Kevin JohnsonInvisalign operates as a sub-organization of Align Technology with headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, U.S. The parent company was founded in 1997 and manufactures its aligners in Juarez, Mexico, and scanners in China and Israel.
Invisalign enjoys immense popularity as a teeth-straightening brand. It uses the Invisalign method to straighten the teeth without requiring metal braces.
Patients are usually fitted with clear braces covering their teeth and are adjusted to the proper position over time. Due to the braces’ clarity, you can take them on and off. Additionally, they are less noticeable compared to traditional metal braces.
The company’s key products are scanners and aligners. These products have significantly contributed to its success, generating a revenue of $3.74 billion in 2022 and a net income of $362 million the same year. [1]
The Food and Drug Administration approved Invisalign in 1998, and it started selling in the U.S. in 1999. Between 1997 and 2000, the company raised $130 million in venture capital before raising an additional $130 million in 2001 via its initial public offering. [2]
As successful as Invisalign has been, it has several competitors you may want to know about. Keep reading to learn more about the main alternatives to Invisalign.
1. AlignerCo
Year founded: 2019
Headquarter: West Hempstead, New York
AlignerCo is a major alternative to Invisalign and only uses orthodontists for its remote monitoring. It gives the patient confidence that they are always in good hands.
AlignerCo seeks to provide the most affordable custom invisible aligners for straightening teeth. This has led to the company achieving revenue of as much as $5 million. [3]
Apart from providing daytime aligners that you wear for 20-22 hours, AlignerCo also has a nighttime option to be worn for up to 10 hours a day. However, choosing the latter means you trade off the treatment time.
The main selling point for AlignerCo is its cost-friendly price tag which is slightly over $1000, making it a cost-efficient alternative to Invisalign.
2. Angel Align
Year founded: 2003
Headquarter: Shanghai, China
Angel Align is a global service provider for clear aligner technology, production, and sales. The company strongly invested in developing high-tech products that enhance smiles and give confidence to people worldwide. Its 2021 revenue was $1.86 billion. [4]
Angelalign Technology Inc. was listed on the HK exchange in June 2021. The company has maintained a stable corporate-academic partnership with the leading orthodontists and universities globally. It has significant R&D investments, which contribute to a major breakthrough in most fields.
3. Basma
Year founded: 2020
Headquarter: London, United Kingdom
As you can tell from the year founded, Basma is a newcomer in this industry. Despite being a new entrant, the company has made a significant impact in North Africa and the Middle East. In particular, it stands out due to reasonably cheaper treatment.
The price point of Basma has been the main selling point, in addition to everything being done remotely. The company has an annual revenue of about 5 million and has maintained a steady growth trajectory. [5]
4. Byte
Year founded: 2017
Headquarter: Los Angeles, California
The main factor that makes Byte stand out is its significantly shorter treatment period of about three to four months. It has been achieved because of the company’s HyperByte device, which uses mild vibrations to move teeth effortlessly.
Furthermore, Byte relies on more than human intuition during treatment. Instead, the company has dedicated software known as Smile Science that assesses your facial structure to suggest the best treatment plan.
Owing to the technological advancement of Byte, Dentsply Sirona acquired it in 2021 at a whopping price of $1.04 billion. [6]
5. ClearCorrect
Year founded: 2006
Headquarter: Round Rock, Texas
ClearCorrect started by supplying invisible dental aligners. The company registered steady growth, which eventually led to its acquisition in 2017 by Straumann for $150 million. The acquisition was made without involving outside funding. [7]
ClearCorrect enjoys a massive following thanks to its comfortable, removable, and nearly invisible aligners. The aligners allow you to go about your daily life without anyone knowing you are in treatment. The users can also eat whatever they want, and brush and floss as they normally do.
6. Candid
Year founded: 2017
Headquarter: New York City, New York
Candid has made a name for itself in the invisible aligner game over the years, presenting fierce competition against some top firms in the industry. The company stands out against competitors because of its policy of explicitly working with licensed orthodontists and not dentists or doctors.
Candid’s unique approach appears to have struck a positive chord with investors. The company raised more than $63 million in funding and has grown to hire as many as 350 employees. It also enjoys a massive database of customers who trust it to enhance their smile. [8]
7. DrSmile
Year founded: 2016
Headquarter: Berlin, Germany
This European-based invisible aligner company operates in ten countries, including the U.K., France, Spain, and Austria, among others. DrSmile ensures quality service by maintaining that customers must undergo a dental check before starting the treatment.
Of all the top Invisalign competitors, DrSmile is among the few companies that have yet to raise outside funding. Despite that, it has managed to gain a massive following, serving tens of thousands of customers and creating employment for more than 400 people. The company has not made its revenue public. [9]
8. NewSmile
Year founded: 2019
Headquarter: Vancouver, Canada
NewSmile serves customers specifically in Canada and the United States. This Invisalign competitor is among the late entrants into the industry but surely provides some stiff competition.
The success of NewSmile mainly concerns price being a major competitive factor. The company has not raised any outside funding, which has led to the company keeping its revenue private.
9. PlusDental
Year founded: 2017
Headquarter: Berlin, Germany
PlusDental is a major competitor against Invisalign and operates from Europe. The company sells aligners as its core business but also has services that cut across cases, electronic toothbrushes, and bleaching products.
The products and services of PlusDental have been instrumental in growing its revenue to up to $73.4 million in 2022. [10]
PlusDental has sold more than 50,000 treatments which have helped raise $88 million. PlusDental stands out as the best-funded MedTech startup in Germany.
10. SmileDirectClub
Year founded: 2014
Headquarter: Nashville, Tennessee
SmileDirectClub is one of the prominent home aligners in the industry and provides the toughest competition to Invisalign.
The company has a strong physician presence alongside more than 300 shops across the country. Its customer base is equally huge, having treated more than 1.5 million people.
One of the reasons why SmileDirectClub enjoys massive support is its affordable price tag of $2,050. Despite the low rate, the company gained a significantly high revenue of $638 million in 2021. [11]
11. SnapCorrect
Year founded: 2017
Headquarter: Vancouver, Washington
SnapCorrect provides aligners at the price of $1,709, which is far lower than any other aligner provider on this list. Furthermore, customers get a flexible payment plan of monthly payments of $80.84 for 24 months with a 10% APR.
When you choose SnapCorrect, you get a provider that delivers aligners trimmed to the gum to have an invisible appeal. That is a crucial step considering you shall wear the aligners for 18 months. Therefore, you want to keep them as discrete as possible.
12. SureSmile
Year founded: 1998
Headquarter: Charlotte, North Carolina
SureSmile is among the oldest aligners providers on this list and was born through the merger of two medical technology companies.
The company advertises to its U.S.A. customers under the name SureSmile although it was bought in 2018 by Dentsply Sirona. Its 2022 revenue stood at $22 million. [12]
13. Uniform Teeth
Year founded: 2015
Headquarter: San Francisco, California
Uniform Teeth is a U.S.-based aligners company that provides direct competition to Invisalign. The company stands out mainly due to its process.
Unlike most players in the industry, Uniform Teeth incorporates orthodontists in the treatment process. It has given the company a reason to assert that its treatment is two times more effective than that of a regular dentist.
In 2019, Uniform Teeth raised $10 million in funding. The number has continued to increase over the years and currently stands at $14 million. [13] Its revenue is equally good and stood at $11.7 million in 2022. [14]
14. Zenyum
Year founded: 2018
Headquarter: Singapore
Zenyum is the number one invisible teeth aligner company in Southeast Asia, a position it proudly holds for a good reason. To start with, the company focuses on Singapore’s home market, which has an incredibly high demand for the solution.
Besides that, Zenyum has expanded its footprint in other countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Although Zenyum started by offering invisible aligners specifically, it soon expanded its product list to include toothpaste and electronic toothbrushes. This diversification has worked well for the company, as it posted a revenue of $24.6 million in 2022. [15]
15. 3M Clarity
Year founded: 1902
Headquarter: Saint Paul, Minnesota
3M Clarity may not be the first name in the field of orthodontic treatment, but it is surely giving Invisalign a run for its money.
The company’s Clarity Aligners have significant teeth-moving powers as they maintain a unique attachment placement. 3M Clarity also makes braces that can be incorporated into your treatment plan.
While Invisalign uses a single type of plastic in its aligners, 3M Clarity stands out by using two. The two types of plastic come in independent strengths and applications to give 3M Clarity aligners high effectiveness.
References & more information
- (n.d.). Align Technology Revenue 2010-2022 | ALGN. Macrotrends.
- Thomas, R. (2010). Orthodontic and Dentofacial Orthopedic Treatment.
- (n.d.). AlignerCo. ZoomInfo.
- Simply Wall. (n.d.). Angelalign Technology. Simply Wall.
- CB Insights. (n.d.). Basma. CB Insights.
- Whooley, S. (2021, Jan 05). Dentsply acquires Byte clear aligners for $1.04B. Mass Device
- Orthodontic Products. (2017, Aug 17). STRAUMANN GROUP ACQUIRES CLEARCORRECT. Orthodontic Products
- Alexandra, S. (2019, Apr 16). Something To Smile About: Candid Raises $63 Million To Be The Warby Parker Of Braces. Forbes
- Dr Smile. (n.d.). DR SMILE partner dental practices in your area. Dr Smile.
- (n.d.). PlusDental. ZoomInfo.
- (n.d.). SmileDirectClub Revenue 2018-2022 | SDC. Macrotrends.
- (n.d.). SureSmile. ZoomInfo.
- Megan, D. (2019, Dec 5). Uniform Teeth raises $10 million for its teeth-straightening operations. TechCrunch.
- (n.d.). Uniform Teeth. ZoomInfo.
- (n.d.). Zenyum. ZoomInfo.
- Featured Image by Lesly Juarez
Tell us what you think? Did you find this article interesting? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
Brianna Parker
Ava Abbott
Add comment