The three side by side
Nutrisense ships the same two Stelo sensors for $249 a month, $150 more than Dexcom’s one-time box, and keeps billing until you cancel5911. Lingo gives no glucose alerts, and the FDA says Stelo isn’t designed to alert you to problematic lows367. None of the sources shows that wearing a glucose monitor improves health.
Prices and terms come from the companies’ own pages and FDA records. Prices are US list prices, before tax, checked on October 13, 2026. Wear times, sensor-life figures and plan terms are the companies’ own, and the yearly costs are our arithmetic. Where a cell says something isn’t stated, we didn’t find it on the pages checked.
| Question | Abbott Lingo | Dexcom Stelo | Nutrisense CGM Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The 2-week plan: one biosensor worn for up to 14 days, with full app access. No commitment, and it doesn’t auto-renew1 | The one-time box: two biosensors of up to 15 days each, about 30 days of wear, with the Stelo app5 | The 1-Month Set: two Dexcom Stelo biosensors, the Nutrisense app and access to 1:1 dietitian video calls, sold month to month9 |
| US list price | $54 with free shipping, before tax. No sale or coupon price was shown1 | $99 with free shipping. It isn’t a sale price5 | $249 a month with free shipping. The page showed $212 with an automatic 15% code, which is a coupon, so it isn’t used910 |
| Other plans | A 4-week plan at $89 for 2 sensors, with no auto-renewal. A 12-week subscription at $249 for 6 sensors, renewing every 12 weeks1 | A monthly subscription at $89 for 2 sensors, or $252 every 3 months for 65 | Nutrisense also sells 6- and 12-month plans, the only ones with pay-later financing9 |
| Sensor wear | Up to 14 days per sensor, with a reading every minute. The 2024 510(k) summary lists a 1-hour warm-up13 | Up to 15 days per sensor, plus a 12-hour buffer. Warmup takes 30 minutes5 | The same Stelo sensors, which Dexcom says last up to 15 days plus a 12-hour buffer. A shipment covers about 30 days59 |
| Sensors that end early | Abbott says 77.1% lasted the full 14 days in a study, and 14.7% may last less than 11 days1 | Dexcom says 77.9% lasted the full 15 days in a study5 | The same Dexcom figure. Nutrisense doesn’t say how it handles sensors that end early59 |
| Replacements | A faulty sensor is replaced free or refunded during its 14 days. Early fall-offs without a defect are replaced free up to 3 times in 6 months2 | A sensor with an issue before day 15 is replaced free once a technical agent confirms it. Dexcom says validated replacements aren’t limited5 | Not stated. Dexcom’s page doesn’t say whether its replacement program covers sensors bought through Nutrisense51216 |
| Glucose alerts | None. The 510(k) summary says the app gives no glucose or system alerts3 | The FDA says Stelo isn’t designed to alert you to problematic lows. The 2026 510(k) summary says the display gives no glucose alerts68 | The same Stelo sensors, which the FDA says aren’t designed to alert you to problematic lows67 |
| Who it’s for | Adults 18 and older not on insulin, in the US. Not intended to diagnose disease, including diabetes13 | Anyone 2 or older not on insulin, under the FDA’s June 2026 clearance, with an adult supervising children. The buy page still says 18 and older. Not for people on dialysis, with problematic hypoglycemia or with a history of eating disorders578 | Adults 18 and older not on insulin or dialysis, in the US. Not for people with problematic hypoglycemia or a history of eating disorders9 |
| Dietitian help | Optional visits through Berry Street. What you pay depends on your insurance, and the plan page says 96% pay $0 out of pocket1 | 1:1 video calls with a dietitian or nutrition specialist. Without approved insurance, one 30-minute call is free5 | 1:1 video calls with registered dietitians or certified nutrition specialists, starting with a 60-minute consultation. The first call is free. Later calls go through your insurance or cost $39 for 30 minutes91314 |
| Phone | iOS 15.2 to 26.5 on iPhone 11 and newer, or Android 12 to 16 on listed devices4 | iOS 18.6 or Android 13 or later5 | Nutrisense lists iOS 16.2 or Android 12, but Dexcom’s page asks for iOS 18.6 or Android 1359 |
| Renewal and cancelling | The 2-week plan doesn’t renew, and one-time orders can’t be cancelled. The 12-week subscription renews unless you cancel at least 2 business days before it does12 | The one-time box doesn’t renew. Subscriptions can be paused or cancelled anytime5 | Renews monthly at your current rate, on the same day each month. Cancel at least 72 hours before billing to stop the next charge, or snooze for up to 3 months91115 |
| Refunds and returns | A 30-day money-back guarantee, on your first Lingo purchase only12 | All sales are final, with no returns or exchanges5 | All sales are final. Sensors can’t be returned, and a monthly charge isn’t refunded once it’s made1012 |
| HSA/FSA | Eligible, per the plan page1 | Eligible, per the buy page5 | Eligible, per Nutrisense9 |
| A year of wear, known items only | About $1,408 at $54 a sensor, or about $1,082 on the 12-week subscription1 | About $1,205 at $99 a box, or about $1,022 on the 3-month plan5 | $2,988 at 12 charges of $249. Calls your insurance doesn’t cover aren’t included911 |
| FDA clearance | Cleared May 29, 2024 as an over-the-counter iCGM (K233655). The summary gives no MARD or other accuracy figure3 | Cleared in March 2024 for adults and widened in June 2026 (K260935). The FDA gave no accuracy figure such as MARD68 | The clearance covers the Stelo sensor, not Nutrisense’s app or coaching67 |
Which glucose monitor should you get?
These are picks for different needs, not a ranking. Lingo and Stelo sell the sensors themselves. Nutrisense sells Stelo sensors with dietitian calls on top, so the question there is whether you want a dietitian to read your data with you.
- A short, cheap first look: Abbott Lingo. $54 buys one 14-day sensor with a reading every minute, and the plan doesn’t renew13. A 30-day money-back guarantee covers a first Lingo purchase12. The catch: two weeks is a short sample, and the app gives no glucose alerts3. Abbott says 14.7% of sensors may end before day 111.
- About a month of data in one order: Dexcom Stelo. $99 buys two sensors of up to 15 days each, with free shipping5. Dexcom replaces sensors that fail early once a technical agent confirms the problem5. The catch: sales are final, with no returns or exchanges5. The FDA says it isn’t designed to alert you to problematic lows67.
- A dietitian to read your glucose data: Nutrisense CGM Program. Each month brings two Stelo sensors and access to 1:1 dietitian video calls, and the first call is free914. How many calls insurance covers varies by plan, typically from 3 to unlimited13. The catch: $249 a month is $150 more than Dexcom’s $99 one-time box of the same two sensors59. It renews until you cancel, and charges aren’t refundable1112.
What Lingo, Stelo and Nutrisense cost a month and a year
Lingo’s cheapest order is $54 for up to 14 days1. Stelo’s is $99 for about 30 days5. Nutrisense charges $249 for the same 30 days of Stelo sensors, plus its app and dietitian access9. Lingo’s closest match to Stelo’s box is its 4-week plan, $89 for two sensors1.
Wearing Stelo all year costs about $1,022 to $1,205, depending on the plan5. Lingo comes to about $1,082 to $1,4081. Nutrisense comes to $2,988 a year at list, before any calls your insurance doesn’t cover911. If its 15% code carried over to renewals, that would fall to $2,544, but Nutrisense doesn’t say whether it does9.
The extra $150 a month buys Nutrisense’s app and dietitian access, not different sensors. Dexcom sells the same two sensors for $99 one time, or $89 a month on its own subscription5. Stelo’s page also lists 1:1 dietitian calls, with one free 30-minute call if you don’t have approved insurance5.
What the marketing doesn’t settle
An FDA clearance covers how a sensor measures glucose, not whether wearing one helps. Lingo’s 510(k) summary says its accuracy met the iCGM special controls, using FreeStyle Libre 2 study data, but it gives no MARD3. For Stelo, the FDA said it performed similarly to other iCGMs6. The 2026 summary says it meets the iCGM special controls, but it gives no accuracy figure either8. That clearance covers the Stelo sensor, not Nutrisense’s app or coaching67.
Sensor-life figures are the makers’ own. Abbott says 77.1% of Lingo sensors lasted 14 days, and Dexcom says 77.9% of Stelo sensors lasted 15 days15. Neither page gives the study’s design, size or sponsor15. Nutrisense cites no independent study of its own program on the pages checked9.
None of the three is meant for diagnosing disease. Lingo’s plan page says it isn’t intended to diagnose disease, including diabetes1. The FDA says Stelo users shouldn’t make medical decisions from its output without talking to their healthcare provider6. Nutrisense’s terms say it isn’t a healthcare provider and its wellness services aren’t medical advice16. Our evidence review covers what glucose monitors have and haven’t shown in people without diabetes.
Sources
- Lingo: Select plan Abbott (Lingo) · manufacturer
- Lingo Terms of Sale (last updated 18-Dec-2025) Abbott (Lingo) · manufacturer
- 510(k) summary K233655: Lingo Glucose System U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024 · regulator
- Lingo: Mobile device & OS compatibility (app v1.12.0, ART51485-100 Rev. D 08/26) Abbott (Lingo) · manufacturer
- Stelo Glucose Biosensor: one-time purchase Dexcom · manufacturer
- FDA Clears First Over-the-Counter Continuous Glucose Monitor U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024 · regulator
- FDA Clears First Over-the-Counter Continuous Glucose Monitor for Children U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026 · regulator
- 510(k) summary K260935: Stelo Glucose Biosensor System U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026 · regulator
- Nutrisense: 1-Month Set with Stelo Glucose Biosensors Nutrisense · manufacturer
- Nutrisense: Plans Nutrisense · manufacturer
- How to Cancel Your Nutrisense Subscription (updated Jan 7, 2026) Nutrisense · manufacturer
- Nutrisense Refund and Return Policy (updated Dec 23, 2025) Nutrisense · manufacturer
- Insurance-Covered Nutritionist Consultations: Complete Guide (updated Aug 3, 2026) Nutrisense · manufacturer
- Video Appointments with Nutritionists: Complete Member Guide (updated Jan 29, 2026) Nutrisense · manufacturer
- Shipping and Billing Information (updated Jan 6, 2026) Nutrisense · manufacturer
- Nutrisense Terms of Service (last updated Apr 13, 2026) Nutrisense · manufacturer
How this was written. Written from the sources listed above, checked . It is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician before acting on anything here if you have a health condition or take medication.
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