Dexcom Stelo and Abbott Lingo are the only over-the-counter continuous glucose monitors available in the US — no prescription needed. They cost about the same. Here's where they actually differ.
Until 2024, every continuous glucose monitor required a prescription. Then Dexcom launched Stelo in August, Abbott followed with Lingo in September, and an entirely new category opened up: CGMs anyone can buy at a pharmacy or online, no doctor's visit required.
Both work on the same principle — a small sensor worn on the back of your upper arm that reads glucose levels in interstitial fluid every few minutes, sending data to your phone. Both are HSA/FSA eligible, both require no fingersticks, and both cost around $89 per month. The differences are in the details — sensor duration, app experience, accuracy, and who each device is designed for.
Stelo is the better choice if you have type 2 diabetes (it's FDA-cleared for that purpose), want longer sensor wear, or prefer an AI-powered insight experience. Lingo is the better choice if you don't have diabetes and want app-based coaching to build healthier habits — and it's very slightly cheaper. Both are genuinely useful; neither is clearly superior across the board.
Stelo sensors last 15 days; Lingo sensors last 14 days. One day doesn't sound like much, but it means Stelo's two-sensor monthly pack covers a full 30 days with no gap, while Lingo's two sensors cover 28 days. Over a year that adds up to two extra sensors you don't need to buy. Note that Dexcom reports roughly 20% of Stelo sensors don't last the full 15 days, so real-world coverage may vary slightly.
Accuracy for CGMs is measured by Mean Absolute Relative Difference (MARD) — essentially the average percentage difference from a reference lab measurement. Lower is better. Stelo comes in at 8.3% MARD; Lingo at 9.3%. Both are considered highly accurate for wellness use. For practical purposes neither gap should meaningfully affect day-to-day decisions, but Stelo's slightly superior accuracy matters most if you're tracking glucose for clinical reasons.
Lingo takes a reading every minute. Stelo reads every 5 minutes. For people who want a fine-grained picture of glucose — seeing exactly how fast they spike after a meal, or catching the precise peak — Lingo's one-minute cadence is genuinely more informative. Stelo's five-minute cadence is the industry standard and more than adequate for most people.
Stelo is FDA-cleared for people 18 and older who do not use insulin — specifically including people with type 2 diabetes managed with oral medication or lifestyle. If you have a diabetes diagnosis, Stelo is the one with the regulatory backing for your situation.
Lingo is explicitly designed for people without diabetes who want to understand how their lifestyle affects their glucose. Abbott's FDA clearance covers wellness use; Lingo is not cleared as a diabetes management device. If you have a diabetes diagnosis, it's technically being used off-label.
The apps tell the story of two different product philosophies.
Stelo's app added generative AI insights in December 2024 and AI-powered photo meal logging in July 2025 — you photograph your food and the app estimates the glucose impact. It also integrates with Dexcom Clarity, which allows provider sharing, meaning your doctor can see your glucose data. It connects to Apple Health, Apple Watch, and Oura Ring. The design is clean and data-forward, similar to Dexcom's prescription products.
Lingo's app is more coaching-oriented. It tracks a proprietary "Lingo Count" metric — the number of glucose spikes per day — and gives you daily, weekly, and monthly progress reports. It runs "Lingo Challenges" to nudge behavior change. The app integrates with Apple Health and Google Health Connect. Real-world user reviews have noted the graph view is limited to six hours at a time with no pinch-to-zoom, which is a genuine usability frustration for people who want to dig into their data.
| Purchase option | Stelo | Lingo |
|---|---|---|
| Single sensor (trial) | $55 (1 sensor, 15 days) | $49 (1 sensor, 14 days) |
| Two-sensor pack | $99 | $89 |
| Monthly subscription | $89/mo | $84/mo |
| Quarterly subscription | $252 (save 15%) | Not listed |
| Annual cost (subscription) | $1,068 | $1,008 |
| HSA/FSA eligible | Yes | Yes |
| Prescription required | No | No |
Lingo comes in $5 cheaper per month on subscription and $6 cheaper for the single-sensor trial. Over a year that's a $60 difference — real money, but not a decisive factor for most people choosing between the two. The more meaningful price consideration is that both offer a low-commitment single-sensor trial for under $55, making it easy to try before committing to a subscription.
Both are available directly from their manufacturer websites, on Amazon, and increasingly in pharmacy chains. Stelo is also sold through Walmart, Costco, and Best Buy. Lingo is sold at Walmart and Best Buy. Amazon is convenient and sometimes has better pricing on multi-packs — worth checking before buying direct.
A CGM doesn't lower your blood sugar. What it does is show you, in near-real time, how your blood sugar is behaving — which foods spike it, how exercise affects it, what happens when you're stressed or sleep-deprived. That visibility changes behavior in a way that abstract advice often doesn't.
For people managing type 2 diabetes, a CGM provides far more information than an occasional A1C test. It shows you the variance, not just the average — the overnight lows, the post-meal peaks, the effects of walking after dinner versus eating the same meal and sitting down. See our A1C to eAG calculator to understand how your A1C corresponds to an average daily glucose number, and how CGM readings map to that.
For people without diabetes who are on GLP-1 medications, a CGM can also be illuminating — showing how the drug blunts post-meal spikes and how diet choices interact with the medication's effects.
No. Both are over-the-counter products, cleared by the FDA for direct consumer purchase. You can buy them on Amazon, at a pharmacy, or from the manufacturer's website without involving a doctor.
No — neither Stelo nor Lingo is intended for people who use insulin. They lack the low-glucose alarms and clinical accuracy features of prescription CGMs like the Dexcom G7 or Freestyle Libre 3. If you use insulin, talk to your doctor about a prescription CGM.
Yes, both qualify as HSA/FSA eligible medical devices in the US. If you have an HSA or FSA balance to use, this is a legitimate way to spend it pre-tax.
The sensor hardware is closely related to prescription devices — Stelo is built on Dexcom's established platform, and Lingo's biosensor closely resembles the Freestyle Libre. The main differences are in the app features (no high/low alarms, no insulin dosing integration) and FDA clearance scope. Prescription CGMs cost more but offer features that aren't relevant for most people without insulin-dependent diabetes.
Yes, and it can be very useful. GLP-1 medications lower post-meal glucose spikes and improve time-in-range — a CGM lets you see that effect in real time. Many people on these medications find it motivating to watch their glucose response to meals improve over weeks of treatment. Neither device interacts with GLP-1 drugs.