Alloy vs Winona
Updated October 28, 2026
Alloy and Winona are both cash-pay online menopause clinics that ship hormone therapy to the door, so the choice comes down to what each prescribes and how it is priced. Alloy charges a one-time $49 consult fee and lists a cash price for each prescription, while Winona's first visit is free and many of its treatments are creams compounded in its own pharmacies.
Our analysts compared Alloy and Winona on price, insurance, how care is delivered, treatment range, and pharmacy options, using the HIR review of each company and each company's own price pages checked October 28, 2026. In the following sections, we compare them in one table, share what patients say, and describe the patient each one suits.
Alloy vs Winona at a glance, October 2026
| What buyers weigh | Alloy | Winona |
|---|---|---|
| Published price | A $49 one-time consult fee, which includes unlimited doctor messaging. The estradiol pill starts at $39.99 for a one-month supply. | The first visit is free. Estrogen body cream starts at $89 a month, the estrogen patch is $149 a month, and estrogen tablets are $54 a month. |
| Pricing model | Alloy charges a one-time consult fee, then a cash price for each prescription. | Winona charges a monthly cash price for each prescription, after a free first visit. |
| What drives cost | For Alloy, cost depends on which treatments you are prescribed, the supply length you choose, and whether you add skin, hair, or sexual health products. | For Winona, cost depends on which treatments you are prescribed, how many you combine, and the shipping speed you choose. |
| How care works | A menopause-trained doctor reviews an online intake and writes a plan, usually with no video visit, then messaging is unlimited. | A Winona physician reviews an online visit and writes a plan with no lab test required, with free follow-up messages and a check-in after 10 weeks. |
| Insurance | Does not take insurance; HSA and FSA cards work. | Does not bill insurance; provides HSA and FSA receipts. |
| Where prescriptions are filled | Medications ship to your door at its listed cash prices. | Compounded in Winona's own pharmacies and shipped to you. |
| Treatment range | Scores 7.0; hormone therapy in several forms plus skin, hair, and sexual health products. | Scores 6.9; bioidentical estrogen and progesterone as creams, patches, and pills, plus DHEA and skin and sexual health products, with no testosterone. |
| Symptom relief | Scores 7.2 on symptom relief and patient results. | Scores 7.2 on symptom relief and patient results. |
| Pricing clarity score | 7.9 Clearer pricing | 7.5 |
| HIR overall score | 7.4, Recommend. | 7.3, Recommend. |
| Best for | Women in perimenopause or menopause who want hormone therapy online. | Women who want to start hormone therapy without a lab test or video visit. |
| Not a fit for | Patients who want insurance to cover visits. | Patients who want insurance to pay for care. |
Which fits which buyer
Decide first whether you want a pill or patch or a compounded cream.
Choose Alloy if
- You want an estradiol pill or another standard form at a listed price from $39.99 a month.
- You are fine paying a one-time $49 fee for unlimited doctor messaging.
- You want skin, hair, and sexual health products from the same clinic.
Choose Winona if
- You want to start with a free visit and no lab test.
- You prefer a body cream that combines estrogen and progesterone.
- You want a physician check-in built in after 10 weeks.
What buyers say
“They told me 219 for 3 months of treatment and that's what I paid for same cream and progesterone on Alloy and then they charged me 99.00 independently for the progesterone which I get from my OB/GYN anyway under my insurance for a generic copay.” Trustpilot, source
“I tried another online company call Winona and it made me gain weight with the combined compounded estrodiol/progesterone (and they wouldn't listen or willing to let me cycle the progesterone according to my cycle, Alloy DID)” Trustpilot, source
Verdict
Alloy scores slightly higher and fits women who want standard hormone therapy at listed prices with doctor messaging. Winona fits women who want a free first visit and compounded creams made in its own pharmacies.
Neither bills insurance, so both work best for patients paying cash or with HSA and FSA funds.
Methodology
Each row comes from the HIR reviews of Alloy and Winona, scored under the HIR method, and from each company's public pricing where it exists. Any published price for Alloy or Winona was checked on that company's own site on October 28, 2026.
A green check marks a clear edge for Alloy or Winona only where their review scores differ by at least 0.3 points or the two reviews show a plain difference. Rows with nothing published for either company are left out. Patient lines come from public reviews and forum posts that mention both companies.
Sources
- HIR review of Alloy and HIR review of Winona
- Alloy estradiol pill and consult fee, checked October 28, 2026
- Winona treatment prices, checked October 28, 2026
- Winona FAQ, checked October 28, 2026