Levels Best Alternatives for Each Use Case

What Levels Offers and Where It Falls Short

Levels Health is a subscription service that ships a continuous glucose monitor (typically an Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 or 3) and pairs it with a proprietary app. The app assigns a "metabolic score" to meals and activities, gamifying glucose control for users who may not have diabetes.

The core value proposition is behavioral feedback. You eat a meal, watch your glucose response in near-real-time, and adjust future choices based on the app's scoring algorithm. A 2019 consensus statement in Diabetes Care established clinical targets for CGM data interpretation, including time-in-range (TIR) of 70 to 180 mg/dL for at least 70% of the day [1]. Levels borrows this framework but applies tighter, proprietary thresholds for a wellness audience.

The limitations are real. Levels does not include access to a clinician or dietitian. The metabolic score is algorithmically generated, and the company has not published peer-reviewed validation of its scoring system. Pricing runs approximately $199 per month, which places it in the premium tier for a service that provides no direct medical guidance. A 2023 review in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology noted that evidence supporting CGM use in non-diabetic adults for long-term health improvement remains limited [2]. Users seeking more than a tracking app may find better value elsewhere.

Best for Dietitian-Guided Support: Nutrisense

Nutrisense pairs the same class of CGM sensor with one-on-one access to a registered dietitian (RD) through its app. Plans range from approximately $225 to $399 per month depending on subscription length and coaching frequency.

The dietitian layer addresses the biggest gap in Levels' offering. Raw glucose data can be confusing. A spike after eating white rice does not carry the same clinical meaning as a spike driven by insulin resistance, and interpreting the difference requires context that an algorithm alone cannot provide. The American Diabetes Association's 2024 Standards of Care emphasize that CGM data should be reviewed alongside clinical context and patient goals [3]. A human interpreter does this better than a score.

Nutrisense also provides in-app messaging with the assigned dietitian, meal plan suggestions, and supplement recommendations. For users managing prediabetes (defined by an HbA1c of 5.7% to 6.4%) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects roughly 8% to 13% of reproductive-age women according to WHO estimates [4], the dietitian guidance adds meaningful clinical value that a standalone app cannot replicate.

The tradeoff is cost. Nutrisense's monthly rate exceeds Levels by $25 to $200 depending on the tier. But for anyone who needs interpretation, not just data, Nutrisense is the stronger choice.

Best Over-the-Counter Medical-Grade CGM: Dexcom Stelo

In March 2024, the FDA cleared Dexcom Stelo as the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor for adults 18 and older who do not use insulin [5]. This was a significant regulatory shift. Previously, all CGMs required a prescription.

Stelo uses Dexcom's G7 sensor platform, which demonstrated a mean absolute relative difference (MARD) of 8.2% in a key accuracy study published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics [6]. That MARD figure means the sensor's glucose reading deviates from a laboratory reference by an average of 8.2%, well within the FDA's <10% threshold for accuracy. Each sensor lasts 15 days, and the system pairs with a dedicated Stelo app.

The advantage over Levels is hardware quality and direct access. Dexcom manufactures its own sensors. It does not resell third-party hardware through a subscription layer. The cost is approximately $99 per month for two sensors (no prescription needed), which undercuts Levels while offering a sensor with a published MARD and FDA OTC clearance.

The disadvantage: Stelo's app is basic. It displays glucose trends and simple insights but lacks the gamified scoring, food logging, and behavioral nudges that Levels provides. Users who want the data without the interpretation framework may prefer Stelo. Those who need coaching should look at Nutrisense instead.

Best for Weight Management: Signos

Signos positions itself explicitly as a weight loss tool. The service combines CGM data with an AI-driven engine that recommends optimal eating windows, exercise timing, and caloric targets based on individual glucose responses.

The clinical rationale has some support. A randomized trial published in The BMJ (N=339) found that personalized nutrition based on postprandial glucose responses improved glycemic control compared to a standard dietary approach over a six-month period [7]. Signos applies a similar concept: if your glucose spikes less after eating protein before carbohydrates, the app learns that pattern and adjusts recommendations.

Signos plans start at approximately $199 per month. The app includes a "weight loss score" that combines glucose response data with caloric intake and activity metrics. Users also get access to a weight management coaching team, though this is not the same as the one-on-one RD access that Nutrisense provides.

For users whose primary goal is body composition change rather than metabolic curiosity, Signos offers a more targeted feature set than Levels. The glucose data serves the weight loss algorithm rather than existing as an end in itself. A 2022 systematic review in Obesity Reviews noted that real-time biofeedback tools, including CGMs, showed modest but consistent improvements in dietary adherence among adults with overweight or obesity [8].

The limitation: Signos has not published its own clinical trial data. The company references third-party research to support its approach, but no peer-reviewed study has evaluated the Signos platform specifically.

Best Budget-Friendly Option: Veri

Veri offers app-only plans starting at approximately $29 per month, with CGM sensors purchased separately (typically $75 to $150 per sensor depending on the pharmacy and insurance status). This unbundled model makes Veri the most affordable entry point for glucose tracking.

The app provides glucose trend analysis, meal scoring, and daily metabolic reports. It also includes a library of educational content on blood sugar management. Veri's interface is clean and straightforward, designed for users who want to experiment with CGM tracking without committing to a $199+ monthly subscription.

The Abbott FreeStyle Libre 3, which Veri supports, received FDA clearance in 2022 and demonstrated a MARD of 7.9% in its key study, making it one of the most accurate consumer-grade sensors available [9]. Users can obtain the sensor through a pharmacy with a prescription (some telehealth services offer this for $20 to $50) or through Veri's optional add-on packages.

Veri's limitation is the absence of human coaching. Like Levels, it relies on algorithmic interpretation. The lower price reflects this: you get data visualization and basic insights, not clinical guidance. For healthy adults curious about how specific foods affect their glucose, this may be sufficient. For anyone managing prediabetes or a metabolic condition, the savings may not justify the reduced support.

What the Clinical Evidence Says About CGMs in Non-Diabetic Adults

The evidence base for CGM use in people without diabetes is still developing. Most large-scale CGM trials enrolled participants with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The landmark JDRF CGM trial (N=322), published in The New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated that CGM use reduced HbA1c by 0.53% in adults with type 1 diabetes over 26 weeks [10]. The REPLACE trial (N=224) showed that flash glucose monitoring improved time-in-range in adults with type 2 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy [11].

Translating these benefits to a non-diabetic population is not straightforward. A 2019 study in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology profiled CGM data from 153 participants without diabetes and found that most spent over 96% of time in the 70 to 140 mg/dL range [12]. The glucose variability that these apps highlight (a spike from 90 to 140 mg/dL after a meal) falls within normal physiology and does not indicate metabolic dysfunction.

Dr. Robert Gabbay, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of the American Diabetes Association, has stated: "There is not yet sufficient evidence to recommend CGM for people without diabetes for the purpose of improving health outcomes" [3]. This does not mean CGMs are useless for wellness purposes. Behavioral feedback has value. But the clinical evidence for long-term health improvement in non-diabetic users remains insufficient to support medical-grade claims.

A 2023 analysis published in Annals of Internal Medicine evaluated direct-to-consumer health technologies and concluded that many products outpace the evidence supporting their use, particularly in the metabolic health space [13]. Users should understand that CGM-based wellness services, including Levels and all its alternatives, are selling behavioral tools, not diagnostic or therapeutic devices (when used by non-diabetic adults).

How to Choose the Right CGM Platform

The right alternative to Levels depends on your specific goal and how much guidance you need interpreting the data.

If your primary concern is understanding how food affects your blood sugar in the context of a diagnosed condition like prediabetes or PCOS, Nutrisense's dietitian-guided model provides the interpretation layer that raw data alone cannot. The ADA recommends individualized medical nutrition therapy for adults with prediabetes, ideally delivered by a registered dietitian [3].

If you want the most accurate sensor hardware without paying for an app subscription, Dexcom Stelo delivers a MARD of 8.2% at roughly half the monthly cost of Levels [6]. You sacrifice app features, but the data quality is best-in-class.

If weight loss is the goal, Signos builds its entire feature set around that outcome. The glucose data feeds a weight management algorithm rather than a generic metabolic score.

If cost is the deciding factor, Veri's unbundled model lets you start with the app for $29 per month and add sensors only when you want them.

No CGM subscription replaces a clinical evaluation. The Endocrine Society's 2022 guidelines on glucose monitoring recommend that decisions about CGM use be made in consultation with a healthcare provider who can contextualize the data within a complete metabolic assessment, including fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipid panel, and insulin levels [14]. A 15-day glucose trace from any of these platforms tells one part of a much larger story.