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Alternatives to Phentermine

Bottom line

Nothing tracked here is the same medication as Phentermine, so every alternative is a different one. Every price below carries its source and the date it was read, which is what separates this list from the others answering the same question.

No clinician has reviewed this page. Label and trial statements are quoted from the FDA label or the trial cited beside them. General guidance is marked as such, and every price carries the date it was verified. That is sourcing, not medical review. What we do and do not check · Who checked the price

Last updated 2026-09-22 — each alternative's published price. Read and dated by Alex Seot.

What can you take instead of Phentermine?

14 alternatives are tracked here, and none is the same medication as Phentermine in another product, so every one is a different medication, started on its own dosing schedule.

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, past 45 days
A first year
$5,637

Tirzepatide, not phentermine.

2. 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
2026-09-22
A first year
$4,237

Semaglutide, not phentermine.

3. Wegovy pill (semaglutide)

The first GLP-1 pill approved for weight loss. NovoCare self-pay is $149 a month at 1.5 mg, $199 at 4 mg, and $299 at 9 mg and at the 25 mg dose you stay on.

A month
$299
Trial weight loss
13.6%
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-10
A first year
$3,338

Semaglutide, not phentermine.

4. Mounjaro (tirzepatide)

Zepbound's molecule under the diabetes label. Same drug, different box, different coverage rules.

A month
$499
Trial weight loss
11.9%
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-21

Tirzepatide, not phentermine.

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
11.1%
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-12
A first year
$3,188

Orforglipron, not phentermine.

6. Qsymia (phentermine, topiramate)

The strongest non-GLP-1 pill, at about 10% loss — with real pregnancy restrictions.

A month
$75
Trial weight loss
9.8%
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-22

Qsymia contains phentermine plus topiramate, so it is a different medication rather than Phentermine in another product.

7. Saxenda (liraglutide)

The first-generation GLP-1. Daily injection, half the weight loss, largely superseded.

A month
no verified price
Trial weight loss
7.4%
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
—

Liraglutide, not phentermine.

8. Ozempic (semaglutide)

Same molecule as Wegovy, approved for type 2 diabetes. $199 for two fills, then $349 to $499 a month.

A month
$349
Trial weight loss
6.4%
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-22
A first year
$4,237

Semaglutide, not phentermine.

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
5.4%
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-22

Naltrexone and bupropion, not phentermine.

10. Trulicity (dulaglutide)

$389 a month on the federal TrumpRx site. Lilly publishes no cash price of its own — only a copay card for the commercially insured.

A month
$389
Trial weight loss
not published
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-22

Dulaglutide, not phentermine.

11. Compounded tirzepatide (tirzepatide)

$199–$359/mo for the strongest molecule — with Eli Lilly suing the pharmacies that sell it.

A month
$199–$359 (no maintenance price)
Trial weight loss
not published
What it is
compounded, not FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-13

Tirzepatide, not phentermine.

12. Compounded semaglutide (semaglutide)

$129–$349/mo for the same molecule — and the reason it is cheap is the reason it is risky.

A month
$129–$349 (no maintenance price)
Trial weight loss
not published
What it is
compounded, not FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-13

Semaglutide, not phentermine.

13. 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
2026-09-10

Liraglutide, not phentermine.

14. Rybelsus (semaglutide)

Novo publishes no cash price for Rybelsus, and the federal TrumpRx tablet is the Ozempic pill — a different strength on the same label.

A month
no verified price
Trial weight loss
not published
What it is
branded, FDA approved
Checked
2026-09-07

Semaglutide, not phentermine.

Quick comparison

DrugA monthTrial lossWhat it isChecked
Phentermine (comparing against)——generic—
Zepbound$44920.9%branded, FDA approved2026-08-19
Wegovy$34914.9%branded, FDA approved2026-09-22
Wegovy pill$29913.6%branded, FDA approved2026-09-10
Mounjaro$49911.9%branded, FDA approved2026-09-21
Foundayo$29911.1%branded, FDA approved2026-09-12
Qsymia$759.8%branded, FDA approved2026-09-22
Saxenda—7.4%branded, FDA approved—
Ozempic$3496.4%branded, FDA approved2026-09-22
Contrave$995.4%branded, FDA approved2026-09-22
Trulicity$389—branded, FDA approved2026-09-22
Compounded tirzepatide$199–$359 (no maintenance price)—compounded, not FDA approved2026-09-13
Compounded semaglutide$129–$349 (no maintenance price)—compounded, not FDA approved2026-09-13
Victoza——branded, FDA approved2026-09-10
Rybelsus——branded, FDA approved2026-09-07

Trial figures come from each drug's own trial, so the column ranks published results rather than the drugs themselves. None of these drugs was compared against another in a head-to-head.

Phentermine price and terms →What Phentermine costs without insurance →Everything ranked by price →

Where these Phentermine figures come from

  1. [1] FDA prescribing information for phentermine hydrochloride tablets (Aurolife Pharma), via DailyMedprimary archived 2026-08-01
  2. [2] NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost), CMS, file of 19 August 2026primary archived 2026-09-14
  3. [3] KFF, Medicaid coverage of and spending on GLP-1s, January 2026secondary archived 2025-08-17

Everything on Phentermine

Alternatives to Phentermine, answered

What is the closest alternative to Phentermine?
Nothing tracked here is the same medication as Phentermine, so every alternative below is a different one, started on its own dosing schedule. The nearest: Qsymia contains phentermine plus topiramate. What is comparable is the trial figure and the price, both listed with their sources.
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.

Every price here carries its source and the date it was read, 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.

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