Hearing Price Check

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OTC vs Prescription Hearing Aids: Price and Rules

By Hearing Price Check · Published October 20, 2026

Drawing of an earbud-style hearing device with a price tag

The FDA's over-the-counter category, in effect since October 17, 2022, lets adults buy hearing aids without an exam, a prescription or a fitting. Under 21 CFR 800.30 an OTC aid is for a person aged 18 or older “to compensate for perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment.” Everything else, including children and severe or profound loss, stays with prescription devices.

The rules in numbers

Rule OTC hearing aid
Minimum age 18
Maximum output 111 dB SPL (117 dB SPL with input-controlled compression)
Insertion depth at least 10 mm from the eardrum
Return policy must be stated on the outside of the box (or that there is none)
Warranty not required by the rule

The prices side by side

Group Models Lowest Median start Highest
OTC and earbuds 18 $98 $949.48 $2,498
Provider-fitted 31 $1,299.98 $2,798 $4,898

The median fitted starting price is $1,848.52 above the median OTC starting price. The groups overlap: the dearest OTC pairs, such as Audicus and Jabra Enhance's direct models, cost more than Costco's fitted packages, which start at $1,599.99 with a hearing test and service visits included.

$0$1,000$2,000$3,000$4,000$5,000OTC and earbudsFitted by a provider or hearing centerPhonak Audéo EON Sphere: $3,198Phonak Audéo Infinio Ultra: $2,498Phonak Virto Infinio: $2,498Phonak Audéo Infinio Ultra Sphere: $3,598Phonak Naída Lumity: $2,798Oticon Reveal: $2,898Oticon Zeal: $4,598Oticon Xceed: $3,198Oticon Jet: $2,098Oticon Intent: $2,898Oticon Own: $2,598Oticon Zircon: $2,598Signia Pure Charge&Go MaX: $2,698Signia Silk Charge&Go IX: $2,398Signia Pure Charge&Go IX: $2,698Signia Styletto IX: $2,698Signia Pure 312 AX: $2,598ReSound Sensia: $2,798ReSound Vivia: $2,798ReSound Enzo Q: $3,198Starkey Omega AI+: $3,198Starkey Omega AI: $3,198Starkey Edge AI: $3,198Starkey Signature Series: $3,198Widex Allure: $2,798Widex Moment: $2,798Philips HearLink 9050: $1,599.99Jabra Enhance Pro 30: $1,699.99Rexton Reach: $1,599.99Sonite Rise: $1,599.99Liberty Clear Lucid: $1,299.98Jabra Enhance Select 50R: $999Jabra Enhance Select M3: $1,695Jabra Enhance Select M2: $1,695Jabra Enhance Select M1: $1,195Audien Atom X (2nd Gen): $389Audien Atom Air: $149Audien Atom Pro 2: $289Audien Atom One: $98Audien Ion Pro 2: $689Audien Ion IQ: $689Audien Ion Air: $489Sennheiser All-Day Clear: $899.95Apple AirPods Pro 3: $249Audicus Omni 3: $1,898Audicus Ray: $1,998Audicus Omni 2: $1,698Audicus Mini 2: $2,498Concha Sol: $1,299
OTC (top row) and fitted (bottom row) starting prices, every model on this site, to scale.

What the price difference buys

An OTC price usually covers the devices, an app or presets, and whatever remote support the maker offers; the OTC list shows each seller's trial and warranty. A fitted price covers a person who programs the aids to a hearing test and adjusts them later; the provider network page shows exactly what one seller includes and charges extra for.

Sources

The FDA's page lists “red flag” conditions that call for a doctor before using an OTC device. This guide compares rules and prices only.

Questions

Who can buy OTC hearing aids?

Adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, under 21 CFR 800.30; the minimum age is in the table on this page. Younger buyers need a prescription.

How much cheaper are OTC hearing aids?

On this site the median OTC starting price is compared with the median provider-fitted starting price in the table on this page; both come from seller-printed prices on the check date.

Check a price. Pick a model or set a budget to see every dated seller price on the site. Open the price finder.

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