Which CGM Can You Buy Without a Prescription in 2026? US, UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia and UAE

Which continuous glucose monitor (CGM) you can buy without a prescription depends on the country. In the US, only two are sold over the counter: Dexcom Stelo ($99 for two sensors, about a month) and Abbott Lingo ($54 for a 14-day sensor). In the UK you can self-pay for Lingo, a FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus or a Dexcom ONE+. In Germany the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus is sold to self-payers at about €70 a sensor, and neither Stelo nor Lingo is on sale. In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, pharmacies list Libre, Dexcom and Syai sensors online.

Everything below comes from each company's or pharmacy's own page, read on 8 October 2026. Prices and rules move, so check before you pay.

United States: Stelo or Lingo

The US is the strictest market. FreeStyle Libre and the Dexcom G7 need a prescription. The two exceptions were cleared by the FDA for over-the-counter sale, for adults who don't use insulin:

• Dexcom Stelo. A 15-day sensor. $99 buys two (about a month) once, or $89 a month on subscription. Stelo's own app shows the curve, and its terms forbid buying it to resell.
• Abbott Lingo. A 14-day sensor, $54 for two weeks with no auto-renew. Lingo shares its glucose with Apple Health only after a delay, and only between 55 and 200 mg/dL.

Levels, Signos and Nutrisense sell US programmes built on top of these sensors, with coaching or lab panels added.

United Kingdom: the most choice

The UK sells the most CGMs to self-payers. Lingo is sold there in 2-week, 4-week and 12-week plans from £59. Online pharmacies sell the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus to self-funders at roughly £70 to £80 a sensor, and say you won't need a prescription if you pay yourself. Dexcom sells the ONE+ in its own UK shop, and Yuwell sells its Anytime sensor online. Dexcom has said Stelo will come to the UK later in 2026 or in 2027.

Germany: FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus

In Germany, Abbott sells the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus to self-payers and privately insured people at about €70 a 15-day sensor, so roughly €140 a month. Lingo and Stelo are not sold in Germany. Ultrahuman sells its M1 programme, two Libre sensors for four weeks, at €168.

One caution for the rest of the EU: Abbott won a preliminary injunction against the SiBionics GS1 at Europe's Unified Patent Court, reported to cover 14 EU countries. Check where a SiBionics sensor ships from before you buy one.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Gulf pharmacies list CGM sensors on their websites without showing a prescription step:

• Saudi Arabia: Nahdi lists the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus at SAR 265 and the Syai Tag at SAR 199 per sensor.
• UAE: Life Pharmacy lists the Dexcom G7 at AED 179, and Libre 2 and 2 Plus sensors list for about AED 200 to 280.

Whether every pharmacy hands one over without a prescription is up to the pharmacy and the local rules, so ask. Stelo, Lingo, Levels and Signos are not sold in either country. Ultrahuman's M1 is, at AED 850 a month in the UAE.

What a month actually costs

The sensor is half the price. What you pay for on top is what happens to the curve: whether the app ties a rise to the meal that caused it, how much logging it asks for, and whether you have to keep paying a membership to see your own data.

Where HealthOS fits

HealthOS Sensor is our own continuous glucose sensor sold with the HealthOS app: $70 for a 30-day supply (two sensors), with no membership. The app puts your glucose next to your meals and training. Order it online; it ships across Europe, the UK, the Gulf, Canada and Australia. It is a wellness product, not a medical device.

If you already wear a sensor, the free CGM report reads your LibreView, Dexcom Clarity, Stelo or Lingo export in your browser, with no account.

Before you buy any CGM

• Rises after meals are normal. Adults with normal glucose in the Framingham study spent about 3 hours a day above 140 mg/dL.
• Sensors read high and disagree. In one study a Libre 2 read about 0.9 mmol/L (16 mg/dL) above finger-prick glucose. In another, two different sensors worn together ranked the same meals differently. Treat one meal on one day as a hint, not a verdict.
• If you have diabetes or use insulin, use the sensor your doctor prescribes. Over-the-counter sensors and wellness apps are not for dosing.