Best Acne Treatment Subscription: Curology, Nurx, Musely and More

The best acne treatment subscriptions are Curology, Nurx and Musely. Curology is best overall because a licensed provider builds one prescription cream from up to three actives, such as tretinoin, clindamycin and azelaic acid, for $29.95 a month. Nurx is the better pick if you have insurance, and ProactivMD is the best option without a prescription.

Whichever plan you choose, you can scan the barcode or label of your cleanser and moisturizer with the ingredient scanner in Pori to check them against your skin type. We make Pori; it reads ingredient lists and does not diagnose or treat acne.

An acne subscription ships treatment to you on a schedule, usually after an online consult with a prescriber. Below are our picks, a comparison table, what each plan really costs over a year, and when to skip them and see a dermatologist. We compared each company's published ingredients, policies and listed prices as of November 2026; we did not test these treatments on skin. For a deeper look at single services, see our Curology review and Curology alternatives.

Quick picks

• Best overall: Curology ($29.95/month, billed $59.90 every 60 days, curology.com) - up to three prescription actives in one custom bottle, with provider messaging.
• Best with insurance: Nurx ($40 consult, medication from $0 with insurance, nurx.com) - standard generics such as tretinoin, clindamycin and spironolactone.
• Best results guarantee: Musely Acne Cream ($32/month, musely.com) - four actives in one cream and a 60-day refund if you see no results.
• Best without a prescription: ProactivMD 3-Step Routine ($108 list for 90 days, proactiv.com) - adapalene 0.1% with a gentle cleanser and moisturizer.
• Best budget app plan: Nolla Derm (in-app plans from $3.99/week, App Store) - a licensed US provider prescribes, with scan check-ins.
• Best in the UK: Dermatica (£2.90 first month, then £24.99, dermatica.co.uk) - one of the few custom formulas that can include benzoyl peroxide.

How do the acne subscriptions compare?

Prices are from each company's own site or US App Store listing as of November 2026. Promotions change often, so check the total at checkout.

Do you need a prescription subscription?

Not always. Mild acne often responds to over-the-counter adapalene and benzoyl peroxide, which you can buy without any plan. The American Academy of Dermatology's 2024 acne guidelines give strong recommendations to benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids and topical antibiotics, and recommend combining treatments that work in different ways. A prescription service earns its fee when over-the-counter products haven't worked after a fair trial, or when you want tretinoin, clindamycin or spironolactone.

One gap is worth knowing. Curology's and Musely's custom creams contain clindamycin but no benzoyl peroxide, and Curology's own safety page warns that clindamycin alone can lead to bacterial resistance. Ask your provider whether to add a benzoyl peroxide wash. Our picks for the best face wash for acne include several.

The acne subscriptions, one by one

Curology: best overall

Curology pairs you with a licensed dermatology provider who reviews your photos and picks the actives in your Custom Formula. Its commonly used ingredients include tretinoin, clindamycin, azelaic acid, niacinamide, zinc pyrithione and spironolactone. The subscription price is $29.95 a month, shipped as a $59.90 bottle every 60 days, and the product page offered new subscribers a 30-day first box for $14.95 in November 2026. Each shipment includes a consultation credit for messaging your provider.

Who it suits: mild to moderate acne in teens 13 and up (with a parent's consent) and adults who want one bottle instead of several. Who should skip it: people whose insurance covers generic tretinoin, and anyone with deep, scarring acne. The catch: it's US-only, doesn't take insurance, and purging can last 6 to 8 weeks. Our full review covers cancellation rules.

Nurx: best with insurance

Nurx charges a $40 consultation, which isn't billed to insurance, then prescribes standard medications. If your private plan covers them, they could cost as little as $0; without coverage, topicals start at $25 a month and oral treatments at $15 to $30 a month. A provider checks in about ten weeks after you start, and a $3 support fee applies in months an order ships.

Who it suits: insured adults, and adult women with hormonal acne, since Nurx prescribes spironolactone. Who should skip it: people on Medicare or Medicaid, which Nurx doesn't accept, and anyone who may need isotretinoin. The catch: you may end up with two or three separate products. See our Nurx review.

Musely Acne Cream: best results guarantee

Musely's Acne Cream combines tretinoin, clindamycin, niacinamide and azelaic acid. A doctor reviews your visit within 24 hours, and the subscription costs $32 a month, with each bottle lasting about two months, free shipping and no visit fee listed. If you use it consistently for 60 days and see no results, Musely says it refunds the treatment cost.

Who it suits: people who want Curology-style convenience with a refund promise. Who should skip it: anyone who wants a wider choice of actives. The catch: most of Musely's range targets aging and dark spots, so acne is a smaller part of the service. Our Curology vs Musely comparison goes deeper.

ProactivMD: best without a prescription

ProactivMD's 3-Step Routine pairs Adapalene Gel 0.1% with an Ultra-Gentle Cleanser and an Ultra-Hydrating Moisturizer. Adapalene is a retinoid that used to need a prescription. The 90-day kit lists at $108, Proactiv advertises subscribe-and-save discounts and a 60-day money-back guarantee, and no consult is needed.

Who it suits: mild acne and clogged pores, and anyone trying a retinoid for the first time. Who should skip it: people with inflamed or hormonal acne that needs an antibiotic or spironolactone. The catch: you can buy adapalene 0.1% on its own at a drugstore, so the kit mainly buys convenience. Our adapalene guide explains how to start it.

Nolla Derm: best budget app plan

Nolla Derm combines in-app face scans with custom prescription formulas. Its website says a licensed US medical provider guides every diagnosis and prescription, and the App Store lists plans from $3.99 a week to $79.99 a year. It has a 4.9 rating from about 13,750 ratings.

Who it suits: people who want a low price and regular photo check-ins. Who should skip it: anyone who wants to know the prescriber's credentials and exact ingredients before paying. The catch: neither the listing nor the site names the clinicians' qualifications or the actives in each formula.

Dermatica: best in the UK

Dermatica serves UK readers, where Curology and Nurx don't operate. Its formulas can include tretinoin, adapalene, clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide 2.5%. The first month costs £2.90, then £24.99 per bottle every 28 days, or £18.67 a bottle on a 12-month plan. Our Dermatica review has the details.

Hers and Hims

Hers and Hims also prescribe compounded acne creams that include tretinoin and clindamycin, after an online consult. We couldn't confirm current prices on their sites, so compare the total at sign-up. Our Hers review covers the formulas.

What does an acne subscription cost over a year?

Without insurance, the prescription plans land close together. Curology's first year comes to about $375: the $14.95 first box plus six $59.90 bottles. Musely's Acne Cream is $32 a month, or about $384 a year. Nurx's tretinoin cream alone runs $60 per 2-month supply, about $360 a year, plus the $40 consultation and support fees, and less if insurance covers it. ProactivMD's kit is $432 a year at list price, before subscription discounts. Generic adapalene and a benzoyl peroxide wash from a drugstore cost far less if over-the-counter care is enough.

Two habits save money. Cancel or pause before the next shipment date, since Curology asks for at least 2 business days' notice and doesn't accept returns. And check whether your plan is HSA or FSA eligible; Curology and Musely both say some products are.

How long before you know it's working?

Give any plan at least 6 to 8 weeks. The AAD says acne treatment takes at least 6 to 8 weeks before you see fewer breakouts, and retinoids can cause a few weeks of purging first. Take the same photo in the same light every week or two so you can judge the trend; our guide to tracking acne progress shows how. Talk to your provider before you quit or switch.

When should you skip a subscription and see a dermatologist?

See a board-certified dermatologist in person for deep, painful cysts or nodules, acne that scars, or acne that hasn't improved after two or three months of prescription treatment. None of these subscriptions prescribes isotretinoin, which the AAD guidelines strongly recommend for severe or scarring acne. If you'd rather start online, a teledermatology service lets a dermatologist see your skin first; our teledermatology app guide compares them, and treating cystic acne explains the options.

Compounded creams also carry a caveat. The FDA says compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, so it doesn't check their safety, effectiveness or quality before sale. Tell your provider if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, since tretinoin, clindamycin blends and spironolactone may need to come out.

How we chose

We compared subscriptions that ship acne treatment on a schedule and publish their ingredients and prices. For each, we read the company's product, pricing and safety pages, and the App Store listing for app-based plans, in November 2026, and checked the actives against the AAD's 2024 acne guidelines. We favored services that name their actives, show prices before you pay, and say plainly what they don't treat. We did not test any treatment on skin, and we have no paid relationship with any service listed. Nothing here is medical advice.