Hims vs Ro (Roman): Which Telehealth Platform Is Better for Hair Loss? (2026)

Full transparency before we start: we earn affiliate commissions from both platforms. Hims pays us $50-100 per sign-up. Ro pays us $50-120 per sign-up. This information is on our disclosure page and we're mentioning it here because the alternative — pretending we're neutral while collecting commissions — is exactly the kind of thing that makes the internet worse.

With that said: here is our honest comparison.

What Are Hims and Ro?

Both are telehealth platforms. You fill out a medical intake form, upload photos of your hair and scalp, and a licensed physician reviews your case asynchronously. If clinically appropriate, they issue a prescription and mail your medication on a monthly subscription basis.

They both offer the two FDA-approved treatments for male pattern hair loss: finasteride (oral) and minoxidil (topical or oral). The differences are in price, product breadth, user experience, and company philosophy.

Hims launched in 2017 and went public via SPAC in 2020. It has expanded aggressively beyond hair into ED, mental health, weight management, and skincare. The hair loss product line has remained a flagship offering and has grown in sophistication — Hims now offers topical finasteride and compounded finasteride + minoxidil combinations not available elsewhere.

Ro (Roman) launched in 2017 as Roman, initially focused on ED, before expanding to hair loss, smoking cessation, and weight management under the Ro brand umbrella. Ro's finasteride pricing is the lowest among the three major platforms. It has a somewhat less specialized hair loss experience compared to Hims or Keeps.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Pricing: What You Actually Pay

Hims Pricing

• Oral finasteride 1mg: ~$22-30/month (depends on subscription length)
• Topical minoxidil solution: ~$22/month
• Topical finasteride: ~$35-44/month
• Finasteride + minoxidil combo: ~$44-55/month
• Oral minoxidil: ~$30-40/month

Hims charges a premium relative to competitors, but some of that premium buys real product options — topical finasteride isn't available at Ro at all.

Ro Pricing

• Oral finasteride 1mg: ~$15-20/month
• Oral minoxidil: ~$25-30/month
• Compounded topical finasteride + minoxidil: ~$30-40/month (when available)

Ro's finasteride price is genuinely the lowest among the major platforms. For men who want generic oral finasteride with no additional products, Ro represents a meaningful saving of $7-15/month versus Hims.

Over 12 Months: The Math

For oral finasteride alone:

• Hims: $264-360/year
• Ro: $180-240/year
• Difference: $84-120/year in savings with Ro

For finasteride + minoxidil combination:

• Hims: $528-660/year
• Ro: $480-600/year (compounded combo when available)
• Difference is smaller for combo products

Product Selection: Where Hims Has a Clear Advantage

This is the main reason to choose Hims over Ro.

Topical finasteride: Available exclusively at Hims among the major platforms. For men who want finasteride's efficacy with potentially lower systemic DHT suppression (and possibly lower side effect risk), topical is the only option. Ro doesn't offer this.

Topical finasteride + minoxidil combination: Hims's flagship compounded product delivers both active ingredients in one formulation. Convenient and effective. Not available at Ro as a standard product.

Oral minoxidil: Available at both platforms, but Hims has more established dosing protocols and physician experience with this option.

Breadth of options: If you start with oral finasteride at Hims and later want to switch to topical, add minoxidil, or try a different formulation — Hims can accommodate that within the same subscription. Ro's hair-specific offerings are more limited.

User Experience and App

Hims has invested substantially in its digital experience. The Hims app includes:

• Treatment tracking and progress photo logging
• Direct messaging with your care team
• Easy add-ons and product switching
• Integration with other Hims health services

Ro's experience is more transactional. The intake process and delivery are smooth, but the ongoing experience is less differentiated — less of a health platform, more of a recurring delivery service.

For users who engage actively with their treatment — tracking progress, messaging physicians, optimizing their regimen — Hims's app provides meaningful added value. For users who want to set up a prescription and forget it, Ro's simpler experience may actually be preferable.

Side-by-Side: Areas Where They Differ

Cancellation

Both platforms use subscription models with some friction in cancellation. Hims has received more documented complaints about cancellation difficulty — it uses a multi-step flow that presents retention offers. Ro's cancellation process has fewer documented complaints, though neither is as simple as one-click unsubscribe.

If you want to cancel, be direct: "I want to cancel my subscription" in the messaging interface is more effective than navigating automated retention flows.

Customer Service

Neither platform offers phone support for routine matters. Both use asynchronous messaging. Hims has more documented complaints (Trustpilot, BBB) regarding billing errors and slow response times. Ro has fewer documented complaints but a smaller review base.

For medical questions specifically, both connect you with a physician or PA asynchronously — typically within 24-48 hours for follow-up questions.

Shipping

Ro ships in 2-3 days; Hims ships in 2-4 days. Both offer free standard shipping. For monthly medication delivery, the difference is not meaningful.

Commission Disclosure

We earn from both platforms. Here are our rates, as we disclose on every page:

• Hims: $50-100 per sign-up
• Ro: $50-120 per sign-up

Ro actually pays us a higher commission than Hims in some cases. We're recommending Hims for product range and Ro for price despite this — because the underlying facts support those conclusions, not our commission structure.

Our Verdict

Choose Ro if:

• You want oral finasteride at the lowest available price ($15/mo)
• You don't need topical formulations or combination products
• You prefer a simpler, lower-friction experience
• You're price-conscious and just want the generic drug

Choose Hims if:

• You want topical finasteride (only major platform offering it)
• You want a finasteride + minoxidil combination product
• You value a better app and tracking experience
• You want the flexibility to switch between oral and topical treatments within one platform

Neither platform is wrong. Both prescribe legitimate generic finasteride and minoxidil at competitive prices, with physician oversight. The gap in clinical outcomes between Hims and Ro is essentially zero for men using the same medications — what you're choosing is pricing and product breadth.

Sources

• Finasteride efficacy: Kaufman KD et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1998. PMID: 9448204
• Topical vs oral finasteride: Piraccini BM et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2022. PMID: 35947379
• Oral minoxidil: Randolph M, Tosti A. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021. PMID: 32360698

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See also:

• Hims vs Keeps vs Ro: Full Three-Way Comparison →
• Hims Review →
• Ro Review →