SmileDirectClub vs. SmilePath: An Honest Comparison

Do you want to align your teeth without the hassle of metal braces? Would you like to straighten your smile without ever setting foot in a dentist or orthodontist’s office? Good news: there are several reputable companies that will deliver clear aligner treatment directly to your home.

SmileDirectClub and SmilePath are two of the best and most popular companies offering at-home clear aligner services in Australia. They’re both respected companies that can achieve stunning smile transformations, and we’re here to provide all the details you need to decide which is the best option for you.

Overview and Recommendation: SmileDirectClub Wins

$3,149

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Though both of these companies have earned spots on our list of best at-home clear aligner providers in Australia, SmileDirectClub has a few distinct advantages over SmilePath, such as:

• Highly Experienced: SmileDirectClub has treated over 1.5 million customers since their 2014 start. They have more experience than practically all of their competition combined.
• Convenient Start Up: SmileDirectClub offers retail locations where you can schedule a free scan to kickstart treatment. SmilePath doesn’t offer any in-person locations, so you’ll need to complete an at-home impression kit.
• Lifetime Guarantee: If your teeth ever shift out of alignment, even years later, SmileDirectClub will make it right. As long as you’ve stayed up to date with wearing and replacing your aftercare retainers, SmileDirectClub will send you the aligners you need to correct any post-treatment shifting.

Is SmileDirectClub Right for You?

SmileDirectClub offers convenient at-home clear aligner treatment with comprehensive guarantees, all backed by a high level of industry experience.

That said, Byte is our #1 overall pick for home teeth alignment in Australia. Their efficiency, cutting-edge technology, and exemplary customer service set them apart from the crowd.

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Read Byte Review

Effectiveness Comparison

The first question you should ask when evaluating at-home aligner companies is “do they work?” Choose SmileDirectClub or SmilePath and the answer is a resounding yes. Both companies use high-quality materials without BPAs or phthalates, and both can reliably make cosmetic changes to your smile. They don’t possess the power or versatility of Invisalign, since they don’t incorporate any office visits or attachments, but if you’ve got a milder misalignment, either company can achieve the smile you want.

Clinical Expertise and Oversight

You might not visit a dentist in-person, but you’ll still have dental experts behind your treatment. Both companies have remote teams of dentists who will review and approve your aligner plan before you begin.

With SmilePath, you can email photos of your dental arches every two weeks if you’d like their team to monitor your progress. This helps them spot and address any small issues before they can turn into big ones. It’s not required, or as robust as hands-on treatment, but it’ll still provide some peace of mind.

SmileDirectClub, on the other hand, requires you to send photo updates — only every 90 days instead of every two weeks, which for many means just once for the full length of treatment. You can upload them through the SmileDirectClub app, which is a much more streamlined user experience than emailing, as you would with SmilePath.

Manufacturing Quality

Both companies have sterling reputations for manufacturing quality, and neither uses BPA or phthalates in their aligners.

SmilePath uses plastics from Raintree Essix, a widely respected dental supplies manufacturer. They first started producing clear aligners back in 2005, long before the first at-home alignment company opened its doors, so you can be sure that you’re getting quality products.

SmileDirectClub once had a manufacturing partnership with Invisalign’s parent company, but now they produce their own aligners in-house. Their lab has developed a proprietary technology called “Comfort Sense,” which they describe as a “proprietary soft, medium, and firm aligner plastic progression to ease teeth more comfortably into place.”

Aligner Cut

SmilePath “scallops” their aligners to match each customer’s unique gum line, whereas SmileDirectClub cuts aligners straight across the gums. While SmilePath’s style makes the aligners less visible, SmileDirectClub’s aligners are more effective because they overlap the gums, leveraging them to exert more force on the teeth.

Affordability Comparison

There’s no way around it: Orthodontic treatment is expensive. But at-home aligner companies have drastically reduced the average cost by cutting out office visits. Even though SmilePath and SmileDirectClub are both more budget-friendly than braces or Invisalign, SmilePath is the most affordable option on the market, with lower prices than every at-home and in-office competitor.

Sticker Price

There’s a massive difference between these companies’ sticker prices — SmilePath’s $1,899 rate is roughly $1,000 lower than SmileDirectClub’s $2,965 price. And SmilePath widens that gap even further by providing a free set of aftercare retainers, while SmileDirectClub sells them for $167 per set. Even though they charge $75 for impression kits, they’ll refund that price if you purchase aligners. SmileDirectClub’s impression kit is built into the cost of their aligner bundle and they also offer free teeth scans at their in-person clinics.

SmileDirectClub’s free whitening and free in-office teeth scans are nice bonuses, but they don’t come close to closing this huge pricing gap.

Payment Plan Options

Not everyone has thousands of dollars on hand to cover the cost of clear aligners up-front, which is why both companies offer payment plans to make their prices more affordable.

SmileDirectClub’s one payment plan requires a deposit of $299, followed by 24 monthly payments of $125. This plan includes your full treatment and your first two sets of retainers for a total of $3,299, which is the same as if you purchased aligners and retainers separately. This plan doesn’t require a credit check, so everyone qualifies.

SmilePath offers three different payment plans — one that requires a credit check and one that doesn’t:

• The SmileFlex plan teams with Zip to provide an installment plan for 18 monthly payments of $117 with no down payment. However, this option requires a credit check. The total cost of this plan comes to $2,106.
• The SmileFlex Easy plan partners with Partial.ly and requires a $599 down payment followed by six monthly payments of $300. This plan does not require a credit check, and it costs a total of $2,399.
• The SmileFlex Pro plan is their newest financing option. It’s through Humm and requires a credit check but has low fortnightly payments.

We love how both companies have payment plans that don’t require credit checks, making their treatment accessible even if you’re not confident in your credit score.

Free Extras

Many companies in the home teeth alignment industry offer free bonus items to give you more bang for your buck, and that’s the case with these companies. SmilePath provides a free set of retainers, while SmileDirectClub charges $167 per set. Both companies also provide free whitening products, so you can straighten and whiten your smile at the same time.

Convenience Comparison

One of the primary reasons people choose at-home teeth alignment instead of traditional orthodontics is convenience. Without in-person care, these companies are much less time-consuming than traditional orthodontics. Like their at-home peers, SmilePath offers plenty of convenience, but SmileDirectClub goes even further to give every customer the most smooth, streamlined treatment possible.

Getting Started

You’ll start any teeth-straightening treatment the same way: providing high-quality images of your teeth. Using these images, the dental team can evaluate whether you’re a suitable candidate for their services and create a preview image of your finished smile.

Almost every at-home aligner company sells impression kits, which include trays and putty that you’ll use to make molds of your own teeth, then mail them in. Impression kits let you complete the entire process from home, but because clear aligners need to fit perfectly, these molds have to be precise, and that can be difficult for some customers.

That’s why SmileDirectClub gives customers the option to visit one of their six office locations across Australia for a free professional teeth scan instead. This ensures that you’ll get perfect images on the first try, so it’s an easier alternative if there’s a location near you. However, SmilePath has no retail locations in Australia, and the only option is to use an impression kit.

Treatment Time

Most SmilePath customers complete their treatment in 4–6 months, or 6–8 months for their NightOnly plan. SmileDirectClub’s average treatment timelines are pretty similar: 4–6 months for all-day treatment and ten months for Nighttime Aligners. This is fairly standard for at-home aligners, but your treatment might take longer or shorter, depending on the severity of your misalignment. The more complex the case, the longer it takes to correct.

These timelines are much shorter than in-office options, which often take 12–18 months. Just remember that Invisalign and braces take longer because they take on more severe misalignments, while at-home aligners stick to milder cases.

Nighttime-Only Option

Wearing clear aligners all day, every day, might sound intimidating to you. If you have frequent work meetings or social gatherings, you might be tempted to leave the aligners at home. That’s why both companies offer nighttime-only home alignment plans. SmileDirectClub’s Nighttime Clear Aligners and SmilePath’s NightOnly aligners only require ten consecutive hours of daily wear, so you’ll just pop them in after dinner, then take them out the next morning.

Since you’re not wearing the aligners for very long each day, these plans typically take longer than each company’s standard treatment. But if you can’t stand the thought of wearing aligners to work, school, or other public places, it might be worth it for you.

Appearance Comparison

Every clear aligner brand is a lot less visible than braces, which is what skyrocketed Invisalign’s popularity in the first place. However, not all clear aligners look exactly the same. Differences in designs, materials, and manufacturing processes can lead to subtle variations between brands. Which style looks best is pretty subjective, so even though SmileDirectClub and SmilePath both make discreet aligners, consider your personal aesthetic preferences as you choose one.

Aligner Material

If you have the option for entirely clear aligners or aligners made with translucent, frosted plastic, which would you choose? While SmilePath’s smooth, transparent aligners might sound preferable, some think that SmileDirectClub’s translucent, textured ones look more natural.

That’s because your teeth naturally have a matte appearance, and frosted aligners do a better job of replicating it. SmilePath’s smooth aligners are reflective, so they can make your teeth look unnaturally shiny. However, some people want some extra shine in their smile, so they prefer smooth, transparent material. It all comes down to what you like best.

Straight Cut vs. Scalloped

We briefly discussed this in the “Effectiveness” section but it applies here as well. SmileDirectClub cuts their aligners straight across the gums, which makes them more effective but also leaves some plastic covering your gums, and people nearby might notice it. SmilePath scallops each aligner to match up with your gum line — a slightly less effective method, but also a slightly more discreet one.

Attachments

In-person treatments like Invisalign can correct severe misalignments in part because they let dentists place attachments on your teeth. These give the aligners more leverage and power, but also make them more visible. Since dentists affix attachments during office visits, SmileDirectClub and SmilePath can’t use them, so you won’t have any extra hardware in your mouth.

Stain Resistance

SmileDirectClub and SmilePath produce aligners that are at least somewhat resistant to staining, but you still shouldn’t eat or drink (other than plain water) while wearing them. You wouldn’t want to stain one of your aligners and still have to wear it until you’re ready for the next set!

Customer Experience Comparison

Because home aligners don’t have regular check-ups with your dentist or orthodontist, you need to know that the company you choose will provide helpful answers, address your concerns, and deliver on their promises. If anything goes wrong — or if you just have a few questions along the way — you’ll want to be confident that they’ll take care of you.

At-home aligner companies can’t match the personalization of in-office options like Invisalign, but both SmilePath and SmileDirectClub provide solid support, even if both companies have areas where they could improve.

Support Options

You can contact either of these companies by phone, email, webchat, and social media. SmilePath doesn’t list their hours, and SmileDirectClub says their representatives are available 24/7. In our experience, both companies are responsive and helpful no matter which method you choose to reach out.

Responsiveness and Helpfulness

We’ve always had good experiences with both companies’ support teams, but it’s important to dig into each company’s customer feedback to see if their experiences match ours. Even though SmilePath has fewer reviews than SmileDirectClub, their customer feedback is more universally positive.

SmileDirectClub has thousands of customer reviews available online, and they’re pretty mixed between positive and negative feedback. Reading through their reviews, it appears SmileDirectClub has had some issues with inconsistent support and responsiveness in the past. When you’re a huge company with over a million customers, however, there are bound to be negative reviews out there, and it looks like SmileDirectClub has recently made some customer support improvements.

Satisfaction Guarantee

SmileDirectClub and SmilePath both provide a full refund for your impression kit if you’re not a suitable candidate for treatment. And if you reach the end of your aligner plan, but your smile doesn’t match the one from your treatment preview, each company will create refinement aligners to finish the job. SmileDirectClub will create these extra aligners for free, and SmilePath may charge you an extra $200.

That’s where SmilePath’s refund and refinement policies end, but SmileDirectClub goes a lot further. They offer a 30-day full refund window from the start of treatment, so you can get your money back if you change your mind right away. They also offer prorated refunds for unused and unopened aligners if you’re not satisfied with your progress and want to call it quits, although this policy obviously provides less money the further you are into your treatment.

Plus, SmileDirectClub’s Lifetime Smile Guarantee will provide new aligners if your teeth shift again down the road. However, to qualify, you must order two sets of retainers per year and wear them as prescribed.

Company Backgrounds

SmileDirectClub was the first company to offer at-home clear aligners in 2014. They started in the U.S., but expanded rapidly, and now they serve customers in nine different countries. To date, they’ve aligned more than 1.5 million smiles, giving them more experience than most of the other companies in this industry combined.

SmilePath is relatively new to the at-home aligner market, but they’ve gained popularity by offering some of the lowest prices you’ll find. They’ve also found huge success in the US under the brand name AlignerCo, and in the UK, where they’re called Straight My Teeth. So even though they don’t have an extensive track record, they’ve got experience transforming smiles on three different continents.

Which Should You Choose?

These are both fantastic companies that can effectively transform your smile, so it wouldn’t surprise us if you haven’t decided yet. To close out this comparison, let’s take a quick look at a few scenarios that might make one better for you than the other.