Disclosure: we earn commissions from some options listed here. Hims: $50-100/signup. Ro: $50-120/signup. Happy Head: $25-75/signup. For GoodRx and dermatologist options, we earn nothing. Full details on our methodology page.
Quick Answer
The five best Keeps alternatives are: (1) Hims — best for wider product range and topical finasteride; (2) Ro — cheapest oral finasteride; (3) Happy Head — best for custom compounded treatment; (4) Amazon + GoodRx combo — best for OTC minoxidil + generic Rx cost savings; (5) Direct dermatologist — best for complex or non-responding cases.
Why Do People Leave Keeps?
Understanding the most common reasons people switch from Keeps helps clarify which alternative makes sense for you:
Wanting topical finasteride — Keeps offers only oral finasteride. Men who develop side effects on oral finasteride, or who proactively want lower systemic exposure, need to switch to a platform that offers topical formulations (Hims or Ro).
Women excluded — Keeps serves men only. Women who find Keeps through a recommendation and discover it won't serve them need a different platform entirely (Hers, Nurx, Apostrophe, or a dermatologist).
State restrictions — Keeps is not available in all states. This is a hard stop for men in excluded states.
Wanting a lower price — Keeps is already one of the more competitive telehealth options, but Ro's base finasteride price ($15/month) is lower. Men for whom price is the primary driver sometimes switch.
Wanting broader health services — Keeps is hair-loss-only. Men who want ED treatment, weight management, or other telehealth services from one platform find Ro or Hims more convenient.
Wanting more treatment options — Keeps doesn't offer oral minoxidil, topical finasteride, or custom compounded formulas. Men whose conditions require more complex protocols need a different platform.
What to Look for in a Keeps Alternative
Before switching, clarify your reason and what you actually need:
- If you want topical finasteride: Hims or Ro
- If you want lower price: Ro, or GoodRx at a pharmacy
- If you're a woman: Keeps alternatives are any platform that serves women — see note below
- If you want more product options: Hims
- If you want a custom compound formula: Happy Head
- If you have insurance: Primary care + pharmacy is often cheapest
- If you have an existing prescription: GoodRx at a pharmacy
The 5 Best Keeps Alternatives
1. Hims — Best for Wider Product Range
What it is: The largest telehealth hair loss platform (NYSE: HIMS), founded 2017. Serves men and women across multiple health categories.
Why it beats Keeps: Hims offers treatments Keeps doesn't: topical finasteride (alone and in combo spray with minoxidil), oral minoxidil, and a broader range of DHT-blocking shampoos. The Hims app is also significantly more polished — progress photo overlay, provider messaging, and reminders are well-implemented.
Pros:
- Topical finasteride option (a genuine gap in Keeps)
- Topical finasteride + minoxidil combo spray
- Best app and UX in the category
- Oral minoxidil available
- Progress photo tracking tools
Cons:
- More expensive than Keeps: $22-55/month vs Keeps $20-40/month
- More expensive for oral finasteride alone
- Customer service complaints documented across review platforms
- Multi-step cancellation flow
Best for: Men who want topical finasteride to reduce systemic exposure, men who value a premium app experience, or men who want the widest available treatment options.
We earn $50-100/signup if you sign up · See all commissions
We earn $50-100/signup from Hims.
2. Ro — Best for Cheapest Finasteride
What it is: Broad men's health telehealth platform (formerly Roman), founded 2017.
Why it beats Keeps on price: Ro's oral finasteride starts at approximately $15/month — $5-10/month cheaper than Keeps. For combined topical therapy, Ro offers a compounded topical finasteride + minoxidil spray that Keeps doesn't have.
Pros:
- Lowest base price for oral finasteride ($15/mo)
- Compounded topical finasteride + minoxidil option
- Established brand and infrastructure
- Fastest average shipping (2-3 days)
Cons:
- $15 visit fee in some states (Keeps is free)
- Less focused on hair loss than Keeps
- No in-app progress tracking
- App less polished than Hims or Keeps
Best for: Price-sensitive men who primarily want the cheapest oral finasteride, or men who want combined topical therapy.
We earn $50-120/signup if you sign up · See all commissions
We earn $50-120/signup from Ro — our highest commission rate among telehealth platforms. This does not make it our top pick.
3. Happy Head — Best for Custom Compounded Formulas
What it is: Dermatologist-founded telehealth platform specializing in compounded hair loss treatments.
Why it's a Keeps alternative: Happy Head's compounded topical formulas can combine multiple active ingredients — finasteride, minoxidil, tretinoin, latanoprost, and others — in concentrations customized to your case by a dermatologist. This level of customization is not available at Keeps.
Pros:
- Dermatologist-designed custom compounded protocols
- Can include adjunct ingredients (tretinoin, latanoprost) not available elsewhere
- Hair-loss-focused platform
- More personalized physician consultation process
Cons:
- Higher cost: $60-100+/month
- Compounded medications have less regulatory oversight than standard generics
- Less established brand
Best for: Men who have tried standard finasteride + minoxidil with suboptimal results and want a more aggressive or customized approach.
We earn $25-75/signup if you sign up · See all commissions
We earn $25-75/signup from Happy Head.
4. Amazon + GoodRx Combo — Best for OTC Minoxidil + Generic Rx
What it is: Not a telehealth platform — using Amazon for minoxidil and a pharmacy discount card for generic finasteride.
Why it's a Keeps alternative: If you already have a finasteride prescription (or get one from a PCP), this combination can be cheaper than Keeps:
- Generic minoxidil 5% foam from Amazon or Costkirkland: $20-30 for a 3-month supply (~$7-10/month) — the same active ingredient as Keeps's minoxidil product.
- Generic finasteride at a pharmacy via GoodRx: $15-25/month.
- Total: approximately $22-35/month — comparable to or cheaper than Keeps's combination kit.
Pros:
- Potentially lower total monthly cost
- No subscription required for minoxidil (buy OTC as needed)
- Full flexibility — not locked into any platform
- No commission for us on this recommendation
Cons:
- Requires an existing finasteride prescription
- No physician oversight for questions or renewals
- No progress tracking tools
- GoodRx finasteride pricing varies by pharmacy and location
Best for: Men who already have a finasteride prescription, are satisfied with their current regimen, and want to reduce monthly costs without changing anything clinical.
5. Direct Dermatologist — Best for Complex Cases
What it is: Seeing a board-certified dermatologist in person for hair loss evaluation and prescription.
Why it's a Keeps alternative: For men whose hair loss is progressing despite standard finasteride + minoxidil, or men with unusual presentation, a dermatologist can order lab work, biopsy if needed, and prescribe off-label treatments (dutasteride, oral minoxidil with monitoring, spironolactone in appropriate cases) that telehealth platforms typically won't offer.
What a dermatologist offers beyond Keeps:
- Differential diagnosis — confirming it's androgenetic alopecia and not alopecia areata, scarring alopecia, or another cause
- Trichoscopy (dermoscopy of the scalp) for precise assessment
- Lab work to rule out thyroid, iron, and hormonal contributors
- Off-label treatment options: dutasteride (PMID: 12196750), oral minoxidil with cardiovascular monitoring, PRP
- Prescription that you fill at any pharmacy
Cost: Without insurance, a dermatology visit is typically $150-300. With insurance, copay is typically $40-80. Prescription fills at pharmacy via GoodRx run $15-25/month for generic finasteride.
Pros:
- Most clinically thorough evaluation available
- Can diagnose conditions that telehealth platforms miss
- Access to full range of prescription options
- No subscription lock-in for ongoing medication
Cons:
- Requires scheduling and attending an in-person appointment
- Higher upfront cost without insurance
- Wait times for dermatologist appointments can be 4-8+ weeks in many markets
- No commission for us
Best for: Men with unusual or rapidly progressing hair loss, men who have not responded to standard treatments, men who want a definitive diagnosis before starting treatment, or men with insurance who want the most comprehensive evaluation.
Summary Comparison
| Alternative | Monthly Cost | Visit Fee | Key Differentiator | |---|---|---|---| | Hims | $22-55 | Free | Topical fin, best app | | Ro | $15-50 | $15 some states | Cheapest oral fin | | Happy Head | $60-100+ | Varies | Custom compounds | | Amazon + GoodRx | $22-35 | None | Lowest if Rx in hand | | Dermatologist | $15-25 Rx cost | $150-300 visit | Full clinical evaluation | | Keeps | $20-40 | Free | Best value, men-focused |
For Full Reviews of These Platforms
- Keeps Review 2026 — our full assessment of Keeps
- Hims Review 2026 — our full assessment of Hims
- Ro Review 2026 — our full assessment of Ro
- Hims vs Keeps vs Ro Comparison — three-way comparison
Affiliate disclosure: We earn $50-100/signup from Hims, $50-120/signup from Ro, and $25-75/signup from Happy Head. We earn nothing from Amazon, GoodRx, or dermatologist recommendations. Full methodology.