What is the closest alternative to Qsymia?

Phentermine — 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 Qsymia?

Not among the approved products tracked here: Qsymia at $98 a month is the cheapest of them. The routes below cost more, and the reason to consider one is the trial figure or the dosing rather than the price.

Does anything work better than Qsymia?

On trial figures, Zepbound at 20.9% and Wegovy pill at 16.6% and Mounjaro at 15% and Wegovy at 14.9% and Foundayo at 14.7% and Ozempic at 12% against 8.6% for Qsymia. Those come from separate trials rather than a head-to-head, so the gap is not a measured difference between the two — it is two measurements taken under different protocols, and no trial has compared them directly.

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.

← Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate)

Alternatives to Qsymia

Bottom line

If you want the same molecule under a different product, that is Phentermine. 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 Qsymia?

14 alternatives are tracked here, and they divide into two kinds. The same molecule under another product — Phentermine — 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. On published trial figures Zepbound reports 20.9% and Wegovy pill reports 16.6% and Mounjaro reports 15% and Wegovy reports 14.9% and Foundayo reports 14.7% and Ozempic reports 12% against 8.6% for Qsymia, but those come from separate trials under different protocols rather than from any head-to-head, so the gap is not a measured difference between them. On price the range runs $99 to $499 a month at the maintenance dose against $98 for Qsymia, every figure read from the seller's own published page on the date beside it. 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 Qsymia

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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $351 a month dearer than Qsymia.

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 Qsymia, 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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $401 a month dearer than Qsymia.

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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $251 a month dearer than Qsymia.

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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $201 a month dearer than Qsymia.

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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $101 a month dearer than Qsymia.

7. 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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $317 a month dearer than Qsymia.

8. 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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $1 a month dearer than Qsymia.

9. 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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $101 a month dearer than Qsymia.

10. 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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration. $102 a month dearer than Qsymia.

11. 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 Qsymia, 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 Qsymia, so switching restarts titration.

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: —

A different molecule from Qsymia, so switching restarts titration.

14. Phentermine (phentermine)

The cheapest weight-loss drug there is — approved for a few weeks, sold by subscription for years.

A month: no verified price
Trial weight loss: not published
What it is: generic
Checked: —

Same molecule as Qsymia, so this is a change of product rather than of medication — dose ceilings and price are what differ.

Quick comparison

Drug	A month	Trial loss	What it is	Checked
Qsymia (comparing against)	$98	8.6%	branded, FDA approved	2026-08-25
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
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
Trulicity	—	—	branded, FDA approved	—
Rybelsus	—	—	branded, FDA approved	—
Victoza	—	—	branded, FDA approved	—
Phentermine	—	—	generic	—

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.

Qsymia price and terms →What Qsymia costs without insurance →Qsymia vs Zepbound →Everything ranked by price →

Alternatives to Qsymia, answered

What is the closest alternative to Qsymia?: Phentermine — 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 Qsymia?: Not among the approved products tracked here: Qsymia at $98 a month is the cheapest of them. The routes below cost more, and the reason to consider one is the trial figure or the dosing rather than the price.
Does anything work better than Qsymia?: On trial figures, Zepbound at 20.9% and Wegovy pill at 16.6% and Mounjaro at 15% and Wegovy at 14.9% and Foundayo at 14.7% and Ozempic at 12% against 8.6% for Qsymia. Those come from separate trials rather than a head-to-head, so the gap is not a measured difference between the two — it is two measurements taken under different protocols, and no trial has compared them directly.
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.