The 4 Best Invisalign Alternatives for a Perfect Smile
Many clear aligner brands offer a cheaper and faster way to straighten your teeth, but only 4 made our top picks!
Although many dentists and orthodontists consider Invisalign the gold standard for clear braces, there are a few drawbacks. First, Invisalign costs on average, $3,000-$7,000 per clear aligner treatment. Next, treatment for Invisalign may take several years, depending on the severity of your case. Invisalign alternatives solve both of these issues by offering a cheaper and faster way to straighten your teeth.
For our list of the best Invisalign alternatives, I evaluated several online providers based on cost, offerings, customer service, reputation and availability of continuing support and care.
In This Article
Best Overall: NewSmile
While NewSmile’s cost is more than some of our other choices, we named the Invisalign alternative brand as the best overall for its well-laid-out website, excellent customer service experience and online reputation. Pricing is much more affordable than Invisalign and metal braces, so you’ll still be able to correct your smile even on a limited budget. Even better, NewSmile offers $0 down monthly payment options if you’re not ready to commit to a larger purchase.
I recently spoke to NewSmile’s founder and CEO, Grant Li, who told me, “Too many people avoid orthodontic treatment because of cost or inconvenience. As someone who struggled with confidence due to misaligned teeth, I wanted to remove those barriers.”
- Average treatment duration: 4-10 months
- Cost: $1,395-$1,495
Best Value: Smileie
Many Invisalign alternatives offer a similar product at nearly the same price. However, I named Smileie as the best value because it offers the lowest cost per treatment, two free sets of retainers and good customer service per my mystery shopper inquiries. Smileie also offers “Pro Center” locations to get an in-person scan and consultation, which sets it apart from other online clear aligner brands.
A Smileie brand representative told me, “Our mission is to provide a comfortable and cost-effective alternative to traditional orthodontic treatment, helping people achieve their best smiles without the need for in-office visits or lengthy treatment timelines.”
- Average treatment duration: 4-6 months
- Cost:$599-$1,499
Best Customer Service: Aligner32
Aligner32’s pricing, payment options and treatment plans are similar to other clear braces brands. What sets this Invisalign alternative apart from the others on this list is its excellent customer service. I named Aligner32 the best customer service because they not only offer several ways to get support (phone, email, chat, Facebook messenger), but they were available 24/7. Their customer service agents responded to me in some cases in less than one minute during my mystery shopper calls. When I spoke to the brand recently, they said, “We prioritize excellent support and user-friendly experiences.”
- Average treatment duration: 4-8 months
- Cost: $599-$899
Best App: AlignerCo
AlignerCo’s product offerings and costs are very similar to other brands on our list. However, I named the Invisalign alternative brand with the best app because of AlignerCo’s “AlignerTracker” iOS/Android app. The app will remind you to wear your aligners, track how long you’re wearing each aligner and when to change to your next. It also shows you how to do your impressions; lets you upload photos of your teeth; and helps you maintain your aligners. The app’s 24/7 chat support is icing on the cake and provides peace of mind if you ever have any questions.
- Average treatment duration: 4-8 months
- Cost: $845-$1,045
Choose a dentist and orthodontist-approved Invisalign alternative
While our list provides some of our top choices for Invisalign alternatives, many dentists and orthodontists do not recommend them because you’re not seeing someone face-to-face. Also, Dr. Yenile Y. Pinto, DDS, of Deering Dental explains, “Most DIY (impression) kits use cheap putty impressions, which are prone to error.”
If you’re going to go the route of getting clear braces online, make sure to use a reputable brand (like the ones on this list) where a dentist/orthodontist oversees your case. When I had invisible braces in 2020, my local dentist oversaw my treatment.
FAQs
-
What's the best alternative to Invisalign?
There are many Invisalign alternatives, but we chose NewSmile, Smileie, Aligner32 and AlignerCo as the best brands based on cost, customer service and reputation.
-
How to fix teeth without Invisalign?
While Invisalign is a great choice to straighten teeth, clear braces brands like NewSmile and Aligner32 offer a cheaper and faster way to accomplish the same goal.
