Choosing between Sesame Care and Peter MD depends on what kind of care you need. Sesame Care works as a broad healthcare marketplace with transparent cash prices, while Peter MD focuses specifically on men's health concerns like ED, testosterone, and weight loss. Here's how the two stack up across pricing, treatment range, and clinical support.
Sesame Care vs Peter MD: Quick Overview
Sesame Care is a direct-to-consumer healthcare marketplace launched in 2018 that connects you with licensed clinicians at flat, no-insurance prices. You can book primary care, urgent care, mental health, dental, and specialty visits starting around $30, with both video and in-person options across many U.S. markets. The platform holds a 4.7/5 rating on Trustpilot based on transparent pricing and same-day availability.
Peter MD takes a narrower approach, focusing entirely on men's health through telehealth. Services include erectile dysfunction medications, testosterone replacement therapy, GLP-1 weight loss treatments, and hair loss care, all delivered through asynchronous online consultations and home shipping. The brand carries a 4.4/5 Trustpilot rating and accepts HSA and FSA payments.
The core difference is scope. Sesame Care covers most general healthcare needs you'd see a doctor for, while Peter MD is built specifically around chronic men's health conditions that benefit from ongoing prescription management. According to the
CDC, telehealth use among adult men remains a growing channel for routine prescription care.
Pricing Comparison
Sesame Care wins on transparency for one-off visits. Primary care appointments start at $30, urgent care around $40, and specialty consults typically range from $40 to $150 depending on the clinician. You pay per visit with no membership fee, and prescriptions written through Sesame can be filled at any pharmacy or through its discounted Sesame Rx program.
Peter MD prices medications rather than visits. Generic sildenafil starts at about $1.50 per dose and tadalafil at similar entry pricing, with testosterone and GLP-1 plans billed monthly. The company offers a price match guarantee against competing telehealth brands, and HSA/FSA cards are accepted for eligible treatments per
IRS Publication 502 guidelines on qualified medical expenses.
If you need a single visit or referral, Sesame is usually cheaper because you're paying once. If you need ongoing ED, TRT, or weight loss medication, Peter MD's bundled monthly model can come out lower than paying separately for a Sesame visit plus retail prescription costs each month.
Treatment Options and Medications
Sesame Care covers the full range of conditions a general practitioner or specialist would treat. That includes infections, chronic disease management, mental health prescriptions, dermatology, dental cleanings, and lab orders. Clinicians can prescribe most non-controlled medications, and you choose your own pharmacy.
Peter MD offers a focused men's health formulary. ED options include sildenafil and tadalafil, both FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitors documented in the FDA drug labeling database for sildenafil. Testosterone therapy is offered for men with clinically diagnosed low T, and GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide are available for weight management.
For testosterone specifically, the Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline recommends treatment only when symptoms are present alongside two morning serum testosterone readings below the reference range. Peter MD requires lab work before initiating TRT, while Sesame Care can also order these labs but does not bundle the medication and monitoring into a single program.
Clinical Process and Support
Sesame Care uses a real-time visit model. You book a slot, meet your clinician over video or in person, and walk out with a treatment plan or prescription the same day. Follow-ups are booked as separate visits, which gives you flexibility but means support between appointments is limited unless you message the same provider directly.
Peter MD relies on asynchronous intake forms reviewed by licensed clinicians, followed by ongoing messaging support for refills, side effects, and dose adjustments. For GLP-1 weight loss specifically, the New England Journal of Medicine STEP 1 trial showed mean weight reduction of 14.9% with semaglutide 2.4 mg over 68 weeks compared with 2.4% for placebo, though individual results vary and ongoing monitoring matters.
If you want a face-to-face conversation about a new symptom, Sesame's live visit model fits better. If you want hands-off prescription renewals and condition-specific check-ins by message, Peter MD's flow is more efficient.
Who Each Brand Is Best For
Sesame Care is best for you if you don't have insurance, have a high-deductible plan, or want predictable cash prices for a wide range of medical needs. It also works well if you need a one-time consult, a referral, lab orders, or care for the whole family rather than a single condition. According to
KFF research on the uninsured, roughly 25 million U.S. adults under 65 lacked coverage in 2023, and direct-pay platforms address that gap.
Peter MD is best for you if you're a man dealing with ED, low testosterone symptoms, weight management, or hair loss and prefer a discreet, mail-order experience. The monthly subscription model makes sense when you know you'll need ongoing medication rather than a single visit.
You can also use both. Some men use Sesame for general primary care and annual physicals while keeping a Peter MD subscription for specific men's health prescriptions, since the two services don't overlap heavily.
Final Comparison
Sesame Care is the better choice for general healthcare access. Its marketplace structure, $30 starting visits, and broad specialty coverage make it a solid replacement for routine doctor visits when you're paying out of pocket. The 4.7/5 Trustpilot score reflects strong satisfaction with pricing transparency and clinician quality.
Peter MD is the better choice for ongoing men's health prescriptions. Pricing on generic ED medications is among the lowest in the telehealth space, and the bundled TRT and GLP-1 programs include the clinical monitoring that the
NIDDK recommends for hormone and metabolic therapies.
Neither brand replaces emergency care or in-person procedures, and both will refer you out when a condition needs hands-on evaluation. Match the platform to the problem you're actually trying to solve rather than treating them as direct competitors.
Final Verdict: Sesame Care vs Peter MD
Sesame Care is the stronger pick for general healthcare on a cash-pay basis, with $30 visits across primary care, specialty, and mental health. Peter MD wins for ongoing men's health prescriptions where bundled monthly pricing and built-in monitoring beat paying for separate visits and pharmacy fills. Pick based on whether you need broad medical access or focused men's health care, or use both for full coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Sesame Care prescribe ED medication like Peter MD does?
Yes. A Sesame Care clinician can evaluate you for ED and prescribe sildenafil or tadalafil during a standard visit, but you'll pay separately for the visit and the medication at a pharmacy. Peter MD bundles the consult and medication into one monthly cost, which is often cheaper if you need ongoing refills.
Does Peter MD accept insurance?
Peter MD does not bill insurance directly. It accepts HSA and FSA cards for eligible treatments and offers a price match guarantee. Sesame Care also operates outside of insurance, using flat cash prices instead.
Which platform is better for testosterone replacement therapy?
Peter MD is built around TRT and includes lab orders, prescriptions, and ongoing monitoring in one program. Sesame Care can connect you with a clinician who orders labs and prescribes testosterone, but you'll manage the prescription, pharmacy, and follow-ups separately.
Are GLP-1 weight loss medications available on both?
Peter MD offers GLP-1 weight loss programs with clinical oversight built in. Sesame Care clinicians can prescribe FDA-approved GLP-1 medications when medically appropriate, but availability and pricing depend on the individual provider and your local pharmacy.
Which has better customer ratings?
Sesame Care holds a 4.7/5 rating on Trustpilot, while Peter MD sits at 4.4/5. Both reflect generally positive experiences, with Sesame scoring higher on price transparency and Peter MD scoring well on convenience and discreet shipping.
Can you use both Sesame Care and Peter MD at the same time?
Yes, and many men do. You can use Sesame Care for primary care, urgent issues, and specialist visits, while keeping Peter MD for ongoing ED, TRT, or weight loss prescriptions. The services don't overlap much, so combining them often gives you better coverage than either alone.
Editorial Note: Researched and edited by our editorial team. AI tools assist with initial research and drafting; all content is fact-checked and edited by humans before publication. Learn more about our editorial standards
