There are quite a few options for at-home teeth alignment in Australia today, and two of the best are Byte and Wondersmile. Both companies deliver reliable, affordable aligner treatment directly to your home, and both are stellar options for anyone who wants to make small alignment shifts.
But they’re far from identical. Each has unique advantages and drawbacks, and this comparison review will cover all the most important ones. By the end, you’ll have all the info you need to decide if Wondersmile or Byte is the right choice for your smile.
Table of Contents
Overview and Recommendation: Byte Wins
These companies both ensure safe, affordable smile transformations, and we’re confident that you’d be happy with either one. Still, Byte has some crucial advantages over Wondersmile.
- Efficient Alignments: Wondersmile can align your teeth in 6–9 months, which is a shorter timeline than most in-office options. But Byte can be quicker for some—they claim an average treatment time of just four months.
- Exceptional Customer Support: Byte assigns each customer a personal advisor, who checks in to answer questions and concerns throughout the treatment process. Plus, once you’re done with treatment, their Byte-for-Life guarantee protects your smile forever.
- Free Retainers: Byte includes your first set of aftercare retainers for free, while Wondersmile charges $99 per set.
Is Byte Right for You?
Byte is our top overall pick for at-home teeth alignment in Australia, while Wondersmile is in fourth place on our list. Choosing a teeth-straightening treatment is an incredibly personal decision, based on your dental and financial circumstances, but their efficiency and stellar customer support make them a solid option.
They scored a 4.4 out of 5 on our comprehensive rating system, and we think they’re a great choice for anyone with a mild-to-moderate misalignment.
Effectiveness Comparison
Neither Wondersmile nor Byte require any in-person appointments with a dentist or orthodontist. That might make them more convenient, but it also means they can’t correct severe misalignments like Invisalign or ClearCorrect can. Even so, they both use high-quality materials and typically deliver stunning results for people looking for cosmetic dental shifts.
Byte Effectiveness
WonderSmile Effectiveness
- Uses a mixed team of dentists and orthodontists.
- Backed by Dentsply Sirona, a widely respected dental supplies manufacturer.
- Recommends photo check-ins every two weeks, but doesn’t require them.
- Cuts aligners straight across the gums, increasing their power.
- Works solely with orthodontists to design and direct treatment.
- Unclear if they have a manufacturing partner or produce their aligners in-house.
- Monthly photo check-ins keep you on track.
- Cuts aligners straight across the gums, increasing their power.
Provider Network
Byte uses a team of dentists and orthodontists who design treatments in tandem, while Wondersmile only employs orthodontists. General dentists have extensive knowledge about dental health, and they’re certainly qualified to design and implement clear aligners. However, orthodontists spend multiple years in specialized postgraduate training for dentofacial adjustments. So choose Wondersmile and you can be sure you’ll have a highly specialized professional designing your treatment.
Manufacturing Quality
Some companies openly disclose who manufactures their aligners, but that isn’t the case with Wondersmile. We can confirm that they use BPA-free plastic with no phthalates, and we’ve seen very few complaints regarding the quality or consistency of their aligners.
In late 2020, Byte was acquired by Dentsply Sirona, a reputable dental manufacturing company that makes cleaning instruments, scanning machines, retainers, and virtually any other dental equipment you can imagine. So you can be sure that Byte’s products are trustworthy and well-designed.
Clinical Oversight
In-person clear aligner treatments like Invisalign typically involve office visits every 4–6 weeks, and certain at-home aligner services have attempted to replicate this oversight with remote monitoring. Wondersmile requires every customer to upload monthly photos of their teeth so their team can make sure everything is progressing as planned. If not, they can adjust your treatment plan accordingly. It’s not as robust as hands-on treatment, but it provides some peace of mind.
Byte recommends that every customer use the My Byte app to upload photos of their teeth every two weeks, but they only require it for people with certain conditions. If you choose to complete every suggested upload, you’ll have some pretty robust oversight. If not, you won’t have any.
Aligner Cut
Wondersmile and Byte both cut their aligners straight across your gums, which empowers the aligners to exert more force on your gums, increasing their effectiveness. The other option is to “scallop” the aligners to match each customer’s unique gum line. This method is somewhat less noticeable because there isn’t any plastic covering your gums, but it’s less effective than a straight cut.
Affordability Comparison
At-home aligners have skyrocketed in popularity in part because they’re a lot cheaper than traditional orthodontics, often costing thousands less than Invisalign or braces. However, pricing models vary between companies, and even though both Byte and Wondersmile have similar sticker prices, Byte’s accessible financing and free extras make them the more affordable option.
Byte Affordability
WonderSmile Affordability
- $2,749 sticker price ($3,399 for night-only aligners).
- Includes one set of retainers for free.
- Includes a whitening kit for free.
- Their impression kit costs $95.
- Financing doesn’t require a down payment or a credit check.
- $2,900 sticker price ($2,970 for night-only aligners).
- Charges an extra $99 per set of retainers.
- Charges an extra $149 for whitening kits.
- Offers impression kits for $99 (refunded if you purchase aligners) but in-person scans are free.
- Financing requires a down payment and a credit check.
Sticker Price
If you want standard, all-day treatment, Byte is more affordable. Their all-day plan costs $2,749, while Wondersmile’s costs $2,900. However, Wondersmile’s NightClear aligners ($2,970) are about $429 cheaper than Byte At-Night ($3,399). But the sticker price isn’t your only treatment expense. Byte makes up some of the difference because they include one set of aftercare retainers for free, while Wondersmile charges $99 per set.
The other noteworthy difference is that Byte charges $95 for your impression kit, which they will refund if they determine that you’re not a suitable candidate for treatment. However, they do not provide refunds for impression kits if you decide you don’t want to purchase aligners. Wondersmile charges $99 for an impression kit, plus offers free teeth scans at their in-person clinics, and they have similar refund policies.
Payment Plan Options
Most people don’t have thousands of dollars sitting around waiting for an excuse to be spent. That’s why both Byte and Wondersmile offer financing options to help make their products accessible to a wide range of customers.
Byte’s rates depend on whether you choose their All-Day or At-Night plan, and whether you want their protection plan, which includes two sets of retainers per year for five years:
- All-Day with Byte Protection Plan: Fortnightly payments of $56 for 30 months with a $52 account setup fee and an $8 monthly account keeping fee. Total: $3,940.
- All-Day without Byte Protection Plan: Fortnightly payments of $53 for 24 months, with a $52 account setup fee and an $8 monthly account keeping fee. Total: $2,993.
- At-Night with Byte Protection Plan: Fortnightly payments of $68 for 30 months with a $52 account setup fee and an $8 monthly account keeping fee. Total: $4,690.
- At-Night All-Day without Byte Protection Plan: Fortnightly payments of $66 for 24 months, with a $52 account setup fee and an $8 monthly account keeping fee. Total: $3,643.
Wondersmile only has one payment plan, called WonderPay. It requires a credit check, plus you’ll need to pay a minimum 20% deposit ($580 for All-Day aligners and $594 for NightClear). Then, you’ll make monthly payments of at least $195 ($198 for NightClear) until you reach the full amount.
Free Extras
Everybody loves free stuff, and you’ll often find that at-home alignment companies will throw in some bonus items to give you more bang for your buck. For instance, Byte includes your first set of retainers and a whitening kit at no extra charge. It’s a welcome addition to your alignment package, especially when you consider that Wondersmile makes you pay $99 per set of retainers and $149 if you want their whitening kit.
Convenience Comparison
At-home aligner treatments never require you to set foot in a dentist’s or orthodontist’s office, so they’re all more convenient than traditional options, which include appointments every 4–6 weeks. And among all the home aligner competition, Byte and Wondersmile are two of the easiest, smoothest, and most streamlined treatments.
Byte Convenience
WonderSmile Convenience
- No office locations in Australia, so you must use an at-home impression kit.
- The average treatment time is four months (or five for Byte At-Night).
- Byte At-Night only requires ten consecutive hours of daily wear.
- 20 office locations across Australia that provide teeth scans, plus they sell impression kits online.
- The average treatment time is six months (nine for NightClear aligners).
- Their NightClear option only requires ten hours of daily wear.
Getting Started
Before you can begin any teeth-straightening treatment, your care team needs high-quality images of your teeth, which they’ll use to assess your smile. However, this step looks different depending on which treatment you choose.
Wondersmile gives customers a choice of creating molds at home with an impression kit or visiting one of their 20 retail locations across Australia, where a professional will scan your teeth for you. With Byte, you only have the option to make your own molds, as they have no retail locations available.
Treatment Time
Byte says their average treatment time is just four months, while Wondersmile typically takes around six (or nine for their nighttime plan). Six months is pretty 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
For some people, wearing clear aligners for 22 hours per day is no big deal. However, if you’re frequently on the go, with lots of important meetings and outings, you might not want to have your aligners in all day. That’s why both Byte and Wondersmile offer nighttime-only alignment plans, which only require ten consecutive hours of daily wear.
Since you’ll wear your aligners for less time each day, it slightly extends the overall treatment timeline. Byte At-Night takes an average of five months, while Wondersmile’s NightClear option takes roughly nine months.
Appearance Comparison
No matter which company you choose, clear aligners are always less visible than braces. That said, you’ll find some subtle differences between aligners from different companies. Appearance is pretty subjective, since everyone has unique tastes and styles, so which look best are up to you and your personal preferences — although Byte and Wondersmile make pretty similar aligners.
Byte Appearance
WonderSmile Appearance
- Uses smooth, transparent, shiny plastic.
- Cuts their aligners straight across, so they overlap the gums.
- Cannot incorporate attachments.
- The material is reasonably stain-resistant.
- Uses smooth, transparent, shiny plastic.
- Cuts their aligners straight across, so they overlap the gums.
- Cannot incorporate attachments.
- The material is reasonably stain-resistant.
Aligner Material
Your “clear” aligners may or may not be 100% clear. Some companies — including Byte and Wondersmile — use transparent plastic, while some other competitors use frosted, textured material. And this frosted, textured plastic is actually less visible.
That’s because completely clear aligners gleam when light hits them, which can make your teeth seem artificially shiny. Your teeth naturally have a matte finish, so frosted plastic actually does a better job of replicating the appearance of your real teeth. However, some people prefer shiny aligners because they like a little extra gleam in their smile.
Straight Cut vs. Scalloped
We briefly discussed this in the “Effectiveness” comparison, but we’ll mention once again that both Wondersmile and Byte cut their aligners straight across the gums, allowing them to exert more force on your teeth compared to aligners that match your gum line.
The downside is that straight-cut aligners are also slightly more noticeable since people around you might notice where they overlap the gums.
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, Byte and Wondersmile can’t use them. That might decrease their effectiveness, but it also means you won’t have any extra hardware in your mouth.
Stain Resistance
Wondersmile and Byte’s aligners are somewhat stain-resistant, but we wouldn’t take our chances. You shouldn’t eat or drink anything other than water while wearing them — you wouldn’t want to get stuck wearing stained aligners until it’s time for your next set.
Customer Experience Comparison
When you choose at-home aligner treatment, you’ll be working directly with the company, not a specific dentist like you would with Invisalign. So you want a company who will treat you right — provide helpful answers, address your concerns, and deliver on their promises.
In-office treatment is the gold standard for customer care, since you’ll have face-to-face interactions with dentists and staff who know you personally. It’s tough for remote services to match that individualization, but Byte and Wondersmile go above and beyond to deliver a supportive, personalized customer experience.
Byte Customer Experience
WonderSmile Customer Experience
- You can contact them by phone, email, Facebook Messenger, and mobile app.
- Provides each customer with a personal Byte advisor to answer questions.
- Receives consistently positive customer reviews.
- Will create refinement aligners if your results don’t match your treatment preview.
- The Byte for Life Guarantee ensures your smile forever.
- Offers support via phone and email. You can also request a video chat or reach out on social media.
- Receives excellent customer reviews.
- Will provide refinements if your results don’t match your treatment preview and will give a full refund within 30 days of beginning treatment.
- The Wondersmile Lifetime Guarantee ensures your smile forever.
Support Options
If any issues arise during treatment, you’ll probably want answers ASAP, so it’s nice that both companies give you multiple avenues of communication. You can contact either by phone, email, or social media. You can also contact Byte’s customer support team through their My Byte app. Regardless of how you choose to reach out, their support reps always respond quickly in our experience.
You will send photos of your teeth to Wondersmile’s team every month so they can monitor your progress, and Byte’s team every two weeks (if you choose to). If you have any issues in between photo check-ins, you can reach out to customer support.
Responsiveness and Helpfulness
We tracked down hundreds of customer reviews for both Byte and Wondersmile. The vast majority are positive and back up our own experiences with their customer support teams. While there are some isolated instances of unsatisfied customers, most of them seem to agree that these companies both have very responsive and helpful support teams.
In our experience, Byte and Wondersmile both provide timely support from knowledgeable representatives. We’ve asked their support representatives some tough questions, and they’ve always had quick, helpful answers.
Satisfaction Guarantee
Both Byte and Wondersmile will refund your impression kit or teeth scan if they determine you’re not a suitable candidate for treatment. Plus, both companies will provide refinement aligners if your end results don’t match your treatment preview, assuming you followed your aligner plan and completed all your required check-ins.
But they don’t stop there. Let’s say you finish treatment and wear your retainers as directed, but one year later, your teeth shift. Either company will craft new aligners to shift them back. Two years? New aligners. Ten years? You guessed it. The Byte-for-Life Guarantee and Wondersmile Lifetime Guarantee promise refinements if your teeth ever shift, provided you purchase replacement retainers twice per year and wear them as prescribed.
Company Backgrounds
Byte Company Background
WonderSmile Company Background
- Founded in the US in 2018, expanded to Australia in 2020.
- Quickly gained popularity thanks to their innovative technology and excellent customer service.
- Currently one of the home aligner industry’s most established companies.
- Founded in 2016 in Australia.
- Flexible treatment options for a wide variety of alignment issues.
- Based in Australia, but has expanded across the globe.
Founded in 2018 in the US, Byte has taken impressive steps in reducing treatment times and prioritizing customer service. Co-founder and Chief Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jon Marashi has a star-studded portfolio of A-list patients, but started Byte to bring his Hollywood-tested treatments to the mainstream. They’re making waves with their innovative technology and exemplary customer support, and have quickly become one of the industry’s top competitors. They made their first foray into international markets in 2020 by expanding to Australia.
Wondersmile started selling aligners in 2016, so they’ve got a longer track record in Australia than Byte does. Over the past few years, they’ve become one of the country’s most popular at-home aligner companies, and they’ve brought their treatment to numerous locations across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the U.K.
Which Home Teeth Aligner Should You Use?
Byte and Wondersmile are pretty similar, so we understand if you’re still struggling to pick one. Here are a couple of scenarios that might help.
Choose Byte if You Are:
Seeking efficient alignment times, looking for outstanding customer support, or want a more affordable option.
Choose WonderSmile if You Are:
Looking for regular remote oversight, orthodontist-directed care, or clinics where you can get a teeth scan instead of using an impression kit.
We Recommend Byte for Most Users
We think both companies are excellent options for teeth alignment, and you’ll be happy with either one. That said, we think Byte’s efficiency, accessible financing plans, and exemplary customer support make them a slightly better option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Byte or WonderSmile?
These are both reputable companies, but we think Byte provides the superior service. They have efficient treatment times for many people, more accessible financing plans, and a responsive, personalized customer support model.
How do I get started with Byte or WonderSmile?
With Byte, you start the process by purchasing an impression kit and using it to make molds of your teeth. Wondersmile gives you the option of either making your own impressions or visiting one of their retail locations for a dental scan.
What are customers saying about Byte and WonderSmile?
Wondersmile and Byte each have hundreds of customer reviews available on third-party websites, and they both maintain outstanding average ratings.
What is the most effective clear aligner company?
It’s tough to beat the power and versatility of in-office options like Invisalign and ClearCorrect. With hands-on care and orthodontic attachments, a dentist can use them to treat severe misalignments and even bite issues.
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.
What is the cheapest home aligner company?
SmilePath charges just $1,899, making them the most affordable home aligner company in Australia today.
Will home aligners work for me?
It all depends on your specific alignment issues. Home aligner companies can only fix moderate crowding and spacing problems, but anything beyond that will probably require traditional orthodontics.
How do Byte and WonderSmile compare to Invisalign?
These three companies all use clear aligners to straighten your teeth. However, Invisalign requires frequent in-person visits to a dental professional and costs much more than either Byte or Wondersmile.
That said, Invisalign can fix a much wider variety of alignment problems than any at-home aligner company, because your dentist or orthodontist can use attachments to generate more significant alignment shifts.
How long does home aligner treatment take?
Most companies take around six months to straighten most typical alignment issues. However, your specific timeline depends on the severity of your misalignment. The more complex your case, the longer it will take to correct.
What other companies should I consider?
We think that SmileDirectClub and SmilePath are worth considering. SmileDirectClub has much more experience than any competitor, and SmilePath has the lowest prices for teeth alignment in Australia. EZ Smile is also an intriguing option — they’re an Australian-owned company that pairs impressive pricing with an extensive refund policy.
How much do home aligners cost?
This all depends on which company you choose. If you go with SmilePath, you could spend as little as $1,899 (or even less, if you find a discount or rebate coupon). On the other end of the spectrum, Wondersmile charges $2900.
Does insurance cover home aligners?
Rarely. Most insurers consider teeth alignment a cosmetic treatment, so they do not cover it. Of course, it never hurts to check with your provider.
Are home aligners safe?
Yes. We understand that the concept of aligning your teeth at home might sound daunting, but it’s perfectly safe. You will still be using an alignment plan created by qualified dental professionals, and you can always contact customer support if you have questions or concerns.
Do home aligners hurt?
Some people mention minor discomfort when first switching to a new set of aligners. Other than that, you will probably experience very little pain or discomfort at all throughout the entire alignment process.