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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 gives a free acne score with no account, then sells a routine built on two gels you can buy at a drugstore without a prescription, from $19.99, paid once. 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 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 a full routine today, with no account and no provider visit.
- You want a short plan that stops by itself, not a monthly bill that goes on until you cancel.
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. If you save a photo, you and the Skinli site owner can see 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 | The acne score and photo summary are free, with no sign-up. The 4 week plan is $19.99 once, for 4 weeks. The 12 week plan is $39.99 once, for 12 weeks. Nothing renews and nothing else is charged. The products are extra. | First box free for 30 days, you pay $5.45 shipping. Then $29.95 a month, billed $59.90 per 60 day shipment. |
| Subscription | No. One payment: $19.99 once, for 4 weeks, or $39.99 once, for 12 weeks. The plan ends by itself after the 4 or 12 weeks, and nothing renews. | 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 | Your score right away. The plan right after you pay, 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 score or to buy a 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. You pay once, nothing renews, and the plan stays open for the weeks you paid for. | 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.
Curology was started in 2014 by Dr. David Lortscher, a board-certified dermatologist, according to his own LinkedIn profile and an independent interview. We have not spoken with him.
With Skinli, no doctor reviews your photo. An AI describes what it can see and combines that with your answers. If you save a photo, you and the Skinli site owner can see it. 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?
We checked Curology's own Custom Formula product page again on October 29, 2026, and the $5.45 trial and the $29.95 a month price after it had not changed. Curology's home page now leads with a different, bundled first-box offer, but its Custom Formula product page still lists the same trial and monthly price. If you see a different price somewhere else, it may be from an older page or a different Curology product.
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.
The 4 week plan is $19.99 once, for 4 weeks. The 12 week plan is $39.99 once, for 12 weeks. Nothing renews and nothing else is charged. That price is for the plan only. 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, with no account needed. Your acne score and what your photo shows are free. The 4 week plan is $19.99 once, for 4 weeks. The 12 week plan is $39.99 once, for 12 weeks. Nothing renews and nothing else is charged.
Get my free acne scoreHow Skinli works, and how far to trust a photo
Is Skinli cheaper than Curology?
Skinli
- Free acne score, with no sign-up
- 4 week plan: $19.99 once, for 4 weeks
- 12 week plan: $39.99 once, for 12 weeks
- One payment. Each plan stops by itself, and nothing renews
- 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's plan costs less: $39.99 in all for 12 weeks, against $65.35 for Curology's first 3 months. Curology's price includes the prescription cream and the provider. Skinli's does not include the drugstore products, which you pay for on top.
What 3 months costs
Lowest listed price for each option, checked September 25, 2026. Skinli's bar is its whole 12 week plan, $39.99 once, for 12 weeks. 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.
- SkinPal AIfrom $23.97
- Skan$29.97
- AcneTrack$29.97
- Pimpl$38.97
- Skinli$39.99
- Thea$59.97
- Curology$65.35
- Hims & Hersfrom $87
- MDacne$87
- Musely$96
- Nurxfrom $118
Show as a table
| Option | 3 months | How we worked it out |
|---|---|---|
| SkinPal AI | from $23.97 | The lowest monthly price in the US App Store list, $7.99, for 3 months. The app's own description lists $12.99 a month. |
| 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. |
| Pimpl | $38.97 | The $12.99 monthly plan for 3 months. A $29.99 yearly discount costs less if the app offers it to you. |
| Skinli | $39.99 | The 12 week plan: $39.99 once, for 12 weeks. It stops by itself after 12 weeks. The drugstore products are extra: you buy them yourself, in any brand. |
| 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. |
| Hims & Hers | from $87 | The "starting at $29 a month" price for 3 months. The visit and shipping are free. The exact price shows only after the online visit. |
| MDacne | $87 | $9 trial shipping in the US, then one $78 refill that covers the next 2 months, before tax. Includes MDacne's cleanser, moisturizer and night cream. |
| Musely | $96 | The listed $32 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, with no wait for a provider
Pick: Skinli
Your plan appears as soon as you pay. Curology says its providers usually reply within 2 to 3 days.
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 bill that goes on until you cancel, Skinli is one place to start. The score is free, and the plan is from $19.99, paid once, with nothing that renews. 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 cheaper alternative to Curology?
Skinli's 12 week plan is $39.99 once, for 12 weeks, 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 buy yourself without a prescription, so the gels cost extra. Curology's 30 day trial costs less at first, $5.45 for shipping. Over 12 weeks, Skinli costs less: $39.99 against $65.35.
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. With Skinli, you cancel any time on the plan page, and the plan stays open until the time you paid for runs out.
Sources
Checked on October 29, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check Curology's own site before you pay.
How we checked this: we read the company's own pages, its app store listing and Apple's own catalog data on the date above, and copied the prices as listed. We have not bought or used this company's product, so nothing here is a hands-on review, and we do not rate how well it works. Facts that come only from the company are marked as its own site in the list below.
- 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)
- David Lortscher, MD, LinkedIn profile (Curology founder, credentials) (independent source)
- Pear Healthcare Playbook: David Lortscher on Curology (founding story, 2014 date) (independent source)
- Curology US checkout page, re-checked October 19, 2026 (Curology's own site)
- Curology Custom Formula product page, re-checked October 29, 2026: $5.45 trial, $29.95/mo subscription and $34.95 one-time price unchanged, separate from a new bundled first-box offer now on Curology's home 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.
Get my free acne scoreSkinli 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.