Weight loss

Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide

Both are GLP-1 medicines. Tirzepatide also acts on a second hormone, GIP. Here's how to choose between them.

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$0 until a clinician approves. Your clinician helps you choose.

Semaglutide
Acts on GLP-1
GLP-1 receptor agonist
vs
Tirzepatide
Acts on GLP-1 and GIP
Dual GLP-1 / GIP receptor agonist

Semaglutide and tirzepatide are the two most prescribed GLP-1 medicines for weight loss. GLP-1s are weekly shots that make you less hungry. They also slow down how fast food leaves your stomach, so you stay full longer. Tirzepatide acts on a second hormone, called GIP. Its dose also goes up in more steps. Three things usually decide it: cost, how well you handle side effects, and whether your clinician thinks the GIP part will help you.

Side by side.

 
Semaglutide
Tirzepatide
Price
From $159/mo all in
From $279/mo all in
Drug class
GLP-1 receptor agonist
Dual GLP-1 / GIP agonist
Dosing
Weekly shot under the skin, 0.25 → 2.4 mg
Weekly shot under the skin, 2.5 → 15 mg
GI side effects
Common, dose-dependent
Common; the GIP part may mean less nausea at high doses
Compounded option at Zappy
$199/mo
$349/mo

Who picks which.

Semaglutide
  • Cost matters most to you
  • You want the medicine that has been in wide use longer
View compounded semaglutide
Tirzepatide
  • You want a medicine that acts on two hormones instead of one
  • You've taken a GLP-1 before, and your clinician thinks the GIP part may help
  • You have insulin resistance or prediabetes. The GIP part may help
View compounded tirzepatide
Our verdict

Semaglutide fits if you want the lower-priced option that has been in use longer. Tirzepatide fits if your clinician thinks the added GIP action will help you, and you can raise the dose slowly. Your clinician should make the call based on your labs and health history.

See if I qualify

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Prescription treatments need an online visit. A U.S.-licensed provider reviews it and decides if a treatment is medically right for you. Compounded medicines are made by licensed U.S. pharmacies and are not FDA-approved. Individual results vary.

Common questions.

Can I switch from one to the other?
Yes, with your clinician's help. Most members start over at the lowest dose of the new medicine. Then they raise it slowly again.
Which has more nausea?
Both can cause nausea while your dose is going up. Tirzepatide's action on GIP may lower nausea at higher doses, but that isn't certain.
Are compounded versions safe?
Compounded versions are made by LegitScript-verified 503A pharmacies, with a physician overseeing your care. They are not FDA-approved. They are not FDA-approved generics or equivalents of the brand-name products. Your clinician can tell you whether a compounded option fits your situation.

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