Who pays for GoodRx discounts?

GoodRx discounts are paid for through a combination of fees collected from pharmacies and PBMs, a share of the price that PBMs pay for the prescription, and revenue from its other services, like its subscriptions and advertising.

How can GoodRx sell drugs so cheaply?

GoodRx offers low prices by acting as an intermediary to reveal hidden PBM rates, which are often far lower than a pharmacy's inflated cash prices. GoodRx does not sell or dispense the drugs itself. Instead, it provides consumers with coupons for discounted prices at their local pharmacy.

Does GoodRx make a profit?

Yes, GoodRx is making profits right now, although its profitability has fluctuated significantly in recent years.

Is GoodRx publicly traded?

Yes, GoodRx is publicly traded and its stock is available on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under the ticker GDRX. The company went public in September 2020.

How Does GoodRx Make Money?

How GoodRx Makes Money

By Rachel Warren – Updated Oct 18, 2025 at 11:37 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

GoodRx helps consumers find lower prescription prices via a platform that compares costs across pharmacies.
The company's revenue includes fees from pharmacies and PBMs, plus earnings from advertising and subscriptions.
GoodRx faces competition from new discount programs and market entries, impacting user numbers.

GoodRx (GDRX +0.00%) was founded in 2011 by Doug Hirsch and Trevor Bezdek. In 2010, Doug Hirsch was shocked by the high price of his own prescription, only to find that the same medication was significantly cheaper at a different pharmacy. The core problem that Hirsch and Bezdek recognized was the lack of price transparency in the prescription drug market, which is complicated by various middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

GoodRx aims to make medications more affordable for consumers by providing a free app and website that compares prescription prices and offers coupons from partner pharmacies and PBMs. The platform is designed to help a wide range of Americans, including the uninsured and those with high deductibles, save money on their prescriptions. Management says that GoodRx has helped consumers save billions of dollars on prescriptions since its founding.

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NASDAQ: GDRX

GoodRx

Today's Change

(0.00%) $0.00

Current Price

$2.52

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$853M

Day's Range

$2.46 - $2.54

52wk Range

$1.77 - $5.81

Volume

Avg Vol

2.3M

Gross Margin

80.90%

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GoodRx expanded its services in 2019 by acquiring telemedicine company HeyDoctor in an effort to integrate virtual healthcare into its platform. GoodRx subsequently went public on September 23, 2020. The company's initial public offering (IPO) raised $1.1 billion in capital. In 2022, GoodRx completed its acquisition of VitaCare Prescription Services to expand its pharmacy services and manufacturer solutions business.

Over the last few years, GoodRx shares have struggled as a rapidly evolving and competitive market, a decline in active users, and other hurdles in the digital healthcare landscape have brought fresh headwinds for the business. Here's what you need to know about what GoodRx does, how it makes money, its current financial situation, and more.

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Revenue

Revenue is a business’s gross income or the amount of money it brings in from regular operations before costs are considered.

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The new system allows GoodRx to contract directly with specific pharmacies to create custom pricing agreements. This offers pharmacies more control over their pricing, potentially more favorable margins, and allows GoodRx to provide more transparency and customized discounts to consumers.

GoodRx users simply go to the GoodRx website or app and enter the name of the prescription they need, look for the lowest prices at nearby pharmacies (which can vary significantly even for the same drug), select a deal, and generate a free coupon.

The consumer then shows the coupon to their pharmacist at the time of purchase to get the discounted price. Consumers can’t combine GoodRx with insurance, so they must choose the option that gives the lower price at the pharmacy counter. That said, GoodRx discounts can range up to 80% off traditional prices in some cases.

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A person smiling while holding a product in a box at a pharmacy. — Image source: Getty Images.

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While all of these factors have contributed to GoodRx’s struggles, there are some recent positive developments to note. In August 2025, GoodRx partnered with Novo Nordisk (NVO +1.74%) to offer Ozempic and Wegovy at a fixed price of $499 per month for eligible self-paying patients. In October 2025, GoodRx announced a new partnership with pharmaceutical company Amgen (AMGN +0.30%) to provide almost 60% savings on the cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha.

The company also announced an expanded partnership with Kroger (KR -2.72%) through a new program called RxSmartSaver to provide instant access to discounts on branded medications at Kroger's pharmacies. GoodRx is also reportedly in talks with the Trump administration about joining the planned direct-to-consumer prescription drug portal TrumpRx. GoodRx is showing signs of improving its growth story through increased profitability and strong performance in specific business areas, although overall revenue gains remain modest.

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