Prescription by mail ยท Facts checked September 24, 2026
Skinli vs Musely
Skinli and Musely take different routes to clearer skin. Musely has a board-certified doctor review your questionnaire, usually within 24 hours according to Musely, and writes a prescription for a cream a pharmacy mixes for you with tretinoin, clindamycin, niacinamide and azelaic acid. It costs $30 a month as a 2 month auto-refill, or $86 for one order with no subscription. Skinli is free and builds a routine around two gels sold without a prescription. Try Skinli first if you have not used those gels. Musely fits when you need a prescription.
By Nick, Founder of Skinli. We make Skinli, so read this knowing that. Every fact about Musely links to where we found it.
Skinli is free and uses drugstore gels. Musely costs $30 a month and gives you a prescription cream.
Pick Skinli if
- You have not tried benzoyl peroxide and adapalene for 12 weeks.
- You do not want automatic refills.
- You want a full morning and night routine, with face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen explained.
Pick Musely if
- Drugstore gels have not worked after 12 weeks.
- You want a doctor to choose a prescription cream for you.
- You like one cream that combines several ingredients.
Skinli and Musely side by side
| What we compared | Skinli | Musely |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A morning and night acne routine built on products sold without a prescription, with a plain reason for each step. | One prescription cream, mixed by a pharmacy for you and mailed. Musely sells other creams too. |
| Who looks at your skin | An AI reads your photo and your answers. No doctor or nurse looks at it. | A board-certified doctor reviews your medical history questionnaire. Musely says within 24 hours. |
| Prescription medicine | No. Skinli names two gels you can buy without a prescription: benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1%. | Yes. The acne cream contains 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. | $30 a month, sent as a 2 month supply on auto-refill. Or $86 for one order with no subscription. |
| Shipping | Nothing ships. You buy products at any store. | Free shipping on every order. |
| Subscription | None. | Auto-refill, or a one-time order. Musely says you can pause or cancel anytime. |
| Money back | Nothing to refund today. | Musely promises a full refund of the treatment cost if you use it for 60 days with its eNurse check-ins and see no results. |
| How fast you get a plan | Right away, in the same visit. | After the doctor reviews your visit, then the cream is mixed and shipped. |
| Account | Not needed to see your plan. Needed only to save it or store daily photos. | Needed for the medical questionnaire. |
| Products | A shopping list of words to look for on the box, such as "adapalene 0.1%". No brands, no shop, no paid links. | Musely's own cream. Face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen are up to you. |
| Daily routine explained | Yes. Each step says how much to use, when, and why. | The cream comes with directions from your doctor. |
| When to see a doctor | If your photo shows deep, sore pimples, the plan says at the top to see a doctor. | A doctor writes your prescription, and you can message your care team. |
What is in Musely's Acne Cream?
Musely lists four ingredients in its acne cream: tretinoin, clindamycin, niacinamide and azelaic acid. Tretinoin and clindamycin need a prescription. A pharmacy mixes the cream for you after a Musely doctor writes the prescription.
Skinli's routine uses benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1%, both sold without a prescription. Adapalene works in the same way as tretinoin and is milder. Benzoyl peroxide kills the germs that make pimples red.
Is Musely cheaper than Skinli?
Musely costs $30 a month on auto-refill, sent as a 2 month supply with free shipping. A single order with no subscription costs $86. Three months at $30 a month come to $90 for the cream alone.
Skinli is free right now. You pay only for the products on your shopping list, and you choose the brands. A face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen are part of the routine with either choice.
Which one gives you more help day to day?
Musely gives you a doctor, a prescription and a care team you can message. That is medical help Skinli cannot offer.
Skinli gives you a full routine: what to put on each morning and night, how much, how to start slowly so the gels do not sting, and what to expect in weeks 2 to 4. It also has a daily photo tracker and reminder emails, so you can see change the mirror hides.
What Musely looks like
Screenshots and logo from the Musely app's US App Store listing. They belong to Musely (Trusper Inc) and are shown only to identify the product.
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 Musely?
Skinli
- Free right now
- No subscription
- You buy the products yourself, any brand
Musely
- $30 a month on auto-refill (2 month supply)
- $86 for one order, no subscription
- Free shipping
Skinli is cheaper: it is free. Musely's $30 a month buys a prescription cream and a doctor's review, which Skinli does not provide.
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 starting your first acne routine
Pick: Skinli
Start with the two gels doctors pick first. They are sold without a prescription.
Drugstore gels did not help after 12 weeks
Pick: Musely
Tretinoin and clindamycin are stronger and need a prescription.
You want to try a prescription once without a subscription
Pick: Musely
Musely sells a one-time order for $86.
Your acne is deep, painful or scarring
Pick: A dermatologist in person
Deep acne may need pills or procedures that a cream by mail cannot replace.
Looking for a Musely alternative?
If you are looking for a Musely alternative because you want to try the drugstore route first, Skinli is free. It builds a morning and night routine around benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1% from one photo and a few questions.
If you need a prescription and want to compare services, Curology and Nurx also mail prescription acne treatment. We compare both on their own pages.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Musely Acne Cream cost?
On September 25, 2026, Musely's acne cream page listed $30 a month, sent as a 2 month supply on auto-refill, with free shipping. You can also buy one order for $86 with no subscription. Prices can change, so check Musely's page before you order. Skinli is free right now.
Is Musely Acne Cream stronger than adapalene?
Musely's cream contains tretinoin, which is stronger than adapalene and needs a prescription. It also contains clindamycin, an antibiotic, plus niacinamide and azelaic acid. Adapalene 0.1% is milder and sold without a prescription. Stronger also means more chance of dryness and peeling, so it suits acne that did not clear with milder gels.
Can I use Musely and Skinli together?
Do not use Musely's cream together with Skinli's night gels. Tretinoin and adapalene belong to the same family of ingredients, and using both dries and irritates skin. If you start Musely, follow your doctor's directions. You can keep Skinli's face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen steps and its daily photo tracker.
Does Musely need a subscription?
No. Musely offers auto-refill at $30 a month, sent as a 2 month supply, and a one-time order for $86 with no subscription. Musely says you can pause or cancel auto-refill anytime. Skinli has no subscription at all today, and you see your full plan without an account.
Who writes the prescription at Musely?
Musely says a board-certified doctor reviews your medical history questionnaire and writes every prescription, and that visits are reviewed within 24 hours. Skinli has no doctor. It uses an AI to read your photo and your answers, and it tells you when your acne needs a doctor.
Should I try Skinli before Musely?
If you have not used benzoyl peroxide and adapalene for a full 12 weeks, trying them first makes sense. They are the two gels doctors pick first, and they are sold without a prescription. If they do not work, Musely or a dermatologist can prescribe something stronger.
Sources
Checked on September 24, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check Musely's own site before you pay.
- Musely Acne Cream page (price, ingredients, review time) (Musely'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.