Softwr

Healthcare · head to head

GoodRx vs Included Health

G

GoodRx

Healthcare

Compare prescription drug prices and find coupons

From
Free
Rated
-
Included Health logo

Included Health

Healthcare

Care navigation and virtual care in one contract for self funded employers and health plans

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only GoodRx has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GoodRx limited effectiveness for controlled substances and specialty medications due to pharmacist discretion and manufacturer pricing; Included Health owning both the navigation recommendations and the virtual care delivery creates a structural incentive to steer members to the vendor own clinicians, and an employer should require disclosure and measurement of how often that happens.
  • They diverge on capability: GoodRx covers Price Comparison, Included Health covers Care navigation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GoodRx and Included Health actually diverge.

Attributes where GoodRx and Included Health differ
AttributeGoodRxIncluded Health
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in GoodRx

  • Price Comparison
  • Discount Coupons
  • Pharmacy Finder
  • Drug Information
  • Telehealth
  • Pharmacies
  • Health Plans
  • HIPAA

Only in Included Health

  • Care navigation
  • Provider quality steerage
  • Expert medical opinion
  • Virtual primary care
  • Virtual behavioural health
  • Virtual urgent care
  • Benefits integration
  • Employer reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GoodRx

  • Comparing and finding the lowest prescription drug price across nearby US pharmaciesnot Included Health
  • Getting free prescription discount coupons for use at pharmacy checkoutnot Included Health
  • Low-cost telehealth visits for common conditions via GoodRx Carenot Included Health
  • Medication price tracking, refill reminders, and drug identificationnot Included Health
  • Discounted pet medications and dental discounts via GoodRx Companionnot Included Health

Included Health

  • A large self funded employer whose members cannot tell which specialist to see and who currently absorbs the cost of poor referral decisionsnot GoodRx
  • An employer that has bought several point solutions and needs one front door that routes members to the ones already paid fornot GoodRx
  • A self funded plan wanting expert second opinions before high cost elective surgery, where a changed recommendation pays for the programmenot GoodRx
  • An employer replacing separate navigation and telehealth vendors with one contract and one member experiencenot GoodRx

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GoodRx

  • Limited effectiveness for controlled substances and specialty medications due to pharmacist discretion and manufacturer pricing
  • Pharmacy acceptance varies and is not universal, with some preferred pharmacies not honoring GoodRx pricing
  • Prices fluctuate daily, weekly, or monthly making it difficult to budget for consistent medication costs
  • Discount prices cannot be combined with insurance coverage, making it unsuitable for insured individuals

Included Health

  • Owning both the navigation recommendations and the virtual care delivery creates a structural incentive to steer members to the vendor own clinicians, and an employer should require disclosure and measurement of how often that happens.
  • Pricing is per employee per month across the whole eligible population, so a plan with low navigation engagement pays for everyone to serve the minority who call.
  • Savings claims rest on avoided costs and changed referral decisions, which are counterfactual by nature, so performance guarantees need very careful definition or they measure activity rather than money.
  • The company is a merger of three organisations with different origins, and members and benefits teams still encounter seams between navigation, virtual primary care and behavioural health that the single brand implies are absent.
  • It sells primarily to large self funded employers, so mid market employers and fully insured plans find both the pricing and the implementation effort disproportionate to their size.

Pricing, plan by plan

GoodRx

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GoodRx review.

Included Health

On request
  • Included Health$undefined/year
    • Per employee per month across the eligible population, quoted not published
    • Navigation and virtual care modules priced separately or bundled
    • Some components offered with performance guarantees tied to measured savings

Which should you pick?

Choose GoodRx if

  • You need price comparison.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want discount coupons.

Choose Included Health if

  • You need care navigation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want provider quality steerage.

Questions people ask

Is GoodRx or Included Health better?
Neither clearly leads. GoodRx starts at Free and Included Health at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GoodRx or Included Health?
GoodRx has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GoodRx and On request for Included Health.
Does GoodRx or Included Health run on more platforms?
GoodRx runs on iOS, Android, Web. Included Health runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use GoodRx for free?
Yes. GoodRx has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Included Health starts at On request.
What is GoodRx best used for?
GoodRx is most often used for comparing and finding the lowest prescription drug price across nearby us pharmacies, getting free prescription discount coupons for use at pharmacy checkout, low-cost telehealth visits for common conditions via goodrx care, medication price tracking, refill reminders, and drug identification. Of those, comparing and finding the lowest prescription drug price across nearby us pharmacies and getting free prescription discount coupons for use at pharmacy checkout are not what Included Health is typically brought in for.
What can GoodRx do that Included Health cannot?
GoodRx covers Price Comparison, Discount Coupons, Pharmacy Finder, Drug Information. Included Health covers Care navigation, Provider quality steerage, Expert medical opinion, Virtual primary care.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GoodRx: How much can GoodRx help you save on prescriptions?

GoodRx can help save up to 80% on prescriptions at over 70,000 US pharmacies. Savings vary by medication, pharmacy, and location.

Source
Included Health: What exactly is Included Health?

The combination of Grand Rounds Health navigation, Doctor On Demand virtual care and the original Included Health concierge service, operating under one brand since late 2021.

GoodRx: What is GoodRx Companion and how much does it cost?

GoodRx Companion (formerly GoodRx Gold) is a paid membership at $14.99 per month or $119.88 per year. It includes access to a list of 200+ generic medications that are free for members at participating pharmacies, plus $19 online care visits.

Source
Included Health: Who pays for it?

The self funded employer or the health plan pays a per employee per month fee. Virtual care visits may also carry member cost sharing depending on plan design.

GoodRx: Can GoodRx be combined with insurance or Medicare?

No. GoodRx discounts cannot be used in combination with health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Payments with GoodRx also do not count toward insurance deductibles.

Source
Included Health: Is there a minimum size?

No published minimum, but it sells primarily to large self funded employers and the pricing and implementation effort do not suit small organisations.

GoodRx: Are controlled substances eligible for GoodRx discounts?

Some controlled substances are eligible for GoodRx discounts, but certain drugs including all opioids such as hydrocodone and tramadol, and some stimulants like amphetamine are ineligible for Rewards discounts. Pharmacists maintain clinical judgment to refuse coupons for controlled medications.

Source
Included Health: How does it recommend providers?

Through data driven quality analysis rather than a plain directory. Ask specifically how those recommendations are produced and how often they resolve to the company own virtual clinicians.

Share

Related pages

Other head to heads