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.
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 written blogs about and the ones I’ve 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, check the price now). 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, check the price now). 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 hibucis 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, check the price now). 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 link 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, check the price now) on Amazon but if you buy from their websites that always have sales and you can save by signing up for a subscription.
- 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 hibucis 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, check the price now) 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 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, check price now) 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, check price now).
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.
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
- Love Wellness Xomegas – This supplement from Love Wellness is an Omega 3 supplement that pairs well with their multivitamins. They’re fairly large capsules but there isn’t an after taste with them. You can buy it on Amazon for $19.99 (prices may change, check price now) for a bottle of 30 capsules. You can also purchase is on their website where they run sales and give you discounts on subscriptions. They are also available at Target.
- Nordic Naturals ProOmega – this is the one I’ve been taking more recently. 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, check price now) 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, check price now) 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 what I take as a prenatal. It’s 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, check price now) 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, check price now) 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’ve been using it for over two years now and it’s the only thing I’ve 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 now that I have it under control and don’t have to use it every day.
- 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, check price now) 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, check price now) 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!