Alternatives to Phentermine
Bottom line
If you want the same molecule under a different product, that is Qsymia. Every price below was read from the seller's own page on the date shown, which is what separates this list from the others answering the same question.
Last updated 2026-06-10 — each alternative's published price
What can you take instead of Phentermine?
14 alternatives are tracked here, and they divide into two kinds. The same molecule under another product — Qsymia — where switching is a prescribing decision rather than a change of medication, usually made for a dose ceiling or a price. And a different molecule, where switching restarts titration. A compounded copy is a cheaper route to the same molecule rather than a different drug, and it is a different legal product with no trial and no approved label of its own.
Best alternatives to Phentermine
Ordered by published trial weight loss, then by price. Every figure carries the date it was read.
1. Zepbound (tirzepatide)
The strongest approved weight-loss drug. $449/mo once titrated — or $699 if you ever miss the 45-day refill window.
- A month
- $449
- Trial weight loss
- 20.9%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-08-19
- A first year
- $5,637
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
2. Wegovy pill (semaglutide)
First FDA-approved GLP-1 pill. $149 during titration; Novo does not publish what the 25 mg maintenance dose costs.
- A month
- no verified price
- Trial weight loss
- 16.6%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-08-19
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
3. Mounjaro (tirzepatide)
Zepbound's molecule under the diabetes label. Same drug, different box, different coverage rules.
- A month
- $499
- Trial weight loss
- 15%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-08-24
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
4. Wegovy (semaglutide)
$349/mo flat across every standard dose, with no refill deadline attached. Lilly's equivalent has one.
- A month
- $349
- Trial weight loss
- 14.9%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-08-19
- A first year
- $4,237
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
5. Foundayo (orforglipron)
The first small-molecule GLP-1 pill. $149 to start, $299 once titrated, and no injection at any point.
- A month
- $299
- Trial weight loss
- 14.7%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-08-20
- A first year
- $3,338
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
6. Ozempic (semaglutide)
Same molecule as Wegovy, approved for type 2 diabetes. $199/mo through the GoodRx–Novo deal.
- A month
- $199
- Trial weight loss
- 12%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-06-10, past 45 days
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
7. Qsymia (phentermine, topiramate)
The strongest non-GLP-1 pill, at about 10% loss — with real pregnancy restrictions.
- A month
- $98
- Trial weight loss
- 8.6%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-08-25
Same molecule as Phentermine, so this is a change of product rather than of medication — dose ceilings and price are what differ.
8. Saxenda (liraglutide)
The first-generation GLP-1. Daily injection, half the weight loss, largely superseded.
- A month
- $415
- Trial weight loss
- 8%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-06-10, past 45 days
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
9. Contrave (naltrexone, bupropion)
Non-GLP-1 oral option. Modest loss, but it is a pill and it is cheap.
- A month
- $99
- Trial weight loss
- 6.4%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-08-20
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
10. Compounded semaglutide (semaglutide)
$149–$299/mo for the same molecule — and the reason it is cheap is the reason it is risky.
- A month
- $199
- Trial weight loss
- not published
- What it is
- compounded, not FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-06-10, past 45 days
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
11. Compounded tirzepatide (tirzepatide)
$125–$278/mo for the strongest molecule — with Eli Lilly suing the pharmacies that sell it.
- A month
- $200
- Trial weight loss
- not published
- What it is
- compounded, not FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-06-10, past 45 days
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
12. Rybelsus (semaglutide)
The diabetes tablet of semaglutide. Novo publishes no cash price — the $25 is a copay card, not a price.
- A month
- no verified price
- Trial weight loss
- not published
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- —
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
13. Trulicity (dulaglutide)
Weekly GLP-1 for type 2 diabetes. Lilly publishes no cash price for it — only a copay card for the commercially insured.
- A month
- no verified price
- Trial weight loss
- not published
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- —
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
14. Victoza (liraglutide)
Daily liraglutide for type 2 diabetes — the same molecule as Saxenda at lower doses. No cash price published.
- A month
- no verified price
- Trial weight loss
- not published
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- —
A different molecule from Phentermine, so switching restarts titration.
Quick comparison
| Drug | A month | Trial loss | What it is | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phentermine (comparing against) | — | — | generic | — |
| Zepbound | $449 | 20.9% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-08-19 |
| Wegovy pill | — | 16.6% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-08-19 |
| Mounjaro | $499 | 15% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-08-24 |
| Wegovy | $349 | 14.9% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-08-19 |
| Foundayo | $299 | 14.7% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-08-20 |
| Ozempic | $199 | 12% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-06-10 |
| Qsymia | $98 | 8.6% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-08-25 |
| Saxenda | $415 | 8% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-06-10 |
| Contrave | $99 | 6.4% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-08-20 |
| Compounded semaglutide | $199 | — | compounded, not FDA approved | 2026-06-10 |
| Compounded tirzepatide | $200 | — | compounded, not FDA approved | 2026-06-10 |
| Rybelsus | — | — | branded, FDA approved | — |
| Trulicity | — | — | branded, FDA approved | — |
| Victoza | — | — | branded, FDA approved | — |
Trial figures come from each drug's own trial. None of these drugs was compared against another in a head-to-head, so the column ranks published results rather than the drugs themselves.
Alternatives to Phentermine, answered
- What is the closest alternative to Phentermine?
- Qsymia — same molecule, different product. Switching between them is a prescribing decision rather than a change of drug, and the usual reason to move is a different dose ceiling or a different price rather than a different effect.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Phentermine?
- Phentermine publishes no verified maintenance price, so there is nothing to compare against. Every alternative below that does publish one is listed with the date it was read.
- Does anything work better than Phentermine?
- No trial figure is recorded for Phentermine here, so this page does not rank it against anything on effect. Price and product status are what it can compare, and both are below.
- Is a compounded version an alternative?
- It is a cheaper route to the same molecule, not a different drug, and it is a different legal product: compounding is an exemption from FDA approval rather than a form of it, so a compounded copy has no trial of its own and no approved label. Which pharmacy compounds it decides its quality, and no seller on this site publishes that. Weigh the saving against that.
Every price here was read from the seller's own published page on the date shown, and anything past 45 days without a re-check is marked stale rather than quietly aging. Information only, not medical advice — which drug suits you is a question for a clinician.