Are you looking for a way to align your teeth without the hassle of making regular visits to the dentist’s office? Do you want to straighten your smile, but you don’t want to spend $3,000–$7,000 on braces or Invisalign? Good news: AlignerCo and NewSmile deliver affordable clear aligner treatment directly to your home.
These are two of the top at-home clear aligner companies in Canada today, particularly among budget-conscious customers. This comparison guide will examine each company’s most important details to help you determine which one is the better choice for you.
Table of Contents
Overview & Recommendation: NewSmile Wins
Both companies have strong reputations, and we’re confident that either can efficiently and reliably align your teeth. That said, NewSmile has a few concrete advantages, such as:
- Convenient Start Up: NewSmile has five scanning partners across Canada where you can get your teeth professionally scanned to start treatment. AlignerCo doesn’t offer any retail locations, so you’ll need to complete an at-home impression kit to get started with them.
- High Value: Though NewSmile’s sticker price is slightly higher than AlignerCo’s, they pack your aligner package full of free extras like an impression kit, aftercare retainers, and whitening treatment.
- Streamlined Oversight: Throughout your treatment you’ll upload photos to the NewSmile app so their dental team can ensure your teeth are shifting properly. AlignerCo also requires regular photo check-ins, but they handle everything through email, so their system isn’t as streamlined.
Effectiveness Comparison
Before asking any other questions about AlignerCo and NewSmile, you need to know: do they work? If you’ve got a mild misalignment, the answer is yes. Even though at-home treatments can’t tackle severe cases like Invisalign and braces, NewSmile and AlignerCo can deliver a dream smile for anyone with minor crowding or spacing.
AlignerCo Effectiveness
NewSmile Effectiveness
- Uses plastic from Raintree Essix to produce their aligners.
- Requires you to submit photos of your teeth every two weeks.
- Trims their aligners to match your gum line, sacrificing some effectiveness.
- Does not disclose who manufactures their aligners.
- Incorporates virtual check-ins through their mobile app every two weeks.
- Scallops aligners to match your gum line, decreasing their power.
Dental Network and Oversight
Dentists and orthodontists are both qualified to design and administer aligner treatment. The difference is that orthodontists have an extra two years of training that let them tackle more complex cases. NewSmile and AlignerCo both have in-house teams that include orthodontists and dentists, ensuring your treatment benefits from diverse perspectives during planning and oversight.
Every two weeks throughout treatment, AlignerCo requests that you email photos of your teeth, and NewSmile requires photos and videos uploaded through their mobile app. Their dental teams will review your photos/videos to make sure your smile is progressing as planned, and they can make adjustments to your schedule if necessary. This oversight helps divert minor issues before they can worsen and potentially derail your treatment.
We like that NewSmile conducts their oversight through a proprietary app, which can lead to a more streamlined user experience than AlignerCo’s email based system.
Manufacturing Quality
AlignerCo crafts their aligners using plastics from Raintree Essix, a reputable company that first started producing clear aligners back in 2005, long before the first at-home alignment company opened its doors. NewSmile, however, doesn’t disclose any details about their manufacturing or materials, although this is not uncommon in this industry. Both companies use plastic with no BPA or phthalates.
Aligner Cut
Both companies trim their aligners to match each customer’s unique gum line, while some competitors cut aligners straight across the gums. Even though the scalloped style is slightly less noticeable, it’s less effective than a straight cut because aligners that overlap your gums can grip the teeth better and exert more force.
Affordability Comparison
Let’s face it: effectiveness doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t afford the aligners. AlignerCo and NewSmile are both much cheaper than braces and Invisalign, which often cost thousands more. And both companies are more affordable than their at-home aligner peers too. But there can be only one king of low prices, and AlignerCo wears the crown.
AlignerCo Affordability
NewSmile Affordability
- $1,635 sticker price ($1,735 for night-only aligners).
- Offers frequent discounts on their website.
- Includes your first set of aftercare retainers.
- Does include free whitening.
- The impression kit costs $75, but they’ll refund it if you purchase aligners.
- Multiple financing plans available, including one with no credit check.
- $1,899 sticker price ($2,099 for night-only aligners).
- Offers frequent discounts on their website.
- Includes your first set of aftercare retainers.
- Includes free whitening products.
- Impression kits cost $89, but they’ll refund that price in certain circumstances.
- One financing plan available, but it requires a credit check.
Sticker Price
AlignerCo’s $1,635 sticker price is slightly lower than NewSmile’s $1,899 price point. Yet these are two of the lowest prices among at-home aligner companies in Canada, and both companies frequently offer discounts that drive them hundreds lower. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, either one is a solid choice.
Payment Plan Options
Are you unable or unwilling to pay for your entire alignment up-front? No problem! AlignerCo and NewSmile both have payment plans available that can make your treatment much more financially manageable.
AlignerCo has two different payment plans — one that requires a credit check and one that doesn’t:
- The SmileFlex plan teams with PayBright to provide an installment plan for twelve monthly payments of $137 with no down payment or interest. However, this option requires a credit check, so not everyone qualifies.
- The SmileFlex Easy plan requires a $395 down payment followed by six monthly payments of $246. This plan does not require a credit check, and it costs a total of $1,871.
NewSmile, on the other hand, keeps financing super simple. Their payment plan requires no down payment and starts at $83 per month for 24 months.
We appreciate that both companies make it easy to afford their alignment services by offering convenient payment plans — especially ones that don’t end up costing any more than you’d pay upfront.
Free Extras
Many companies in the home teeth alignment industry offer bonus items to give you more bang for your buck. AlignerCo provides a free set of retainers, as does NewSmile. Both also includes free whitening products, though with AlignerCo, you have to purchase your aligner kit outright.
Convenience Comparison
Lower prices are a big draw for remote aligners over traditional treatment. The other big advantage is convenience. You get to skip office visits and free up more time in your schedule. But there’s a lot more to convenience than seeing the doctor, and these two have each taken measures to give each customer a smooth, streamlined treatment.
AlignerCo Convenience
NewSmile Convenience
- No retail locations that provide in-office teeth scans, so you’ll need to purchase an impression kit.
- Takes 7–8 weeks to design, produce, and ship your aligners.
- Their NightOnly option allows you to only wear aligners for ten hours per day.
- On average, treatment lasts 4–6 months (or 6–8 for NightOnly aligners).
- Sells impression kits, but also has five scanning partners across Canada that provide in-office scans.
- You should receive your aligners around 7–8 weeks after sending your impressions or getting a teeth scan.
- Their Night Aligners only require ten continuous hours of daily wear.
- The average treatment time is 4–6 months, or 8–10 months for Night Aligners.
Getting Started
The first step for any clear aligner treatment is getting physical molds or digital scans of your teeth. Your provider’s dental team will use these images to determine if you are a candidate for treatment, and if so, design your aligners.
Both companies sell impression kits, which allow you to make molds of your teeth at home. It’s nice that you don’t have to leave the house, but some customers find it difficult to create molds with the precision necessary to craft perfect-fitting aligners. If you choose AlignerCo, though, this is your only option.
NewSmile sells impression kits, but they also have partner clinics in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Vancouver, Toronto, and Burlington where a professional will take intraoral scans of your teeth instead, ensuring that you get perfect images on the first try. If you live near one, it’s much easier than using an impression kit on your own.
Turnaround Times
So, you’ve mailed in your impressions and the company says you’re a candidate for treatment. Great! But you won’t find your aligners on your doorstep the next day. In fact, AlignerCo and NewSmile each take about 7–8 weeks to produce and ship your aligners, which is slightly longer than many other companies, including in-office options like Invisalign.
Nighttime-Only Option
Anyone who has frequent work meetings or social engagements might be hesitant to wear their aligners all day. That’s where nighttime aligners come in. You only need to wear them for ten continuous hours each day, rather than the usual 22. But because you’re wearing them less often, these aligners take longer overall. NewSmile’s Night Aligners take roughly 8–10 months to align your smile, and AlignerCo says their NightOnly plan takes 6–8 months on average.
Treatment Time
In-office treatments generally require you to wear your aligners for 12–24 months. That’s a long time! At-home options take less time — partially because they only treat minor misalignments. NewSmile and AlignerCo have the same average treatment times: 4–6 months with standard wear (22 hours a day).
Nighttime-only plans usually take longer, since you’ll wear your aligners for fewer hours per day. AlignerCo’s says their NightOnly plan usually lasts 6–8 months, and NewSmile’s Night Aligners often take 8–10 months.
Appearance Comparison
Every clear aligner is much more discreet than metal brackets and wires. But you might be surprised how much aligners’ appearance can vary between brands. Of course, everyone has different tastes, so which looks best is pretty subjective. Even though AlignerCo and NewSmile make almost identical aligners, you might find that one suits your preferences better than the other.
AlignerCo Appearance
NewSmile Appearance
- Uses smooth, transparent, shiny plastic.
- Scallops their aligners to match each customer’s unique gum line.
- Doesn’t incorporate any attachments.
- Reasonably stain-resistant.
- Uses smooth, transparent, shiny plastic.
- Scallops their aligners to match each customer’s unique gum line.
- Doesn’t incorporate any attachments.
- Reasonably stain-resistant.
Aligner Material
There are two main schools of thought regarding the plastic used to manufacture clear aligners. Companies can either use smooth, completely transparent plastic or frosted, textured material. Both AlignerCo and NewSmile opt for the former. This might seem logical — the smoother and clearer, the less noticeable, right? The only issue is that your real teeth aren’t naturally smooth or shiny. They’re porous and matte.
So when smooth, transparent aligners reflect light, they can make your teeth look artificially shiny. However, some people prefer this look, since they like how it gives their smile a little extra gleam.
Aligner Cut
AlignerCo and NewSmile’s aligners lose a little effectiveness because they don’t overlap your gums. However, that scalloped cut also makes them more discreet. Scalloped cuts hide the edge of the aligners in the gum line, making it harder for other people to see them, so here, both companies offer minimal visibility.
Attachments
In some cases, fully in-person treatments like Invisalign and ClearCorrect will include small attachments affixed to the surfaces of the teeth, which help their aligners exert more force. While these attachments can increase effectiveness, they also make the aligners more noticeable. AlignerCo and NewSmile don’t include attachments on any of their aligners, maintaining their low profile.
Stain Resistance
AlignerCo and NewSmile both produce aligners that are at least somewhat resistant to staining, but we would still never advise eating or drinking anything (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 your next set!
Customer Experience Comparison
Customer support is incredibly important for home teeth alignment companies because you don’t have regular in-office check-ins with your dentist. Therefore, if you have any questions — or if you encounter any problems — you need to know that your alignment company will have your back. NewSmile and AlignerCo’s support is less individualized than in-person care, but they’re dedicated to delivering a great experience, and AlignerCo goes slightly further to ensure it.
AlignerCo Customer Experience
NewSmile Customer Experience
- Offers support via phone, email, and webchat, will also respond to messages on social media.
- Receives excellent customer reviews.
- Doesn’t offer refunds, but after treatment, you can apply for a $250 refinement if you’re unhappy with your results.
- Offers support via phone and email. They will also respond to messages on social media.
- Receives great customer feedback.
- Will provide refinement aligners if your end results don’t match your treatment preview.
Support Options
Since you don’t have a specific dental office to contact, you’ll take your questions or concerns directly to AlignerCo or NewSmile’s customer support team. You can reach either company by phone, email, webchat, and social media. They also offer video chats for assistance with their impression kit.
NewSmile is available Monday–Saturday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm PST and Sunday from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm PST. AlignerCo doesn’t disclose specific hours of availability for Canada, but they say their webchat feature is available 24/7.
Responsiveness and Helpfulness
It’s always important to dig deeper than our own experiences with each company’s support teams. By examining customer reviews, we can determine whether these companies have any inconsistencies or weaknesses in their support offerings.
While AlignerCo has a lot more reviews than NewSmile, both companies receive tremendously high-quality feedback. AlignerCo and NewSmile customers frequently praise both teams’ responsiveness and professionalism. Both have also received negative feedback from customers whose results didn’t turn out like they’d hoped. These complaints, however, are rare. We’ll see if the trend of customer satisfaction continues as AlignerCo and NewSmile continue to grow.
Satisfaction Guarantee
If you change your mind before opening your impression kit or if the company decides you aren’t a suitable candidate for treatment, you’ll receive a full refund for anything you paid so far. This is the extent of NewSmile and AlignerCo’s refund policies.
But if you look in the mirror at the end of treatment and your smile doesn’t match your treatment preview, NewSmile will create refinement aligners to finish the job. That’s only if you followed your wear schedule and completed all your virtual check-ins, though. Otherwise, you may need to pay extra. AlignerCo also offers refinement aligners, but for an extra $250, and only if you diligently followed your wear instructions throughout treatment.
Company Backgrounds
AlignerCo Company Background
NewSmile Company Background
- Founded in 2019.
- Dug out a niche as the most affordable home aligner option.
- Still small, but has a growing customer base and branches in the UK and Australia.
- Founded in 2020.
- Canadian-owned company based in Vancouver.
- Currently operates in Canada, the US, and the UK.
AlignerCo entered the scene in 2019 but counters their inexperience with incredibly affordable prices—the lowest in the industry. Most impressively, they haven’t sacrificed product quality in pursuit of affordability. Customers flocking to AlignerCo for their cost-effectiveness are finding highly-effective treatment and excellent support as well. They might be relatively young, but they operate under the name Straight My Teeth in the UK and SmilePath in Australia, so they’ve already got experience straightening smiles on three continents.
Founded in 2020, NewSmile is even younger, but they’ve already established themselves as a worthy competitor in Canada’s at-home aligner industry. And they’ve got more experience than you might think. They once licensed the Smilelove name to use on their products (although they have no relation to the US version of Smilelove), but have more recently delivered treatment solely under the NewSmile brand. They’re started in Vancouver and provide Canada-based support to customers in both Canada and the US.
Which Home Teeth Aligner Should You Use?
These are both great companies with plenty of similarities, so it’s totally understandable if you haven’t decided yet. To close out this comparison, let’s take a quick look at a few scenarios in which you might prefer one company or the other.
Choose AlignerCo if You Are:
Searching for the lowest prices available along with reliable products and excellent customer service, and don’t mind working with a newer company.
Choose NewSmile if You Are:
Looking to work with a Canadian-owned company, want a value driven treatment, or would prefer to get an in-person teeth scan instead of using an impression kit.
We Recommend NewSmile for Most Readers
Both companies deliver quality products and results, and we’re confident you’ll be satisfied with either. Still, because of their value-driven treatments, their streamlined oversight, and their in-person scans, we think NewSmile is the better option for most readers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose AlignerCo or NewSmile?
These are both great companies that have already given thousands of customers dazzling new smiles. However, NewSmile’s value packed treatments and convenient start up make them our preferred choice.
How do I get started with AlignerCo or NewSmile?
Your first move is providing high-quality images of your teeth. For AlignerCo, this means completing one of their at-home impression kits, then sending it back. With NewSmile, you can either complete an impression kit or visit one of their retail locations for a professional teeth scan.
What are customers saying about AlignerCo or NewSmile?
Neither company has a large base of customer reviews yet, but the ones they have are largely positive. Customers often rave about each company’s affordability and convenience, and they also frequently compliment the quality of their customer support teams.
What is the most effective clear aligner company?
It’s tough to contend with Invisalign. As a comprehensive in-office treatment that can incorporate orthodontic attachments, their aligners can handle just about any condition, no matter how severe. Their primary in-office competitors—ClearCorrect, SureSmile, and 3M Clarity Aligners—are just as effective.
How do I know which option is right for me?
We recommend carefully examining each company’s effectiveness, affordability, convenience, appearance, and customer support. By evaluating each one’s performance in these categories, you can find the company that best suits your needs and budget.
Will home aligners work for me?
It depends on your specific case. Home aligners can typically only handle minor spacing and crowding issues. If you have a more significant alignment problem like an overbite, underbite, or crossbite, traditional orthodontics might be your best option.
How do AlignerCo and NewSmile compare to Invisalign?
AlignerCo and NewSmile are both much more convenient than Invisalign because they don’t require you to visit a dentist or orthodontist’s office throughout your treatment. This also means these companies have much lower prices, undercutting Invisalign’s sticker price by thousands. However, Invisalign can treat a wider variety of alignment issues because your dentist can add attachments to encourage more significant shifts.
How long does home aligner treatment take?
For most companies, the average treatment time is six months. However, your treatment might be longer or shorter depending on your condition’s severity and how diligently you follow your prescribed wear schedule.
What other companies should I consider?
We think SmileDirectClub is always worth a look. They were the first company to offer at-home teeth alignment, and they have transformed more than 1.5 million smiles to date. They’ve got an experience advantage that no competitor can touch, and they’re our top rated provider in the Canadian market.
How much do home aligners cost?
Your home aligners can be as cheap as $1,635 with AlignerCo or as expensive as $2,700 with SmileDirectClub.
Does insurance cover home aligners?
Some dental insurance companies in Canada cover home aligners, but usually only up to 50% of the total cost. For more information, contact your insurance provider.
Are home aligners safe?
It’s certainly understandable if you have some reservations about home teeth alignment. However, it’s very safe, and millions of people have already used it with no problems. Also, keep in mind that even though you’re aligning your teeth at home, qualified professionals will oversee the entire process.
Do home aligners hurt?
You might feel some minor discomfort whenever you switch to a new set of aligners, but for the most part, you’ll probably barely even notice you’re wearing them after a day or two.
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