Compare & Decide

ZipHearing vs hear.com vs Costco: What You Actually Pay and Get

Three places to buy prescription hearing aids with a professional fitting. Here is what each one publishes about price, follow-up care and returns.

By Keath D. · HearLifeRestored.com · Updated October 2026

Disclosure

If you reach ZipHearing through my links and complete an action on its site, such as submitting a form, I earn a $50 referral fee at no extra cost to you. I earn nothing from hear.com or Costco, and my links to them are plain links. Prices and terms below were read from each company's own pages in October 2026 and can change.

On this page

The short version
Side by side
Year two and three
Which one fits which reader
What I'd do
FAQ

The Short Version

Costco and hear.com's entry tier start at almost the same price. ZipHearing starts higher but sells more brands and doesn't need a warehouse near you. Costco lists its four lines at $1,599.99 to $1,699.99 a pair. hear.com lists $1,599 to $5,150. ZipHearing lists $2,098 to $4,898. Those tiers are not the same technology level, so price the same tier at all three before you decide.

I wear prescription aids and I haven't bought from any of these three. Everything here comes from what each company publishes, plus HearAdvisor's lab scores for models it sells. I only earn money from one of them, and the disclosure above says which.

Side by Side

	ZipHearing	hear.com	Costco
Listed price per pair	$2,098 to $4,898 across its models	$1,599 to $5,150 for the Horizon IX line (older AX line: $2,975 and $3,975)	$1,599.99 for Rexton, Philips and Sennheiser; $1,699.99 for Jabra
Monthly payments	Not published on the pages I read	From $34 a month, 36 months at 12.99% APR	Not published on the pages I read
Brands	Phonak, Oticon, Signia, Starkey, Widex, ReSound	Its own Horizon line	Rexton, Philips, Sennheiser, Jabra
Who fits and follows up	An independent local provider you can look up	Hearing care professionals, per hear.com	Costco's own Hearing Aid Center
Follow-up care	First year of fitting, programming and visits included, then $65 a visit	Unlimited follow-ups during the trial, then 2 or 5 post-trial appointments depending on tier	Free service appointments for aids bought at Costco
Hearing test	Up to $150, credited toward the aids if you buy	Not on the page I read	Free for members 18 and older
Trial period	45 days, full refund on undamaged devices	45-day no-risk trial	See Costco's returns policy (not on the page I read)
Warranty	3 years, covers repairs, loss and damage; $350 loss/damage deductible paid to the provider	3-year repair warranty plus a loss and damage warranty	Not on the page I read
Insurance and FSA/HSA	Insurance not accepted directly	Prices "reflect insurance discounts"	FSA and HSA eligible
Custom earmolds	$50 each	Not on the page I read	Sold separately if needed
Lab score on a model it sells (HearAdvisor)	EON Sphere 5.0, Reveal 1 5.1, Zeal 4.7, Allure 4.7, Pure C&G MaX 4.3, Silk C&G IX 3.7 (B)	Horizon Go IX 4.4, Grade A, top 44%	Rexton Reach R-Li T80 4.6, Grade A, top 27%
Do I earn a fee?	Yes, a $50 referral fee	No	No

ZipHearing: its model pages and Terms of Service, read October 6 and 7, 2026, plus its confirmation of the $65, $150 and $50 figures by email on October 7. hear.com: its price page, read October 7, 2026. Costco: its Hearing Aid Center page, read October 6, 2026 (prices vary by state). "Not on the page I read" means I didn't find it there, not that it doesn't exist. Lab scores are for one model each, not for the store.

Year Two and Three Are Where They Differ

The sticker price is only part of it. ZipHearing includes the first year of visits, then charges $65 a visit. Two visits a year is $130, so years two and three add about $260, which is my arithmetic, not a ZipHearing figure. hear.com's page lists unlimited follow-ups during the trial, then either 2 or 5 post-trial appointments depending on the tier (the 5 are over 3 years), and no per-visit price beyond that. Costco lists service appointments as free for aids you buy there.

That favors Costco on cost and hear.com on predictability. It favors ZipHearing only if you want a brand Costco and hear.com don't carry, or you live far from a Costco. Ask each one in writing what a visit costs after the included ones run out.

Which One Fits Which Reader

1
There's a Costco near you and you don't need a specific brand. Start there. The Rexton Reach scored 4.6, Grade A, in HearAdvisor's lab. Its speech-in-noise score was 2.5 at both fits, so it's not the pick if restaurants are your hardest room. Confirm the exact model at the warehouse, because Costco's page doesn't name the T80 the lab tested.
2
You want a particular brand or model. ZipHearing sells all six major brands. If you want Phonak's EON Sphere (lab score 5.0, noise 4.5 tuned) you'll find it at ZipHearing at $3,198 to $4,598, and not at Costco. See the EON Sphere on ZipHearing or my price breakdown by tier.
3
You want a fixed monthly payment and a set number of visits. hear.com publishes monthly figures and a visit count. Read the terms: 36 months at 12.99% APR is not 0% financing, and the lab scored the Horizon Go IX 4.4, mid-pack among the aids it tested.
4
Your loss is severe. None of the three lab scores speak to you, because the lab tests a mild-to-moderate loss. I'd ask any provider about the power models (ZipHearing sells the Phonak Naída Lumity, the family I wear) and how they verify the fit.

Price the Same Tier at ZipHearing

ZipHearing lists $2,098 to $4,898 a pair, with a year of local follow-up visits included and $65 a visit after that. Read the model pages and use its Find a provider near me button to see who is near you.

See ZipHearing's models and prices →

What I'd Do

I'd price Costco first if there's one within reach, because it's the cheapest published option with free follow-ups. If Costco's four brands don't fit, or the warehouse is far, I'd get written quotes from ZipHearing and hear.com for the same technology level and compare the cost after year one, not the price on the day. And I'd ask whoever does the fitting whether they run real ear measurements, because that's the part of a prescription fitting the lab scores assume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ZipHearing cheaper than Costco?

On the published numbers, no. Costco lists its four lines at $1,599.99 to $1,699.99 a pair and ZipHearing lists $2,098 to $4,898. ZipHearing's case is brand choice and an independent local provider, and it works where there's no Costco nearby.

Is hear.com cheaper than ZipHearing?

The ranges overlap. hear.com lists $1,599 to $5,150 a pair for its Horizon IX line and ZipHearing lists $2,098 to $4,898. Neither is clearly cheaper, so price the same technology level at both.

What does ZipHearing charge after the first year?

ZipHearing's model pages say the first year of fitting, programming and follow-up is included and appointments after that are $65 each. ZipHearing also confirmed by email on October 7, 2026 that a hearing test can cost up to $150, credited toward the aids if you buy, and that custom earmolds are $50 each.

Which of the three accepts insurance?

ZipHearing doesn't accept insurance directly. hear.com's price page says its prices reflect insurance discounts. Costco's page says its aids are FSA and HSA eligible and doesn't mention insurance, so ask your plan.

Do you earn money if I buy from these companies?

I earn a $50 referral fee from ZipHearing if you reach it through my links and complete an action on its site. I earn nothing from hear.com or Costco, and my links to them are plain links.

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