 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.
Ondra Health
Value shoppers who want one of the lowest disclosed prices on both molecules without giving up nationwide access or pharmacy verification.
Visit Ondra HealthDirect 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
Ondra Health takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 90 to 71. A rare combination — near-rock-bottom pricing on both molecules, all-50 access, brand-name availability, and a LegitScript-verified pharmacy behind it. 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.
Worth knowing either way: our overall #1 pick is CoreAge Rx (Cost-Efficiency Index 94/100 — the top of the board). See how it stacks up: CoreAge Rx vs Ondra Health.
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 | Ondra Health | Direct Meds |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 90/100 | 71/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $93/mo | $249/mo (sublingual, 90-day supply billed monthly) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $166/mo | $299/mo (sublingual, 90-day supply billed monthly) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $1,116 | $2,988 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $1,992 | $3,588 |
| Coverage | All 50 states | Not disclosed |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Yes | Compounded only |
| Rank on the board | #2 | #34 |
Ondra Health
90/100Where the value is
- Among the lowest disclosed prices on the board — $93 semaglutide and $166 tirzepatide
- Available in all 50 states with both molecules published for clean cost modeling
- LegitScript-certified, and offers FDA-approved brand-name access alongside compounded
The tradeoffs
- A newer, lower-profile operator without CoreAge's long flat-price track record
- No oral/sublingual route
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.