Invisalign and at-home aligners

Invisalign and at-home aligners both use clear plastic trays, but they come with different amounts of care. For mild crowding or spacing in a healthy mouth, a remote plan costs far less. For a bite problem, or a mouth with crowns, implants or gum disease, in-person care is the safer fit.

Invisalign is a brand prescribed by a dentist or orthodontist who examines you, sees you during treatment, and can bond small tooth-colored bumps called attachments to your teeth to help the trays grip. At-home companies plan treatment from impressions you take yourself and check progress through photos, usually without attachments and for a narrower range of cases. Between the two sit dentist-directed services with home monitoring, such as CandidPro, and flat-price office chains such as Motto.

On October 22, 2026, remote plans with prices outside a sale or limited-time offer cost $1,195 to $1,399 for both arches (upper and lower teeth), against practice fees that Invisalign's own examples put at $5,490 to $7,000.

Side by side

The table compares four ways of getting aligners in the US, using the published terms of one example of each on October 22, 2026. Practices and companies vary, so check the terms you are offered.

These are examples, not a ranking. More prices, including PearlsWhite and AlignerCo, are in what clear aligners cost in the United States.

What the extra cost buys

An examination before treatment. The American Association of Orthodontists advises an in-person examination and appropriate X-rays before orthodontic treatment, because they are needed to diagnose problems and plan safely. The FDA says in-person evaluation by a licensed dental professional is preferred, and that it has not authorized aligners sold directly to consumers without a prescription and supervision. Remote companies say a licensed dentist or orthodontist reviews your records, but that review usually works from impressions and photos rather than an exam.

More tools. Attachments give the trays something to push against, which helps with larger movements such as turning teeth. Elastics, small rubber bands, help correct how the upper and lower teeth meet; the AAO says some cases are treated more predictably with braces.

A plan built without attachments is limited to the movements trays can make on their own, so it suits fewer cases.

What aligners can and cannot do is covered in what clear aligners can and cannot fix.

Someone to see when things go wrong. If a tray stops fitting, a tooth hurts, or the gums swell, a practice can see you. With a remote company you contact the company and its dentist online.

Which route fits which situation

These situations are illustrations, not diagnoses. The clinician who assesses you decides what is suitable.

A couple of front teeth have shifted since you stopped wearing a retainer. Often a small job. A remote plan can suit if a dentist has recently checked your teeth and gums and taken X-rays. A short, limited plan from a practice is another option.

Crowding plus an overbite, underbite or crossbite. These often need attachments or elastics, and sometimes the cause is in the jaws rather than the teeth. An orthodontist or dentist who examines you is the better fit. Some remote companies say they can treat these problems, but without attachments the range of movement is narrower.

Crowns, bridges, implants, or a history of gum disease. An implant cannot be moved, and the FDA lists loosened crowns, fillings or implants among the risks of aligners. Start with an in-person exam.

Mild crowding, healthy teeth, a tight budget, or a long way from a practice. Remote companies ship nationwide, so a remote or hybrid plan can make sense, if you have had a recent checkup and X-rays, you know which dentist is responsible, and you know what happens if your teeth stop following the plan.

A teenager. Growing jaws and teeth still coming in change the plan, so start with an orthodontist. Remote companies set their own minimum ages; Smileie's is 15. More in alignment treatment for children and adolescents.

Wear time, discomfort and tray problems

Wear the hours your own prescriber sets. Invisalign tells its patients 20 to 22 hours a day; the American Association of Orthodontists says 20 to 22 hours a day or as prescribed. Both say to take aligners out for meals, for any drink except plain water, and for brushing.

Some soreness for the first few days of each new tray is normal, and speech usually settles within a few days. If pain does not settle or a tray does not fit fully, contact your clinician before moving to the next tray. How a remote plan runs day to day is in the process of straightening teeth at home, and cleaning is in how to clean clear aligners.

Treatment length depends on the case. Remote companies often advertise 4 to 6 months; 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.

An advertised time describes that package, not your mouth.

Retainers after either route

Teeth tend to move back after treatment, and the American Association of Orthodontists says you will likely need retainers for the rest of your life, so plan for long-term wear. Some companies describe a shorter period; Smileie, for example, mentions a year of retainer wear. Treat that as a seller's statement, not a reason to stop, and ask your clinician before cutting down. Ask what replacements cost before you choose a route.

Closed brands

Some well-known remote brands have closed. SmileDirectClub began winding down in December 2023 and Byte stopped sales in October 2024, as their SmileDirectClub and Byte status pages explain. Candid stopped selling direct to consumers in January 2022 and now offers CandidPro through dentists.

Before you choose

• Which licensed dentist or orthodontist is responsible, and how do I reach them?
• Will I be examined in person, with X-rays?
• Does my plan need attachments or elastics, and can this provider use them?
• How often is my progress checked, and how?
• What is included: refinements (extra aligners if teeth do not move as planned), retainers, replacement trays?
• What happens to my money if my teeth stop following the plan?