Alternatives to Saxenda
Bottom line
If you want the same molecule under a different product, that is Victoza. 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 Saxenda?
14 alternatives are tracked here. One is the same molecule under another product — Victoza — where switching is a prescribing decision rather than a change of medication. The other 13 are different medications, each started on its own dosing schedule. On published trial figures Zepbound reports 20.9%, Wegovy reports 14.9%, Wegovy pill reports 13.6%, Mounjaro reports 11.9%, Foundayo reports 11.1% and Qsymia reports 9.8% against 7.4% for Saxenda. Those come from separate label trials under different protocols, so the gap is not a measured difference between them. Head to head, STEP 8 found weight fell 15.8% on semaglutide 2.4 mg against 6.4% on liraglutide 3.0 mg over 68 weeks.
Best alternatives to Saxenda
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 liraglutide.
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 liraglutide.
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 liraglutide.
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 liraglutide.
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 liraglutide.
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
Phentermine and topiramate, not liraglutide.
7. 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 liraglutide.
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
- 5.4%
- What it is
- branded, FDA approved
- Checked
- 2026-09-22
Naltrexone and bupropion, not liraglutide.
9. 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 liraglutide.
10. 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 liraglutide.
11. 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
- —
Phentermine, not liraglutide.
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 liraglutide.
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
Victoza is the same molecule as Saxenda in another product, and its label goes up to 1.8 mg against 3 mg for Saxenda.
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 liraglutide.
Quick comparison
| Drug | A month | Trial loss | What it is | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saxenda (comparing against) | — | 7.4% | branded, FDA approved | — |
| Zepbound | $449 | 20.9% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-08-19 |
| Wegovy | $349 | 14.9% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-22 |
| Wegovy pill | $299 | 13.6% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-10 |
| Mounjaro | $499 | 11.9% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-21 |
| Foundayo | $299 | 11.1% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-12 |
| Qsymia | $75 | 9.8% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-22 |
| Ozempic | $349 | 6.4% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-22 |
| Contrave | $99 | 5.4% | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-22 |
| Trulicity | $389 | — | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-22 |
| Compounded tirzepatide | $199–$359 (no maintenance price) | — | compounded, not FDA approved | 2026-09-13 |
| Phentermine | — | — | generic | — |
| Compounded semaglutide | $129–$349 (no maintenance price) | — | compounded, not FDA approved | 2026-09-13 |
| Victoza | — | — | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-10 |
| Rybelsus | — | — | branded, FDA approved | 2026-09-07 |
Trial figures come from each drug's own trial, so the column ranks published results rather than the drugs themselves. The head-to-head trials that do exist, STEP 8, are quoted above.
Where these Saxenda figures come from
Everything on Saxenda
- Saxenda price and terms →
- What is Saxenda? →
- Saxenda cost without insurance →
- Saxenda side effects →
- Does Saxenda make you feel sick? →
- Does Saxenda make you tired? →
- Does Saxenda cause constipation? →
- Does Saxenda cause diarrhea? →
- Does Saxenda make you throw up? →
- Does Saxenda cause injection site reactions? →
- Does Saxenda cause stomach pain? →
- Does Saxenda cause indigestion? →
- Does Saxenda make you dizzy? →
- Does Saxenda cause headaches? →
- Does Saxenda cause low blood sugar? →
- Saxenda dose schedule →
- How to inject Saxenda →
- How long Saxenda takes to work →
- Which labels record what happens when you stop →
- Hair loss: which of the labels name it →
- Alcohol: what the labels say, and what they do not →
- liraglutide: every product and price →
- Foundayo vs Saxenda →
- Saxenda vs Wegovy pill →
- Compounded semaglutide vs Saxenda →
- Contrave vs Saxenda →
- Compounded tirzepatide vs Saxenda →
- Phentermine vs Saxenda →
- Ozempic vs Saxenda →
- Qsymia vs Saxenda →
- Saxenda vs Wegovy →
- Mounjaro vs Saxenda →
- Saxenda vs Zepbound →
- Hone Health: the seller →
- Victoza: the drug →
Alternatives to Saxenda, answered
- What is the closest alternative to Saxenda?
- Victoza — same molecule, different product. Switching between them is a prescribing decision rather than a change of drug. The labels' top doses differ: 3 mg for Saxenda, 1.8 mg for Victoza.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Saxenda?
- Saxenda 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 Saxenda?
- On trial figures, Zepbound at 20.9%, Wegovy at 14.9%, Wegovy pill at 13.6%, Mounjaro at 11.9%, Foundayo at 11.1% and Qsymia at 9.8% against 7.4% for Saxenda. 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. A head-to-head does exist: STEP 8 randomized 338 adults with overweight or obesity and without diabetes to weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg, daily liraglutide 3.0 mg or placebo for 68 weeks. Weight fell 15.8% on semaglutide against 6.4% on liraglutide. (Rubino et al., JAMA 2022.)
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.