A morning after pill costs anywhere from about $7 to $50, depending on whether you buy a generic or brand-name version and where you shop. Brand-name Plan B One-Step typically runs $40 to $50, while generic versions of the same pill can cost as little as $7 to $15. If you have health insurance, you may pay nothing at all.
Generic vs. Brand-Name Prices
All over-the-counter morning after pills contain the same active ingredient (levonorgestrel, 1.5 mg) regardless of the brand on the box. The difference in price is purely marketing. Brand-name Plan B One-Step costs $40 to $50 at most pharmacies. Generic alternatives like Take Action, EContra One-Step, and Amazon’s store brand contain the identical dose and work the same way, at a fraction of the cost.
Here’s what generics typically cost:
- EContra One-Step: around $7 on Amazon
- Take Action (2-pack): about $14 per pill on Amazon
- Amazon Basic Care: roughly $14
- Nurx generic: $15 to $20
- Wisp generic: $18
If you want the lowest possible price right now, online retailers tend to beat pharmacy shelf prices. Buying a two-pack in advance can also bring the per-pill cost down, which is worth considering if you want one on hand for the future.
The Prescription Option: Ella
There’s a second type of morning after pill called ella, which requires a prescription and works differently. It usually costs about $44 to $50 out of pocket at a pharmacy. Telehealth services like Wisp and Nurx offer it at similar prices, sometimes with same-day pharmacy pickup.
Ella is worth knowing about because it stays effective longer and works better overall. Within the first 24 hours, ella is up to 98% effective at preventing pregnancy, and it’s still about 85% effective at the five-day mark. The standard levonorgestrel pill (Plan B and its generics) is about 94% effective in the first 24 hours but drops to roughly 58% by the three-day mark. Ella also has a significant advantage for people who weigh more, which is covered below.
How Insurance Changes the Price
Under the Affordable Care Act, marketplace health insurance plans must cover FDA-approved emergency contraception, including both Plan B and ella, with no copay, no coinsurance, and no deductible when prescribed by a provider and filled through an in-network pharmacy. That means the cost can drop to $0.
The catch is that to get the over-the-counter pill (levonorgestrel) covered at no cost, you typically need a prescription from a provider, even though you don’t need one to buy it off the shelf. Without a prescription, the pharmacy may ring it up at full retail price. If cost is a concern and you have insurance, it’s worth calling your plan or getting a quick prescription through a telehealth service first. Ella already requires a prescription, so insurance coverage tends to apply more straightforwardly.
Low-Cost and Free Options
If you don’t have insurance, Planned Parenthood health centers use sliding-scale fees based on your income. Staff work within your budget, and some patients pay very little or nothing. Local community health clinics and Title X-funded clinics offer similar income-based pricing. Calling ahead to ask about emergency contraception pricing is the fastest way to find out what you’d owe.
Some states also allow pharmacists to directly prescribe emergency contraception, which can save you the cost and time of a separate doctor visit. As of early 2026, 37 states and Washington, D.C. have some form of pharmacist prescribing authority for contraception, though the specific types covered vary by state.
Why Body Weight Affects Your Choice
This is something the price tag won’t tell you, but it directly affects whether the pill you’re buying will actually work. Research shows that the standard levonorgestrel pill (Plan B and all its generics) loses effectiveness as body weight increases. For people weighing around 155 pounds (70 kg) or more, the pill’s reliability drops substantially. At 176 pounds (80 kg) and above, studies suggest it may have little to no effect. The reason is straightforward: people at higher weights absorb roughly 50% less of the drug into their bloodstream.
Ella holds up better across a wider weight range. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ranks the copper IUD as the most effective emergency contraception regardless of weight, followed by ella, with levonorgestrel last. A copper IUD costs more upfront (sometimes over $500 without insurance) but is covered by most insurance plans and doubles as long-term birth control for up to 10 years. It can be placed up to five days after unprotected sex.
If you weigh over 155 pounds and are choosing between a $10 generic levonorgestrel pill and a $50 ella prescription, the ella is likely the better investment. A pill that costs less but doesn’t work well for your body isn’t really saving you money.
Timing Matters More Than Brand
Whichever pill you choose, taking it sooner dramatically improves effectiveness. Both types work by delaying ovulation, so if ovulation has already happened, neither pill can prevent pregnancy. Every hour counts. The effectiveness numbers tell the story clearly: the levonorgestrel pill drops from 94% to 58% over just three days. Ella holds up better over time but still works best when taken early.
If you’re weighing whether to order a cheaper pill online with shipping time versus buying a more expensive one at the pharmacy down the street today, the pharmacy trip is almost always the smarter call. The cost difference between a $7 generic and a $40 brand-name pill matters far less than the difference between taking it at 12 hours versus 48 hours.