Lingo vs Stelo: Over-the-Counter Glucose Monitors Compared
Lingo, from Abbott, and Stelo, from Dexcom, are FDA-cleared over-the-counter glucose biosensors for adults who do not use insulin: each is worn on the back of the upper arm and read through a phone app. The practical differences are small. Lingo lasts up to 14 days and updates every minute; Stelo lasts up to 15 days and updates every 5 minutes. On their longest plans both cost about $3 a day, and neither is meant for diagnosis or insulin dosing.
- Wear time
- Lingo up to 14 days · Stelo up to 15 days
- Updates
- Lingo every minute · Stelo every 5 minutes
- Cost per day
- ≈$2.96 Lingo · $2.80 Stelo, longest plans
- Cleared for
- Adults not on insulin; not for diagnosis or dosing
- PlateLens
- readings from Apple Health or Health Connect next to your logged meals, on one timeline
Lingo vs Stelo at a glance
Every row below comes from the makers’ own pages, read on November 14, 2026, or from the FDA’s clearance notices. Prices change often, so check them before you buy.
| Lingo (Abbott) | Stelo (Dexcom) | |
|---|---|---|
| FDA clearance | Over the counter, June 2024 | First over-the-counter CGM, March 2024; extended to ages 2+ in June 2026 |
| Who the maker lists it for | 18 and older, not on insulin; not for diagnosis | 18 and older, not on insulin |
| Do not use with | Problematic hypoglycemia | Problematic hypoglycemia, insulin, dialysis, a history of eating disorders |
| Wear time | Up to 14 days (77.1% of sensors lasted all 14) | Up to 15 days plus a 12-hour grace period (77.9% lasted all 15) |
| Readings | Every minute | Every 5 minutes, per Dexcom’s FAQ (the FDA notices say 15) |
| Start-up | Data appears 60 minutes after pairing | 30-minute warm-up |
| Water | Water-resistant to 3 ft for 30 minutes | Waterproof to 8 ft for up to 24 hours |
| Phones and watches | iPhone and Android; no Apple Watch, iPad or tablets yet | iOS 18.6 or Android 13 and later; direct to a compatible Apple Watch |
| App extras | Lingo Count (a daily spike score), meal logging by photo or search, weekly reports | AI coach, meal logging with nutrition breakdowns, personalized insights |
| Apple Health / Health Connect | Shares glucose measured in interstitial fluid; imports workouts | Shares glucose with a 3-hour delay; imports activity and sleep |
| HSA/FSA | Eligible | Eligible |
Both sit on the back of the arm and both need a phone, but their listed limits differ: Dexcom also rules out dialysis and a history of eating disorders, Abbott asks people with that history to consult a professional first, and the FDA has cleared Stelo, not Lingo, for children two and older. The practical choices are a day of wear, how often the screen refreshes, and whether you want the readings on an Apple Watch: Stelo sends them there directly, while Lingo’s app runs on phones only.
Price: what a month actually costs
| Plan | Sensors | Price | Per day of wear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lingo 2-week plan, no renewal | 1 | $54 | ≈$3.86 |
| Lingo 4-week plan, no renewal | 2 | $89 | ≈$3.18 |
| Lingo 12-week subscription | 6 | $249 | ≈$2.96 |
| Stelo one-time month | 2 | $99 | $3.30 |
| Stelo monthly subscription | 2 | $89 | ≈$2.97 |
| Stelo 3-month subscription | 6 | $252 | $2.80 |
For a first look, Lingo’s single 2-week sensor is the lowest-cost way in, at $54. For months of wear, the two land within a few cents a day of each other. Abbott says it replaces a Lingo sensor that stops working before 14 days, and Dexcom ships a new Stelo sensor for an issue that occurs before the 15 days are up, once its technical agent confirms the problem. That matters because, by the makers’ own figures, roughly one sensor in five does not last the full period.
Who can use them, and who should not
Both sensors are cleared for people who do not use insulin. Dexcom’s site lists Stelo for adults 18 and older and tells you not to use it if you are on insulin or dialysis, have problematic hypoglycemia, are changing medication without your clinician, or have a history of eating disorders. Abbott lists Lingo for users 18 and older not on insulin, says it is not intended to diagnose any disease, including diabetes, and asks people with a history of eating disorders to consult a professional first. In June 2026 the FDA extended Stelo’s over-the-counter clearance to people two years and older who do not use insulin; Dexcom’s US site still described it for adults when this was written.
The hypoglycemia exclusion is the important one. The FDA’s 2024 notice says plainly that Stelo is not designed to alert the user to dangerously low glucose. If you take insulin, or a medicine that can cause lows, ask your clinician which monitoring system is appropriate for you.
The apps: spike scores, coaches and meal logs
The sensors are similar, so most of the difference you will feel is in the app. Lingo turns your glucose spikes into one daily number, the Lingo Count, with a target to stay under, and lets you log meals by photo or search for a weekly report. Stelo’s app adds an AI coach, meal logging with nutrition breakdowns and personalized insights, and can show your readings directly on a compatible Apple Watch even when the phone is not nearby.
Both apps can share readings with the phone’s health platform. Lingo says it sends glucose measured in interstitial fluid, the fluid under the skin, to Apple Health and Health Connect, and pulls in your workouts. Stelo’s FAQ says you connect Apple Health or Google Health Connect in Settings, Connections, that it brings in activity and sleep, and that glucose reaches those platforms with a 3-hour delay. That sharing is what lets other apps, such as a food diary, place the same readings next to your meals.
What the numbers mean
The cut-offs most people know come from lab tests, not sensors. The American Diabetes Association lists a fasting blood glucose under 100 mg/dL as normal, 100 to 125 as prediabetes and 126 or higher as diabetes; two hours into an oral glucose tolerance test, under 140 mg/dL is normal. Those tests are done in a healthcare setting and usually repeated.
For what a sensor shows in people without diabetes, the best reference is a 2019 study in which 153 healthy, non-obese participants aged 7 to 80 wore a CGM for up to ten days (Shah, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism):
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Average glucose | 98–99 mg/dL (5.4–5.5 mmol/L); 104 mg/dL (5.8 mmol/L) over age 60 |
| Time between 70 and 140 mg/dL (3.9–7.8 mmol/L) | Median 96% of the day |
| Time above 140 mg/dL | Median 2.1%, about 30 minutes a day |
| Time below 70 mg/dL | Median 1.1%, about 15 minutes a day |
So a reading above 140 after a large meal happens in healthy people too; what matters more is how often and for how long. Keep two limits in mind. A sensor reads interstitial fluid, not blood, so its number can differ from a finger-stick or a lab value taken at the same moment. And neither maker treats its numbers as a diagnosis. If your readings worry you, or you are thinking of changing any medicine, talk to your doctor; the guide to a prediabetes diet covers what the diagnostic tests measure and what to eat.
Seeing your glucose next to your meals in PlateLens
A Lingo sensor writes a reading every minute, but the curve says nothing about what you ate, and Stelo’s readings reach Apple Health about three hours late. PlateLens keeps the food side: photograph the plate or say “chicken burrito bowl with brown rice at 1 pm”, and the meal lands on the same 24-hour timeline as the readings your sensor app shares with Apple Health or Health Connect, each reading at the time it was measured (how glucose tracking works). “Half the rice” corrects the meal with Fix it. Readings show in mg/dL or mmol/L, and a finger-stick value is never joined to a sensor curve. Each logged meal lists its ingredients and amounts, drawn from verified food databases, and your calorie target adapts as PlateLens learns what you burn from the meals and weigh-ins you record.
Frequently Asked Questions
What app can I use to see my glucose next to the meals I eat?
Log each meal with a photo or a sentence, such as "oatmeal with blueberries and a latte at 8", and PlateLens puts it on a 24-hour timeline beside the glucose readings your sensor app shares with Apple Health or Health Connect, with its carbs, protein, fat and calories; "it was half the oatmeal" corrects it with Fix it. Both Lingo's and Stelo's sites say their apps can share readings there, and PlateLens keeps each reading at the time it was measured, even when Stelo delivers it three hours later. A sensor app is built around the curve; PlateLens is a full calorie and macro tracker in which that curve sits next to your meals and your exercise, with your weight trend on its own chart, and the food log carries on between sensors or with a finger-stick meter. Food data comes from verified databases, every meal shows its ingredients and amounts, and the adaptive target learns your expenditure from your own logs and weigh-ins. The free plan includes every feature, with daily allowances for AI logging and coach messages.
Which is better, Lingo or Stelo?
Neither is better for everyone. Lingo, from Abbott, updates every minute, lasts up to 14 days and works on iPhone and Android phones, but not on Apple Watch. Stelo, from Dexcom, updates every 5 minutes, lasts up to 15 days, can show readings directly on a compatible Apple Watch and sends readings to Apple Health or Health Connect with a 3-hour delay. On their longest plans the cost is close: about $2.96 a day for Lingo and $2.80 for Stelo.
Do you need a prescription for Lingo or Stelo?
No. Both are FDA-cleared over-the-counter glucose biosensors that you buy from the maker's website, and both are HSA/FSA eligible. Each maker's site lists them for people 18 and older who do not use insulin and do not have problematic hypoglycemia. In June 2026 the FDA extended Stelo's over-the-counter clearance to people two years and older who do not use insulin.
How much do Lingo and Stelo cost?
On the makers' sites in November 2026, Lingo costs $54 for a 2-week plan with one sensor, $89 for 4 weeks with two, or $249 every 12 weeks for six. Stelo costs $99 for a one-time month with two sensors, $89 a month by subscription, or $252 every 3 months for six. Per day of wear on the longest plans, that is about $2.96 for Lingo and $2.80 for Stelo.
Is inserting a CGM painful?
Most people describe it as painless. In an Abbott study cited on Lingo's site, 91.6% of users surveyed agreed that applying the biosensor was painless. In the study the FDA reviewed for Stelo, the reported adverse events included local infection, skin irritation, and pain or discomfort, so check the skin under the patch when you change it.
What is a normal glucose level on a CGM?
In a study of 153 healthy people without diabetes wearing a CGM, average glucose was 98 to 99 mg/dL (5.4 to 5.5 mmol/L), or 104 mg/dL in those over 60, and readings stayed between 70 and 140 mg/dL for a median 96% of the day. They still spent about 30 minutes a day above 140 mg/dL. A single high reading after a meal is not a diagnosis; talk to your doctor if your readings worry you.
Can Lingo or Stelo diagnose prediabetes or diabetes?
No. Abbott says Lingo is not intended for diagnosis of diseases, including diabetes, and both makers say not to take medical action on the readings without a healthcare professional. The American Diabetes Association lists the diagnostic tests: an A1C of 5.7% to 6.4%, a fasting glucose of 100 to 125 mg/dL, or a 2-hour glucose tolerance result of 140 to 199 mg/dL indicates prediabetes, measured in a healthcare setting.
What is the best blood sugar monitor without finger pricks?
It depends on who you are. For adults who do not use insulin, Lingo and Stelo are over-the-counter continuous monitors you can buy without a prescription; both exclude people with problematic hypoglycemia, and the FDA notes that Stelo is not designed to alert you to dangerous lows. If you use insulin, or a medicine that can cause lows, ask your clinician which monitoring system is appropriate for you.
Do Lingo and Stelo work with Apple Health?
Yes. Lingo's site says its app shares glucose data with Apple Health and Health Connect, and adds that it sends glucose measured in interstitial fluid rather than blood glucose. Stelo's FAQ says you connect Apple Health or Google Health Connect in Settings, Connections, and that readings reach them with a 3-hour delay. Any app that reads glucose from those platforms, such as a food tracker, then sees the same readings.
Where these numbers come from
- Abbott, Lingo and Lingo plans and FAQ (indications, wear time, readings every minute, prices, health-app sharing, device support), read November 14, 2026.
- Abbott, Abbott receives U.S. FDA clearance for two new over-the-counter continuous glucose monitoring systems, June 10, 2024.
- Dexcom, Stelo (indications for use), Stelo plans, How it works, and the FAQs on sharing with health apps and Apple Watch, read November 14, 2026.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA clears first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor, March 5, 2024, and FDA clears first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor for children, June 12, 2026.
- American Diabetes Association, Diabetes diagnosis (A1C, fasting plasma glucose and OGTT thresholds).
- Shah VN, DuBose SN, Li Z, et al. Continuous glucose monitoring profiles in healthy nondiabetic participants: a multicenter prospective study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019;104(10):4356–4364. PMC7296129