💰 Donor Egg Cycle Full Cost Breakdown — Agency, Donor, IVF, Legal

Introduction

Donor egg IVF is one of the most expensive paths to parenthood — and one of the highest-success-rate options for patients with diminished ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency, or age-related egg quality issues. The all-in cost in 2026 ranges from CAD $25,000–$55,000 in Canada and USD $35,000–$80,000 in the US, depending on whether you use fresh or frozen eggs, an agency or a clinic-managed bank, and a known or anonymous donor.

This guide breaks down every line item across the four categories: agency, donor, IVF, and legal.

Two models: fresh donor egg vs frozen donor egg

Fresh donor egg cycle

The donor goes through a synchronized stimulation and retrieval, and her eggs are immediately fertilized with the intended parent's (or donor's) sperm. The intended parent is the recipient of the resulting embryos.

• Higher cost (full retrieval cycle for the donor)
• Higher per-cycle yield (typically 12–25 eggs)
• Longer timeline (3–6 months to match and synchronize)
• Better outcomes if donor has high AMH

Frozen donor egg cycle

You purchase a "lot" of 5–8 previously frozen eggs from an egg bank. Faster, cheaper, but fewer eggs.

• Lower cost
• Faster timeline (often <60 days)
• Smaller egg cohort (typically 6 eggs)
• Slightly lower success per cohort due to thaw losses (5–10 percent)

Frozen donor egg now represents about 45 percent of US donor egg cycles, up from <10 percent a decade ago.

Cost category 1: Agency fees

If you use a donor agency (vs a clinic-managed donor pool), expect:

• Agency matching fee: USD $5,000–$15,000 / CAD $5,000–$12,000 — covers donor recruitment, screening, matching coordination
• Repeat-match fee: $2,500–$5,000 if first donor falls through
• Application fee: $300–$1,000 (often credited toward matching fee)

Clinic-managed donor pools (where the clinic directly recruits donors) often charge $3,000–$8,000 in lieu of agency fees.

Canada caveat: Under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, paying donors a fee for eggs is illegal. Donors can only be reimbursed for documented expenses. This makes Canadian donor egg cycles cheaper on the donor compensation line but creates a chronic donor shortage — many Canadian patients use frozen US-banked eggs (legal to import) or travel to the US for fresh cycles.

Cost category 2: Donor compensation and screening

US donor compensation

• Typical donor compensation: USD $8,000–$20,000 (median ~$10,000)
• High-demand donors (Ivy League, specific ethnicity, prior successful cycle, exceptional medical history): $15,000–$50,000+
• Repeat donors: often $1,500–$3,000 premium per repeat cycle

Compensation is per cycle, not per egg. Paid even if the cycle is cancelled in some agencies.

Canadian donor reimbursement

Legal limits on reimbursement (not compensation):

• Travel, accommodation, meals
• Lost wages (with documentation, typically capped)
• Medications and medical expenses
• Childcare during appointments
• Typical total reimbursement: CAD $2,000–$6,000

Donor screening costs (regardless of country)

• Medical workup: $1,500–$3,500 (FDA/Health Canada required infectious disease panel, genetic carrier screening, psychological evaluation, AMH/FSH)
• Genetic counseling: $300–$600
• Psychological evaluation: $400–$800
• Background check: $50–$200

Frozen donor egg bank pricing (US)

Major banks (Donor Egg Bank USA, Cryos, World Egg Bank, Fairfax EggBank):

• Per cohort of 6 frozen eggs: USD $15,000–$25,000
• Per cohort of 8 eggs: $18,000–$30,000
• Per egg pricing models: $2,500–$4,000 per egg
• Guarantee programs (1+ blastocyst guarantee, or refund): premium pricing $22,000–$32,000

Cost category 3: IVF cycle costs

The recipient (you) still goes through a synchronized cycle to prepare your uterus, plus the embryology and transfer:

Recipient cycle costs

• Recipient monitoring (lining preparation): $1,200–$3,000
• Estrogen and progesterone meds: $300–$800
• Embryo transfer: $1,500–$4,000
• ICSI (almost always used with donor eggs): $1,500–$3,000
• Embryo culture and freezing of extras: $1,000–$2,500
• PGT-A (if used): $3,500–$7,500
• Annual storage of remaining embryos: $500–$1,200/yr

Donor stimulation costs (fresh donor cycles only)

• Donor's stimulation medications: $3,500–$7,000 (you pay)
• Donor's monitoring and retrieval: $5,000–$12,000 (you pay, billed through agency or clinic)
• Donor's anesthesia: $500–$1,200

Cost category 4: Legal

Donor egg arrangements legally require a written contract between intended parents and donor (and her partner if applicable):

• Intended parent attorney: USD $1,500–$4,000 / CAD $2,000–$5,000
• Donor's independent attorney (you pay): $1,000–$2,500
• Egg donor contract drafting and review: included in attorney fees above
• Escrow account setup (managing donor compensation through neutral third party): $500–$1,500

Total cost scenarios

Scenario A: US frozen donor egg, no agency, no PGT-A

• Frozen egg cohort (6 eggs): $18,000
• Recipient cycle (monitoring, ICSI, transfer, meds): $8,500
• Legal: $2,500
• Total: ~$29,000 USD

Scenario B: US fresh donor egg through agency

• Agency fee: $10,000
• Donor compensation: $12,000
• Donor screening: $3,000
• Donor stimulation meds: $5,500
• Donor monitoring/retrieval: $9,000
• Donor anesthesia: $800
• Recipient cycle (monitoring, ICSI, transfer, meds): $10,000
• PGT-A: $5,500
• Legal: $4,500
• Escrow: $1,000
• Embryo freezing + storage year 1: $2,200
• Total: ~$63,500 USD

Scenario C: Canadian fresh donor (known donor)

• Donor reimbursement (legal expenses): $4,000
• Donor screening: $3,000
• Donor stimulation meds: $5,500
• Donor monitoring/retrieval (private pay): $8,000
• Recipient cycle: $8,500
• Legal: $4,500
• Embryo freezing + storage: $1,800
• Total: ~$35,300 CAD

Scenario D: Canadian patient importing US frozen donor eggs

• US frozen donor egg cohort (6 eggs): USD $18,000 (~$24,500 CAD)
• Shipping to Canada: $1,500 CAD
• Recipient cycle in Canada: CAD $8,500
• Legal (cross-border): $3,500
• Total: ~$38,000 CAD

Hidden and surprise costs

• Donor cycle cancellation: agency typically retains some fees, donor often paid partial compensation
• Repeat match if first donor drops out: $2,500–$5,000
• Donor travel and lodging for cycle (you pay): $1,500–$5,000
• Maternity insurance gap during pregnancy
• Genetic counseling sessions: $300–$600 (sometimes mandatory)

Success rates with donor eggs

Donor egg cycles have the highest per-transfer success rates in fertility medicine, largely independent of recipient age (the egg's age is what matters):

• Fresh donor egg, US 2024 SART data: ~55–60 percent live birth per transfer
• Frozen donor egg, US 2024 SART data: ~45–50 percent live birth per transfer

LGBTQ+ family building note

Donor egg + gestational carrier is a common path for gay male couples and for trans patients. See our same-sex family building guide for the full breakdown.

Using the Navigator

The Fertility Link Navigator compares US frozen egg banks side by side and models cross-border vs in-country pricing for Canadian patients.

The bottom line

Donor egg IVF is the highest-success-rate path for many patients, but it's also the most expensive single-cycle journey in fertility medicine. Budget USD $30,000–$80,000 all-in for US journeys and CAD $25,000–$55,000 for Canadian ones. Frozen banks have made the bottom end more accessible; agency fresh cycles remain the high end.