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Collective vs MDLive

An in-depth comparison of two leading GLP-1 Providers

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By Eli Marsden · Founding Editor
Editorially reviewed & fact-checked against primary sources · How we verify contentLast reviewed
Collective logo

Collective

8.3
★★★★4.2/5

Best for: the lowest flat medication price if you can absorb an annual membership fee

Visit Collective
VS
MDLive logo

MDLive

7.0
★★★3.5/5

Best for: GLP-1s within full primary care

Visit MDLive

Collective and MDLive are both GLP-1 Providers competing for the same patients, but they make different trade-offs on price, coverage, and what's included. In our scoring, Collective starts at $59/mo, and Collective edges ahead overall (8.3 vs 7.0 out of 10). Below we break down pricing, what each plan covers, the six-dimension score, pros and cons, and exactly who should pick which.

Pricing

Collective

Any dose (flat price)Compounded
$59/mo
semaglutide

Verbatim: 'Compounded Semaglutide: $59/month. Same price, every dose. Cancel anytime.' ⛔ EXCLUDES the required membership — the site states 'What does it cost? $59/month + $199 annual membership.' First-year total is $907 ($75.58/mo equivalent).

Any dose (flat price)Compounded
$69/mo
tirzepatide

Verbatim: 'Compounded Tirzepatide: $69/month. Same price, any dose.' ⛔ EXCLUDES the required membership — 'The cost is $69/month + $199 annual membership.' First-year total is $1,027 ($85.58/mo equivalent).

Required annual membership (subscription, medication billed separately)membership subscription
$199/mo

Verbatim: 'Requires Collective membership: 21 day free trial, then a low annual $199 membership fee. No recurring monthly membership charges.' Charged yearly, not monthly. Terms of Use: 'all membership fees are non-refundable, and partial-period refunds are not provided.'

MDLive

Pricing not publicly listed.

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What’s included

Collective

What the monthly price covers

Medication

Included

Provider visits

Included

Shipping

Included

Lab work

Not disclosed

Coaching

Not disclosed

MDLive

What the monthly price covers

Medication

Billed separately

Provider visits

Not disclosed

Shipping

Not disclosed

Lab work

Not disclosed

Coaching

Not disclosed

Score breakdown

Both providers are scored on the same six-dimension framework. The gradient bar marks the stronger side on each dimension.

Collective

8.3/10

Overall

MDLive

7.0/10

Value25%

9.4A
vs
B
6.5

Effectiveness25%

8.2A
vs
B
7.0

User Experience15%

8.0A
vs
B
7.0

Trust & Safety15%

7.2A
vs
B
7.5

Accessibility10%

7.4A
vs
B
6.5

Support10%

8.4A
vs
B
7.9

Features & Coverage

FeatureCollectiveMDLive
Starting Price$59/mo
Features3 features8 features
States AvailableNot disclosedNot disclosed
Compounded✓ Yes
Brand Name
FSA/HSA Accepted
FDA WarningsNoneNone

About Collective

Collective (collective.org) is a membership-based telehealth platform from the founder of Thrive Market, selling compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide at a flat price on every dose. Medication is billed separately from a required annual membership, and the program bundles unlimited clinician messaging, dietitian access and express cold shipping.

Read our full Collective review →

About MDLive

MDLive (an Evernorth/Cigna company) is a large telehealth provider offering urgent care, primary care, dermatology and behavioral health. Anti-obesity GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound can be prescribed at the clinician's discretion during a Primary Care routine visit, not urgent care, and are excluded in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. MDLive reaches over 50 million people through health insurance and employer benefits but also allows out-of-pocket direct visits, so cost depends heavily on coverage rather than a single published cash price.

Read our full MDLive review →

Pros & Cons

Collective

What we like

  • The lowest published compounded GLP-1 medication prices we track — $59/month semaglutide and $69/month tirzepatide
  • Flat pricing at every dose, so titrating up does not raise the bill
  • Unlimited clinician messaging and registered-dietitian access are included rather than upsold
  • 21-day free trial on the membership before the annual fee is charged

Watch-outs

  • The advertised $59 and $69 exclude a mandatory $199 annual membership — the real first-year cost is $907 and $1,027
  • Membership fees are non-refundable and no partial-period refunds are given
  • Compounding pharmacies are described only as 'independent, third-party licensed pharmacies' and are never named
  • State availability is not published on the marketing site

MDLive

What we like

  • Prescribes FDA-approved branded GLP-1s including Wegovy and Zepbound
  • Covered through insurance and employer benefits for 50M-plus people
  • Board-certified physicians averaging about 15 years of experience
  • Part of Evernorth/Cigna, a large established healthcare organization
  • Offers full primary care, not just a single weight-loss funnel

Watch-outs

  • GLP-1s only at clinician discretion in a Primary Care routine visit
  • Anti-obesity meds not available in FL, LA, MS or NJ
  • Distributed mainly via insurers and employers; cost varies by plan
  • No transparent published monthly cash price for GLP-1 care

Our Verdict

Winner: Collective

Collective edges out MDLive with a higher overall score of 8.3/10 and is particularly strong for the lowest flat medication price if you can absorb an annual membership fee. MDLive remains a solid alternative, especially if you're looking for GLP-1s within full primary care.

Choose Collective if…

You want the lowest flat medication price if you can absorb an annual membership fee and a starting price around $59/mo.

Choose MDLive if…

You want GLP-1s within full primary care.

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Collective vs MDLive: FAQ

Collective lists a lowest ongoing price of $59/mo, while MDLive does not publicly list one. See the side-by-side pricing above for the full breakdown.
Collective scores higher overall at 8.3/10 versus 7.0/10, and is particularly strong for the lowest flat medication price if you can absorb an annual membership fee. That said, MDLive is a better fit if you want GLP-1s within full primary care.
Neither Collective nor MDLive publicly lists its exact state availability. Most national GLP-1 telehealth providers operate in the majority of states — confirm your state is covered during sign-up.
Neither Collective nor MDLive is currently an affiliate partner, so we earn no commission from either. We rank all providers editorially using the same six-dimension framework and disclose any commercial relationships.

Key terms, explained

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Continue exploring Collective and MDLive head-to-heads in the same category.

Or see the full category ranking.

Wegovy®, Ozempic®, and Rybelsus® are trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Mounjaro® and Zepbound® are trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. All other product names and trademarks referenced on this page belong to their respective owners. WeightLossRankings.org is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical manufacturer. See trademark disclaimer.