Which GLP-1 is right for me? An honest decision guide

There are now three GLP-1 weight-loss medicines you can get privately in the UK, and picking between them is where most people get stuck. This guide answers which GLP-1 is right for me the honest way — not with a “best jab” verdict, but with a short decision tree that matches your goal, your BMI, your needle tolerance and your budget to the right medicine and a regulated provider.

No medicine here is “better” in the abstract. The right one is the one a prescriber agrees is safe for you and that you can stick with for a year. Work through the questions below and you’ll land on a clear shortlist.

First, the one thing that’s the same

All three are GLP-1 receptor agonists — they act on the appetite and fullness signals in your gut and brain so you feel satisfied sooner and think about food less. They’re all prescription-only, all started low and stepped up slowly, and all work best alongside changes to how you eat and move. They’re licensed for adults with a BMI of 30+, or 27+ with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.

So the choice between them isn’t about whether they work — it’s about how much, how you take them, and what your history allows. That’s what the questions below sort out.

The five questions that decide it

1. How much weight do you want to lose? If you’re after the largest average loss, Mounjaro leads the current UK options. If a solid, well-evidenced result is enough, Wegovy or the Wegovy Pill will suit.
2. Are you okay with a weekly injection? Mounjaro and injectable Wegovy are once-weekly jabs with a pre-filled pen. If any needle is a dealbreaker, the Wegovy Pill is the only needle-free option.
3. Do you have a heart condition? Wegovy is the only one of the three shown to cut the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with existing heart disease. That can tip the balance — but it’s a prescriber’s call.
4. What’s your medical history? Pregnancy, a history of pancreatitis, certain thyroid cancers, severe gut disease or type 1 diabetes rule some options in or out. Your consultation covers this.
5. What can you sustain — routine and budget? The pill needs a strict empty-stomach morning routine; the jabs need a fridge and a weekly habit. And ongoing cost matters more than the first month, because this is a year-long commitment.

Want these five questions as a longer standalone walkthrough? See our five-question GLP-1 decision guide. Below, we match your answers to a medicine.

Match your answer to a medicine

Choose Mounjaro if… you want the most weight loss

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is the only dual-hormone jab — it targets two gut hormones, GIP and GLP-1, at once. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial, average loss was 16.0% at 5 mg, 21.4% at 10 mg and 22.5% at 15 mg of body weight over 72 weeks, versus 2.4% on placebo. It’s NICE-recommended (TA1026) and a once-weekly injection. If you need substantial loss, or a GLP-1-only medicine didn’t do enough, this is usually the front-runner. New to it? Read Mounjaro or Wegovy for beginners.

Choose Wegovy if… you want the longest track record or have heart disease

Wegovy (semaglutide) is the most widely used dedicated weight-loss jab and has the longest UK history. In STEP 1, average loss was about 15% of body weight over 68 weeks at the 2.4 mg dose. Crucially, it’s the only one of the three shown to reduce heart attack and stroke risk in people with existing heart disease (the SELECT trial) — so if you value the deepest evidence base, or have a cardiovascular condition, Wegovy earns its place.

Choose the Wegovy Pill if… you can’t face a needle

Approved by the MHRA on 11 June 2026, the Wegovy Pill (oral semaglutide) is the UK’s first needle-free GLP-1 — a daily tablet, not a weekly jab. In the OASIS 4 trial, average loss was about 13.6% over 64 weeks at the 25 mg dose, and about 16.6% among people who took it consistently. The catch: it must be taken on an empty stomach with a small sip of water, then nothing to eat or drink for 30 minutes. If that routine fits your mornings and needles don’t, it’s a genuine option.

The three at a glance

Here’s how the options compare on the factors that usually decide it. Prices are The Weight Clinic’s starter-dose figures with the NEWME code applied, checked 4 July 2026 — other providers differ, and prices change, so confirm on the provider’s own site.

*The Weight Clinic starter-dose price after the NEWME £35-off code (Mounjaro 2.5 mg, Wegovy 0.25 mg, Wegovy Pill 1.5 mg). Starter doses are for the first weeks only; ongoing maintenance costs more and varies by provider.

Don’t choose on the first-month price alone

Starter-dose promotions make the first month look cheap, but you’ll spend most of the year on a maintenance dose. On Mounjaro, the 5 mg maintenance dose ranges from around £173.99 to £259 for four weeks across the regulated providers in our table — a gap of roughly £85 a month for the same medicine. The Weight Clinic’s 5 mg dose is £185, near the lower end, and includes needles and monthly prescriber reviews rather than a bare dispense.

So compare ongoing prices, not just the headline starter figure, and factor in what’s included — delivery, needles, and whether a prescriber checks in as your dose steps up. Every regulated provider is ranked by ongoing price on our homepage comparison table.

What if you’re at the lower BMI band, or already on a GLP-1?

If your BMI is between 27 and 30, you can still be eligible — but only with a qualifying weight-related condition, and the choice narrows. We cover that specific situation in GLP-1 options at BMI 27–30.

Already on one medicine and wondering whether to move? Switching is possible but isn’t a like-for-like swap — doses don’t translate directly, and it’s always prescriber-led. Read switching between GLP-1 medications before you change anything.

The honest bottom line

If we had to summarise: Mounjaro for the biggest average loss, Wegovy for the deepest evidence and the heart-risk benefit, the Wegovy Pill for a needle-free daily routine. But “right for me” is decided in a consultation, where a prescriber weighs your history, your goals and your medicines. The shortlist above just gets you to that conversation better prepared.

Frequently asked questions