Male Excel vs Cost Plus TRT: Which One Fits You (and What Year One Really Costs)
Educational information, not medical advice. Testosterone is a Schedule III controlled substance and needs a valid prescription. Chest pain or trouble breathing needs emergency care; a new swollen, painful leg needs prompt medical assessment, not an online clinic intake.
Male Excel vs Cost Plus TRT, short answer: Cost Plus TRT has the lower published base price — about $1,428 for a first year of testosterone cypionate injections for a new patient, with starting and 10-week labs included — and its main site and telehealth consent list 16 states. Male Excel's advertised monthly-equivalent model is about $2,727 before shipping, while a strict 60-day refill cadence could put about $2,967 of consultation, membership, and starting-dose medication charges inside 365 days; it lists 39 states, a compounded cream option, daily dosing, and 60-day reviews.
So your state decides first. Comparing the companies' explicit published state lists, 24 states — including California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina — appear on Male Excel's list but not Cost Plus TRT's. Idaho appears on Cost Plus TRT's list while Male Excel excludes it. Cost Plus's separate intake landing page currently says it is available in 15 states without naming them, so confirm availability during intake before paying.
And price isn't even the biggest difference between these two. The biggest difference is how each one decides you need testosterone at all. We'll get to that in Section 6, because it may change which one you trust.
Three things that flip the answer fast:
- Already on TRT with recent labs? Cost Plus drops to $89 a month.
- Hate needles, or want a clinician on your case every 60 days? Only Male Excel offers a cream and 60-day reviews.
- Want a baby soon, or never had low testosterone confirmed with two morning blood tests? Start with a urologist or TRT Provider Guide's Find My TRT Path tool before either one.
Quick pick
TRT Provider Guide is the independent decision resource for testosterone replacement therapy — helping U.S. adults understand how low testosterone is evaluated, compare online and local care models and providers, and choose the next step that fits their health needs, fertility plans, budget, state, and care preferences, with every material claim verified and dated.
The right TRT provider is not the same for every person — it depends on whether low testosterone has been properly evaluated, your symptoms and health history, your fertility plans, your state, your insurance or cash-pay preference, your treatment-format preference, your budget, and whether online or in-person care is the better starting point. Some situations belong with primary care, urology, endocrinology, reproductive urology, or urgent or emergency care when the symptoms warrant it. Because a general answer cannot resolve those for you, use TRT Provider Guide's Find My TRT Path tool to map your situation to the right care route and the questions to ask before you pay.
What we actually verified
Date: October 11, 2026
What we read: Male Excel's homepage, TRT program page, pricing page, FAQ, Terms & Conditions (updated July 2026), Excel Advantage Guarantee terms, and safety information. Cost Plus TRT's homepage, TRT program page, pricing page, FAQ, About page, Terms of Service (updated February 2, 2026), and telehealth consent. Plus FDA, DEA, the American Urological Association (AUA), and the Endocrine Society.
Verified on official pages: prices and billing cycles, what each plan includes, state lists, lab process, dose limits, treatment formats, Male Excel's compounding disclosure, insurance stance, cancellation and refund language, fertility-related add-ons.
Provider-stated (we didn't test it): shipping speed, clinician response times, patient counts, guideline adherence.
Not publicly confirmed as of our check: Male Excel's shipping charge; which of Male Excel's named pharmacy partners would fill an individual prescription; whether Cost Plus's testosterone cypionate is an FDA-approved finished product or compounded; which pharmacy fills Cost Plus's testosterone; whether Cost Plus includes lab work after week 10; prices for Cost Plus's fertility add-ons; and why Cost Plus's intake landing page says 15 states while its main site and telehealth consent explicitly list 16.
What we didn't do: We didn't sign up as patients. This is a comparison built from public records and each company's own documents, not a hands-on review. Our method: How We Review TRT Providers.
Affiliate disclosure: Male Excel is a commercial partner of TRT Provider Guide, and we may earn a commission from qualifying referrals. Cost Plus TRT does not pay us. Compensation does not change the math below — which is exactly why Cost Plus wins the published-price comparison here. Read our affiliate disclosure.
1. Male Excel vs Cost Plus TRT at a glance
Male Excel and Cost Plus TRT both offer telehealth testosterone care, but they charge in different ways. Cost Plus publishes one monthly program price that includes testosterone cypionate, supplies, and shipping. Male Excel charges a $99 monthly membership plus separately priced medication and shipping. Cost Plus's explicit pages list 16 states, while Male Excel lists 39.
Here's everything side by side.
Last verified October 11, 2026. Year-one figures are our math from each company's published starting prices; see Section 3.
Look at the first row before anything else. If your state is on Male Excel's list but not Cost Plus TRT's explicit published list, Cost Plus is not a current published option there. Confirm availability during intake because Cost Plus's separate intake landing page currently gives a conflicting 15-state count.
Live in one of the 24 states on Male Excel's list but not Cost Plus TRT's explicit list? You don't have a two-way comparison unless Cost Plus confirms new availability. Start by confirming the provider that publicly lists your state.
Start Male Excel's free symptom assessment →
2. Can you use Male Excel or Cost Plus TRT in your state?
Check your state first, because it can end the comparison. Based on the companies' explicit published lists, both list the same 15 states; Male Excel lists 24 additional states, Cost Plus lists Idaho while Male Excel excludes it, and neither list covers 10 states including Alabama, Connecticut, and Minnesota. Cost Plus's separate intake page currently gives a conflicting 15-state total, so confirm availability before paying.
Neither company publishes the other's map. So we laid Male Excel's exclusion list (from its FAQ) next to Cost Plus's covered-state list (from its telehealth consent and homepage) and sorted every state.
Sources: Male Excel FAQ and homepage; Cost Plus TRT telehealth consent, homepage, and intake landing page. Checked October 11, 2026. Neither provider's explicit TRT state list reviewed here includes Washington, D.C.
A few things worth knowing:
- Being on a published list doesn't mean you'll get a prescription or even guarantee an appointment. It means the company publicly lists service there; the prescriber still decides whether treatment is appropriate, and current clinician availability can change.
- You must be physically in that state during your visit. Both companies' terms say this.
- Cost Plus's pages conflict on coverage. Its FAQ says "most US states," its homepage, About page, and telehealth consent explicitly list 16, while its separate intake landing page says it is currently available in 15 states without naming them. We use the explicit 16-state list for this comparison but tell you to reconfirm availability during intake.
What if neither one serves your state?
If you're in one of the 10 "neither" states, both are off the table for now. Your next step is a local primary care doctor or urologist, or a different online program licensed where you live. TRT Provider Guide's Find My TRT Path tool can help you sort which route makes sense and what to ask.
Do you need an in-person visit?
Not right now — but that could change. Here's why.
Federal law generally restricts prescribing controlled substances over the internet without an in-person medical evaluation unless an exception applies. Testosterone is a Schedule III controlled substance. DEA and HHS have extended the current COVID-era telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled medications through December 31, 2026, subject to DEA requirements and applicable federal and state law.
What happens after December 31, 2026 depends on any final federal rules and applicable state law. Male Excel's current fine print already warns that a testosterone treatment plan may require an in-person medical exam based on DEA and state laws. We'll update this page when the federal rule changes.
Your state is on Male Excel's list? The free assessment takes a few minutes, and your state is one of the first things it asks.
Check your state in Male Excel's free assessment →
3. Which costs less: Male Excel or Cost Plus TRT?
Cost Plus TRT costs less on the published base-price math. A new patient on injections models to about $1,428 for 12 months at Cost Plus. Male Excel's injection subtotal is about $2,727 before shipping if its “every other month” billing wording controls, or about $2,967 if 60-day refills occur strictly within 365 days. Transfer patients with their own labs can model to about $1,068 at Cost Plus.
"$89 vs $99" is the wrong comparison
Both headlines are true. Neither tells you what you'll pay.
- Cost Plus's $89 is its cheapest plan, and only for men already on TRT who bring their own lab work. New patients pay $119.
- Male Excel's $99 is a membership. It doesn't include medication. Medication is billed on top, starting at $120 a month for injections.
So you're really comparing $119 against about $219. Then you multiply by twelve.
Your first year, side by side
How we got these numbers:
- Male Excel injections: advertised-rate model: $99 to start + 12 × $99 membership + six medication charges of $240 (the page's $120/month equivalent for a 60-day supply) = $2,727. If the “60-day supply” language is applied as an exact refill interval, a seventh $240 medication charge can fall by day 360, bringing the 365-day cash-flow model to $2,967 before shipping.
- Male Excel cream: advertised-rate model: $99 + 12 × $99 + six medication charges of $264 (the page's $132/month equivalent for a 60-day supply) = $2,871. A strict 60-day cash-flow model can place a seventh $264 medication charge by day 360, bringing the 365-day subtotal to $3,135 before shipping.
- Cost Plus new patient: 12 × $119 = $1,428. Medication up to 160 mg a week, injection supplies, shipping, starting labs, and 10-week labs are included.
- Cost Plus transfer with your own labs: 12 × $89 = $1,068.
What we assumed: each company's published starting price on October 11, 2026; 12 Male Excel membership charges; no dose changes; and no unpriced extras. Male Excel uses both “60-day supply” and “billed every other month” on the same pricing page. Those schedules are not mathematically identical over 365 days, so we show both the six-fill advertised-rate model and the stricter seven-fill 60-day cash-flow model. Neither is a personal quote. Confirm the actual refill dates, first prescription charge, shipping, and taxes before you pay.
How much do you pay up front?
- Cost Plus: your first charge is $297.50 for a new patient (that covers 2.5 months), $238 for a transfer who needs labs, or $178 for a transfer with labs (two months each).
- Male Excel: $99 covers the advertised at-home lab test and provider consultation. If treatment is prescribed, the pricing page describes the starting injection medication as $120/month equivalent for a 60-day supply, billed every other month, plus the required $99 monthly membership and shipping. That implies a $240 medication charge for a 60-day supply at the starting rate; confirm the actual first post-prescription charge before paying.
What can make each bill go up
This is where cheap-looking TRT gets expensive. Here's every cost lever we found in each company's own documents:
One gap matters more than it looks. The AUA testosterone guideline says testosterone levels should be checked every 6 to 12 months during treatment. Cost Plus includes labs at the start and at week 10. After that, its pricing page lists "additional labs" as add-ons — so plan on paying something extra each year for monitoring. Male Excel's membership includes testing every six months.
Male Excel's public reviews include complaints about unexpected charges and the required membership. Those are individual customer-experience signals, not proof of policy. The policy-level point comes from Male Excel's own pricing material: medication price can change with the treatment type and prescribed dose.
Insurance, HSA, and FSA
Neither company takes insurance. Male Excel's terms say it isn't enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid either. Male Excel says HSA and FSA funds can be used; Cost Plus doesn't say.
If you have good insurance, don't skip this: a local doctor prescribing an FDA-approved testosterone product through your plan may cost less than either cash-pay program. It depends on your plan's coverage and prior-authorization rules.
The honest part
Male Excel does not compete on published base price. If the lowest published bill is your priority, your state is on Cost Plus TRT's explicit list, and its intake confirms availability, Cost Plus is the better-priced option to investigate first.
See Cost Plus TRT's current plans →
But Male Excel uses a different care and pricing model. Its public program offers daily injections or a compounded cream, medication pricing that can change with the prescribed dose, continuity with a dedicated provider, and 60-day reviews rather than Cost Plus TRT's published six-month live-visit cadence. If those features matter to you — or Cost Plus does not list your state — they are real differences to weigh against the higher published subtotal.
If that's the trade you want, see exactly what Male Excel charges before you commit to anything beyond the $99 lab kit.
See Male Excel's current pricing →
For a full breakdown of one side, see our Cost Plus TRT cost guide.
4. What testosterone will you actually get?
Not the same product. Cost Plus TRT prescribes testosterone cypionate injections. Male Excel prescribes daily small-dose injections or a twice-daily cream, usually packaged with thyroid medicine. Male Excel says its testosterone is compounded and not FDA-approved. Cost Plus doesn't say either way on its public pages.
FDA-approved vs compounded: why it matters
An FDA-approved testosterone product has been reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, and quality before it's sold. FDA-approved forms include injections, gels, patches, pills, and a cheek-applied tablet.
A compounded product is mixed by a pharmacy for an individual prescription. In the FDA's words, "Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved." That means the FDA doesn't check their safety, effectiveness, or quality before they reach you.
Compounded doesn't automatically mean bad. Pharmacies that compound are licensed and regulated, mostly by state pharmacy boards. But it isn't the same as an FDA-approved product, and nobody should tell you it is.
Male Excel: Its site describes its testosterone as compounded in the United States and states that compounded medications are not FDA-approved or evaluated by FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality before marketing. Its FAQ publicly names Anazao Health Corp. and WellDyneRx as pharmacy partners. Its terms say prescriptions are sent to contracted pharmacies; the public pages do not establish which named pharmacy would fill an individual patient's testosterone prescription.
Cost Plus TRT: Its pages say its testosterone cypionate comes from "the same pharmacies as the larger companies" and that medications ship from "DEA-licensed, state-inspected U.S. pharmacies — never compounded overseas." They don't say whether your testosterone is an FDA-approved product or compounded, and they don't name the pharmacy. Its fertility add-ons, it says, are compounded by a licensed 503A pharmacy (a pharmacy that compounds for individual prescriptions under state oversight).
If you want only an FDA-approved testosterone product, ask in writing before you pay — or go through a local prescriber who can send an FDA-approved product to the pharmacy of your choice.
Daily small doses vs weekly-style injections
Male Excel describes its injection program as once-daily subcutaneous testosterone cypionate and its cream as twice-daily topical use. It argues that its daily injection schedule reduces peaks and dips compared with less-frequent injections. Cost Plus TRT publishes testosterone cypionate injection plans with a 160 mg/week price cap before added cost. Your prescription label and clinician's instructions control; this comparison is not dosing guidance.
Our take: Male Excel's daily injection schedule is a real treatment format, but the provider's superiority claims are not enough to establish that it produces better outcomes for most men than other clinician-directed schedules. Treat the schedule as a convenience and care-model difference, not a proven clinical advantage.
The cream: no needles, but a transfer risk
Male Excel's testosterone cream is a compounded "Lipoderm" preparation. It's the only non-injection testosterone on either menu. The catch: topical testosterone can expose children or partners through skin contact. FDA-approved topical testosterone labeling includes strong secondary-exposure warnings, and Male Excel publishes the same type of transfer warning in its safety information. If you share a bed with a partner or hug young kids, read our guide to testosterone cream transfer risk first.
Why is thyroid medicine in Male Excel's TRT package?
Male Excel's published starting injection and cream packages include thyroid medication. Its pricing page says thyroid "helps with testosterone effectiveness." That is the provider's claim, not an FDA-established reason every TRT patient needs thyroid treatment. Its own safety information also says:
- The thyroid product is described by Male Excel as "not an Orange Book product." Do not read that as an FDA-approved generic-equivalence claim.
- Thyroid hormone doesn't help weight loss in people whose thyroid works normally, and large doses can be dangerous.
What that means for you: ask why thyroid medicine is being proposed for you, what diagnosis or lab finding supports it, and whether a testosterone-only option is available. If you already take thyroid medicine, tell the prescribing clinician before treatment. Do not use another patient's review to decide whether thyroid medication is appropriate for you.
The oral option isn't oral testosterone
Male Excel also sells Triclozene, a tablet. Its pricing page says it contains clomiphene citrate plus thyroid. Its TRT page calls its oral option enclomiphene. Those are two different drugs, and neither is testosterone. They nudge your body to make more of its own. Clomiphene is FDA-approved for ovulation problems in women, so using it in men is off-label. There's no FDA-approved enclomiphene product in the U.S. If you want pills, see our guide to oral TRT options, which covers the FDA-approved oral testosterone products.
Five questions to ask either company before you pay
- What exact testosterone product will I get?
- Is it FDA-approved or compounded?
- Which pharmacy fills it, and what name will be on the label?
- Is anything else bundled in (like thyroid), and can I say no to it?
- What will my medication cost if my dose goes up?
Need a needle-free option, or want to try daily dosing? Ask Male Excel's provider these five questions during your consultation. The assessment itself is free.
Take Male Excel's free assessment →
5. How much clinician contact and lab monitoring do you get?
Male Excel says its membership provides continuity with a dedicated provider, 60-day reviews, unlimited e-visits and messaging, and comprehensive blood testing every six months. Cost Plus TRT publishes a live visit every six months plus secure messaging; its new-patient plan includes initial labs and 10-week follow-up labs. The public pages describe different contact schedules, not independently measured care quality.
Service cadence and continuity are provider-stated, from each company's pages checked October 11, 2026. We didn't test response times, verify the clinician assigned to an individual patient, or independently credential every named clinician.
What good monitoring looks like on any program
Whoever you choose, the AUA guideline says your clinician should check these things before and during treatment:
- Hematocrit — the share of your blood made of red blood cells. Testosterone can push it too high, which thickens the blood. The AUA says to check it before starting.
- PSA (prostate-specific antigen) — a blood test used to screen for prostate problems. The AUA says men over 40 should have it checked before starting.
- Testosterone levels — every 6 to 12 months during treatment.
- Blood pressure — in February 2025, the FDA required all testosterone products to carry a warning that testosterone can raise blood pressure.
Ask either company exactly when each of these gets checked — and whether it's included in what you're paying.
If having one provider who checks in every 60 days is the kind of care you want, Male Excel is built around that.
Start Male Excel's assessment and $99 lab kit →
6. Do Male Excel and Cost Plus TRT decide you need testosterone the same way?
Their public framing differs, and this may be the most important difference. Cost Plus TRT says TRT is for clinically diagnosed testosterone deficiency confirmed by lab testing and says its protocols follow Endocrine Society and AUA guidance. Male Excel emphasizes symptoms and optimization on parts of its site. Current AUA and Endocrine Society guidance requires compatible symptoms or signs plus consistently low testosterone confirmed with repeat morning testing.
Here's the fork, in each company's own framing:
What the guidelines actually say
Hypogonadism is the medical term for when the body doesn't make enough testosterone. Here's how the two main U.S. guidelines say to diagnose it:
- American Urological Association (2018, validity confirmed 2024): Diagnose low testosterone only with symptoms or signs plus low total testosterone (all the testosterone in your blood), measured twice, on separate days, both early in the morning. It calls below 300 ng/dL a reasonable cutoff.
- Endocrine Society (2018): Diagnose only in men with symptoms and signs and "unequivocally and consistently low" testosterone, confirmed by repeating a fasting morning test.
No single number, symptom list, or quiz diagnoses low testosterone. That includes ours.
What this means for you
If you have symptoms but previous testing did not establish testosterone deficiency, do not use a symptom quiz or an "optimization" target as a substitute for diagnosis. Male Excel's public messaging may appeal to men in that situation, but its testosterone is compounded and cash-pay, and FDA-approved testosterone products are not approved simply for age-related low testosterone without an associated medical condition.
That does not decide whether Male Excel is appropriate for you. It means the diagnostic question should be settled with a clinician using appropriate repeat testing and evaluation before the provider comparison decides anything.
Ask either company before you pay: Will you require two early-morning blood tests before prescribing? For more, see do you need two low testosterone tests for TRT? and how low testosterone is diagnosed.
Not sure your low testosterone has been properly confirmed? Get that settled before you pick a clinic. TRT Provider Guide's Find My TRT Path tool lays out the testing and questions that fit your situation.
Map your testing path with Find My TRT Path →
7. What if you want kids someday?
Testosterone therapy can lower sperm production, so bring up fertility before you start. The AUA says testosterone shouldn't be prescribed to men currently trying to conceive. Cost Plus TRT offers gonadorelin and enclomiphene add-ons; Male Excel offers a clomiphene-based tablet. Neither guarantees your fertility.
Here's why this matters. Testosterone from outside your body tells your brain to stop sending the signals your testicles need to make sperm. That process is called spermatogenesis. For some men, sperm counts drop a lot. How much, and whether it comes back after stopping, varies from man to man. No one can promise either way.
What each company offers:
- Cost Plus TRT lists two "fertility support" add-ons, prescribed only after evaluation: gonadorelin (a dissolving tablet) and enclomiphene. Both are compounded by a licensed 503A pharmacy, it says. It doesn't publish their prices.
- Male Excel publishes Triclozene as a clomiphene-citrate-and-thyroid product on its pricing page, while another current treatment page references enclomiphene. Because those are different drugs, we do not treat the two descriptions as interchangeable.
- Neither current treatment menu we reviewed lists hCG. That absence does not establish what an individual clinician may discuss or prescribe.
These medicines are not testosterone. The specific compounded gonadorelin and enclomiphene options described by Cost Plus TRT, and Male Excel's clomiphene-based Triclozene use in men, are not FDA-approved treatments for preserving fertility during testosterone therapy.
Our editorial take: if near-term fertility matters, neither online TRT program should be your first stop. A reproductive urologist or other fertility-aware clinician can evaluate semen and hormone findings and discuss whether exogenous testosterone fits your goals. Read more in does TRT affect fertility?
Thinking about a baby in the next year or two? Get a fertility-first plan before you pick any TRT program.
Build a fertility-first plan in Find My TRT Path →
8. Which is easier to cancel — and what can you get back?
You can stop either company without a long-term contract. Getting money back is harder. Male Excel's terms say all sales are final, except a 90-day guarantee that refunds membership fees under conditions. Cost Plus TRT generally doesn't refund consultations, limits medication refunds, and bills two to two-and-a-half months up front.
What Male Excel's guarantee really covers
Male Excel's homepage says: follow the protocol for 90 days, and you'll see results or get your membership fees back. The actual terms are narrower:
- What's refunded: your first three months of membership fees only. Not lab fees, not medication.
- Who qualifies: new members who stay on the protocol for 90 days in a row and attend every scheduled appointment.
- How "no improvement" is judged: by Male Excel's own assessment and what you report to your provider.
- Deadline: you must ask within 30 days after day 90, with proof you followed the plan.
So the most you'd get back is about $297. It's a real safety net, but a small one.
Ask this before you enter your card
"If your clinician decides not to prescribe for me, exactly what do I get refunded?"
Get the answer in writing. Screenshot your plan page. Cancel before your next billing block if you're unsure.
If a written, three-month membership guarantee gives you the confidence to try, read its terms, then start.
Read Male Excel's guarantee terms →
9. Is Cost Plus TRT legit — and is it connected to Mark Cuban?
Cost Plus TRT displays a LegitScript seal, names a physician medical director, and publishes clear plan prices. Its About page says it borrowed its pricing idea from Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs, but we found no claim on its site that the two companies are owned together or partnered. We also found several details on Cost Plus TRT's own pages that do not match each other.
To be fair, we gave both companies the same treatment: we read every page we could and noted every place one page contradicts another.
What doesn't line up
None of these prove anything is wrong. Websites drift. But a company that is careful with small details is usually careful with the big ones, and you deserve to know before you hand over a card. You can check any doctor's license on your state medical board's website and board certification at certificationmatters.org.
Cost Plus TRT, the good
It's the most transparent price sheet we've seen for online TRT. Three plans, plain numbers, medication and supplies included. It displays a LegitScript certification seal. It names a medical director. And it states clearly that it doesn't prescribe for bodybuilding or athletic performance.
What's thin: we found no Trustpilot profile, and very little independent public feedback. That's common for a newer company. It just means you're relying more on its own word.
Male Excel, the trust picture
Male Excel is run by Male Excel Inc. (doing business as Excel Medical) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its terms say the company itself is not a healthcare provider. Care comes from physician-owned medical practices it works with, starting with Male Excel Medical P.A., and labs go through its affiliated lab, AEMA Labs. It displays a LegitScript seal and says it has treated more than 100,000 patients.
On Trustpilot, Male Excel held a 4.5/5 TrustScore across 6,660 reviews when checked. Recent reviews include praise for clinician communication and support, alongside individual complaints about charges, membership, responsiveness, and treatment experiences. Those reports are customer-experience signals, not proof of medical quality, safety, or typical results.
Reviews can tell you how a company treats customers. They can't tell you whether a treatment is safe or will work for you. Read the 1-star and 3-star ones, not just the 5s.
Want a provider with years of public reviews and a named medical team? Start with Male Excel's free assessment.
Start the Male Excel assessment →
For the full picture on one side, read our Cost Plus TRT reviews page.
10. Male Excel or Cost Plus TRT: which should you choose?
Choose by state availability first, then budget, then the kind of care you want. Cost Plus TRT has the lower published base price for injection users where intake confirms access. Male Excel has the wider explicit state list and publishes a compounded cream option, daily injection schedule, and 60-day reviews.
Find your line:
Does Male Excel's model sound like your situation? Its public program describes continuity with a dedicated provider, daily injections or compounded cream, 60-day reviews, and service in 39 states. The first step is a free assessment; the advertised $99 start includes an at-home lab test and provider consultation. No prescription is promised. The clinician decides.
Start Male Excel's free assessment →
Cost Plus fits you better? Go with it.
11. What if neither one fits?
If you live in one of the 10 states neither company serves, want an FDA-approved product through insurance, or need fertility or specialist care first, look at a different care route rather than forcing one of these two.
- Insured and want an FDA-approved product? Start with your primary care doctor or a urologist.
- Fertility is the priority? A reproductive urologist, before any testosterone.
- Comparing other online programs? See Male Excel vs Gameday Men's Health.
- Still unsure? TRT Provider Guide's Find My TRT Path tool maps your state, goals, and health history to a care route, plus the questions to ask before you pay. It's educational. It doesn't diagnose you or decide whether you'll get a prescription.
12. How we compared Male Excel and Cost Plus TRT
We compared both companies using our published method, How We Review TRT Providers. We read each company's own pricing pages, terms, FAQs, and consent forms on October 11, 2026, checked medical claims against FDA, DEA, AUA, and Endocrine Society sources, and did the cost math ourselves. We didn't sign up as patients.
Our How We Review TRT Providers method looks at clinical eligibility, testing, clinician access, state availability, treatment formats, medication and pharmacy transparency, fertility handling, monitoring, total cost, cancellation, support, and how honest each company's claims are.
On this page we kept four kinds of information apart:
- Verified facts — read on official pages and dated.
- Provider-stated facts — what a company says about itself that we couldn't test, labeled as such.
- Customer-experience signals — patterns in public reviews. They describe experiences, not policies or medical results.
- Editorial judgment — our "best for" calls, built only from the facts above.
We don't give scores. We don't let commissions decide verdicts; Cost Plus doesn't pay us and still wins on price here. Prices, states, and telemedicine rules change. Recheck the provider pages and federal rule before relying on this comparison after its verification date.
13. FAQ
Is Cost Plus TRT cheaper than Male Excel?
Yes. At published starting prices, a new patient on injections models to about $1,428 for 12 months at Cost Plus TRT. Male Excel's comparable subtotal is about $2,727 before shipping using its “every other month” billing language, or about $2,967 if 60-day refills occur strictly within 365 days. Transfer patients with their own labs can pay about $1,068 at Cost Plus. Male Excel says medication cost can change with the prescribed treatment type and dose.
How much does Male Excel cost per month?
Male Excel charges a $99 monthly membership plus medication. Its starting injection package is $120 a month and its cream package $132 a month, billed every 60 days, plus shipping. Getting started costs $99 for an at-home lab kit and consultation.
How much does Cost Plus TRT cost per month?
$119 a month for new patients and transfers who need labs, or $89 a month for transfers who bring their own labs. You prepay 2 to 2.5 months at a time. Medication up to 160 mg a week, supplies, and shipping are included.
What states does Cost Plus TRT serve?
Its homepage and telehealth consent explicitly list 16: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. A separate intake landing page currently says 15 states without naming them, so confirm availability during intake before paying.
What states doesn't Male Excel serve?
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. It serves the other 39 states.
Is Cost Plus TRT owned by Mark Cuban?
Nothing on Cost Plus TRT's site claims a connection. Its About page says its founder borrowed the pricing model from Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs.
Is Male Excel's testosterone FDA-approved?
No. Male Excel says its testosterone is compounded in the United States, and that its compounded medications are not FDA-approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness, or quality.
Is Cost Plus TRT's testosterone FDA-approved?
Its public pages do not establish whether the testosterone cypionate an individual patient receives is an FDA-approved finished product or a compounded preparation. The company says medications ship from U.S. pharmacies, but it does not publicly identify the testosterone product or filling pharmacy on the TRT pages we reviewed. Ask for the exact product and pharmacy before paying.
Does Cost Plus TRT offer testosterone cream?
Not on its TRT program pages. Its plans are built around testosterone cypionate injections.
Do Male Excel and Cost Plus TRT take insurance?
No. Both are cash-pay. Male Excel isn't enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid and says HSA and FSA funds are eligible. Cost Plus doesn't state its HSA/FSA policy.
Can I switch from Male Excel to Cost Plus TRT?
Cost Plus TRT publishes transfer plans at $89/month if you supply your own labs and $119/month if you need labs. If your state appears on the companies' overlapping explicit lists, confirm current Cost Plus availability first; its clinician still decides whether to prescribe. Ask Male Excel how to obtain copies of the records and lab results you may need for transfer.
Can I cancel Male Excel anytime?
Male Excel says there is no contract and that treatment can be canceled. Its terms also say sales and applicable fees are generally final and nonrefundable. A separate 90-day guarantee can refund the first three months of membership fees if its eligibility and adherence conditions are met; medication and lab fees are not covered by that guarantee.
Do I need two blood tests before starting TRT?
The AUA guideline says yes: two total testosterone tests on separate days, both early in the morning, plus symptoms or signs. Ask either company whether it requires both before prescribing.
Does either one include hCG?
Neither lists hCG. Cost Plus lists gonadorelin and enclomiphene add-ons. Male Excel lists a clomiphene-based tablet. None of these are FDA-approved to protect fertility during testosterone therapy.
Will online TRT still work after 2026?
DEA and HHS have extended the current telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled medications through December 31, 2026, subject to applicable federal and state law. What applies after that date depends on final federal rules and state requirements. Some patients may need an in-person evaluation.
Still not sure which TRT care route fits you? Use our free Find My TRT Path tool.
Sources
All accessed October 11, 2026.
Male Excel
- TRT online program page
- Hormone treatment costs
- Homepage
- FAQ (states served)
- Terms & Conditions
- Excel Advantage Guarantee terms
- Testosterone cypionate injections
- Trustpilot reviews
Cost Plus TRT
- Homepage
- TRT programs
- Pricing
- FAQ
- About
- Terms of Service
- Telehealth consent
- Intake landing page
- Launch press release
Medical and regulatory
- American Urological Association — Evaluation and Management of Testosterone Deficiency (2018; validity confirmed 2024)
- Endocrine Society — Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism (2018)
- FDA — Class-wide labeling changes for testosterone products (Feb. 28, 2025)
- FDA — Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers
- DEA — Telemedicine flexibilities extended through Dec. 31, 2026 (Dec. 31, 2025)
- DEA — Drug scheduling