Semaglutide vs Liraglutide
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
Weekly against daily dosing among the GLP-1 drugs, and another pair that has been tested directly rather than guessed at.
- Semaglutide people
- 42,363
- Semaglutide nulls
- 2
- Liraglutide people
- 16,760
- Liraglutide nulls
- 0
Dose
Approved titration: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7 and 2.4 mg
0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7 and 2.4 mg
The approved semaglutide ladder, in mg.
Dose
Approved label amounts
0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 and 3 mg
The approved liraglutide ladder, in mg.
First-hand reports are counted on each profile and never added together. This page sets two published records side by side. It does not pick a winner.
Column A
SemaglutideSemaglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist)
A once a week shot for type 2 diabetes and weight loss. It is approved, and big studies show it also lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Column B
LiraglutideLiraglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist)
A once-a-day shot for type 2 diabetes and weight loss. It was the first drug of its kind approved for obesity, and it lowered heart attacks and strokes in a big study.
These two were tested against each other in the same trial
One trial gave people each of them. This is not us lining up two separate records.
Weight fell 15.8% on semaglutide against 6.4% on liraglutide, a gap of 9.4 percentage points, and the gap was clear. The two dummy shot groups together lost 1.9%. People on semaglutide were far more likely to reach every mark: 70.9% against 25.6% for losing 10% or more, and 38.5% against 6.0% for losing 20% or more. 13.5% on semaglutide and 27.6% on liraglutide stopped for any reason.
What the trial was
A large final stage trial, 68 weeks, 338 adults with overweight or obesity and without diabetes. They got weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg or daily liraglutide 3.0 mg, and each drug also had its own matching dummy shot group. People knew which of the two real drugs they were on. Within each drug, they did not know whether they had the real shot or the dummy.
What the authors concluded
The authors conclude that semaglutide led to clearly more weight loss than liraglutide at 68 weeks.
Where this result is weak
In the head to head part, people knew which drug they were on, so the part that matters most here was not hidden. 338 people across 19 US sites, 68 weeks, and weight rather than any hard health result. The maker of both drugs paid for the trial. That cuts differently from the usual conflict, since they own the winner and the loser.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| What we compare | Semaglutide | Liraglutide |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Metabolic | Metabolic |
| FDA status | FDA-approved (Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes; the Wegovy shot, the Wegovy pill approved Dec 2025, and Wegovy HD 7.2 mg approved Mar 2026 for weight management) | FDA-approved (Victoza for type 2 diabetes; Saxenda for weight management) |
| Half-life | ~7 days | ~13 hours |
| Molecular weight | 4,113.6 Da | 3,751.2 Da |
| How it works | It switches on the GLP-1 receptor, a switch on cells that normally answers a gut hormone after you eat. That makes the body release insulin when blood sugar is high. It holds back glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar. It slows how fast the stomach empties. It also acts on the part of the brain that runs hunger, so people eat less. | It copies GLP-1, a gut hormone you make after you eat. That tells your body to release insulin when blood sugar is high. It turns down glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar. Food leaves your stomach more slowly, and you feel less hungry. |
| Studies in people | 15 | 6 |
| Evidence | Strong: 12 completed trials, 42,363 people given it | Strong: 6 completed trials, 16,760 people given it |
| Legal status, US | FDA-approved, prescription only | FDA-approved, prescription only |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Semaglutide and Liraglutide?
Semaglutide: A once a week shot for type 2 diabetes and weight loss. It is approved, and big studies show it also lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke. Liraglutide: A once-a-day shot for type 2 diabetes and weight loss. It was the first drug of its kind approved for obesity, and it lowered heart attacks and strokes in a big study.
Which has stronger research evidence, Semaglutide or Liraglutide?
Each compound gets a band worked out from facts we counted, with the math shown. Semaglutide is Strong (12 completed trials, 42,363 people given it). Liraglutide is Strong (6 completed trials, 16,760 people given it). That counts how much has been done in people. It does not rate whether either one works, and neither one is called the winner.
Are Semaglutide and Liraglutide FDA-approved?
Semaglutide: FDA-approved (Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes; the Wegovy shot, the Wegovy pill approved Dec 2025, and Wegovy HD 7.2 mg approved Mar 2026 for weight management). Liraglutide: FDA-approved (Victoza for type 2 diabetes; Saxenda for weight management).
Related posts
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Reviewed Sep 2026. This page puts two published records side by side. It is for learning, and it is not medical advice. When this site shows a dose, it is the dose a trial or a clinic actually used, or what people say they did, with the source attached. None of it tells you what to take.