Prescription by mail ยท Facts checked September 24, 2026
Skinli vs Curology
Skinli and Curology both build an acne routine around your photos, but they give you different things. Curology pairs you with a licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner who prescribes a custom cream and mails it to you for $29.95 a month after a 30 day trial. Skinli is free, needs no account, and builds a routine around two gels you can buy at a drugstore without a prescription. Pick Curology if store-bought gels have already failed you. Start with Skinli if you have not tried them yet.
By Nick, Founder of Skinli. We make Skinli, so read this knowing that. Every fact about Curology links to where we found it.
Try the free drugstore routine first. Move to Curology or a doctor if it has not helped after 12 weeks.
Pick Skinli if
- You have not yet tried benzoyl peroxide and adapalene for 12 weeks.
- You want to see a full routine today, with no account and no card.
- You do not want a monthly bill.
Pick Curology if
- Store-bought gels have not worked after a full 12 weeks.
- You want a licensed provider to look at your skin and answer questions by message.
- You want tretinoin or clindamycin, which need a prescription.
Skinli and Curology side by side
| What we compared | Skinli | Curology |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A morning and night acne routine built on products sold without a prescription, with a plain reason for each step. | A custom prescription cream, mailed to you. Curology also sells a cleanser and moisturizer. |
| Who looks at your skin | An AI reads your photo and your answers. No doctor or nurse looks at it. | A board-certified physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner licensed in your state, by message. |
| Prescription medicine | No. Skinli names two gels you can buy without a prescription: benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1%. | Yes. Up to 3 active ingredients chosen from tretinoin, clindamycin, niacinamide and azelaic acid. |
| Price | Free right now. Skinli plans to charge for its 4 week and 12 week plans later, and the price will be on the pricing page before it applies. | First box free for 30 days, you pay $5.45 shipping. Then $29.95 a month, billed $59.90 per 60 day shipment. |
| Subscription | None. | Required for the trial. A one-time purchase costs $34.95. |
| Extra questions to your provider | No provider. The plan explains each step and what to do if it stings. | One consultation comes with each shipment. Extra ones cost $10 each. |
| How fast you get a plan | Right away, in the same visit. | After a provider reviews your visit. Curology says providers usually reply within 2 to 3 days. |
| Account | Not needed to see your plan. Needed only to save it or store daily photos. | Needed. You fill in a medical history and upload photos. |
| Where it works | Anywhere with a web browser. | All 50 US states and DC, according to Curology. |
| Products | A shopping list of words to look for on the box, such as "adapalene 0.1%". No brands, no shop, no paid links. | Curology's own formula and its own cleanser and moisturizer. |
| Cancelling | Nothing to cancel. | Cancel on the payment page at least 2 full business days before the next order, or that order still ships. |
| When to see a doctor | If your photo shows deep, sore pimples, the plan says at the top to see a doctor. | You already have a licensed provider to message. |
Is Curology better than a drugstore routine?
Curology can prescribe tretinoin and clindamycin. Those are stronger than anything on a drugstore shelf, and a licensed provider picks the mix for your skin. For acne that has not cleared with store-bought products, that is a real step up.
For someone who has never used benzoyl peroxide and adapalene together, the drugstore route is the usual first step. The 2024 acne guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology strongly recommend both. Skinli builds a full routine around them and explains how to start slowly so they do not sting.
Who reviews your skin?
With Curology, a board-certified physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner licensed in your state reviews your photos and medical history. You talk by message, and Curology says the typical reply time is 2 to 3 days.
With Skinli, no person reviews your photo. An AI describes what it can see and combines that with your answers. Skinli says plainly when your acne needs a doctor, and puts that line at the top of your plan.
What does each one cost over 12 weeks?
Curology's first 30 days cost $5.45 for shipping. After that the cream is $29.95 a month, billed as $59.90 for each 60 day shipment. Over 12 weeks that is the $5.45 trial plus one $59.90 shipment, or $65.35, before tax.
Skinli costs nothing right now. You buy the gels, face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen yourself, and the total depends on which brands you pick. Skinli's list tells you the exact words to look for on each box, so any store brand works.
What Curology looks like
Photo and logo from Curology's own website. They belong to Curology and are shown only to identify its product. Curology has no app in the US App Store.
See what Skinli gives you before you decide.
One photo and a few quick questions. Free, and no account needed to see your plan.
Analyze my skinIs Skinli cheaper than Curology?
Skinli
- Free right now
- No account, no card
- You buy the products yourself, any brand
Curology
- 30 day trial: $5.45 shipping
- Then $29.95 a month, billed $59.90 every 60 days
- One-time purchase: $34.95
- Extra provider consultations: $10 each
Skinli is cheaper: it is free, and you only pay for the drugstore products you choose. Curology costs $29.95 a month after the trial, and that price includes the prescription and the provider.
What 3 months costs
Lowest listed price for each option, checked September 25, 2026. Prescription services include their cream. Products you buy at a store are extra for every option. Hover or tap a bar to see how it was worked out.
- Skinli$0
- Skan$29.97
- AcneTrack$29.97
- Thea$59.97
- Curology$65.35
- Musely$90
- Nurxfrom $118
Show as a table
| Option | 3 months | How we worked it out |
|---|---|---|
| Skinli | $0 | Free right now. You buy the drugstore products yourself, in any brand. |
| Skan | $29.97 | The $9.99 monthly plan for 3 months. A $19.99 yearly plan costs less if the app offers it to you. |
| AcneTrack | $29.97 | The $9.99 monthly plan for 3 months. Yearly plans start at $19.99. |
| Thea | $59.97 | The $19.99 monthly plan for 3 months. The dermatologist upgrade costs extra. |
| Curology | $65.35 | $5.45 trial shipping, then one $59.90 shipment that covers the next 60 days. Includes the prescription cream. |
| Musely | $90 | The listed $30 a month for 3 months. Includes the prescription cream. Musely ships 2 months of cream at a time. |
| Nurx | from $118 | $40 visit, the lowest listed cream at $25 a month for 3 months, and one $3 support fee, without insurance. |
Which one fits your situation?
You are new to acne products
Pick: Skinli
Start with the two gels doctors pick first. They are sold without a prescription and Skinli shows you how to start them slowly.
You used benzoyl peroxide and adapalene for 12 weeks and still break out
Pick: Curology
You need something stronger than a store sells, and a licensed provider can prescribe it.
You want a routine tonight and have no budget for a subscription
Pick: Skinli
Your plan appears right away and costs nothing.
You have deep, painful pimples or scars forming
Pick: A dermatologist in person
Deep acne can need pills or procedures that neither a web app nor a cream by mail provides.
Looking for a Curology alternative?
If you are looking for a Curology alternative because you do not want a monthly subscription, Skinli is a free place to start. It builds a morning and night routine from one photo and a few questions, with benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1% at night.
If you need a prescription and want a different service, Nurx and Musely also mail prescription acne cream. We compare both on their own pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Skinli a free alternative to Curology?
Skinli is free right now, and Curology costs $29.95 a month after a 30 day trial. They are different kinds of help. Curology gives you a prescription cream and a licensed provider. Skinli gives you a routine built on gels you can buy without a prescription. If you have not tried those gels yet, Skinli is the cheaper first step.
How much does Curology cost in 2026?
On September 25, 2026, Curology's site listed a 30 day trial for $5.45 shipping and handling. After the trial, the custom acne formula costs $29.95 a month, billed as $59.90 for each 60 day shipment with free shipping. A one-time purchase costs $34.95. Extra consultations cost $10 each. Check Curology's site for the current price before you sign up.
Does Skinli prescribe tretinoin like Curology?
No. Skinli cannot prescribe anything, because no doctor is involved. Skinli recommends adapalene 0.1%, which is a milder relative of tretinoin that you can buy without a prescription, together with benzoyl peroxide 2.5%. If those do not help after 12 weeks, a doctor or a service like Curology can prescribe tretinoin.
Is a Curology provider a dermatologist?
Not always. Curology says every member is paired with a board-certified physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner licensed in their state. Some providers are dermatologists and some are not. Skinli has no provider at all. It uses an AI to read your photo and tells you when your acne needs a doctor.
Can I use Skinli and Curology at the same time?
Do not stack them. Curology's cream can contain tretinoin, and Skinli's routine uses adapalene and benzoyl peroxide. Using both kinds of product at once dries and irritates most skin. If you start Curology, follow your provider's routine and ask them before you add anything. You can still use Skinli's daily photo tracker to see how it goes.
How do I cancel Curology?
Curology's help page says to click "I want to cancel" at the bottom of your payment page while signed in. It asks you to cancel at least 2 full business days before your next order, or that order may still ship and be charged. Skinli has nothing to cancel, because it has no subscription today.
Sources
Checked on September 24, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check Curology's own site before you pay.
- Curology home page (trial and shipping price) (Curology's own site)
- Curology Custom Formula product page (Curology's own site)
- Curology pricing and products help page (Curology's own site)
- Curology providers help page (Curology's own site)
- Curology cancelling help page (Curology's own site)
- Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris (American Academy of Dermatology, 2024) (independent source)
Get a routine built from your own photo.
One photo and a few quick questions. You do not need an account to see your routine.
Analyze my skinSkinli gives simple tips for skin with pimples. It is not a doctor. It cannot tell you what is wrong the way a doctor can. If your pimples hurt, are deep under the skin, are getting worse, or will not go away, see a doctor.