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Updated August 2026: Re-angled this comparison specifically around the $200/month threshold, rebuilt it as a cost ledger with itemized monthly and annual math for both programs, and re-verified every price directly against each provider’s current site. This piece no longer restates the full four-program roundup — see our GLP-1 telehealth audit for that.
Medical Disclaimer: We are not doctors, pharmacists, or medical professionals, and nothing in this comparison is medical advice. This is independent editorial content for informational purposes only. GLP-1 medications are prescription-only — a licensed clinician determines eligibility and treatment. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Individual results vary, and weight loss is never guaranteed. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by either company; all trademarks belong to their owners.
Wellorithm and AltRx are the two lowest-sticker-price programs in our wider four-program GLP-1 telehealth audit, and both market themselves on staying affordable. This piece doesn’t repeat that full comparison — it’s narrowly about one question: do these two programs actually deliver GLP-1 support under $200 a month, on both semaglutide and tirzepatide, once you account for real billing cycles and a full year of payments? We built it as a ledger, line item by line item, rather than a scored face-off.
Line item: month one
Wellorithm publishes among the lowest starting prices in the market: compounded semaglutide from $147 and compounded tirzepatide from $249 for the first billing cycle, same as every cycle after — there’s no separate introductory rate. AltRx also charges its sticker price from day one: $89/month for semaglutide or $149/month for tirzepatide on a month-to-month plan, both cheaper out of the gate than Wellorithm’s equivalents.
Line item: steady-state monthly cost
This is where the ledger gets interesting. Wellorithm bills on a recurring 28-day cycle, not a calendar month — that’s 13 charges a year instead of 12. Annualize it and a $147 sticker becomes a true monthly cost of 13 × $147 ÷ 12 = $159.25; a $249 sticker becomes 13 × $249 ÷ 12 = $269.75. AltRx bills monthly on the calendar, so its sticker price and its true monthly cost are the same number: $89 or $149.
Line item: what a 12-month commitment does to the price
AltRx discounts for prepayment: semaglutide drops to $75/month and tirzepatide to $125/month on a 12-month plan (with smaller discounts at 3 and 6 months). Wellorithm publishes no equivalent multi-month prepay discount in its current materials — the 28-day cycle is the only structural adjustment to its price, and it moves the number up, not down.
Line item: the guarantee as a hidden credit line
A refund policy is worth real money if you ever need it, so it belongs in the ledger too. Wellorithm’s is the more generous one on paper: lose less than 10% of baseline weight after 16 adherent weeks and you may be eligible for a refund of up to four months’ fees, subject to verification. Standard payments are otherwise non-refundable once processed. AltRx’s refund is narrower — a full refund applies only if a provider determines you’re medically ineligible at your initial consultation; once treatment starts, payments are non-refundable, and any refund request has to be submitted in writing within 28 days of payment.
Where the $200 line actually breaks
Here’s the finding that the title has to earn: both programs keep semaglutide comfortably under $200 a month — Wellorithm’s true cost is $159.25, AltRx’s is $75–$89. But Wellorithm’s tirzepatide does not stay under $200. Its $249 sticker, annualized for the 28-day cycle, comes out to $269.75 a month — well over the line. AltRx’s tirzepatide, by contrast, stays under $200 at every commitment length, topping out at $149/month even month-to-month. So the honest answer to “which of these two keeps you under $200 a month” depends on which medication you’re on: both do for semaglutide, only AltRx does for tirzepatide.
Cost per month, itemized
| Program | Semaglutide sticker | Semaglutide true monthly cost | Tirzepatide sticker | Tirzepatide true monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellorithm | $147/mo (28-day cycle) | 13 × $147 ÷ 12 = $159.25/mo | $249/mo (28-day cycle) | 13 × $249 ÷ 12 = $269.75/mo |
| AltRx | $89/mo month-to-month; $75/mo on 12-month prepay | $89/mo or $75/mo, flat | $149/mo month-to-month; $125/mo on 12-month prepay | $149/mo or $125/mo, flat |
The ledger, totaled: 12-month cost
| Program & medication | Payments per year | 12-month total |
|---|---|---|
| Wellorithm semaglutide | 13 × $147 | $1,911 |
| AltRx semaglutide (month-to-month) | 12 × $89 | $1,068 |
| AltRx semaglutide (12-month prepay) | 12 × $75 | $900 |
| Wellorithm tirzepatide | 13 × $249 | $3,237 |
| AltRx tirzepatide (month-to-month) | 12 × $149 | $1,788 |
| AltRx tirzepatide (12-month prepay) | 12 × $125 | $1,500 |
The bottom line: over a full year, AltRx is cheaper than Wellorithm on both medications, at every commitment length — by $843–$1,011 a year on semaglutide and $1,449–$1,737 a year on tirzepatide. Wellorithm’s tradeoff is a genuinely more generous guarantee if treatment doesn’t work; AltRx’s is a lower bill if it does. Choose Wellorithm if that guarantee is worth the premium to you, especially on tirzepatide. Choose AltRx if minimizing the annual number is the deciding factor, particularly if tirzepatide is the medication in play.
How we compared
We built this ledger from each provider’s own current pricing pages, refund/cancellation policy pages, and (for Wellorithm, which no longer posts pricing publicly) an independent 2026 review citing figures from the company’s own site. We did not test either program firsthand — nothing here is based on hands-on use, and we are not medical professionals. Our full standards for research, sourcing, and disclosure are in our editorial standards.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price directly with the provider before enrolling.
FAQ
Do Wellorithm and AltRx both actually stay under $200 a month?
Only partly. Both keep semaglutide under $200 — Wellorithm’s true cost is $159.25, AltRx’s is $75–$89. But Wellorithm’s tirzepatide, once its 28-day billing cycle is annualized, comes out to $269.75 a month — over the line. AltRx’s tirzepatide stays under $200 even at its highest month-to-month rate ($149).
Why does Wellorithm cost more than its sticker price implies?
Wellorithm bills on a recurring 28-day cycle instead of a calendar month, which adds up to 13 charges a year instead of 12 — about 8% more than the advertised price once you annualize it.
Which is cheaper over a full year?
AltRx, on both medications. A year of AltRx semaglutide runs $900–$1,068 depending on prepay, versus $1,911 for Wellorithm. For tirzepatide, AltRx runs $1,500–$1,788 versus Wellorithm’s $3,237.
Does the cheaper program come with a weaker guarantee?
Yes — that’s the real tradeoff. Wellorithm refunds up to four months of fees if you don’t lose 10% of baseline weight in 16 weeks. AltRx only refunds if a provider finds you medically ineligible at your initial consultation; once treatment starts, standard payments aren’t refundable.
Who should skip both: anyone who wants an FDA-approved product shipped by the platform itself, anyone with insurance coverage that beats cash pricing, and anyone who hasn’t first had a licensed clinician confirm GLP-1 treatment makes sense for their health picture. For the full four-program picture — including two programs with FDA-approved options and named pharmacy partners — see our GLP-1 telehealth audit.
