Is there a cheaper alternative to Victoza?

Victoza 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 Victoza?

No trial figure is recorded for Victoza 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.

← Victoza (liraglutide, diabetes label)

Alternatives to Victoza

Bottom line

If you want the same molecule under a different product, that is Saxenda. 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 Victoza?

14 alternatives are tracked here. One is the same molecule under another product — Saxenda — 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. 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 Victoza

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. 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: —

Saxenda is the same molecule as Victoza in another product, and its label goes up to 3 mg against 1.8 mg for Victoza.

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 liraglutide.

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 liraglutide.

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 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 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.

13. 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.

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
Victoza (comparing against)	—	—	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-10
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
Saxenda	—	7.4%	branded, FDA approved	—
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
Phentermine	—	—	generic	—
Compounded tirzepatide	$199–$359 (no maintenance price)	—	compounded, not FDA approved	2026-09-13
Compounded semaglutide	$129–$349 (no maintenance price)	—	compounded, not FDA approved	2026-09-13
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.

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

Where these Victoza figures come from

[1] Victoza product page, NovoCareprimary
[2] FDA prescribing information for VICTOZAprimary

Everything on Victoza

Alternatives to Victoza, answered

What is the closest alternative to Victoza?: Saxenda — same molecule, different product. Switching between them is a prescribing decision rather than a change of drug. The labels' top doses differ: 1.8 mg for Victoza, 3 mg for Saxenda.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Victoza?: Victoza 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 Victoza?: No trial figure is recorded for Victoza 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.