Best GLP-1 Microdosing Programs of 2026: Costs and Providers Compared

GLP-1 microdosing involves taking a GLP-1 drug like semaglutide or tirzepatide at a dose that is smaller or less frequent than the FDA-approved dose. While healthcare providers might prescribe microdoses off-label to manage side effects, they are not approved for weight loss or other uses. Microdose programs in the United States are based on compounded medication, which the FDA does not review for safety, effectiveness, or quality.²

Read on to learn more about what those programs charge, the evidence behind microdosing, and how the prices compare to the lowest FDA-approved starting doses of Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide).

Medical disclaimer: This article is informational and is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed healthcare provider before starting or changing any medication.

GLP-1 Microdose Programs at a Glance

Ordered by our ranking rather than by price. All figures are cash-pay. Compounded programs are cash-pay by default, and the brand-name figures are the manufacturers’ direct self-pay rates rather than list price or an insurance copay.

Provider	Medication	Cash-Pay Price	Terms	Best For	Get Started
raeliva.com	Semaglutide or tirzepatide	$149/mo, either drug	Flat monthly, no contract, medication included	Cheapest microdose tirzepatide month-to-month	Visit Offer ↗
noom.com	Semaglutide or tirzepatide	$79 first month, then $199/mo	Billed quarterly	Lowest first month, and the only defined microdose	Visit Offer ↗
coreagerx.com	Semaglutide or tirzepatide	$149/mo sema; $199/mo tirz	No long-term contract	Longevity-framed protocol	Visit Offer ↗
joinfound.com	Semaglutide	From $169/mo	12-month prepay; $289/mo month-to-month	Semaglutide with a behavioral program	Visit Offer ↗
tryshed.com	Semaglutide or tirzepatide	From $149/mo	Commitment not disclosed	Sold inside a longevity catalog	Visit Offer ↗
Wegovy 0.25 mg pen — novocare.com	Semaglutide (brand)	$199/mo for two fills, then $349/mo	New NovoCare self-pay patients only	The only FDA-approved semaglutide	Visit Offer ↗
Zepbound 2.5 mg vial — lillydirect.com	Tirzepatide (brand)	$299/mo	No refill-timing requirement at this dose	The only FDA-approved tirzepatide	Visit Offer ↗

One thing to be clear about before the comparisons: Raeliva offers its microdose programs for metabolic support as part of a longevity plan and makes no weight-loss claim for either drug. If weight loss is the goal, the programs from Noom and Found are the ones marketed for it.

The 5 Best GLP-1 Microdosing Programs, Ranked

Five telehealth platforms sell a distinct microdose product: Raeliva, Noom, CoreAge Rx, Found and Shed. They are ordered here on cash price and how much each one discloses about the plan you are buying. Only Noom publishes what “microdose” means in its own program.

1. Raeliva: Best overall value

Cash-pay price: $149/mo, either drug
Terms: Monthly plan at the same rate every month, no long-term contract, medication included
Stated microdose: Not given as a number; provider-set and held steady, with no titration

Raeliva is the cheapest microdose tirzepatide without a year-long commitment, and it ties CoreAge Rx for the cheapest month-to-month semaglutide. One rate covers either drug, billed monthly, with the medication included. Be clear on what you are buying: Raeliva offers both programs for metabolic support as part of a longevity plan and states on each product page that it makes no weight-loss claim. The semaglutide program is priced the same.

2. Noom: Best for a defined microdose

Cash-pay price: $79 first month, then $199/mo
Terms: Billed quarterly
Stated microdose: 25% or less of the typical maintenance dose

Noom is the only program here that publishes what its microdose actually is, which matters when every other provider leaves the number to the clinician. It also has the lowest first month at $79. Noom promotes microdosing for weight management with fewer side effects, so if weight loss is the goal this is one of the two programs marketed for it.

3. CoreAge Rx: Best longevity-framed protocol

Cash-pay price: From $149/mo semaglutide; from $199/mo tirzepatide
Terms: No long-term contract
Stated microdose: Not disclosed

CoreAge Rx markets microdosing as a preventive longevity protocol rather than a weight-loss plan. On semaglutide it ties Raeliva at $149 with no long-term contract, though tirzepatide costs $50 more per month. The program does not disclose what dose it considers a microdose.

4. Found: Best with a behavioral program attached

Cash-pay price: From $169/mo
Terms: 12-month prepay; $289/mo month-to-month
Stated microdose: Not disclosed

Found pairs compounded semaglutide with a behavioral program, and like Noom it pitches the lower dose as a way to cut side effects. The $169 rate needs a 12-month prepay. Month to month it is $289, which is the most expensive compounded option on this list. Semaglutide only, no tirzepatide.

5. Shed: Microdose inside a longevity catalog

Cash-pay price: From $149/mo
Terms: No commitment disclosed
Stated microdose: Not disclosed

Shed sells its microdose inside a longevity catalog beside NAD+ and sermorelin. The headline rate matches Raeliva and CoreAge Rx, but Shed discloses the least of the five: no dosing definition and no commitment terms published before intake.

Provider	Microdose product	Drug and route	Provider’s stated dosing
Raeliva	Compounded Microdose Semaglutide and Compounded Microdose Tirzepatide	Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide, weekly injection	Not given as a number; provider-set and held steady, with no titration
Noom	Microdose GLP-1Rx	Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide, weekly injection	25% or less of the typical maintenance dose
CoreAge Rx	Semaglutide or Tirzepatide Microdosing Therapy	Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide, weekly injection	Not disclosed
Found	GLP-1 Microdosing Program	Compounded semaglutide, weekly injection	Not disclosed
Shed	Microdose GLP-1 (Longevity line)	Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide, weekly injection	Not disclosed

Noom and Found promote microdosing for weight management with fewer side effects. Shed sells it inside a longevity catalog beside NAD+ and sermorelin, while CoreAge Rx markets it as a preventive longevity protocol. Raeliva sits with that second group: it offers both programs for metabolic support as part of a longevity plan and states on each product page that it makes no weight-loss claim. Where it differs is the price structure, with one rate for either drug, billed monthly, and the medication included.²²

Gala Health previously sold a compounded GLP-1/GIP microdosing plan. As of September 2026 that product page redirects to a general compounded GLP-1 page with no microdosing option, so we have left it out of the comparison rather than quote a price we cannot verify.

For the broader compounded market and how these platforms rank on price, see the guide to the best online semaglutide compounding pharmacies, and the ranking methodology.

What GLP-1 microdosing actually means

Microdosing a GLP-1 means taking a dose that is smaller or more infrequent than the FDA-approved dose. This is different from a typical dosage plan that starts with a low dose that gradually increases over time. For example, the brand-name Wegovy injection is started at 0.25 mg weekly for four weeks, and Zepbound is started at 2.5 mg weekly for four weeks, which is then increased in 4-week intervals until the target treatment dose is reached.^18,19 A microdose plan often stays on the same dose for the duration of treatment.

Some microdose plans may involve prescribing a brand-name drug like Wegovy or Zepbound off-label at a lower dose. The lower starting dose is meant to ease a person into treatment and reduce the risk of side effects, including nausea, constipation, and an upset stomach.

Still, most microdose plans are carried out with compounded medications. Compounded semaglutide, tirzepatide, and other GLP-1 drugs are not approved drugs. Found, an online telehealth platform, reinforces this: “Compounded GLP-1s are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, efficacy, or quality, and are not approved to treat any specific condition.”¹⁴

You may be wondering how small of a dose microdosing entails. Since there are no official guidelines that outline a standardized microdose plan, it is often up to the discretion of the healthcare provider. Noom is one platform we review that publishes an exact number and defines a microdose as “a dose of medication that is a fraction, 25% or less, of the typically prescribed maintenance dose.”¹¹ Against semaglutide’s recommended 2.4 mg maintenance dose, that is 0.6 mg or less a week.

Why is GLP-1 microdosing trending now?

GLP-1 microdose plans are becoming a potential option for many people who have costs and side effects in mind. Microdose programs market lower prices than brand-name GLP-1s, fewer side effects, and convenient telehealth forms to sign up.

Depending on the platform, some microdose plan prices start at around $149 per month, and until recently, that was a fraction of the cost of brand-name medications. In addition, programs often promise the beneficial effects of GLP-1s without the discomfort, which can be appealing since nausea, vomiting, and constipation are common reasons people stop taking GLP-1s. Noom described its microdose program at launch as promoting weight loss “without the side effects,”¹¹ but this is based on the company’s claims, not any specific studies.

Access is another reason microdose plans are becoming more widespread. Compounded products can often be purchased from telehealth platforms without the need for prior authorization or other barriers to insurance approval. With many microdose programs being promoted through TikTok, longevity podcasts, and wellness newsletters, more people are learning about them. STAT News reported that some companies market microdosed GLP-1s for reducing metabolic risk, lowering inflammatory markers, and even lowering the risk of cognitive decline.⁸

What does the evidence on GLP-1 microdosing show?

There are no official or completed clinical trials of GLP-1 microdosing. A couple of trials have been registered and run by the companies selling the microdose protocol, but results have not yet been published.

One trial (NCT07092605) sponsored by AgelessRx, a longevity telehealth company, is estimated to have been completed in 2025. It is an Early Phase 1, single-site study of an estimated 150 participants comparing a placebo to microdosed sublingual semaglutide and microdosed subcutaneous semaglutide over six months.¹

Another trial (NCT07588984) has been started and sponsored by the telehealth platform Noom. It involves a microdose protocol, but it is an observational rather than an interventional study. The study includes an estimated 2,310 participants and is expected to be completed in 2029.²⁰

Most claims for marketing are pulled from trial data that used full doses or data from a company’s own reporting. For example, Noom reported that members “achieve up to 11 pounds of weight loss in 30 days and up to 17 pounds in 60 days at microdose dosages.”¹¹ Shed markets its microdose GLP-1 as supporting metabolic health and inflammation balance.¹³ Raeliva takes a narrower position, stating on both product pages that the evidence for microdosing specifically is “limited and largely observational.”²² These are company claims either way.

That is not to say that microdosing does not have any value. Some medical reviews suggest that microdosing can be valid for different scenarios, including gradually transitioning to a lower or higher dose, reducing long-term costs, and managing the risk of side effects.²¹

What are the real risks of microdosing a compounded GLP-1?

Microdosing GLP-1s does not come without potential risks. The main concerns revolve around the quality of the compounder and user error when it comes to measuring and injecting compounded GLP-1s.

Dosing errors are the best-documented risks. The FDA has reported patients administering themselves 5 to 20 times the intended dose and providers miscalculating doses by 5 to 10 times due to mistakes with milligram-to-unit conversions. As a result, many people taking the wrong dose have experienced nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fainting, headache, dehydration, acute pancreatitis, and gallstones.⁶

Variations in products also come with risks. For example, some compounding pharmacies have used salt forms such as semaglutide sodium that the FDA has not evaluated. In other cases, compounded GLP-1s may contain added ingredients such as B12 and B6 that were never part of the approved product.⁷

With GLP-1 shortages being resolved in recent years, the FDA has resumed enforcing restrictions on compounded medications.² On March 3, 2026, it issued warning letters to 30 telehealth companies over marketing that implied their compounded products were equivalent to approved drugs.⁵

How much does GLP-1 microdosing cost?

Advertised microdose prices range from an average of $149 to $199 per month. However, the lowest priced plans often require paying upfront for a year or several months. Month-to-month plans could reach around $300 or more. Keep in mind that the manufacturers of brand-name Wegovy and Zepbound offer cash-pay programs of $199 and $299 per month, respectively.

All prices below are cash-pay. Compounded programs are typically cash-pay by default, and the brand-name figures are the manufacturers’ direct self-pay rates rather than the list price or an insurance copay. Prices verified September 4, 2026, and Raeliva and CoreAge Rx re-verified September 10, 2026.

Program	Medication	Cash-pay price	Terms
Raeliva Compounded Microdose	Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide	$149/mo, either drug	Monthly plan at the same rate every month, no long-term contract, medication included
Noom Microdose GLP-1Rx	Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide	$79 first month, then $199/mo	Billed quarterly
CoreAge Rx Microdosing Therapy	Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide	From $149/mo semaglutide; from $199/mo tirzepatide	No long-term contract
Found	Compounded semaglutide	From $169/mo	12-month prepay; $289/mo month-to-month
Shed Microdose GLP-1	Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide	From $149/mo	No commitment disclosed
Wegovy 0.25 mg pen (NovoCare)	Semaglutide	$199/mo for two fills, then $349/mo	New NovoCare self-pay patients only
Zepbound 2.5 mg vial (LillyDirect)	Tirzepatide	$299/mo	No specific requirements for refill timing at this dose

Sources: Noom,¹⁰ Shed,¹³ CoreAge Rx,⁹ Found,¹⁵ NovoCare Pharmacy,¹⁶ Eli Lilly,¹⁷ Raeliva.²²

The $199 rate for Wegovy covers two monthly fills for patients new to NovoCare Pharmacy who are not using insurance, and then the price becomes $349.¹⁶ To put that into context, Noom’s $199 microdose matches Wegovy’s introductory rate exactly and sits $150 below the $349 that follows. Raeliva’s $149 sits below both, and unlike Found’s $169 it does not require paying twelve months upfront. Found’s month-to-month price is $289.¹⁵

On tirzepatide the gap is wider. Raeliva charges the same $149 for tirzepatide as it does for semaglutide, while CoreAge Rx charges $199 a month for its tirzepatide microdose.^9,22 Shed advertises “starting at $149” for either drug but does not disclose whether that rate depends on a commitment.¹³

What should you ask a provider before you start?

Before starting treatment, it may be a good idea to clarify some specifics. That way, you will be informed on whether you are getting the most appropriate option for you.

• What is my dose in milligrams per week, and what concentration is the vial? Without these numbers, it can be easier to make a dosing mistake.
• Which pharmacy compounds this, and is it a 503A or a 503B facility? It may be helpful to look up or ask for the name of the compounding pharmacy behind the product.
• What form of the drug is in it? Ask whether it is a semaglutide base or salt form, and whether anything else, such as B12, is added.
• What syringe will I receive, and how many units equal my dose? Using the wrong syringe or measuring the wrong amount of units is one of the most common sources of overdoses.
• What happens to my price when the dose increases, and what happens if I cancel? The costs of prepayments and auto-renewal can often add up to more than the advertised prices.
• What is the total twelve-month cost, including any membership fee? Research the total potential cost of treatment versus any promotional first months.

What if you would rather go the standard route?

The FDA-approved route means getting a prescription for a GLP-1 medication and taking it at the labeled dose. That usually means paying for it through insurance or a manufacturer savings program and obtaining it through a retail pharmacy. Although it may cost more per month than many microdose programs, it is the only version of the medication reviewed for safety, effectiveness, and quality.

There are potential tradeoffs, however. Without insurance, the standard out-of-pocket costs are around $349 per month for Wegovy and $299 to $449 per month for Zepbound, depending on the dose. In addition, people with insurance often have to manage different hurdles like prior authorization, step therapy, or a BMI requirement before coverage is granted.^16,17 Standard dosing also means gradually increasing the dose, which can still lead to side effects like nausea and constipation.

If you have insurance, a guide to the best GLP-1 providers for insurance covers which platforms actually run benefits checks and prior authorizations. For those with Medicare, the Medicare GLP-1 bridge guide covers the coverage gap. If cost is the deciding factor and a compounded product is still on the table, read the compounding pharmacy comparison first.

Frequently asked questions

Is GLP-1 microdosing FDA-approved?

No, there is currently no microdose protocol approved by the FDA. Microdose programs in the U.S. typically dispense compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide. Compounded drugs are not evaluated by the FDA for effectiveness or safety.²

How many milligrams is a GLP-1 microdose?

While a microdose means taking less than the standard FDA-approved dose, there are no official guidelines for what makes up a GLP-1 microdose. Different providers dictate their own microdose protocols, so it is important to ask and confirm with your prescribing provider.

Does microdosing cause fewer side effects?

Microdosing is believed to cause less severe side effects. However, it is different from the FDA-approved dosing plan of GLP-1 medications, which involves starting at a lower dose and gradually increasing it to help manage side effects. Side effects like nausea, vomiting, and constipation are still possible with microdoses.

Is microdosing cheaper than Wegovy or Zepbound?

Microdosing compounded GLP-1 drugs may be cheaper than taking brand-name drugs at their standard FDA-approved doses. However, prices for microdose programs can vary and may still be high for some people when taking into account the total duration of treatment.

What is the cheapest GLP-1 microdose program?

Raeliva charges a flat $149 a month for either compounded semaglutide or compounded tirzepatide, billed monthly with the medication included and no long-term contract. CoreAge Rx matches that price on semaglutide but charges $199 for tirzepatide, and Shed advertises “starting at $149” without disclosing its commitment terms. Noom is cheapest in month one at $79 before rising to $199.^9,10,13,22

Will microdosing still be available next year?

Most likely. The FDA proposed on April 30, 2026 to exclude semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide from the 503B Bulks List, but that refers to facilities that compound from bulk ingredients.³ A telehealth microdose prescription typically comes from 503A pharmacies, which can still compound for individuals when a healthcare provider documents a clinically significant change from the brand-name product.²

Sources

1. NCT07092605: Effectiveness of Microdosed GLP-1 in Improving Health, Quality of Life, and Longevity Measures, ClinicalTrials.gov (2025)
2. FDA clarifies policies for compounders as national GLP-1 supply begins to stabilize, FDA (2026)
3. FDA proposes to exclude semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide on 503B Bulks List, FDA (2026)
4. List of Bulk Drug Substances for Which There Is a Clinical Need Under Section 503B; Extension of Comment Period, Federal Register (2026)
5. FDA warns 30 telehealth companies against illegal marketing of compounded GLP-1s, FDA (2026)
6. FDA alerts health care providers, compounders and patients of dosing errors associated with compounded injectable semaglutide products, FDA (2024)
7. Compounded GLP-1s: why doctors worry and the FDA is cracking down, Stanford Medicine (2026)
8. Microdosing aims to extend the lifespan of the GLP-1 compounding market, STAT News (2025)
9. Semaglutide Microdosing Therapy and Tirzepatide Microdosing Therapy, CoreAge Rx (2026)
10. Noom Med plans and pricing, Noom (2026)
11. Noom launches Microdose GLP-1 program, Noom (2025)
12. Compounded GLP-1/GIP microdosing, Gala Health (2026). This page redirected to a general compounded GLP-1 page as of September 10, 2026, so Gala is not included in the comparison.
13. Longevity products, Shed (2026)
14. Microdosing, Found Health (2026)
15. Found plans and pricing, Found Health (2026)
16. Wegovy savings offer and NovoCare Pharmacy self-pay pricing, Novo Nordisk (2026)
17. Zepbound self-pay journey program terms and conditions, Eli Lilly and Company (2026)
18. Wegovy prescribing information, Novo Nordisk (2026)
19. Zepbound prescribing information, Eli Lilly and Company (2026)
20. NCT07588984: GLP-1 Medication and Behavioral Health Programs on Weight and Metabolic Outcomes (FLOURISH and THRIVE), ClinicalTrials.gov (2026)
21. One size does not fit all: understanding microdosing semaglutide for diabetes in multidose pens, Kome AM, Chandran MM, Tungate Lopez SS, Buse JB, Klein KR, Diabetes Care (2025)
22. Compounded Microdose Semaglutide and Compounded Microdose Tirzepatide, Raeliva (2026), verified September 10, 2026