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Skinli vs Nurx
Skinli and Nurx sit at two different steps of acne care. Nurx charges a $40 online visit, then a licensed provider can prescribe creams or pills, starting at $25 a month for cream without insurance plus a $3 support fee in each month an order is processed. Nurx's FAQ says it cannot take new patients under 18. Skinli gives a free acne score, does not ask your age, and sells a routine built on two gels sold without a prescription, from $19.99, paid once. Start with Skinli for everyday acne. Choose Nurx if you are an adult and store-bought gels have not worked.
By Nick, Founder of Skinli. We make Skinli, so read this knowing that. Every fact about Nurx links to where we found it.
Skinli is the low cost first step. Nurx is the next step for adults who need a prescription.
Pick Skinli if
- You are under 18. Nurx's FAQ says it cannot take new patients under 18.
- You want a plan today with no visit fee, and charges that stop by themselves.
- Your acne is mild and you have not tried benzoyl peroxide and adapalene yet.
Pick Nurx if
- You are an adult and drugstore gels have not worked after 12 weeks.
- You have private insurance that may cover the medicine.
- You want pills such as spironolactone or minocycline, which need a prescription.
Skinli and Nurx side by side
| What we compared | Skinli | Nurx |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A morning and night acne routine built on products sold without a prescription, with a plain reason for each step. | Prescription cream or pills, mailed to you in a 3 month supply, or sent to your local pharmacy. |
| 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 provider licensed in your state, after you fill in an online visit with photos. |
| Prescription medicine | No. Skinli names two gels you can buy without a prescription: benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1%. | Yes. Tretinoin, clindamycin, azelaic acid, spironolactone, minocycline and more. Nurx does not prescribe isotretinoin (Accutane). |
| 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. | $40 visit fee, covering one year of care. Medicine from $25 a month for creams and $15 to $30 a month for pills without insurance. |
| Extra fees | None. | A $3 support fee in each month one or more of your orders is processed. |
| Insurance | Not needed. | Takes private insurance for medicine. Does not take Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare. The $40 visit fee is not billed to insurance. |
| Age | Skinli does not ask your age. Teens should involve a parent before starting new acne gels. | Nurx's FAQ says it cannot serve new patients under 18. |
| Pregnancy | Skinli does not ask. If you are pregnant, ask a doctor before starting any acne gel. | Nurx says it cannot treat people who are pregnant. |
| Account | Not needed to see your score or to buy a plan. Needed only to save it or store daily photos. | Needed for the medical visit. |
| 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. | Automatic refills. Nurx says you can pause or cancel anytime. |
| Products | A shopping list of words to look for on the box, such as "adapalene 0.1%". No brands, no shop, no paid links. | The medicine your provider prescribes. |
| Where it works | Anywhere with a web browser. | Only in the US states where Nurx operates. |
What does Nurx acne treatment cost compared with Skinli?
Nurx charges $40 for the online visit, and that fee covers one year of care. Without insurance, prescription creams start at $25 a month and pills cost $15 to $30 a month. Nurx lists tretinoin cream at $60 for a 2 month supply. On top of that, Nurx charges a $3 support fee in each month an order is processed.
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. On top of that, you buy benzoyl peroxide 2.5%, adapalene 0.1%, a gentle face wash, a moisturizer and sunscreen at any drugstore, in any brand.
What did the New York Attorney General find about Nurx's owner?
On August 24, 2026, the New York Attorney General announced that Thirty Madison, the company that owns Nurx, would pay $400,000. The office found that Thirty Madison did not clearly tell customers their subscriptions renewed automatically or that prices rose after the first order, did not properly disclose non-refundable fees, and made cancelling take several steps.
Thirty Madison must also change how it sells subscriptions and offer money back to some customers. If you sign up with Nurx, read the subscription terms at checkout and write down how to cancel.
Can a teenager use Nurx or Skinli?
Nurx's FAQ says it is not able to serve new patients under 18. Another Nurx acne page still mentions teens, so the FAQ is the clearer answer.
Skinli does not ask your age. Acne often starts in the teen years, and the two gels in Skinli's routine are sold without a prescription. A teen should still involve a parent, and should see a doctor for deep or painful pimples.
What Nurx looks like
Screenshots and logo from the Nurx app's US App Store listing. The Nurx app covers birth control and other care as well as acne. They belong to Thirty Madison and are shown only to identify the product.
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 Nurx?
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
- No visit fee, no support fee
- You buy the products yourself, any brand
Nurx
- $40 visit fee, covers one year
- Creams from $25 a month without insurance
- Pills $15 to $30 a month without insurance
- $3 support fee in each month an order is processed
Skinli's plan costs less: $39.99 in all for 12 weeks, against at least $118 for 3 months of Nurx without insurance. Nurx's price includes the prescription medicine. Skinli's does not include the drugstore products. Insurance can lower Nurx's medicine cost.
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 16 with everyday pimples
Pick: Skinli
Nurx says it cannot take new patients under 18. Skinli's routine uses drugstore gels, and a parent can help you start them.
You are an adult with acne around your jaw that flares with your period
Pick: Nurx
Spironolactone can help acne that follows your cycle and needs a prescription. Nurx prescribes it.
You have never used an acne gel
Pick: Skinli
Start with benzoyl peroxide and adapalene, the two gels doctors pick first.
You have deep, painful acne that is leaving scars
Pick: A dermatologist in person
Isotretinoin (Accutane) is the usual treatment, and Nurx does not prescribe it.
Looking for a Nurx alternative?
If you are looking for a Nurx alternative because you are under 18, or because you do not want a visit fee and monthly charges, Skinli does not ask your age. Its score is free, and its plan is from $19.99, paid once, and nothing renews. It gives you a morning and night routine with a plain reason for every step.
If you need a prescription, Curology and Musely also mail prescription acne cream. We compare both on their own pages.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Nurx acne treatment without insurance?
We checked Nurx's page again on October 29, 2026, and the price had not moved since September. It lists a $40 visit fee that covers one year of care. Without insurance, prescription creams start at $25 a month and pills cost $15 to $30 a month. Tretinoin cream is $60 for a 2 month supply. Nurx also charges a $3 support fee in each month an order is processed. Skinli's plan is from $19.99 and stops by itself.
Can I use Nurx if I am under 18?
Nurx's FAQ says it is not able to serve new patients under 18. If you are under 18, Skinli is one option, because its routine uses gels sold without a prescription and it does not ask your age. Involve a parent, and see a doctor if your pimples are deep, painful or getting worse.
Does Nurx prescribe Accutane?
No. Nurx says it does not prescribe isotretinoin, the drug sold as Accutane, because it needs more monitoring than Nurx can provide online. Skinli cannot prescribe anything. If your acne is deep and painful or leaves scars, see a dermatologist in person, who can decide whether isotretinoin is right for you.
Does Nurx take insurance for acne?
Nurx says it takes private insurance for the medicine, which can lower the cost. It does not take Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare or other government plans, and the $40 visit fee is not billed to insurance. Skinli needs no insurance. Its plan is from $19.99 and stops by itself, and you buy the products it names yourself.
Why did New York fine Nurx's parent company?
On August 24, 2026, the New York Attorney General announced that Thirty Madison, which owns Nurx, would pay $400,000. The office found that the company did not clearly disclose automatic renewals, price increases after the first order and non-refundable fees, and made cancelling hard. The company must change these practices and refund some customers.
Should I try Skinli before Nurx?
If you have not used benzoyl peroxide and adapalene for 12 weeks, yes. The 2024 acne guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology strongly recommend both, and you can buy them without a prescription. Skinli shows you how to start them slowly. If they do not help after 12 weeks, a prescription from Nurx or a doctor is the next step.
Sources
Checked on October 29, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check Nurx'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.
- Nurx acne treatment page (prices, medicines, support fee) (Nurx's own site)
- Nurx FAQ: how much acne treatment costs (Nurx's own site)
- Nurx FAQ: who can use the acne service (Nurx's own site)
- New York Attorney General press release, August 24, 2026 (independent source)
- Nurx acne treatment page, re-checked October 29, 2026 (Nurx'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.