SmileDirectClub has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Because the brand’s future is uncertain, we recommend considering established alternatives instead. Several clear aligner companies now offer similar — and in some cases better — treatment options. Read more about the situation.
If you’re looking for Smile Direct Club alternatives to straighten your teeth at home, you’re not alone. While SmileDirectClub helped popularize remote clear aligners, brands like NewSmile, ALIGNERCO, Aligner32, Smileie, and Invisalign now give you more choice when it comes to price, treatment time, and flexibility.
In this guide, you’ll find:
- The best Smile Direct Club alternatives
- How they compare on cost, treatment length, and eligibility
- Tips to help you choose the right aligner brand for your smile
Short on time? Jump straight to our side-by-side comparison table below to see our top recommended clear aligners — and get free treatment quotes from the brands that fit your needs best.
Best New Treatment - Most affordable options
- Single and dual arch, day and night options
- Convenient AlignerTracker app
- Free teeth whitening
Aligner32 offers a convenient and affordable way for individuals to straighten their teeth using custom-fit clear aligners. Their service is designed for at-home use, allowing customers to avoid frequent orthodontist visits while still achieving professional-grade results.
Aligner32 provides two main treatment plans tailored to suit different needs:
- All-Day Plan: The All-Day Plan requires 22 hours of daily wear and offers faster results, with treatment lasting between 4 to 6 months.
- Night Wear Plan: The Night Wear Plan is ideal for those who prefer a more flexible routine, requiring just 10 hours of daily wear, typically at night, with a treatment duration of 6 to 8 months.
Both plans are designed to treat a range of orthodontic issues, including crowding, spacing, overbites, underbites, and crossbites.
With affordability in mind, Aligner32’s clear aligners are significantly less expensive than traditional braces, which can cost between $5,000 to $8,000. Customers can also use flexible payment plans, making it easier to manage the cost.
Additionally, Aligner32 offers a free teeth whitening kit with their aligner packages, making the treatment even more appealing. The company emphasizes comfort, convenience, and professional care, making it a popular choice for those seeking a better smile without the high costs and hassle of conventional orthodontic treatments.
Best service - Complete treatment 100% remotely
- Amazing customer service
- Nighttime-only option
- $1,495 or $55/month
NewSmile aligners are made from the clearest Essix plastic and come with a daytime or nighttime-only option to suit you. For just $1,495 you’ll receive everything you need to straighten and whiten your teeth – and maintain your new smile:
- Home impression kit
- Full aligner treatment
- Free whitening
- First set of retainers
- A full refund if you’re not a good fit
NewSmile goes above and beyond to provide a great experience to all their customers, beginning with a live video call to help you with your teeth impressions. Mail these back, and they’ll send a 3D Treatment Preview for you to approve before going ahead.
Flexible options - Smileie Pro offers hybrid treatment!
- Single-arch treatment option
- Nighttime aligners available
- Free refinements & 2 sets of retainers
- $699 (single-arch) or $999 (dual-arch)
Smileie’s aligner treatment is not only affordable, but flexible too. You have the option of Smileie Pro, which is hybrid treatment that involves in-office visits with a dentist.
That means more accurate, safer and effective treatment or a wider variety of cases.
But you can also opt for single-arch treatment for just your top or bottom teeth, as well as nighttime-only treatment. And whichever package you choose, monthly payments are available.
On top of this, Smileie offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee which includes free refinements if needed. Their aligners are made in the US and treatment takes 4-6 months on average.
Get Smileie Pro for just $1499, or —
Get the best discount on the standard plan, with 100% remote treatment, when you purchase your aligner package up-front, including:
- Home impression kit
- Teeth whitening kit
- Two sets of retainers
- A full refund if you’re not a good candidate
Packages start at $699 for single-arch treatment. Click below to check for current discounts!
Best value - Complete treatment 100% remotely
- 4-6 month average treatment time
- Nighttime-only option
- $770 or $64/month
If you’re looking for the best value aligner package, here it is! For just $895 you’ll get:
- Impression kit
- Full aligner treatment course
- Free teeth whitening kit
- Your first set of retainers
In short, everything needed to straighten your teeth remotely and keep them looking great, with a full money-back guarantee if you’re not a suitable candidate.
This low price doesn’t mean you’re compromising on quality of care, though. ALIGNERCO just choose not to put so much into marketing, and they pass on the savings to their customers. They are also known for their responsive and helpful customer care, which is important when you’re doing things from home.
Nighttime-only aligners are also available for anyone who doesn’t want to wear aligners during the day.
How does Smile Direct Club work?
First, let’s talk about how Smile Direct Club works:
Smile Direct Club (Smile Direct or SDC) used to follow the typical treatment plan of most at-home clear aligners — order your impression kit, receive your aligners in the mail, and do remote monitoring with a dentist.
They’re now transitioning to a new treatment model wherein you visit a partner dentist in person at the beginning of your treatment for a consultation, and for 3D scans of your teeth.
Now let’s have a look at the basic factors:
- Average cost of Smile Direct Club: $2,050
- Average treatment time: 4 to 6 months
- Eligible cases: Mild to moderate cases
Smile Direct’s best payment plan if you’re looking to spread your costs out is $89/month with a $250 deposit
Smile Direct Club Alternatives
There are plenty of SDC alternatives to choose from today, so to help you wade through it all we’ve chosen some of our top picks. Have a look!
Byte: The fastest option
Price: $1,999 ($70/month)
| Pros | Cons |
| The high-frequency vibrations of the HyperByte speed up treatment time, also reducing pain and discomfort | Since Byte is newer than SDC, they don’t have the same number of reviews, nor amount of experience |
| Get top-notch customer service with your own personal advisor | Some patients may prefer meeting with a dentist in person before beginning treatment — a service that Byte doesn’t offer |
| Straighten teeth at night with the At-Night option — these aligners cost more because they are thicker and grind resistant for you nighttime teeth grinders |
Read our comprehensive Byte review, or get started with Byte now by ordering your impression kit. Use code SMILEBRYTE to get 80% off your kit.
NewSmile: The clearest option
Price: $1,495 ($55/month)
| Pros | Cons |
| NewSmile aligners feature the clearest aligner material, making them the least noticeable while wearing | These are newer than SDC, so they don’t have the same amount of experience |
| These aligners move all of your teeth at the same time, making for faster treatment | Some patients may prefer meeting with a dentist in person before beginning treatment — a service that NewSmile doesn’t offer |
Read our NewSmile review to find out more, or see if you’re eligible for NewSmile now to get started.
ALIGNERCO: The budget option
Price: $949 ($77/month)
| Pros | Cons |
| At just $949, ALIGNERCO offer the most affordable aligners on the market (that we would recommend anyway) | No frills means no frills — you don’t get any goodies or extras with this brand |
| They are a no frills brand, ideal for making slight adjustments | Some patients may prefer meeting with a dentist in person before beginning treatment — a service that ALIGNERCO doesn’t offer |
If you only have minor issues to fix and you want the most affordable treatment, you can get started with ALIGNERCO now, or read our ALIGNERCO review to find out more.
Is Invisalign a good alternative to Smile Direct Club?
Invisalign is one of the brands of invisible braces that began the clear aligner revolution. The main difference between Invisalign and SDC is that Invisalign is an in-office brand. With regular visits with your dentist, this type of aligner can treat even more severe cases of malocclusion.
This also means it’s more expensive than at-home clear aligner brands — potentially thousands of dollars more expensive. But, if you want to straighten your teeth, and you have a more complicated case to treat, then Invisalign may be the best option for you.
If you’d like to find an Invisalign dentist in your area, you can call 866-383-0748 now. You’ll be connected with a live operator who can put you through to a dentist who offers Invisalign near you.
Whichever brand you choose, it’s important that you take your time considering the options, and remember that cheaper isn’t always better.
Other companies like Smile Direct Club
There are so many clear aligner brands out there nowadays that it can be hard to tell the difference between many of them. Some other brands that are similar to Smile Direct Club, but neither as well-known nor as noteworthy are Smilint, Smilelove, and SnapCorrect.
- Smilint: One-size-fits-all option with no monitoring throughout treatment (Not recommended, but very cheap)
- Smilelove: Follows a standard clear aligner process, focused on fast results
- SnapCorrect: Standard clear aligner brand, nothing notable
Smile Direct Club vs braces
So, what’s the difference between Smile Direct Club and braces? A lot actually. But have a look at the following table where we’ve summed it all up:
Smile Direct Club | Braces | |
Appliance | Transparent, removable tray that must be worn for 22 hours per day | Fixed, non-removable metal brackets and wires; worn 24/7 |
Cost | $1,950 | $2,500 to $7,500 |
Treatment length | 4 – 6 months | 18 – 24 months |
Monitoring | Regular remote monitoring with an SDC dentist | Regular in-office visits with your orthodontist |
Eligible cases | Mild to moderate | All cases |
Conclusion
Smile Direct Club is a popular at-home clear aligner brand, but it certainly finds itself in good company. There are plenty of Smile Direct competitors that you can choose from, and a few who we think go the extra mile and rise a bit above SDC.
Our top picks as SDC alternatives include NewSmile, ALIGNERCO, and Byte, for the high quality of service they offer and their success in treating patients.
And if you’re interested in hearing what the CFO of SDC has to say about where the company is now, and their vision for the future including their partnering dentists, check out the following clip:
FAQs
Who are Smile Direct competitors?
Some of the most popular competitors to Smile Direct Club include Invisalign, Candid, Byte, NewSmile, and ALIGERNCO. Invisalign is an in-office brace with treatment similar to that of regular braces. The others are types of at-home clear aligners like Smile Direct.
Can SmileDirectClub be cheaper?
Smile Direct Club costs $1,950, making it potentially thousands of dollars cheaper than traditional braces or brands like Invisalign. Sometimes there are discounts available as well. This may bring the price down, even more, when there are limited-time offers.
Can you negotiate with SmileDirectClub?
No. Smile Direct offers a fixed price for their aligners. Both their standard 22-hour per day treatment and their nighttime treatment cost $1,950. They also have treatment plans available.
Why should you not use SmileDirectClub?
SDC treatment may not be the best treatment for everyone. For example, if you have a severe case of malocclusion, you may need to see an orthodontist for regular braces.
Can your teeth fall out with Smile Direct?
No. Your teeth shouldn’t fall out with Smile Direct Club. If they do, then there is an underlying issue that should have been dealt with before you began treatment.
PRNewswire.com: A “bulletproof” solution for practice transformation, Dr. Craig Spodak joins Candid. Consulted 8th March 2022.