What clear aligners cost in the United States

Clear aligners in the United States cost from under $1,000 to well over $5,000, depending mostly on how you are treated. Companies that work remotely, using an impression kit or a scan and checking progress through photos, published prices of $799 to $899 for one arch and $1,195 to $1,399 for both arches when we checked on October 22, 2026, leaving out companies that showed only sale or limited-time prices. Aligners prescribed through a dental office cost more: Motto's published price is $2,999 for mild to moderate cases, and Invisalign's own examples show practice fees of $5,490 to $7,000. Insurance and pre-tax accounts can reduce what you pay out of pocket, by an amount that depends on your plan.

The price buys different things. A dental-office fee usually includes an examination, X-rays where needed, visits during treatment and the dentist's time if something goes wrong. A remote price mostly covers the aligners and an online review of your records. Whether remote treatment suits your teeth is a separate question, covered in what clear aligners can and cannot fix.

Published prices, October 2026

These are the prices each company showed on its own website on October 22, 2026, for full-time (daytime) treatment unless stated. Smileie and AlignerCo showed only sale prices and do not publish their prices outside a sale, and NewSmile showed a limited-time offer price, so check their checkout price before you pay.

Invisalign does not publish a price. Its cost page says the doctor sets the fee based on how complex the case is and how many aligners are needed, and that the cost is often comparable to braces. Three examples on that page, which Invisalign labels as hypothetical, show doctor's fees of $5,490, $5,600 and $7,000 before insurance or a down payment. They are illustrations rather than an average, but they give a sense of what a practice quote can look like.

More detail on the remote companies is in at-home clear aligner providers in the US.

Why prices differ so much

Who is checking your teeth. A practice fee pays for in-person examinations and appointments. A remote company usually has a dentist or orthodontist review your impressions or scan and approve the plan, then follows progress through photos or an app. Much of the gap between a $1,000 remote plan and a $5,000 practice fee reflects that difference in care. Invisalign and at-home aligners compares them in more detail.

One arch or two. Treating only the upper or lower teeth costs less. PearlsWhite charges $799 to $899 for one arch against $1,199 to $1,399 for both. One arch only works if the teeth you want to move are all on that arch and the bite still fits afterward.

How complex the case is. Remote companies generally treat mild to moderate cases and turn others away. Practices take on more complex cases, and their fees rise with complexity. Motto's $2,999 applies to mild to moderate cases, with extra charges possible for advanced ones.

Nighttime plans. Some companies sell aligners worn only at night, usually for a little more and over a longer period. Smileie's nighttime plan costs $150 more for both arches, and Smileie and AlignerCo both list nighttime treatment at 6 to 8 months against 4 to 6 months for daytime wear. Whether night-only wear moves teeth as well as full-time wear is unproven, as explained in the nighttime aligners guide.

What the headline price may leave out

Before comparing two prices, check that they cover the same things.

• Records. An impression kit may be included or cost extra ($29 to $29.99 on the sites above). Ask whether a second kit is free if the first impressions cannot be used, and whether the kit fee is refunded if you are turned down.
• Extra aligners. If your teeth do not follow the plan, you may need refinement aligners. Ask whether they are included and how many.
• Retainers. You will need retainers for life to stop teeth moving back. Some packages include one or two sets; others charge separately. Replacement retainers are an ongoing cost, covered in care after aligner treatment.
• Examination and X-rays. Remote prices usually exclude an in-person dental exam. The American Association of Orthodontists advises an in-person examination and appropriate X-rays before orthodontic treatment, and decay or gum problems found at that visit need treating first, at extra cost.
• Whitening. Often bundled free. It does not count as a medical expense for tax purposes.

Two worked examples

These examples are hypothetical. They use published prices but made-up insurance and tax figures, to show how the arithmetic works. Your own plan's terms will differ.

A remote plan paid in cash. NewSmile's plan includes the impression kit, a treatment preview, the aligners, remote monitoring and whitening; its price is shown as a limited-time offer, so confirm it. NewSmile also sells the kit on its own for $29, so you can see a preview before committing; its page does not say whether that $29 is credited if you then buy aligners, so ask. Without a credit, add $29 to the plan price. Retainers are not listed among the plan's inclusions, so add whatever they cost. If you also book an exam and X-rays with your own dentist beforehand, add that fee too.

A practice plan with insurance and an FSA. Take a practice fee of $5,600, one of Invisalign's own examples. Suppose your dental plan pays 50% of orthodontic treatment up to a lifetime orthodontic maximum of $1,500, and you have a health FSA (a flexible spending account you pay into from pre-tax salary).

Your bill is still $4,100; the tax saving lowers what it effectively costs you, not what you pay the practice.

Insurance, FSAs and HSAs

Dental insurance. Invisalign says many dental plans cover its treatment the same way they cover braces, paying either a percentage of the fee or a set dollar amount. The same page cites figures from OrthoFi, a payment company, showing that in 2021 US patients with dental insurance who used its insurance check had average orthodontic cover of $1,772. Ask your insurer, in writing, whether orthodontic cover applies to adults, whether clear aligners count, what the lifetime maximum is, and whether they pay a remote company or only a dental office.

FSAs and HSAs. A health flexible spending account (FSA), usually offered through an employer, and a health savings account (HSA) both let you pay medical costs with money that has not been taxed. IRS Publication 502 says dental treatment including braces counts as a medical expense, and that teeth whitening does not. It does not name clear aligners, so ask your plan administrator whether it accepts them, and whether it needs a letter or an itemized receipt. Several of the companies above say they accept FSA and HSA cards.

For 2026, the IRS limits are $3,400 for a health FSA, and $4,400 (self-only) or $8,750 (family) for an HSA. You can only pay into an HSA if you have a qualifying high-deductible health plan. A health FSA must let you claim the full amount you elected for the year at any time during the plan year, even if you have not paid it all in yet, which helps when a large bill arrives early. FSA money you do not use may be lost at the end of the year, depending on your plan's carryover or grace-period rules.

Paying monthly

Monthly payments are credit, so compare the total with the cash price. Motto, for example, advertises about $81 a month for 60 months on its $2,999 price through CareCredit. Sixty payments of $81 come to about $4,860, roughly $1,860 more than paying up front.

A 0% plan costs the same as cash only if the payments add up to the cash price. Check the interest rate, any late or early-settlement fees, and what happens to the agreement if treatment stops.

A payment plan can also outlast the aligners. The American Association of Orthodontists says mild crowding or spacing can often be treated in eight to twelve months, while complex bite problems may take a couple of years, and that a lost aligner or inconsistent wear can set treatment back.

Old prices from closed brands

Prices you may still see quoted for SmileDirectClub or Byte are no longer available. SmileDirectClub began winding down on December 8, 2023, and Byte's sales were suspended by its owner, Dentsply Sirona, on October 24, 2024. The SmileDirectClub and Byte status pages explain what happened. Candid stopped selling direct to consumers in 2022 and now offers CandidPro through dentists.

Questions to ask before you pay

• What exactly does the price include: records, every aligner, refinements, retainers, and how many sets?
• Who is the dentist or orthodontist responsible for my treatment, and how do I reach them if a tray stops fitting?
• Is any of the fee refunded if I am not suitable, or if I stop partway?
• What does my insurer pay for adult clear aligners, and will it pay this provider?
• If I pay monthly, what is the total, the interest rate and the term?