Looking for affordable invisible aligners?
If so, you’ll already have discovered that most clear teeth aligners come with a hefty price tag. But in this article, I’ll prove to you that finding affordable clear braces that still give you amazing results is far from impossible.
In fact, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that the quality of some of the cheapest teeth aligners on the market, and the results that they can help you achieve, are not necessarily lacking when compared to what you get with more expensive clear aligners. It’s simply a matter of educating yourself on what the options are when it comes to aligners, so that you are in a position to be savvy about how and where you spend your money on invisible aligners.
Sound good? Then let’s dig in.
The case for clear aligners
When you decide too straighten your teeth, you have several different options for doing so available to you, and the first decision you’ll be faced with is whether to go for clear aligners or traditional braces.
Here is why clear aligners are a better treatment plan for teeth straightening.
As anyone who has ever had to contend with traditional metal braces will testify, clear aligners are revolutionary compared to traditional aligners.
While there is no doubt that metal braces get the job of straightening your teeth done, they also come with a number of significant drawbacks.
Clear aligners are discreet
There is a reason why clear aligners are also called invisible aligners.
The first and most obvious drawback of traditional metal braces versus clear ones is that they’re not invisible. In fact, they’re all too noticeable. And while braces might look rather cute on a seven-year-old, they don’t look attractive or professional on an adult. Just imagine doing a presentation at work, or going on a date wearing a clunky pair of traditional metal braces.
Clear aligners, in contrast, are much more discreet and help you achieve the perfectly straight teeth of your dreams without the clumsy appearance of traditional braces.
With many clear aligners, you also get the option of wearing them for only 8-10 hours every 24 hours, which means that you can wear them at night and keep a low profile about your teeth straightening treatment.
Clear aligners are better for dental health
Another inconvenience associated with traditional braces that clear aligners lack is that pieces of food easily get stuck in them. Not only is this a bad look – it’s also bad for your teeth.
Cleaning mental braces of food debris can be quite a chore on a daily basis, and missing something is all too easy. By contrast, clear aligners are a breeze to keep clean.
Clear aligners are less expensive
When compared to traditional braces everything about clear aligners is more versatile – including the price tag.
Most at-home clear aligner companies offer a highly personalised treatment process, and many offer multiple different financing options that can help you save money.
How clear aligners are made
The process by which clear aligners are made varies slightly, depending on provider.
In short, you either come into a physical location (Which could be either your dentist’s office or a provider’s studio) where a professional scans your teeth for you, or you create a mould of your teeth at home using the materials provided in the kit from the provider you have selected.
Custom braces are then created and sent out to you, either in one handy shipment or as and when you need them. You follow the care plan provided, and your teeth are slowly aligned over a period of time ranging from as little as 3 month to as long as 18 months.
The cheapest teeth aligners that can help you achieve a straight smile at a fraction of the cost
Teeth straightening doesn’t have to break the bank. While only office visits with a licensed dentist or orthodontist can help you address more complex dental problems, including severe teeth misalignment, straightening your teeth can be done at home in a majority of cases, provided that you get the right pair of affordable aligners.
But which at-home aligner company offers the most affordable clear aligners? Let’s take a look at some of the best yet cheapest aligners on the market today.
AlignerCo
When it comes to price, there is no competition – of all of the invisible braces companies we are going to be looking at here, AlignerCo is the one with the cheapest prices.
AlignerCo has only been around since 2019, but has already amassed a reputation for their outstanding clear braces and low prices.
AlignerCo offer a few different options when it comes to clear braces, including their very popular NightOnly clear aligners that beckon with a promise of easy care and maintenance, less wear time and interruption to your daily routine, and of course straighter teeth at a fraction of the price tag you are likely to find elsewhere.
Pros
There are many good things to say about AlignerCo. Here are a few of the most obvious pros of using their braces:
- Their clear aligners cost several hundred dollars less than cheap aligners from other companies
- The initial cost of your braces include an impression kit and your first set of retainers
- AlignerCo are fast becoming known for their incredible flash sales, during which they drop their already low prices even lower
- The NightOnly braces by AlignerCo require only 10 hours of daily wear so you can get away with only wearing them at night and in the privacy of your home (This is particularly handy for anyone wishing to keep a low profile for their teeth straightening treatment)
- With AlignerCo’s WorryFree Protection Plan, their aftercare retainers are priced lower than any competitor’s
Cons
While I primarily have good things to say about AlignerCo, there are a few cons that you should be aware of:
- Not all AlignerCo’s teeth straightening plans include complimentary teeth whitening
- AlignerCo don’t offer any warrants or refunds (They do, however, give you the option of applying for a refinement if you aren’t completely satisfied with your new invisible braces
- The average treatment time for crooked teeth is around 6 month, but with AlignerCo a teeth straightening treatment plan takes up to 12 months depending on your specific needs
Pricing
AlignerCo’s low prices and flexible financing options are one of the strongest reasons why you should consider getting your invisible braces from them.
The total cost of clear teeth straightening treatment from AlignerCo is $1,145 (Or less, if you are lucky enough to catch one of AlignerCo’s jaw-dropping sales).
You can choose to pay the full amount upfront by selecting the SmileAdvantage payment option. SmileAdvantage includes your impression kit, invisible aligners, a set of retainers and, as a new addition, a complimentary teeth whitening kit.
The SmileFlex plan allows you to pay in 12 easy monthly instalments of $81. The SmileFlex plan also includes a complimentary teeth whitening kit.
Finally, the SmileFlex Easy payment plan gives you the option of paying a downpayment of $275, followed by 11 mostly instalments of $91 (Which adds up to a $1,320 total).
Candid
Candid clear aligners is a popular choice of high-quality, low-cost invisible teeth aligners. Candid promises an affordable orthodontist-led teeth straightening process, and even lets you save up to $1,000 through your dental insurance provider.
As an added bonus, Candid have recently dropped the cost of their teeth alignment plan by a whopping $500, making their already reasonably priced clear bees even more affordable. With different payment options, Candid lets you get away with paying as little as $65 a month.
Pros
There is no doubt that Candid has earned its reputation as a trustworthy clear aligner company. Here are the most outstanding pros of choosing Candid aligners for your clear aligner treatment plan.
- CandidMonitoring technology ensures that your clear aligner is perfectly fitted
- Candid offers several different options if you want to make your treatment more affordable. You’ll be able to pay as little as $65/month for 36 months (with an initial $199 down).
- Candid are in-network with several insurance companies, which might help you to save up to $1,000 on your treatment
- Treatments are orthodontist led, which means that an orthodontist will be monitoring your tooth movement progress from you begin treatment to the moment you complete it
Cons
We’ve looked at the most remarkable pros associated with Candid aligners. Now, let us have a look at the potential cons.
- There is no clear pricing plan laid out, as one will be individually tailored to your dental requirements only after you have completed and sent back a Candid Starter Kit (priced at $95 if you are unable to visit a Candid clinic or simply prefer completing it at home)
- With a minimum payment of $65/month and a downpayment of $199, the cheapest Candid treatment plan adds up to $2,539 without insurance
Pricing
As already mentioned, one con of going with Candid is that there is no transparent price tag upfront. Instead, you will have to either come into a Candid clinic, provided that there is one near you, to complete a Starter Kit – or you’ll have to complete it at home, at an additional cost of $95. At least Candid promises to refund your Starter Kit investment if you turn out not to be a candidate for treatment.
The minimum cost of a Candid teeth straightening treatment works out at $2,539, and while you might be lucky enough to be able to be able to shave the price tag down by $1,000 through insurance, the treatment its still more expensive than if you were to go with, say, AlignerCo.
ClearCorrect
The next affordable invisible aligners contender we will be looking at is ClearCorrect.
ClearCorrect have been in business for over a decade, during which time the company has helped hundreds of thousands of customers to achieve confident, straight smiles.
During the time that the ClearCorrect aligner brand has been around, it’s kept tweaking and refining its processes to ensure ClearCorrect aligners are both comfortable, affordable and discreet.
Pros
- ClearCorrect has been around for over a decade and has earned its reputation by helping hundreds of thousands of people achieve straighter smiles
- ClearCorrect aligners are tailor-made to help you achieve straight teeth through controlled, single-tooth movement
- ClearCorrect is the brand of aligners most often recommended by dentists – in fact, ClearCorrect aligners are only available through a dentist, which ensures that everything is done professionally
Cons
While ClearCorrect aligners are difficult to criticise, there are a few drawbacks to using them. They are:
- A lack of transparent pricing options (You will have to ask your dentist)
- ClearCorrect aligners require a trip to the dentist (Who is likely to charge a premium on top of the fee you pay for your ClearCorrect braces)
Pricing
ClearCorrect don’t offer a set pricing plan. The trade-off for the meticulously crafted braces and expert monitoring ClearCorrect offers is that everything goes through your dentist, who will be able to give you a quote on ClearCorrect aligners.
NewSmile
Next up is NewSmile, a brand new teeth aligners company launched in 2020. Despite its very recent debut, this Canada-based brand has already garnered a great deal of positive attention.
NewSmile offer an impressive flexible pricing model, and are known for offering additional free features with any plan you purchase.
Pros
NewSmile is rich in upsides. Here are the most remarkable ones:
- With a price of only $1,195, NewSmile teeth aligners only cost $50 more than AlignerCo’s impossible-to-beat offering
- Free extras. NewSmile pack every purchase full of free extras, including complimentary teeth whitening foam
- Speed. While its closest competitor, AlignerCo, corrects crooked teeth in 6-12 months, NewSmile aligners deliver the same results in 4-6 months
- While most of NewSmile’s aligners require you to wear them for 22 hours a day, they also have an option of nighttime aligners that you only have to wear for 10 hours
Cons
We’ve looked at the pros associated with NewSmile, which means it’s time to look at the cons.
- NewSmile has no physical location, which means you won’t be able to walk into a NewSmile studio and have them scan your teeth for you. Instead, your only option is to make a mould of your own teeth at home and send it in
- While this is only because the NewSmile company is new, it is still true that there isn’t much customer feedback for you to look at and take into consideration
- Only the first pair of aftercare retainers are included in the price of your treatment. After that, each pair of new retainers you require are going to cost you an additional $149
Pricing
NewSmile is priced very well at $1,295, which is only $50 dollars more than the AlignerCo treatment plan.
You should also be aware that only your initial retainer is included in this price and that any additional aftercare retainers are priced at $149 each, which could quickly add up depending on how many you are going to need.
If you don’t want to, or are unable to, pay the full (initial) price of $1,295 for your teeth straightening treatment up front, NewSmile gives you the option of paying in monthly instalments of $77.
Smile Direct Club
No article about the best cheap teeth aligners would be complete without mentioning Smile Direct Club.
Smile Direct Club is an invisible braces provider based in the UK specialising in correcting minor to medium tooth misalignment with the help of their expertly crafted invisible braces.
Like most of the invisible braces companies we have looked at in this article, Smile Direct Club give you the option of coming into one of their locations for a professional tooth scan, or creating a mould of your own teeth at home using an impression kit. A UK registered dentist is then going to review and approve your personalised treatment plan.
A cool detail about Smile Direct Club is that they formulate a preview of what your new smile is going to look like, so there will be no surprises and you’ll know exactly what to expect.
Pros
Smile Direct Club is the most popular choice of affordable teeth straightening plan in the UK. These pros make it clear why.
- Your personalised teeth straightening plan is dentist reviewed, and you will have regular virtual checkins with a dentist or orthondonist
- You’ll receive your entire treatment in one box, so there’ll be no waiting for (or paying for) additional shipments
- Free extras, including premium teeth whitening that shows results in a week
- Preview of what your new smile is going to look like
- If you are unhappy with your results, you’ll get 100% of your cost refunded
Cons
While Smile Direct Club is a solid choice of clear braces provider, there is one significant con associated with it, which applies if you’re a non-UK customer.
- Shipping times of up to 5 weeks for customers based in the US and Canada
Pricing
A complete teeth straightening treatment through Smile Direct Club is priced at £1,539, which you can choose to pay in a single transaction, or in monthly instalments of £70.09 for 23 months (Which adds up to £1,682.17 in total).
SnapCorrect
Finally, the last but not the least provider of invisible braces we’ll be looking at in this article is SnapCorrect.
When it comes to price point, SnapCorrect beats most of the other aligner companies we’ve gone over here – in fact, the only companies offering cheaper treatments are AlignerCo and NewSmile.
As an added positive, SnapCorrect offer flexible financing options for eligible customers.
Pros
SnapCorrect has quite a few pros up their sleeve. Let us take a look:
- SnapCorrect offers invisible braces for less than most of the other affordable braces providers in this article
- SnapCorrect includes aftercare retainers in their upfront price
- The upfront treatment price also includes whitening gel, so you can keep your new smile shining bright forever!
- Depending on your specific dental needs, SnapCorrect offers to straighten teeth in as little as three months
Cons
While heavy on the pro side, SnapCorrect does bring a few drawbacks to the table that are worth considering:
- While SnapCorrect boasts being able to correct crooked teeth in as little as 3 weeks, for some customers it can take up to 18 month
- SnapCorrect’s flexible payment plan via a third-party company called Affirm requires you to go through a credit check
- SnapCorrect don’t have any physical locations, so your only option is to create a mould of your teeth at home before you can begin treatment
- Any additional retainers you might need that are not included in your initial plan will have to be paid for individually and are quite pricey
Pricing
The SnapCorrect treatment plan is priced at $1,749, which you can choose to pay in one go or break down into monthly instalments of $80.84.
While the initial cost is very reasonable and beats the price put forth by several other invisible braces providers on this list, there might be some hidden costs as you will be required to pay individually for each additional retainer you might need. You’ll also have to pay an initial $49 for your impression kit.
Cheap teeth aligners Q & A
We’ve gone over the very best providers of cheap invisible braces, but you might still be left with some questions. If so, you might find the answers you are hoping for here.
What are the cheapest type of Invisalign?
Invisalign is one of the most popular choices for people looking for high-quality invisible aligners.
The only reason why Invisalign didn’t make this list is that their price point is simply too high, even if we were one to look at Invisalign’s most affordable full treatment option, with prices starting from $600.
Are invisible aligners worth it?
Invisible aligners are a fantastic choice if you have uneven or crooked teeth and you want to straighten them out so you can smile with confidence.
Invisible aligners are much more discreet, unobtrusive, flexible and affordable than traditional metal braces. For example, many clear aligners companies offers invisible braces that you only need to wear for 10 hours a day – meaning you can sleep with them in and not have to wear them outside of your home.
What’s more, invisible aligners are removable, sou can take them out when you need to eat or brush your teeth, which also makes them much easier to keep clean than traditional braces.
Can you get clear aligners for free?
While it is unlikely that you can get invisible aligners for free (Unless, perhaps, you are a social media influencer or a reviewer), some clear braces providers accept insurance, which can significantly bring down the cost of your at-home clear aligners.
Many clear braces companies also offer very flexible pricing plans that allow you to pay in monthly instalments, rather than paying the full amount upfront.
Are aligners affordable?
Clear braces are probably much more affordable than you think. While more expensive companies like Invisalign get more mentions, there are plenty of high-quality, low-cost braces providers out there, including the ones on this list.
Conclusion: The best invisible teeth aligners
If you’ve read this far, you have probably already made up your own mind about which provider of affordable clear braces you are going to with. There certainly isn’t a shortage of great options, and which suits you best is going to depend on exactly what you want.
If you’re in the market for the cheapest braces that still deliver amazing results, your best option is going to be AlignerCo. Their night aligners also means that you don’t have to wear your new braces out in public, which is going to be a big plus for some.
If your priority is the most professional, expert-led treatment money can buy but are on a budget, Candid is a solid choice.
If you’re based in the UK and want the optimal balance of dentist-led treatment and at an almost unbeaten price, you can’t do any better than to join Smile Direct Club.
All in all, you should let the particulars of your situation – including your budget, priorities, needs and location – determine which provider you go to for your affordable clear aligners.
One thing you should be assured of is that every clear braces company on this list has been included based not only on their appealing price point, but on quality and merit, as well. No matter which one you choose, you can expect to end up with a straighter smile, and for a fraction of the cost that a dentitions or orthodontist teeth straightening treatment would cost.
