Generic Equivalent Finder Calculator
Compare the cost of brand-name medications vs their generic equivalents to see how much you can save.
About this calculator
Brand Name Total and Generic Total are each the price per pill you enter multiplied by total pills (Pills Per Day times Days Supply), and neither one leaks into the other -- raising Brand Cost Per Pill never changes Generic Total, and raising Generic Cost Per Pill never changes Brand Name Total. Total Savings is simply Brand Name Total minus Generic Total, floored at zero so a generic that happens to cost more than the brand never shows as a negative savings figure, and Brand Cost Per Pill is the input that moves Total Savings the most across this calculator's ranges, since it drives the larger of the two totals being subtracted.
Projected Annual Savings prorates Total Savings out to 365 days by dividing by Days Supply and multiplying back up -- and because Total Savings itself scales directly with Days Supply (more days means proportionally more pills at the same per-pill price difference), that division cancels the multiplication out completely: Days Supply has no effect on Projected Annual Savings at all, only on the size of Total Savings for this particular fill. Percent Saved is Total Savings as a share of Brand Name Total, so it moves with the price gap between brand and generic, not with how many pills are in the fill.
Medical Disclaimer
This calculator is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of results from this tool.
Total Savings
$135.00
Percent Saved
90%
Inputs
Comparison
Brand Name Total
$150.00
Generic Total
$15.00
Projected Annual Savings
$1,642.50
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the Brand Name Cost Per Pill in dollars — check your pharmacy receipt or GoodRx for the brand price.
- Enter the Generic Cost Per Pill — available from GoodRx, your pharmacy, or generic price lists.
- Enter Pills Per Day (your prescribed dose) and Days Supply (typically 30 or 90 days).
- Review Total Savings for this fill period, Percent Saved (%), and Projected Annual Savings.
- Use these numbers when discussing a generic switch with your pharmacist or prescriber to confirm therapeutic equivalence.
How the result changes with Brand Cost Per Pill
| Brand Cost Per Pill | Total Savings | Percent Saved |
|---|---|---|
| $2.50 | $60.00 | 80% |
| $3.75 | $97.50 | 86.7% |
| $7.50 | $210.00 | 93.3% |
| $13.00 | $375.00 | 96.2% |
What each input means
- Brand Cost Per Pill
- Cost per pill for the brand-name medication.
- Generic Cost Per Pill
- Cost per pill for the generic equivalent medication.
- Pills Per Day
- Number of pills taken per day.
- Days Supply
- Number of days in your prescription supply.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersBrand Cost Per Pill = 5, Generic Cost Per Pill = 0.5, Pills Per Day = 1, Days Supply = 30 = 4 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total SavingsTotal Savings135 = $135
- Calculate Percent SavedPercent Saved90 = 90%
- Calculate Brand Name TotalBrand Name Total150 = $150
- Calculate Generic TotalGeneric Total15 = $15
Engine last updated . Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't Days Supply change my Projected Annual Savings?
Total Savings for one fill scales directly with Days Supply -- twice as many days of pills means twice the savings for that fill -- and Projected Annual Savings divides that fill's savings by its own Days Supply before multiplying by 365. The Days Supply term cancels out algebraically, so only the per-pill price difference and Pills Per Day determine the annual figure, not how long a single prescription lasts.
Can Total Savings ever show as a negative number?
No. The calculator floors Total Savings at zero, so if you enter a Generic Cost Per Pill higher than the Brand Cost Per Pill -- an unusual but possible data-entry case -- Total Savings and Percent Saved both read zero rather than a negative amount, since a generic switch that costs more isn't a "savings" to report.
Which input matters most for Total Savings?
Brand Cost Per Pill has the largest effect on Total Savings across this calculator's input ranges, because it sets the larger of the two totals being subtracted and its allowed range runs higher than Generic Cost Per Pill's. Raising it while holding everything else fixed raises Total Savings directly.
Does entering a higher Generic Cost Per Pill always increase Brand Name Total?
No -- Brand Name Total is computed only from Brand Cost Per Pill, Pills Per Day, and Days Supply. Generic Cost Per Pill feeds solely into Generic Total and everything derived from the difference between the two totals, so changing it never moves Brand Name Total by even a cent.
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