When it comes to shopping at CVS vs. Walgreens, you may be tempted to just hit whichever store is more convenient. But if both CVS and Walgreens are nearby, which one is the cheaper option?
Sure, there are certain items that are best to buy at CVS and items you should always buy at Walgreens. But ask a couponer, and you'll find no hotter debate than which drugstore is their favorite.
CVS doesn’t allow coupons to be used on any CVS curbside pickup and Walgreens does. But you can use coupons on CVS in-store pickup, and the last time our founders, Joanie and Heather, did a 1-month couponing challenge, the CVS deals ended beating Walgreens deals for total percent saved.
You may have a favorite, or maybe you shop both and choose based on what’s on sale that week. Either way, we’ve got all the insider tips on how to shop CVS vs. Walgreens to get the best prices on everything.
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There are many ways to save money when shopping at either CVS or Walgreens. But while deciding which store has better money-saving benefits, it may be a toss-up that depends on your personal preferences.
CVS vs. Walgreens: Using Coupons
Winner: CVS
You can use coupons at both Walgreens and CVS. Both stores offer digital coupons that are easy to add to your account, and you can stack store coupons with manufacturer coupons at either Walgreens or CVS. But as we compare Krazy Coupon Lady shopping hauls made of the best deals each week, CVS edges out Walgreens three out of every four weeks.
Using coupons is easier at CVS. If you try to use a $5 coupon on an item priced at $4.99 at Walgreens, it won't work — all coupons at Walgreens must have a value that's the same or lower than the price of the item you're buying. But use that same $5 coupon at CVS, and the coupon value will be adjusted down to $4.99, making your item free.
Another quirk about using coupons at Walgreens that doesn't exist at CVS? You can't use more coupons, including Register Rewards, than items you're purchasing. So, for example, if you want to use two coupons plus a Register Reward on two items, you'll need to buy what we call a "filler item" (or third item) to use the Register Reward. You don't have to worry about filler items at CVS.
Finally, let's talk about stacking coupons at CVS. While you can stack at Walgreens too, CVS is more likely to have multiple store coupons that can be used on a purchase. Combine that easy stacking with easy rolling rewards, and it's obvious why couponing at CVS is just easier overall.
Everyday Prices
Winner: Walgreens
When it comes to everyday prices, we compared CVS and Walgreens without any extra savings. We wanted to find out which store has lower prices in categories like personal care, household items, and first aid/medicine.
Prices for 16 identical items were compared during the same month (April 2024) in Boise, Idaho. We found that Walgreens had the lowest price on nine out of 16 items.
Walgreens generally has cheaper everyday prices when compared to CVS, especially when it comes to household items. But for other items, the results are so close that it's almost a tie.
Here's the price comparison breakdown:
You can use coupons and rewards programs to score comparable savings at Walgreens and CVS.
Because we all know you’re not going to CVS or Walgreens to shop for full-price items, we took a deeper look at their prices when it comes to stacking weekly deals with coupons and rewards.
CVS vs. Walgreens: Deals and Coupons
Winner: CVS
To analyze both stores fairly, I considered three factors: deal repeatability, threshold restrictions, and coupon personalization.
CVS didn’t shine on repeatability, since many ExtraBucks deals have limits to how many times you can cash in on that offer within a sale period, but Walgreens allows you to rinse and repeat their deals as many times as you want. However, CVS promos are now typically available for two weeks instead of just one, so even with promo limits, the offers will reset and can be repeated during the second week.
But CVS did come out on top with threshold restrictions and coupon personalization. CVS allows you to reach dollar thresholds across multiple transactions, while Walgreens requires it in one go. This means you can buy one Tide on Monday and one Tide on Friday until you hit the $20 threshold at CVS. This is especially nice for those pesky Tide coupon limits they tend to have.
If you’re shopping at Walgreens, you have to hit your threshold in one transaction, making it much harder if you’re following coupon limits.
The final factor that gives the win to CVS is their personalized coupons you get via in-store kiosks (aka the magical coupon machine). While Walgreens offers a general coupon book, the CVS machine tailors the coupons based on your purchase history. Plus, you can also use the in-store kiosks to check prices in store and see if items are part of a promotion.
KCL TIP: Another perk for CVS is that they allow you to roll your ExtraCare Bucks from one transaction to the next, which can keep your out-of-pocket cost low and allow you to continue earning additional rewards — even if you’re paying with ExtraCare Bucks. (You can't earn Register Rewards at Walgreens if you pay with Register Rewards on the same offer.)
CVS vs. Walgreens: Rewards Programs
Winner: CVS
The more you spend, the more you’ll get back from the rewards programs at both Walgreens and CVS. But there are some key differences in how quickly you can earn and use that highly coveted cash back.
When it comes to cash back, Walgreens can be pretty generous, offering up to 5% back on their own brand stuff. Everything else? Just 1%. CVS, on the other hand, keeps it simple with a steady 2% back on most purchases. If you’re fine with buying generic brands, Walgreens will be your go-to.
Now, if you’re a coupon enthusiast, CVS has your back. The amount of CVS rewards you earn are based on pre-coupon prices, while Walgreens deducts coupon values first. That makes CVS the slightly better option for couponers.
When it comes to rolling rewards, CVS shines. You can use your ExtraBucks right away in the next transaction to earn even more rewards. But Walgreens Register Rewards are a one-and-done thing.
Walgreens does give you a whole year to use your points, which is way better than CVS’s 30-day expiration policy on ExtraBucks, although since CVS ExtraBucks are all digital, there's nothing for you to keep track of, which is a nice feature.
And here's one of the coolest things about CVS — you only need to hit 98% of the deal threshold to get the full reward, while Walgreens requires you to spend the full amount.
CVS vs. Walgreens: Store-Specific Advantages
Winner: Walgreens
CVS and Walgreens both have competing perks and prices. But when it comes to everyday ease and the shopping experience, there are some key differences.
First up, Walgreens offers curbside pickup with digital coupon options, while CVS currently doesn't. However, digital coupons are accepted on CVS same-day delivery orders and most in-store pickup orders.
CVS does shine with a 60-day return window, which is double the 30 days that Walgreens offers.
Another cool perk is Walgreens Senior Day. On the first Tuesday of every month, seniors can get a 20% discount in store, and the discount is good for the entire first week of the month online. CVS doesn’t have a similar program, so this is a clear win for Walgreens.
While CVS doesn't have a senior program, they do have a birthday reward. Get $3 ExtraBucks on your birthday when you sign up for a free ExtraCare account.
Based on CVS's 2024 store closure list, CVS might be less convenient for many shoppers. Walgreens, on the other hand, often has more locations.
CVS and Walgreens both ofter photo deals — but Walgreens gives more freebies.
Winner: Walgreens
Unless you’re in a time crunch, never buy full price photos at either store. Both CVS and Walgreens offer same-day pickup for photo prints and typically offer up to 60% off photos as well as same-day photo gift options.
Both CVS and Walgreens also have multiple free print offers available. Walgreens typically offers a few more throughout the year, but CVS does offer free prints at least every other month.
In terms of photo quality, in a review of Walgreens Photo done by PCMag.com, they say, "Despite the high prices, the final results from CVS are acceptable, though inconsistent, and they fall short of what you get from the one-hour competition from Walgreens and Walmart."
The Winner: It's a draw.
CVS and Walgreens offer similar prices. So check the weekly flyers to help you decide where to shop. Your choice should depend on what you need and what’s on sale, especially if you’re pairing those store deals with coupons.
With CVS, you can roll rewards forward, but you'll only have 30 days to use your ExtraBucks. With Walgreens, you have up to one year. So if you shop at a drugstore just once a month, you’ll tend to get more from the Walgreens rewards program because you’ll have all year to use your rewards.
And if you’re a curbside pickup lover, you can use your digital coupons with Walgreens curbside pickup, which is super convenient.
But using coupons and rewards at CVS is easier. You don't have to keep track of your ExtraBucks, you only have to reach 98% of a promo threshold to earn rewards, you can use multiple threshold store coupons, and you can use coupons with a value greater than the item you're buying.
Deciding whether to shop at CVS versus Walgreens is very much a personal choice. It comes down to personal convenience and habits. Personally, I love to shop them both to get the most deals I can each week!
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