For the first time in U.S. history, you can buy a continuous glucose monitor without a prescription. Dexcom’s Stelo, which received FDA clearance in March 2024 and hit the market that June, was the first over-the-counter CGM available to American consumers [Drugdeliverybusiness]. A year later, the device has already attracted over 500,000 users and generated roughly $130 million in sales [Gopillinois]. These numbers signal genuine consumer demand, not just hype.
But why does this matter right now? The early adopter phase is over. Real-world feedback, pricing clarity, and competitive context from rivals like Abbott’s Lingo have emerged. This makes it the right moment to assess whether Stelo deserves a spot on your arm or whether your money is better spent elsewhere.
The OTC Glucose Monitor Arrives
Traditional glucose monitoring meant fingerstick tests: a lancet, a test strip, a single number frozen in time. Continuous glucose monitors changed that equation for insulin-dependent diabetics years ago, but they always required a prescription. Stelo breaks that barrier.
The device is a small sensor that adheres to the back of your upper arm, tracking glucose every 15 minutes for up to 15 days per sensor [Drugdeliverybusiness]. It syncs wirelessly with a smartphone app. No calibration, no blood draws. The sensor is waterproof, so swimming and showering aren’t disrupted.
What Stelo is not is a prescription-grade Dexcom G7. Key differences worth noting:
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Target audience: Stelo is designed for Type 2 diabetics not on insulin and people with prediabetes or metabolic curiosity. The G7 targets insulin users.
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Accuracy tier: Stelo is not FDA-cleared for insulin dosing decisions.
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Access: No doctor visit, no prior authorization. Order online, apply at home.
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Data depth: Dexcom has announced plans for AI-enabled enhancements to Stelo’s software, aiming to transform how users interpret glucose patterns [Premierstocksleague].
This OTC approach opens the door to an estimated 25+ million Americans who don’t take insulin but could benefit from metabolic visibility [Capitalinsightbd].
Who Benefits Most From Monitoring
Not everyone needs 96 glucose readings a day.
Photo by The evidence suggests maximum value flows to people who are actively ready to change behavior based on what they learn.
Prediabetics stand to gain the most. Research consistently shows that real-time glucose feedback helps individuals identify personal trigger foods. These are the specific meals and snacks that cause their blood sugar to spike. One person’s oatmeal is another person’s glucose bomb. That kind of individual variation is invisible without continuous data.
Performance-focused individuals represent another group. Athletes and people optimizing energy levels use glucose data to fine-tune workout timing, recovery nutrition, and sleep quality. Stable glucose correlates with sustained focus and more consistent energy throughout the day.
A third consideration: family history. If Type 2 diabetes runs in your family, establishing baseline glucose patterns now while you’re healthy may help you catch concerning trends early. Evidence supports that early lifestyle intervention can delay or even prevent progression to full diabetes.
The hidden opportunity in CGM isn’t the hardware. It’s the software and app-driven insights that help users actually understand their data [Gopillinois].
The common thread across all three groups? They’re prepared to act on what they discover, not just observe it.
Cost Versus Value Analysis
Stelo costs $99 per month, or $89 with a subscription.
Photo by Insurance doesn’t cover it. This is entirely out-of-pocket. That’s roughly $3.30 per day for continuous monitoring.
For comparison, a basic fingerstick glucose meter and a month’s worth of test strips might run $15 to $30, capturing maybe 3 to 5 readings daily. Stelo delivers 96 readings per day, revealing complete patterns: post-meal spikes, overnight dips, stress-induced fluctuations, and the glucose impact of that 3 p.m. coffee.
The question isn’t whether more data is better. It’s whether more data changes your outcomes.
A practical approach to evaluating cost:
- Consider budgeting for 3 to 6 months, not indefinitely. Most users discover their major glucose triggers within the first month. The following months validate whether lifestyle changes are working.
- Define your questions first. Which foods spike your glucose? How does poor sleep affect morning readings? Does your post-lunch walk actually help? Focused goals prevent data overload.
- Try a low-cost test run. A week of disciplined fingerstick testing around meals, costing under $20, can reveal whether you’re genuinely motivated to dig deeper with continuous monitoring.
Think of Stelo as a short-term investment in metabolic education rather than a permanent subscription.
When Not to Buy
Some situations call for a doctor, not an online purchase.
Type 1 diabetics and insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetics need prescription CGMs with tighter accuracy standards and features designed for dosing decisions. Using Stelo for insulin management could be genuinely dangerous. It’s not cleared for that purpose.
Symptoms like extreme thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, or blurred vision demand professional evaluation. These are potential signs of undiagnosed diabetes that require medical-grade testing and treatment planning, not self-directed monitoring.
Pregnancy, planned pregnancy, and kidney disease also warrant medical oversight before any glucose monitoring approach. The physiological variation in these conditions requires professional interpretation that an app cannot provide.
One more consideration: anxiety. If you tend toward health anxiety or obsessive data checking, continuous glucose monitoring may create more stress than insight. Blood sugar naturally fluctuates throughout the day. Seeing every dip and rise without clinical context can fuel unnecessary worry.
Making Your Decision
If you’ve read this far and you’re still interested, that’s a reasonable signal.
Photo by But interest alone doesn’t justify $99 a month.
A few grounding questions before you order:
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Are you prediabetic, metabolically curious, or actively trying to improve dietary habits?
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Can you commit to logging meals and activities alongside glucose data for at least a month?
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Will you adjust your behavior based on what you learn, or will the novelty fade after week two?
If the answers lean yes, a 3-month trial with clear goals may offer genuine metabolic insight. If you’re mostly curious but not ready to change habits, that $270 to $300 might serve you better spent on a nutritionist consultation or a metabolic panel from your doctor.
The landscape is also evolving quickly. Dexcom’s planned AI enhancements [Premierstocksleague] and competition from Abbott’s Lingo suggest that both features and pricing will shift in the coming year. Early adoption has its rewards, but patience has its own value.
Dexcom’s Stelo has genuinely democratized glucose monitoring, giving over half a million people access to metabolic data that was prescription-locked just two years ago [Gopillinois]. For prediabetics and health-focused individuals ready to act on continuous data, it may offer meaningful insight at a manageable cost. For those with insulin-dependent diabetes or unclear symptoms, a doctor’s guidance remains the better first step. The most useful health technology isn’t always the newest. It’s the one that leads to decisions you wouldn’t have made without it.
