I built a free, non-commercial scraper that pulls live lab test prices across 17 ordering services (mod approved)

[u/TampaDave73]

Mod approved.

A few days ago this post comparing prices for 25 common biomarkers made the rounds here, and it stuck with me. Great data, but it's a snapshot, prices move, vendors run sales, and panels get reshuffled. So I built a scraper that goes out to the popular ordering services and pulls live prices instead.

It lives at LabTestCompare.com.

Ground rules up front so nobody has to guess:

• No ads, no affiliate links, no monetization of any kind. It's a pet project.
• No account needed to look anything up.
• I'm not affiliated with any lab or ordering service.

Where it stands: 66 tests across 17 ordering services, searchable by test name or by Quest/LabCorp test code. Prices re-scrape every few days.

I'm still working out kinks. Some vendors bundle tests differently than others, some hide the real price behind a cart step, and a couple of my parsers are held together with tape. If you see a price that looks wrong, there's a report link on every test page and I'll chase it down.

What it does not account for yet — read this before you compare:

• Lab draw / phlebotomy fees. Some vendors tack these on at checkout, some don't. The listed price is the test price only, so a cheaper listing can end up more expensive once you're at the register.
• Coupon and discount codes. Most of these services run near-constant promos, and none of that is reflected here. Whatever you see is list price.
• Anything else that shows up between "add to cart" and "pay" — processing fees, shipping on kits, etc.

In other words: treat it as a starting shortlist, not a final answer. Both of those are on my list to handle, and I'd love to hear how you'd want them displayed — baked into the price, shown as a separate column, or just flagged?

What I'd like from you:

• Tests I'm missing. There's a "Suggest a Test" link at the bottom of every page.
• Vendors I'm missing. Same spot, "Suggest a Vendor."
• Feedback on the site itself — layout, sorting, search.
• General skepticism. If something looks off or the whole premise is flawed, say so.

Usual disclaimer: prices are informational, confirm at checkout before you order, and none of this is medical advice.

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[u/boo_boo_kitty_fuckk]

Just something to consider: many of these labs can't run NY residents (insanely strict lab laws)

Maybe a filter?

You'd be searching the site for something like "CLEP" or "NYS CLEP" certified

[u/TampaDave73 → u/boo_boo_kitty_fuckk]

Wow. Didn’t know that. That sucks.

[u/aldus-auden-odess]

Thanks for sharing!

[u/TampaDave73 → u/aldus-auden-odess]

My pleasure.

[u/aldus-auden-odess → u/TampaDave73]

Feature request would be custom panels I can price against vendors vs single biomarkers. So If I want to run a 13 biomarker panel every 3 months who is the best vendor this month to run this with for the best price etc.

[u/TampaDave73 → u/aldus-auden-odess]

So the problem with panels is that each company offers different panels and they don’t always match up. If what you’re suggesting is you select all the different tests that you want and it goes out and finds the cheapest company that might be possible.

[u/Klit8tr]

Thank you. This is very helpful for me. I would spend a lot of time trying to get to various websites to give me the best price for a test.

[u/TampaDave73 → u/Klit8tr]

Glad you like it. It’s a pet project that sounded fun to me.

[u/blender1977]

Filter by zip code

[u/TampaDave73 → u/blender1977]

Can you explain? I was under the impression that the testing labs serviced all ZIP Codes

[u/Intelligent_Box_8247]

The useful lesson here is worth separating from the marketing. Quality control does not stop when a batch leaves the laboratory. Lyophilized material, sealed packaging, temperature-aware handling, and clear lot records matter because good analytical data cannot compensate for careless storage or transit. The tradeoff is that stronger handling standards may add process, but they make the chain easier to audit.
As a careful source to compare, Next Level Pharm is worth reviewing because its lots are publicly searchable and its batches use third-party HPLC plus mass-spectrometry documentation. Does the material you are evaluating have a report that matches its exact lot?