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This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Over-the-counter glucose monitors are not intended to diagnose or treat any condition, and none of the products below are approved for people who are prone to low blood sugar. Talk to a healthcare provider before using one to guide any medical decision.
Dexcom Stelo is the cheapest way in at $89–$99 a month and the most flexible on commitment, but its FDA clearance is the narrowest of the three — built for adults not on insulin. Abbott Lingo is the lowest-friction starting point at $54 for a two-week trial and is cleared as a general-wellness biosensor rather than a diabetes-management device. Signos is the most expensive by a wide margin, but it’s the only one built specifically around weight management, with coaching and an AI app layered on top of the sensor itself.
At a Glance
| Pick | Best for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best value: Dexcom Stelo | Anyone who wants the lowest ongoing cost | From $89/month on subscription, up to 15-day sensors |
| Best low-commitment trial: Abbott Lingo | First-timers who want to test the concept cheaply | $54 two-week starter with one biosensor, no subscription required upfront |
| Best for structured coaching: Signos | People who want an app and human guidance built around weight management | Two sensors a month plus AI coaching and dietitian chat, from $127/month on a 6-month plan |
What “Over-the-Counter” Actually Means Here
All three products in this comparison are continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) — small adhesive sensors worn on the upper arm that track glucose levels throughout the day and sync to a phone app. What’s new about this category is that, since 2024, the FDA has cleared several of these for sale without a prescription. That’s a real regulatory milestone, but “over-the-counter” doesn’t mean identical clearance across brands, and the fine print differs enough to matter.
Dexcom Stelo, per its FDA clearance as reported by Pharmacy Times, is cleared for adults 18 and older who don’t use insulin, plus people managing diabetes with oral medication, and people without diabetes who want to see how food and exercise affect their blood sugar — but it’s explicitly not intended for anyone prone to hypoglycemia, since it doesn’t provide low-blood-sugar alerts. Abbott Lingo, per Abbott’s own clearance announcement, is positioned as a general-wellness biosensor rather than a diabetes-management tool. Signos, per Medical Economics, received its own FDA clearance specifically as a weight-management tool, not a diabetes device — a narrower and different intended use than either competitor.
Dexcom Stelo
Stelo is priced at $99 for a one-time one-month supply, or $89/month on a recurring 1-month subscription (10% off), dropping to $84/month on a 3-month subscription billed at $252 (15% off). Each sensor lasts up to 15 days plus a 12-hour buffer, though Dexcom’s own materials note that roughly 20% of sensors may not last the full 15 days — worth budgeting for when you calculate a monthly sensor count.
Stelo is Dexcom’s consumer spin-off of the same sensor technology used in its prescription G-series monitors, and it’s the only one of the three with no coaching layer or app-based program attached — just the raw glucose data and trend graphs. That’s a feature for people who want data without a subscription program, and a gap for people who want structured guidance.
Best for: people who mainly want the sensor and the raw data at the lowest ongoing cost. Dealbreaker: no low-glucose alerts and no coaching — you’re interpreting the trend lines yourself.
Abbott Lingo
Lingo’s entry point is a $54 two-week starter plan that includes one biosensor, free shipping, and a 30-day money-back guarantee — the cheapest way to try a CGM in this comparison without committing to a monthly plan up front. Abbott markets Lingo as a “biowearable” aimed at helping healthy adults understand how diet and exercise affect their glucose, distinct from Abbott’s separate Libre Rio product, which is cleared specifically for adults with type 2 diabetes who don’t use insulin.
Because Lingo is positioned as a wellness product rather than a diabetes-management device, its FDA clearance and marketing both lean toward “know the impact of what you eat” rather than clinical monitoring — closer in spirit to Signos than to Stelo, but without a coaching program attached.
Best for: testing whether continuous glucose data is useful to you before committing to a longer subscription. Dealbreaker: Abbott’s own starter page doesn’t publish ongoing subscription pricing after the two-week trial, so budget for a follow-up price check before you commit past the trial.
Signos
Signos is priced in tiers: $225/month on a 1-month plan, $150/month on a 3-month plan, and $127/month on its most popular 6-month plan — all of which include two CGM sensors monthly, full access to Signos’s AI-driven app, in-app dietitian chat, and food and movement logging. A separate Signos+ tier at $199/month bundles in a clinician-prescribed GLP-1 medication alongside the CGM.
Signos is meaningfully more expensive than Stelo or Lingo at every tier, but it’s also the only one of the three built end-to-end around weight management rather than general wellness or glucose data alone — the sensor is one input into an app that also tracks food, movement, sleep, and stress, with a human dietitian available to interpret the data.
Best for: people who want structured coaching and an app-based program built around the CGM data, not just the raw numbers. Dealbreaker: at $127–$225 a month, it costs roughly 1.5x to 2.5x what Stelo runs for the sensor alone — you’re paying for the program as much as the hardware.
Original Data: Real Monthly Cost, Normalized
Headline prices across these three aren’t structured the same way — one is quoted per sensor, one per starter kit, one per coaching tier — which makes them hard to compare at a glance. Here’s what a realistic ongoing monthly cost looks like once each pricing structure is normalized to “cost to keep wearing it.”
| Product | Entry cost | Ongoing monthly cost | What’s included beyond the sensor | FDA clearance scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexcom Stelo | $99 one-time | $84–$89/month on subscription | App with trend graphs only | Non-insulin-using adults 18+; not for hypoglycemia-prone users |
| Abbott Lingo | $54 (2-week trial, 1 sensor) | Not published for ongoing plans | App-based wellness scoring | General wellness biowearable, adults 18+ |
| Signos | Included in monthly plan | $127–$225/month depending on term | AI coaching app, dietitian chat, food/movement/sleep tracking | Weight management specifically, adults 18+ |
The practical read: Stelo is the cheapest way to get raw sensor data over time, Lingo is the cheapest way to find out if you even want that data, and Signos is priced like a coaching program because that’s what most of the cost is paying for — not the sensor itself. All three use adhesive biosensors worn on the back of the upper arm for up to roughly two weeks per sensor.
How We Compared
We did not wear or test any of these sensors for this comparison. Pricing and clearance details were verified against each company’s own site and current 2026 coverage from Pharmacy Times, Abbott’s newsroom, and Medical Economics. Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying. FDA clearance scope is described exactly as reported by each source; we have not independently verified regulatory filings beyond the cited coverage. See our editorial standards for more on how we research and compare products.
If you’re tracking weight loss without a CGM, our smart scales vs. body composition monitors comparison covers a cheaper entry point, and our Huel vs. Soylent vs. SlimFast guide looks at meal-replacement options some CGM users pair with glucose tracking. Browse more comparisons in our Weight Management category.
FAQ
Do I need a prescription for any of these?
No. All three are FDA-cleared for over-the-counter sale, meaning no prescription is required to purchase them, though Signos does involve a clinician for its separate GLP-1 add-on tier.
Can people with diabetes use these instead of a prescription CGM?
Only with caution and medical guidance. Stelo is cleared for adults who don’t use insulin or who manage diabetes with oral medication, but none of the three are intended to replace a prescription CGM for anyone at risk of low blood sugar, since they don’t include low-glucose alerts.
How long does each sensor last?
Dexcom Stelo is rated for up to 15 days per sensor, though about 20% may run shorter. Abbott and Signos both use adhesive biosensors in the same general two-week range, though exact published lifespans vary by source.
Which one is cheapest if I just want to try a CGM once?
Abbott Lingo’s $54 two-week starter kit is the lowest-cost single trial of the three, since it doesn’t require committing to a recurring subscription up front.
