Stelo vs Whoop (5.0 / MG) in 2026

Stelo

Dexcom's Stelo is the first-ever FDA-cleared over-the-counter (no-prescription) glucose biosensor (De Novo, March 5, 2024; US launch August 26, 2024): a 15-day continuous glucose monitor for adults 18+ not on insulin (type 2 not on insulin, plus non-diabetic users tracking how diet and exercise affect glucose). It is the generative-AI end of the glucose cell: Weekly Insights run on Google Cloud's Vertex AI and Gemini, with AI photo meal-logging and personalized daily recommendations, the AI substance that carries it across the biometric boundary.

Pricing is about $89 for a 2-week sensor on a biweekly subscription model (around $99/month). From DexCom (NASDAQ: DXCM), Stelo is the OTC product line, separate from the prescription G7. Cap-flag: the cleared indication is an OTC CGM for adults 18+ not on insulin; it is explicitly NOT cleared for problematic hypoglycemia and has no low-glucose alerts, so it should not be read as a diabetes-management device.

Whoop (5.0 / MG)

Whoop (the 5.0 and the 'Medical Grade' MG, both launched May 8, 2025, from Whoop, founded 2012 in Boston by Will Ahmed) is a screen-free biometric wrist band and the subscription-only archetype of the biometric cohort: there is no standalone hardware sale. Access is a membership, Whoop One at $199/year, Peak at $239/year, and Life at $359/year (which includes the MG hardware), with the band provided inside the subscription.

Its PPG, skin-temperature, SpO2, and respiratory sensors feed Strain, Recovery, and Sleep Coach analytics and an LLM 'Whoop Coach'; the MG adds ECG, Blood Pressure Insights, and a Healthspan / 'Whoop Age' feature. DEPLOY records commercial maturity and a reported $10.1 billion valuation (March 2026).

Whoop is the strongest verified-vs-claimed cautionary exemplar in the cohort: its ECG is FDA-cleared (2025), but it marketed Blood Pressure Insights without clearance, drew an FDA Warning Letter on July 14, 2025, refused to remove the feature, and as of May 2026 the matter is unresolved with a class action filed, the market-first contrast to Oura's study-first posture.