Novi vs Sesame Care: Which GLP-1 Provider Is Better?

By Iacob Pastina, Independent Researcher & Publisher

Reviewed & updated August 14, 2026 · Cites primary sources (FDA, NEJM, CMS) · Not medical advice

54 providers verified independently·Independent research·How we rank →

Visit Sesame Care - our pick of these two →or find your match

Sesame Care beats Novi overall, scoring 7.9/10 vs 7.8/10. Published pricing is not a like-for-like monthly comparison: Novi is from $133/mo; Sesame Care is published $99/mo; total not verified. Choose Novi for cash-pay patients who want compounded semaglutide or tirzepa. Choose Sesame Care for users who want cheap fda-approved brand-name glp-1 access ($.

A side-by-side look at Novi and Sesame Care to help you decide. We compare them on:

•Starting price per month
•Our overall score, out of 10
•Medication type, brand-name or compounded
•Whether they accept insurance
•Who each one is best for

Novi

#9 of 54

7.8/10

Telehealth platform for compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide with month-to-month billing, six named clinicians on staff, and a 3-minute pre-approval quiz. Novi emphasizes 'all-in transparent' pricing, medication, supplies, unlimited clinician check-ins, dose adjustments, and weight-loss coaching are bundled with no add-on fees. Standard pricing is $174/mo semaglutide and $283/mo tirzepatide; promotional pricing on the offer landing drops to $99-$133/mo semaglutide and $149-$166/mo tirzepatide with $200 off advertised.

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Higher Rated

Sesame Care

#5 of 54

7.9/10

Telehealth marketplace offering both a low-cost consultation model ($25/visit) and the new Success by Sesame membership program ($59/mo on 3/6/12-month plans), which coordinates access to FDA-approved brand-name GLP-1 medications including Foundayo (orforglipron), Wegovy pen and pill, and Zepbound. Medication is billed separately.

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Feature	Novi	Sesame Care
Why each one	Combination of six named clinicians (most compounded-only platforms disclose zero or one), month-to-month billing with no commitment, and aggressive promotional pricing as low as $99/mo on the offer landing, a flexibility-and-headcount profile most direct competitors at this price tier do not match.	The broadest FDA-approved brand-name GLP-1 menu among low-cost telehealth options, Wegovy pen and pill, Zepbound, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Rybelsus, and Foundayo, coordinated through the new Success by Sesame membership at $59/mo plus medication.
Our Score	7.8/10	7.9/10
Headline Price	from $133/mo	published $99/mo; total not verified
Medication Type	Compounded	Both
Insurance Accepted	No	Yes
Best For	Cash-pay patients who want compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide on a no-commitment plan with named clinicians, unlimited check-ins, and aggressive promotional pricing as low as $99-$133/mo on the introductory offer	Users who want cheap FDA-approved brand-name GLP-1 access ($149-349/mo Wegovy and Zepbound via Success by Sesame), or insured patients who just need a prescriber
Watch out for	Compounded-only, no FDA-approved Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic, or Mounjaro through the platform; no Foundayo or oral GLP-1 formats	Two distinct products (pay-per-visit vs the Success membership) sit side by side, so decide which you're buying before checkout
Ranking	#9	#5
Get started	Visit Novi	Visit Sesame Care

Pros & Cons Compared

Novi

Pros

+Six disclosed clinicians on staff, Daniel Funsch MD, Michael Wasef MD, Takashi Nakamura MD plus three nurse practitioners (Hastings NP, Clements NP, Vergara DNP), more named providers than most compounded-only platforms publish
+Month-to-month billing with no minimum commitment, cancel before any renewal date with no early-termination penalty
+Aggressive promotional pricing on the offer landing, $99-$133/mo compounded semaglutide and $149-$166/mo compounded tirzepatide with a $200 OFF intro discount
+Unlimited clinician check-ins, dose adjustments, and weight-loss coaching included at no additional cost
+Free 2-day shipping; Novi markets compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide, which are not FDA-approved brands or generics and are not established as equivalent to Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, or Zepbound
+100,000+ patients claimed and editorial coverage in Bloomberg, Forbes, and WebMD provide third-party signal

Cons

−Compounded-only, no FDA-approved Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic, or Mounjaro through the platform; no Foundayo or oral GLP-1 formats
−Founding year, headquarters city, and corporate ownership are not publicly disclosed
−Promotional $99-$133 pricing applies to the introductory offer landing only, standard rate after any qualifying intro period is $174-$283/mo (verify the renewal rate before enrolling)
−Once medication is dispensed/shipped, prescriptions cannot be returned or refunded, typical for compounded telehealth but worth understanding
−Lab requirements before prescribing are not disclosed on public pages, unclear whether baseline bloodwork is required
−Multiple landing pages (offer-v4, offer-v6-low) show different headline prices, which can create pricing confusion before checkout

Sesame Care

Pros

+Success by Sesame program launched 2026, $59/mo on a 3/6/12-month plan, includes labs, unlimited messaging, and provider choice; medication is separate
+Brand-name cash pricing is competitive, Wegovy pen $199 intro / $349 ongoing, Zepbound vial $299, Wegovy pill $149
+Foundayo (Lilly's FDA-approved oral GLP-1) available as of April 2026 at $149/mo
+Original pay-per-visit model still available at $25/consultation for users who just need a prescriber

Cons

−Two distinct products (pay-per-visit vs the Success membership) sit side by side, so decide which you're buying before checkout
−The $59/mo Success by Sesame rate requires a 3-month minimum commitment; month-to-month is available at $99/mo if you don't want to commit
−Compounded meds are de-emphasized in the current marketing, the platform now leads with FDA-approved brand-name paths
−A marketplace rather than a concierge, expect less hand-holding than dedicated subscription platforms

Our Verdict

Sesame Care edges out Novi with a score of 7.9/10 vs 7.8/10. Published pricing is not a like-for-like monthly comparison: Novi is from $133/mo; Sesame Care is published $99/mo; total not verified. Sesame Care accepts insurance, which can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Sesame Care offers both brand-name and compounded medications, giving you more flexibility. Choose Novi if you want: cash-pay patients who want compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide on a no-commitment plan with named clinicians, unlimited check-ins, and aggressive promotional pricing as low as $99-$133/mo on the introductory offer. Choose Sesame Care if you want: users who want cheap fda-approved brand-name glp-1 access ($149-349/mo wegovy and zepbound via success by sesame), or insured patients who just need a prescriber.