Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Telos Rx vs Alloy
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.
Telos Rx
Needle-averse shoppers pricing an oral tirzepatide tablet at a flat rate that does not climb with the dose, and who accept that the injectable side of the menu will not quote a standing price until they are inside the funnel.
Visit Telos RxAlloy
Cost-first shoppers who want women who want menopause care and GLP-1 weight management under the same physician, and don't mind a recurring care-fee structure.
Visit AlloyThe verdict
Alloy takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 58 to 56. Alloy is a telehealth platform built around women's midlife health (menopause hormone therapy, skincare, sexual health) that also runs a dedicated Weight Care line offering both FDA-approved brand GLP-1s (Zepbound, Wegovy) and compounded alternatives (semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide). Telos Rx still earns a C — Needle-averse shoppers pricing an oral tirzepatide tablet at a flat rate that does not climb with the dose, and who accept that the injectable side of the menu will not quote a standing price until they are inside the funnel.
Worth knowing either way: our overall #1 pick is CoreAge Rx (Cost-Efficiency Index 94/100 — the top of the ranking). See how it stacks up: CoreAge Rx vs Alloy.
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 | Telos Rx | Alloy |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 56/100 | 58/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | Not disclosed — intake-gated | $169/mo (starting dose, compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $229/mo oral tablets (a Telos month is 4 weeks; injectable not published) | $199/mo (starting dose, compounded) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | — | $2,028 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $2,748 | $2,388 |
| Coverage | Claims 50 states; per-service limits unpublished | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Yes |
| Rank here | #278 | #281 |
Telos Rx
56/100Where the value is
- One ladder is published properly, and it is published the honest way: oral tirzepatide at $199/$129/$99/$49 for the first month with the standing $229/$159/$139/$129 printed beside it, so the step-up is visible before you buy
- Fees are itemised as waived rather than merely absent — visit fee $49→$0, shipping $25→$0, dose adjustments $0, 24/7 support $0, membership $0, and "Pay $0 if not approved"
- Flat pricing that does not rise as the dose is titrated, which is the single most common way a cheap first month becomes an expensive fourth one
The tradeoffs
- The injectable rung tables are not public at all — those cards read "Start your intake for pricing", so the $99 semaglutide and $139 tirzepatide on the marketing pages are first-month floors on the deepest prepay plan with no standing rate published anywhere
- Its own pages disagree: /pages/oral-tirzepatide advertises "as low as $129/month" while the gender landers price the same 12-month plan at $49 first month and $129 after, so the headline is the post-intro rate of a plan the headline does not mention
Alloy
58/100Where the value is
- Offers a genuinely broad medication menu: brand Zepbound and Wegovy (pen and pill) alongside compounded semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide, plus Foundayo
- The $99/month care fee bundles unlimited physician messaging, dose adjustment, and free delivery rather than charging per visit
- Publishes an outcomes stat on-site: '20% Average body weight lost over 12 months with Alloy's weight care solutions'
The tradeoffs
- The advertised 'starting at $70/month' for compounded semaglutide is misleading on its own — it excludes the mandatory recurring $99/month care fee, so the true monthly floor is $169, not $70
- The STARTGLP1 promo code only discounts the $99 care fee by $50, and only for the first month — full $99/month resumes in month two, so the 'savings' don't compound over time
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.