Metformin is the most common and cheapest alternative to Jardiance, costing as little as $11 to $23 for a 30-day supply without insurance, compared to Jardiance’s list price of $350 per month. But the right alternative depends on why you’re taking Jardiance in the first place, since not every cheaper option covers the same conditions.
Why Jardiance Is So Expensive
Jardiance belongs to a class of drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors, which all carry high retail prices, typically over $500 per month at full retail. The current list price from the manufacturer is $350 for a 30-day supply, and without insurance the average out-of-pocket cost runs about $138 per month. Insurance brings that down significantly: privately insured patients pay roughly $47 per month on average, and Medicaid beneficiaries pay as little as $4 to $5.
There is no generic version of Jardiance available. The earliest FDA exclusivity periods begin expiring in mid-2026, but patent protections on the drug extend as far out as 2034. That means a significantly cheaper generic version could still be years away.
Metformin: The Most Affordable Option
If you’re taking Jardiance primarily for type 2 diabetes, metformin is the standout budget alternative. A 30-day supply costs between $11 and $23 without insurance, pennies per pill compared to Jardiance’s roughly $12 per pill. Metformin has been available as a generic for decades and is the most widely prescribed first-line diabetes medication in the world.
Metformin works differently than Jardiance. Instead of flushing excess sugar out through your urine (how SGLT2 inhibitors work), metformin helps your body respond better to the insulin it already makes. Both lower blood sugar effectively, but they come with different side effect profiles. Metformin’s most common complaints are digestive: diarrhea, nausea, upset stomach, and gas. Jardiance tends to cause urinary side effects like yeast infections, frequent urination, and urinary tract infections.
The key trade-off is that metformin doesn’t have the heart and kidney benefits that Jardiance does. If your doctor prescribed Jardiance specifically to protect your heart or slow kidney disease progression, metformin won’t fill that role.
Farxiga: Same Drug Class, Similar Benefits
Farxiga (dapagliflozin) is the closest functional match to Jardiance. It’s another SGLT2 inhibitor approved for the same three major uses: improving blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, reducing hospitalization and death from heart failure, and slowing progression of chronic kidney disease. The two drugs work through the same mechanism and have very similar side effect profiles.
Farxiga won’t save you much at the pharmacy counter, since both drugs sit in the same price range as brand-name SGLT2 inhibitors. But your insurance plan may cover one and not the other, or place one on a lower copay tier. It’s worth checking your plan’s formulary. Some patients who face a high copay for Jardiance find that Farxiga is listed as a preferred brand, which can cut costs by $50 to $100 or more per month depending on the plan.
Steglatro: Not Actually Cheaper
Steglatro (ertugliflozin) is sometimes mentioned as a potential budget SGLT2 inhibitor, but the numbers don’t support that. A 30-day supply runs about $357 without insurance, essentially identical to Jardiance’s $350. Neither has a generic available. Steglatro also has a narrower set of approved uses: it’s indicated for type 2 diabetes but lacks the heart failure and kidney disease approvals that Jardiance and Farxiga carry. For most people, switching to Steglatro offers no financial advantage and potentially fewer clinical benefits.
Other Diabetes Drug Classes That Cost Less
If your primary goal is blood sugar control and you don’t need the cardiovascular or kidney protection that SGLT2 inhibitors provide, several other drug classes are available at generic prices:
- Sulfonylureas (like glipizide and glimepiride) stimulate your pancreas to release more insulin. They’re widely available as generics for under $20 per month. The downside is a higher risk of low blood sugar episodes and weight gain.
- DPP-4 inhibitors help your body produce more insulin after meals and are generally well-tolerated. Some are still brand-name only, so pricing varies. Check whether your plan has a preferred option in this class.
- Pioglitazone improves insulin sensitivity and is available as a low-cost generic. It can cause fluid retention and weight gain, so it’s not suitable for everyone, particularly those with heart failure.
None of these alternatives replicate the full range of what Jardiance does. They lower blood sugar through different pathways but don’t offer the same protection against heart failure hospitalization or kidney disease progression. That distinction matters if you were prescribed Jardiance for one of those reasons rather than purely for diabetes.
Ways to Lower Your Jardiance Cost
If Jardiance is the right medication for your situation and you’d rather reduce the cost than switch drugs, several options exist. The manufacturer offers savings programs that can bring the price down for commercially insured patients. Checking your insurer’s formulary for preferred SGLT2 inhibitors (which may be Farxiga instead of Jardiance) is another quick win. Pharmacy discount programs and coupons can sometimes cut the cash price significantly below the $350 list price.
For uninsured or low-income patients, pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs provide medications at no cost to those who qualify. Federally Qualified Health Centers and free clinics often help patients access these programs. State-level medication assistance programs exist in many states, connecting eligible patients with free or heavily discounted prescriptions through safety-net health organizations.
Medicaid coverage brings the monthly cost down to roughly $4 to $5 on average, the lowest out-of-pocket tier for any payer type. If you’re eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled, that alone could make Jardiance affordable without switching medications.