A little backstory…
I started taking Plexus products back in 2018 and for a long time, I absolutely LOVED them.
But after I got married I started looking for cheaper alternatives to Plexus to help us save some money. And through some trial and error, I found some alternatives that I actually prefer to Plexus.
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Around the same time, I started becoming very unhappy with the MLM business model of Plexus.
I didn’t like recruiting people into the MLM and instead focused on sharing my experience on this blog with commissionable links. And for a while that worked well for me. I felt that I was helping people and I was making a decent commission on the products without hounding people to sell Plexus.
I treated Plexus as any other affiliate program. Like Amazon, I’d share the links and make commissions off of sales and that format was comfortable to me.
But in the last year or so Plexus has changed its commission policies and it now feels like the only way to make a commission is by recruiting others into the MLM. These changes slashed my commissions by nearly 75%.
They’ve also made it basically required for me to personally purchase $100+ worth of products every month to qualify for any commission. However, my commissions are usually less than that, so all my commissions were going back to the company on products I could find cheaper elsewhere.
Because I’m not really making money off the affiliate links and don’t want to recruit others into the MLM I’ve decided to cut ties with the company.
However, I still think gut health is extremely helpful and did make a big impact on my life. Like how I used it to get rid of my acid reflux and my keratosis pilaris. So I’m sharing with you how you can reap the benefits at a fraction of the price and not support MLM’s by using these cheaper alternatives to Plexus.
It’s been years since I stopped taking plexus and my body needs different thing. If you’re curious what I’m taking now check out my current supplement routine.
Most of these products can be found on Amazon or at your local supermarket.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article are my own and are not meant to defame the company.
Cheaper Alternatives to Plexus Supplements
Discloser: I am not a trained health professional. All articles are based on my own experience and opinions. Please consult with a health professional before making lifestyle changes.
I didn’t take all the supplements from Plexus and found a bunch of them unnecessary (hello “Block”). I’ll be covering the basic supplements that I used and have found alternatives for.
If you’re looking to find a cheaper alternative to Plexus for a different product I recommend pulling up the nutrition label and focusing on the key ingredients. Then just search Amazon for that ingredient and you’ll find tons of alternatives.
Slim XOS
Slim is by FAR the biggest rip-off. I’ve said it for years, but I can guarantee you that Plexus makes its largest profit off this stuff. $90 a bag? Really?
Key Ingredients
The key ingredients in Slim XOS is Chromium 200mcg and Xylooligosaccharide (XOS) 1,000 mg. Both of those ingredients act as fat blocks while the “Plexus Slim Blend” acts as a blood sugar balancer which is basically green tea.
Cheaper Slim Alternative
- Chromium – You can buy these supplements on Amazon. The one I just linked is a bottle with 250 tablets for $10.84 (prices may change). So that will last you 8 months if you’re taking it every day. 8 months for $11!
- XOS – I’ve linked the one I started taking that has 1,400 mg in it (so a little more than slim). The bottle comes with 60 tables for $13.82 (prices may change). 60 tables will last you two months if taken every day.
- Green Tea – Instead of starting your morning with Slim start it with a glass or two of green tea. I personally cold brew green tea with hibiscus tea and fill my water bottle with that in the morning. You can even open the capsules of the other supplements (if you buy ones that will open) and pour it all right in, making a DIY slim.
So if you add it up, between the two capsules and if you mix both a green tea and a hibiscus tea together it’s about $.57 a day, which is only about $17 a month. SO much better than $90 a month!
Slim Hunger Control
I personally didn’t ever take hunger control, but I wanted to cover it since it’s so similar is slim XOS.
Key Ingredients
The key ingredients in Slim Hunger Control are Chromium 200mcg and Polydextrose 6,250mg. Chromium acts as fat blocks, Polydextrose is fiber, and the “Plexus Slim Blend” acts as a blood sugar balancer which is basically green tea.
Cheaper Slim Alternative
- Chromium – Just like with XOS you can buy these supplements on Amazon. The one I just linked is a bottle with 250 tablets for $10.84 (prices may change). So that will last you 8 months if taking every day. 8 months for $11!
- Polydextrose – I added these linked supplements to my diet for fiber and enjoyed them. I like that they’re more plant based than other fiber supplements. These are from Love Wellness and they’re called Sparkle Fiber. You can buy them on Amazon or at Target. I also found that just loading my diet up with fresh fruits and veggies prevents me from needed to supplement with fiber. It comes with 90 capsules and you can take 1-3 a day depending on how you feel and how long you want it to last. It’s $30 (prices may change) on Amazon but if you buy from their websites that always have sales and you can save by signing up for a subscription. If you want an even cheaper way of adding fiber into your diet try eating chia seed pudding every morning. That’s what I’m currently doing and I’ve never been more regular.
- Green Tea – Instead of starting your morning with Slim start it with a glass or two of green tea. I personally cold brew green tea with hibiscus tea and fill my water bottle with that in the morning. You can even open the capsules of the other supplements (if you buy ones that will open) and pour it all right in, making a DIY slim.
So if you add it up, between the two capsules and if you mix both a green tea and a hibiscus tea together it’s about $.67 a day, which is only about $20 a month. SO much better than $90 a month!
Biocleanse
This was the first one I switched to a cheaper alternative for and loved it.
Key Ingredient
Biocleanse is literally just Magnesium 380 mg and Vitamin C 150mg. Vitamin C just helps your body better absorb the magnesium.
Cheaper Alternative to Biocleanse
When I switched to a cheaper one I also realized I was taking WAY too much magnesium. I now take just 500 mg a day (instead of the 1,520 – 2,280 I was taking) and that seems to help me well. I bought this bottle on Amazon of 500 mg with 200 tablets. It’s currently only $6.49 (prices may change) on Amazon and if taken every day would last you 6 months.
I also really like the calm magnesium powder, and if you like a tasty drink in the morning this is a great option. You can sometimes find a bigger bottle at Costco, it occasionally goes on sale too. I usually do 1-2 scoops and it lasts me so long, at least a month. Depending on how often you use it and how you purchase this could be the more expensive option, but really tasty.
Another form of magnesium I like is magnesium glycinate. It helps with my sleep and mental clarity. It really helps relax me and quite my mind. I bought it for $26 and it has 90 capsules. Even if you took the largest dose recommended it’s only about $1.20 a day.
So potentially about $1 a month? Yes Please! Much better than $26.95 a month.
Probio5
I’ve had a harder time finding an alternative to Probio5. It was the last product I continued ordering for a while. But I think it’s more in my head how effective it is. It’s just a basic probiotic. And I’ve recently come around to believe that any probiotic is better than none, but finding one you like can be tricky. They all have different combinations of strains so you have to find which one you like.
However, your body needs to switch it up a bit so it doesn’t get used to one and stop reaping the benefits. That is what started to happen to me when I began looking for alternatives. I used others for a month or two and then did Probio5 for a month and back to a different one. I’m still trying new ones but here are a few I’d recommend.
Cheaper Alternatives to Probio5
- Ortho Biotic Probiotic – This is my personal go-to. It was recommended by my doctor and has been the best I ever had. It’s 60 capsules which is technically a month’s worth but I usually stretch it to two months because of the price, and I do well with it unless I’m in the middle of a flare or just struggling a bit.
- Love Wellness Gut Feelings Probiotic – This has both prebiotics and probiotics in it, making it less important to take the XOS (found in slim) if you want to reap those benefits. On Amazon this bottle of 30 capsules is $29.99 (prices may change) but you can also shop on their websites for sales as well as set up a subscription on Amazon or their site for a better price. You can also buy them at Target.
- Love Wellness Good Girl Probiotic – Also from Love Wellness is this probiotic. It doesn’t have those prebiotics I believe, but it is catered to women’s health and helps with UTI’s a such if that’s something that would help you.
- Probiotics 60 Billion CFU – This one is widely popular on Amazon. It also contains prebiotics in it. I haven’t personally tried this one but it’s next on my list. This bottle contains 30 capsules for $21.99 (prices may change).
- Sauerkraut – What I’ve started doing lately instead of capsules is just eating a spoonful or two of sauerkraut each day. I’ve linked the brand I like so you can see it, but I just pick it up at the grocery store. You can also try kimchi if you prefer it. This makes my probiotic budget around $5-$10 a month and is by far the cheapest option, however I still keep capsules on hand for when it’s easier.
This is the one product from Plexus I don’t think is outrageously priced, but any of these alternative options (besides my personal favorite) are between $20-$30 for a 30 capsule supply whereas Probio5 is $41.95. However turning to real foods and eating sauerkraut or kimchi is by far the cheapest way to add probiotics to your diet.
OmegaX
OmegaX from Plexus is nice because they are easy to swallow and don’t have any fishy after taste, however, there are totally cheaper alternatives.
Key Ingredients
OmegaX is made of blends of Omega 3, 6, 9, 5 & 7. Most of those Omegas occur naturally in your body and from my research, you really only need to supplement with Omega 3, and even then not everyone needs it.
Cheaper Alternatives to OmegaX
- Nordic Naturals ProOmega – this is the one I still take. I typically take one a day and there are 120 capsules. I bought it for around $50 which makes it around $12.50 a month.
XFactor
XFactor is just a basic multivitamin so I recommend finding a cheaper alternative that works for your goals. I’ve switched to the Love Wellness multivitamins to replace this for myself.
Cheaper Alternatives to XFactor
- Love Wellness Daily Love – A great general multivitamin designed for women and can help with stress, PMS etc. You can buy it on Amazon for $34.99 (prices may change) or on their site where they run deals often and give you a better price for a subscription. You can also buy it at Target.
- Love Wellness Whole Love – A multivitamin for women over 50. You can buy it on Amazon for $39.99 (prices may change) or on their site where they run deals often and give you a better price for a subscription. You can also buy it at Target.
- Love Wellness Baby Love – This is designed for women preparing for a baby, during pregnancy, and after pregnancy. It also helps with morning sickness. You can buy it on Amazon for $39.99 (prices may change) or on their site where they run deals often and give you a better price for a subscription. You can also buy it at Target.
- 365 Multivitamin for Adults – For a cheaper, general multivitamin try this one. You can buy it on amazon for $14.79 (prices may change) for 180 tablets which would last you 6 months!
- THORNE Basic Nutrients 2/Day – this is the one my doctor recently recommended and I like it a lot. It’s usually about $30 on amazon. You could stretch it to last two months if you needed to.
Joyome
I personally never liked Joyome. I wanted it to clear up my acne and it didn’t help in the slightest. It had ingredients that make your face look more “plump”, which to me (in my 20s) made it look like I gained weight, so no thanks!
Joyome is essentially an Anti-Aging face serum in two parts that I personally believe is a money grab.
Cheaper Alternatives to Joyome
- Curology – I switched to Curology (not a sponsor) and have LOVED it! I used it for over four years and it’s the first thing I found to clear up my acne. It’s about $30 a month (much better than $94.95. Plus it comes with a cleaner, moisturizer and a specific formal for your unique issues). I find my bottles actually last longer once it had cleared up my acne.
- Clearasil Rapid Rescue Spot Treatment – This acne spot treatment is what I’m currently using and it’s incredible! After going gluten free and figuring out my leaky gut triggers I rarely have any breakouts. But when I do get a pimple a little dab of this and it clears up in a day or two – even acne scars! It’s by far my favorite thing and it’s really cheap. So if you don’t have major acne or cystic acne and just need some spot treatment, this and a basic cleanser would do your skin good!
- L’Oreal Paris 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum – If you’re looking just to reduce wrinkles, give this one a try. It’s $28.63 (prices may change) on Amazon or you can pick it up at your drug store.
- Mylansea Anti-Aging Face Serum – I haven’t tried this, but it contains two of the same ingredients as the Joyome Day Serum and might be a good dupe. It’s $11.99 (prices may change) on Amazon for 30 ml.
I hope you found this helpful and you were able to find cheaper alternatives to Plexus for your health! If you’ve found anything else you’ve liked instead please leave the info in the comments!
This is interesting because I could never give Plexus a fair try because of the cost. I know others who have tried it with great success, but they could afford it. As a senior on a fixed income, my budget did not allow that added expense. I do like a smoothie during my day. What is your recommendation for that? I will go through this blog again and write down the suggestions you made. My key issues are – weight loss, energy, brain for, fatigue, anxiety and gut health. My dr has suggested weight loss, but I have a couple of health issues that hinder me from a lot of walking or exercises. If I could get back into the right frame of mind and the energy to do it, I would be excited to get going again. Thank you! What do you suggest for my issues. I do take a multivitamin, probiotic, omega 3 and magnesium already.
I’m not a doctor so I can’t really recommend much more than I’ve already shared based on my own experiences. However from my experience it’s important to figure out the underlying cause of your symptoms. I’ve found that chronic inflammation is really common and can make it hard to loose weight. My inflammation was due to celiac disease and poor gut health, so once I had those figured out I started to lose weight, however that’s just my experience. I’d say you’re already taking what you should, if it’s not helping you might have something else going on. It might benefit you to see a holistic med doctor – there are some covered by most insurances so you’ll have to research it. I’ve found them to be more helpful than GPs
Thank you for your research and recommendations. My husband and I have been using Plexus for 4 years now. My supplements is getting expensive. I love their collagen. Do you have any suggestions for that on? Thank you!
For Collagen I really like using Vital Protein powder. I get the chocolate and mix it with milk for a “chocolate milk”, vanilla is also easy to mix into smoothie or even coffee. I also cook with bone broth that I make in a slow cooker with either beef or chicken bones to make it really affordable. I cook my rice with it for a protein an nutrient boost. I also cook my pasta with it. You can also drink it but that’s not my favorite.
For each of these alternatives do you have to do all the alternatives to reach the goal of what you’re replacing or do you pick one of the options?
You can just pick what works for you! Some of the alternatives focus on ingredients and if you want the full effect you’ll need all of them, others like the probiotics you just need one.
I have a similar Plexus story to yours & just decided yesterday (after almost 8 years) to stop Plexus & find alternatives. I think my biggest concern is replacing Probio5. I used to wake up all night, even on a prescription sleeping pill but within a week of probio5, I was sleeping immediately & through the night! Has the alternative probiotic you found helped with sleeping too?
I personally haven’t seen a connection between probiotics and sleeping. However, lately I’ve found that magnesium Glycinate really helps me sleep (that’s because I have a high cortisol issue). Here’s the one I like: https://amzn.to/3TjoZ35
Thank you so much for this information. I used to drink Avon’s re:tune daily hydration packets, and they discontinued them. It’s a pink powder with beet root and stevia in it. I considered plexus but too expensive. Appreciate the alternatives.
Wow, wish I’d found your blog before I spent $$$ on Plexus, but I’m ordering these alternatives next. Thanks so much!
If you take beta carotine it will clear your acne also. It is a form of vitamin A but you can’t overdo it. Accutaine for acne is a high dose of vitamin A
I have found your above information extremely helpful! I’m going to Amazon next! Do you know of any alternative to Plexus Ease?
Hey Amy! It looks like ease is mostly a turmeric capsule for joint pain. Here’s one on Amazon I would recommend. Alternatively you could try drinking “Golden Milk” before bed for a higher dose (this is what I do) here’s the recipe: 2 tsp ground tumeric, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp black pepper, 8 oz of your preferred milk (non dairy will help with inflammation) + honey to your taste.
For slim drink (green tea/hibiscus tea) do add a sweetener at all? If you do, is it stevia?
Thanks so much 🙂
You can sweeten your tea anyway you’d like! I find that hibiscus tea is sweet enough for me, but I personally use stevia, monk fruit, or honey to sweeten anything. Those tend to be gentler on my gut.
Hi, I just started using Plexus. I am trying to figure out what’s wrong with my gut. I think it’s IBS and so my friend who sells it suggested I try the one packet of Slim pink drink and take 4 capsules of Ease every day. I don’t know why this stuff would help me since I don’t need to lose weight, but if they do, I’m going to want to duplicate it with cheaper alternatives. I’m open to your suggestions for getting my intestines back on track.
I have IBS too and adding in probiotics has helped ease the symptoms. They won’t get rid of your IBS but it can help manage your symptoms while you work to figure out the root cause of your IBS.
I have loved plexus in the past for myself as a person without suggestive issues. Technically, I do sell it but I just signed up for me. My 15 year old has terrible ibs and celiac disease and they have a drink and supplements specifically for kids. Do you know alternatives for those?
I don’t have recommendations for their new products. However I also have celiac disease and I find that CBD is actually a better supplement for my pain, I also take this omega supplement (https://amzn.to/3LDrtFl) for the inflammation I have because of celiac disease and incorporate fermented foods like kimchi and miso for probiotics. The doctors I’ve worked with agree that a supplement won’t cure Celiac, so if Plexus is saying that it can that would be a false claim (in my opinion)
I don’t think they’ve made the claim and I’m not asking for a cure but nothing prescribed for his ibs has helped. I mostly ask to see if you have any different recommendations because he’s a kid, albeit a man size one
For kids I would recommend discussing with a naturopathic doctor to find the best natural supplements for a child.
Good article. I feel the same about Probio5. I keep going back to it. Since it’s been awhile since you posted this article have you got any updates on probotics you are using? Thank you!
Yes I do actually! I’ve worked with a functional medicine practitioner to identify that I actually have Celiac Disease so I’ve done a lot of things differently. For probiotics my doctor actually recommended a TBSP of kimchi or miso a day. I buy a container of kimchi at Costco for less than $10 that lasts all month. I find that easier and more effective than supplements. But when I’m on the go my doctor recommended this probiotic that I really like. (https://amzn.to/3Zwcove)
Hi! Ty for the information..would u happen to have a recommendation for xfactor plus? Ty..God Bless!!!
Hi. Thank you for sharing this. I have been on the fence of looking into alternatives due Plexus increasing their prices. Shipping is not over $12 a month. Is more expensive than the taxes I am being charged every month on top of the prices of the products that I use. I have not been able to get anyone to fully commit in the 5 years that I have become an ambassador. So discouraging! Did you ever try the ease and nerve? These two products have really helped my autoimmune issues which I believe have helped the most with being able to not have to use RA medical treatment that was not helping me in anyway. I would love to know more.
Thank you again!
I didn’t use ease or nerve but I also have an autoimmune disease and I imagine what those products are trying to help with is inflammation and nerve issues like fibromyalgia. I have both of those issues and what I’ve found that helps the most is CBD & THC. I know THC isn’t legal everywhere but it has been the most effective things. Even CBD by itself helps with inflammation. I’d also recommend drinking “Golden Milk” (8 oz of your milk of choice with 2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp black pepper + honey or your sweetener of choice). That drink alone helped reduce a TON of my inflammation and really helped me sleep before I was able to start THC.
Hi! I was on Plexus for a while but didn’t like the MLM aspect if it either and stopped taking it. Thank you for your research in alternatives! Question: The pink drink also has Garcinia Cambogia, alpha lipoic acid and white mulberry but those weren’t included in your alternatives. Will the alternatives still work the same with just green tea and not the other ingredients? Thank you again for this!
Me too! For the alternatives I focused on the most active ingredients. But you could try doing some searches on the exact ingredient you think is most beneficial for you. I would recommend searching those ingredients and looking at their actual benefits to see if you want to incorporate it or not.
Hi I love all these alternatives! So this might be a dumb question, do you take all these pills everyday? Or how many are you taking and that should probably answer it.
Thank you for this article!
Personally, my needs have changed so I don’t need to take them as often. However, I’d recommend going off what the bottle recommends and adjusting it to how your body feels. For example, with Magnesium, if you feel like it makes you constantly need to go to the bathroom take it down a bit.
Is the 3 enzymes in Probio5 very important? Is there an alternative that has those in it or at least one of the enzymes?
There are so many digestive enzymes blends out there. I think it’s a matter of finding a blend that your body responds to. Lately, my needs have changed and bit and I switched to this one and I’ve really liked it.
Which products do you use to manage your keratosis pilaris?
Honestly, just focusing on my overall gut health has improved my KP. I can’t say for sure which specific supplement cleared it up but I’d recommend trying some sort of probiotic and digestive enzyme first.
What green tea do you drink?
I just buy whatever is cheapest at the store. I’ve been drinking Lipton because I got a big box for free from a friend. The only thing I’d watch for is anything added. The ingredients should just be green tea.
Hello, Very interesting information! How is it going till now? I noticed its been about a year since this was posted , are you still seeing good results from these same cheaper alternatives?
I’ve personally had different needs develop so I’m using a few different things but I originally saw better results with alternatives than with Plexus. I still take the magnesium and swear by it.
Thank you so much!