rx-hairloss

5 Best Hims Alternatives for Hair Loss Treatment (2026)

Updated 2026-03-158 min readEvidence-based content

Quick Answer

The best Hims alternative is Keeps if you want lower prices for the same treatments, or Ro if you want the cheapest finasteride available. For women, Nurx and Hers offer female-specific hair loss treatments that Hims doesn't.

Full transparency: we earn commissions from some of these alternatives. Keeps: $40-80/signup. Ro: $50-120/signup. Happy Head: $25-75/signup. GoodRx and primary care options: no commission. Where we earn, we say so. Where we don't, we say that too.

Quick Answer

The five best Hims alternatives are: (1) Keeps — best value for oral fin+min; (2) Ro — cheapest oral finasteride; (3) Happy Head — best for custom compounded formulas; (4) GoodRx + local pharmacy — best if you already have a prescription; (5) Primary care + insurance — cheapest long-term if you have insurance coverage.

Why Do People Switch from Hims?

Before covering the alternatives, it's worth understanding why people leave Hims — because the best alternative depends on your reason for switching.

Price — Hims is consistently the most expensive major telehealth option for equivalent treatments. Men who are paying $44-55/month for finasteride + minoxidil often discover they can get the same medications for $30-40/month elsewhere.

Customer service — Hims's customer service has documented issues: slow response times, billing errors, difficulty resolving disputes. Across Trustpilot, Reddit, and the BBB, this is the most consistent complaint category.

Cancellation difficulty — Hims uses a multi-step cancellation flow that retains subscribers through friction. Men who want to pause or cancel often report it's harder than expected.

Wanting topical finasteride unavailable at Keeps — Wait, this one goes the other direction. Some men switch to Hims from Keeps specifically for the topical finasteride option.

State restrictions — Some states have limited telehealth prescribing options, and availability varies by platform.

What to Look for in a Hims Alternative

Before switching, decide what actually matters to you:

  • Price: Is your primary goal lower monthly cost?
  • Product range: Do you need topical finasteride or oral minoxidil?
  • App quality: Does the software experience matter to you?
  • Focus: Do you want a platform dedicated to hair loss, or a broader health service?
  • Insurance: Do you have coverage that might subsidize a traditional prescription?
  • Gender: Women need platforms that serve women — most alternatives here are men's platforms.

The 5 Best Hims Alternatives

1. Keeps — Best for Value

What it is: Men's-only telehealth platform focused exclusively on hair loss. Founded 2018.

Why it beats Hims on price: Oral finasteride from ~$20-25/month (vs Hims $22-30). Combination finasteride + minoxidil kit from ~$30-40/month (vs Hims combo $44-55). Free consultation, no visit fee.

Pros:

  • Most competitive pricing for oral finasteride + minoxidil
  • Excellent photo-based progress tracking at 3/6/12 months
  • Focused experience — no upsells to other health categories
  • Transparent pricing from day one (no teaser rates)

Cons:

  • Men only — cannot serve women
  • No topical finasteride (a genuine gap vs Hims)
  • Fewer product options overall
  • Not available in all states

Best for: Men who want oral finasteride and/or minoxidil at the lowest price from a dedicated hair loss platform.

Start with Keeps

We earn $40-80/signup if you sign up · See all commissions

We earn $40-80/signup from Keeps.


2. Ro — Best for Lowest Finasteride Price

What it is: Broader men's health telehealth platform (hair loss, ED, weight management). Originally launched as Roman in 2017.

Why it's a Hims alternative: Oral finasteride starting at ~$15/month — the lowest base price of any major telehealth platform. Also offers compounded topical finasteride + minoxidil for men who want combined topical therapy.

Pros:

  • Lowest base price for oral finasteride ($15/mo)
  • Compounded topical fin+min available (same differentiator as Hims)
  • Fastest average shipping (2-3 days)
  • Established brand with large clinical operation

Cons:

  • $15 visit fee in some states (Hims is free)
  • Less hair-loss-focused than Keeps
  • App and UX inferior to Hims
  • No in-app progress tracking tools

Best for: Price-conscious men who primarily want the cheapest oral finasteride, or men interested in compounded topical treatment.

Try Ro

We earn $50-120/signup if you sign up · See all commissions

We earn $50-120/signup from Ro — our highest commission rate. It doesn't make them our top pick.


3. Happy Head — Best for Custom Compounded Formulas

What it is: Telehealth platform specializing in dermatologist-compounded hair loss treatments. Founded by hair loss specialists.

Why it's a Hims alternative: Happy Head's compounded topical formulas are customized by dermatologists — they can combine finasteride, minoxidil, and other active ingredients (like tretinoin or latanoprost) in concentrations tailored to your case. This is more personalized than anything Hims offers.

Pros:

  • Dermatologist-designed custom compounded formulas
  • Can include ingredients not available through Hims (tretinoin, latanoprost)
  • Physician consultations feel more personalized than Hims's asynchronous flow
  • Hair-loss-only focus

Cons:

  • Higher cost: typically $60-100+/month for custom formulas
  • Less established brand than Hims, Keeps, or Ro
  • Compounded medications have less regulatory oversight than manufactured generics
  • Not available in all states

Best for: Men who have tried standard finasteride + minoxidil without satisfactory results and want a more aggressive or customized topical protocol.

Explore Happy Head

We earn $25-75/signup if you sign up · See all commissions

We earn $25-75/signup from Happy Head.


4. GoodRx + Local Pharmacy — Best if You Already Have a Prescription

What it is: Not a telehealth platform — this is using an existing prescription with a pharmacy discount service.

Why it's a Hims alternative: If you already have a finasteride prescription from any source (existing Hims subscription, primary care, dermatologist), you can transfer that prescription to a local pharmacy and use GoodRx to dramatically reduce cost.

Pricing: Generic finasteride at CVS/Walgreens via GoodRx typically costs $15-25/month for a 30-day supply. Generic minoxidil foam from Amazon or Costco runs $20-30 for a 3-month supply ($7-10/month). This is frequently cheaper than any telehealth subscription for the same medications.

Pros:

  • Often the lowest total cost for existing prescription holders
  • No subscription lock-in
  • Flexibility — fill at any pharmacy
  • No commission from us (we make nothing if you use GoodRx)

Cons:

  • Requires an existing prescription — doesn't work if you're starting from scratch
  • No provider for questions or prescription renewals
  • You lose the app experience, progress tracking, and ongoing physician access
  • Prescription will expire (typically 1 year) and need renewal

Best for: Men who already have a finasteride prescription, are happy with results, and want to reduce ongoing costs.


5. Generic Finasteride via Primary Care — Best with Insurance

What it is: Getting a finasteride prescription from your primary care physician and filling it at a standard pharmacy.

Why it's a Hims alternative: If you have health insurance, your PCP visit copay is typically $20-40. Your insurer may cover generic finasteride (check your formulary). Even without insurance coverage on the Rx, generic finasteride at a pharmacy via GoodRx is $15-25/month — often cheaper than Hims.

Pricing estimate: With insurance: PCP visit $20-40 copay + $5-20/month for covered generic finasteride = highly variable but often cheapest long-term. Without insurance: $100-200 for a PCP visit + $15-25/month pharmacy cost.

Pros:

  • Potentially cheapest long-term option if you have insurance
  • Real in-person physician relationship for side effect discussions
  • Prescription valid at any pharmacy
  • No subscription lock-in or dark-pattern cancellation

Cons:

  • Requires scheduling a doctor's appointment (friction vs telehealth)
  • Not all PCPs are comfortable prescribing finasteride for hair loss
  • You may need to advocate for yourself if your PCP is unfamiliar with hair loss treatment
  • No progress tracking tools
  • No commission from us

Best for: Men with health insurance, an established PCP relationship, and the willingness to have an in-person conversation about starting finasteride.

Summary Comparison

| Alternative | Monthly Cost | Visit Fee | Best For | |---|---|---|---| | Keeps | $20-40 | Free | Value-focused men | | Ro | $15-50 | $15 some states | Lowest finasteride price | | Happy Head | $60-100+ | Varies | Custom compounded protocols | | GoodRx + pharmacy | $15-35 | None | Existing Rx holders | | Primary care + insurance | $5-20 with coverage | PCP copay | Insured patients | | Hims | $22-55 | Free | Topical fin + best app |

For a Full Review of These Platforms


Affiliate disclosure: We earn $40-80/signup from Keeps, $50-120/signup from Ro, and $25-75/signup from Happy Head. We earn nothing from GoodRx or primary care recommendations. Commission rates do not determine recommendations. Full methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a cheaper alternative to Hims for finasteride?

Yes. Ro offers finasteride starting at $15/month, versus Hims at $22-30/month. Keeps offers finasteride at $20-25/month with a free consultation. If you already have a prescription, GoodRx at a local pharmacy can reduce generic finasteride cost to $15-25/month without any subscription. All three deliver the same generic finasteride 1mg — the price difference is for the telehealth delivery platform, not the medication itself.

Can I get finasteride without Hims?

Yes. Finasteride is available through any telehealth platform (Keeps, Ro, Happy Head), through your primary care physician, or through a dermatologist. With a prescription, you can fill generic finasteride at any pharmacy using GoodRx for $15-25/month. Hims is one of many ways to access finasteride — it is not the only or cheapest option.

Is Keeps better than Hims?

It depends on what you value. Keeps is better than Hims on price (typically $5-15/month cheaper for equivalent treatments) and offers a more focused hair loss experience. Hims is better than Keeps on product range (topical finasteride, oral minoxidil) and app quality. If you want oral finasteride and/or minoxidil at a competitive price with no extras, Keeps is the better choice. If you want topical finasteride or a premium app, Hims is better.

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