Hims vs Ro: the two men's telehealth subscriptions compared
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Hims and Ro are the two names that dominate online men's health, and they have converged on nearly the same shelf. Both sell subscriptions for hair loss, sexual health, weight loss, and skin, all online, with medication shipped to your door. The differences are in pricing transparency and how each handles weight loss.
What does each one cost?
Hims publishes prices on its homepage: ED treatments from $22 per month, and a weight loss membership at $39 for the first month, auto-renewing at $149 per month, with medication priced separately. Ro says its process is 100% online with no insurance required and free discreet shipping, and its Ro Body weight loss membership includes insurance support: Ro checks your GLP-1 coverage and its insurance concierge handles prior authorizations on your behalf. Ro does not publish a sticker price for the Body membership on its weight loss page, instead framing cost around whether your insurance covers the medication.
What is the experience like?
Both start with an online intake reviewed by a licensed provider, then ship medication on a recurring schedule. Hims stretches wider across categories, including mental health, and puts prices on the shelf. Ro has put its muscle behind the weight loss program: if you qualify, a provider helps pick the right GLP-1, and Ro says cash-pay patients can take a first dose in under a week, versus about two weeks if using insurance. Ro also leans on celebrity-fronted marketing and its insurance concierge, which is genuinely unusual in cash-pay telehealth.
Which one should you pick?
If price transparency matters, Hims shows you numbers up front. If you are pursuing GLP-1 weight loss treatment and want help fighting your insurer for coverage, Ro's concierge is a real differentiator. Neither handles the everyday stuff, a sinus infection, a weird rash, a kid with a fever. For that, Pymander's free AI doctor answers by text before you commit to any subscription. Emergencies bypass both: call 911. Pymander routes emergency red flags to 911, and its escalation logic is documented in its safety architecture working paper.
What a Pymander AI doctor consult looks like
Illustrative example, not a real member's messages.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hims or Ro?
Hims publishes prices: ED treatments from $22 per month and a weight loss membership at $39 for the first month, auto-renewing at $149 per month, medication separate. Ro does not list a sticker price for its Body membership on its weight loss page, instead emphasizing insurance checks and its coverage concierge. Compare your actual total before committing to either.
Do Hims and Ro take insurance?
Hims is cash-pay subscription based. Ro says no insurance is required, but for GLP-1 weight loss it will check your coverage and its insurance concierge handles prior authorizations on your behalf.
What does each one treat?
Both cover hair loss, sexual health, weight loss, and skin. Hims also lists mental health. Ro leans hardest into its Ro Body weight loss program.
How fast can you start?
Ro says cash-pay weight loss patients can take a first dose in under a week, about two weeks if using insurance. Hims ships on a recurring subscription schedule after provider review.
Are these a replacement for a doctor?
No. Both are subscription treatment pipelines for specific categories. For everyday symptoms outside those categories, a free AI doctor like Pymander is the right first stop, and anything serious needs in-person care.
What if it is an emergency?
Skip both and call 911. Pymander is built to recognize emergency red flags in your text and direct you to call rather than continue.