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Circle Medical vs TeleDirectMD: Which Is Better?

Head-to-head comparison of Circle Medical and TeleDirectMD based on our independent scoring across trust, value, experience, product range, and reputation — plus real pricing for the treatments they both offer.

Our Verdict

TeleDirectMD scores higher overall in our independent evaluation (66.5/100 vs 60.2/100), leading on trust & safety, value, experience. Circle Medical comes out ahead on product range, reputation. Circle Medical has the lower entry price (from $0/mo vs $79/mo), so the better value depends on which treatment you need.

Circle Medical

Fair

Circle Medical is a UCSF Health-affiliated video primary care practice with a large ADHD, anxiety, and depression practice, offering same-day visits and medication management including stimulants where permitted.

Visit Circle Medical

TeleDirectMD

Good

TeleDirectMD is a solo-physician virtual practice offering $79 flat-fee video visits for urgent care, sexual health, skin, women's health and chronic-medication refills in 44 states plus DC.

Visit TeleDirectMD

Score Breakdown

Dimension	Circle Medical	TeleDirectMD
Overall Score	60.2/100	66.5/100 ✓
Trust & Safety30%	62/100	70/100 ✓
Value25%	55/100	76/100 ✓
Experience20%	55/100	66/100 ✓
Product Range15%	72/100 ✓	54/100
Reputation10%	60/100 ✓	52/100

At a Glance

Founded	2015	—
Headquarters	San Francisco, CA	—
Publicly traded	No	No
Treatment categories	2	5
Treatments listed	2	5
Starting price	$0/mo	$79/mo

Pricing Where They Compete

Prices shown are based on our most recent research and may not reflect current pricing. Telehealth providers update their pricing frequently. Always verify pricing directly with the provider before purchasing.

Category	Circle Medical	TeleDirectMD
Primary Care	Free–$120 Primary Care Video Visit	$79 Virtual Visit (urgent care, UTI, STI, skin)

Circle Medical

+UCSF Health affiliation lends institutional credibility to its primary care and mental health practice

+Same-day video visits with flat $120 self-pay pricing when insurance isn't used

+Handles complex ongoing care (ADHD stimulant management, hormone therapy, weight care) that many async competitors avoid

−Prescribes Schedule II-V controlled substances via telehealth, which depends on DEA telemedicine flexibilities currently extended only through 2026-12-31 — a future rule change could disrupt care continuity

−Trustpilot rating (3.6 stars) is weak for the category, with roughly 30% one-star reviews concentrated on billing: incorrect insurance charges, no-show fees, and refund difficulty

−Support access is largely limited to chat/bot channels, which reviewers say makes billing disputes slow to resolve

Read the full Circle Medical review →

TeleDirectMD

+One all-in $79 cash price per visit, published up front and HSA/FSA eligible

+Every visit is a live video consult with a named, board-certified physician, never a mid-level provider or a questionnaire-only review

+Fast access: visits typically start within 1–2 hours of booking, 7 days a week, and prescriptions go to the patient's own pharmacy

−A single physician handles all visits, which limits capacity and continuity of care

−No GLP-1, weight-loss or controlled-substance prescribing

−Not available in AR, MA, NM, NY, OR or RI

Read the full TeleDirectMD review →

Circle Medical vs TeleDirectMD — FAQ

Is Circle Medical better than TeleDirectMD?

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Is Circle Medical or TeleDirectMD cheaper?

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Circle Medical has the lower starting price (from $0/mo vs $79/mo for TeleDirectMD). Starting prices are for the cheapest treatment each offers — compare the specific treatment you need, and check what each price includes.

What do Circle Medical and TeleDirectMD both offer?

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Both platforms treat Primary Care. Circle Medical covers 2 treatment categories total and TeleDirectMD covers 5.

Still deciding?

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