SmilePath vs. WonderSmile: Which is Best in 2022?

A million dollar smile is great and all, but what about getting one as an adult?

No one past their teen years wants to deal with the “brace face” life (or relive it if the effects of their braces have worn off).

Thankfully, home teeth aligners make it possible to straighten your teeth from the convenience of your house. No braces, no wires, no office visits.

These clear aligners have become a popular alternative to braces. Why? They’re much cheaper than braces and Invisalign. They’re also much more convenient.

There are a few popular home teeth aligner companies on the market today, including SmilePath and WonderSmile. In this comparison review, we’ll help you decide which of these two services is the better option for your unique circumstances.

The rundown: How SmilePath and WonderSmile stack up

Intrigued? That’s just the flyby! Let’s dig into the differences between WonderSmile and SmilePath in more detail.

Company Track Records

Home teeth alignment is a fairly new industry. Even so, it’s important to consider each company’s respective track record. Here’s how the two compare:

Both SmilePath and WonderSmile are pretty new, but so is the entire clear aligner industry. At first glance, you might think WonderSmile is better established thanks to their larger number of reviews. But if you account for the fact that SmilePath services the states as AlignerCo, you’ll see that they have a firmly-set reputation, too.

Treatment Speed

No two smiles are exactly alike. So, regardless of what company you choose for treatment, your treatment could be longer or shorter than someone else’s. Your treatment speed largely depends on the severity of your crowding or spacing.

That said, each company’s product affects your treatment speed as well. Here are the average treatment times for SmilePath and WonderSmile:

• SmilePath: 6 to 11 months for daytime treatment, 8 to 12 for nighttime treatment
• WonderSmile: 6 months for daytime, 9 months for nighttime

Honestly, WonderSmile and SmilePath aren’t very fast treatment options. They’re pretty much in line with the industry average for both daytime and nighttime treatment. WonderSmile is a touch faster than SmilePath in many cases, though. But if you need a speedy option, Byte is a great choice. Their average treatment lasts just 3 to 4 months.

Pricing & Features

Let’s talk about bang for your buck. In this section, we’ll dig into the details about the pricing details for impression kits, treatment, and whitening from SmilePath and WonderSmile.

Kit Prices

With any home aligner company, you’ll kick off your treatment by taking impressions of your teeth. Most companies require you to use an at-home impression kit. However, a few companies, including WonderSmile, maintain retail locations that make the impression kit more convenient.

Here’s how the kit prices stack up:

• SmilePath, $75 or FREE: SmilePath includes everything you’ll need to kick off your treatment: putty, trays, a prepaid shipping label, and of course, detailed instructions. The $75 price tag isn’t too bad, but if you decide to pay for all of your treatment up front, SmilePath will throw in the kit at no extra charge. So in a sense, you get the impression kit for free if you pay up front (Note: SmilePath will refund the entire cost of treatment if it turns out that you aren’t a good candidate, so there’s no risk to paying the full cost right away if you want).
• WonderSmile, $45 or $80: From a practical standpoint, the impression kit or scan is free if you choose to buy aligners; WonderSmile will deduct the cost of either from your treatment bundle. But you will have to make a small monetary investment up front. An impression kit costs you $45. If you’d rather have scans taken at a retail location, you’ll need to pay $80.

WonderSmile definitely makes it easier to start up treatment in their retail locations. A lot of customers complain that the impressions are tricky, so it’s a good substitute; you get to let a professional handle all of it!

That said, SmilePath doesn’t leave you high and dry. Impressions are their only offering at present, but they do offer video support sessions. If you schedule one, a customer support rep will coach you through the process to ensure that you get your impressions right the first time.

Treatment Prices

Once you complete your impressions or scans, SmilePath or WonderSmile will create your personalized treatment plan. This includes all of the aligners you’ll need to shift your smile from meh to wow. Regardless of how many aligners you need, your price will be the same. Let’s start out by discussing the base prices for each service.

• SmilePath, $1,899 ($1,999 for nighttime treatment): SmilePath has the most affordable treatment price in the industry. And as a nice plus, nighttime treatment only costs $100 more. They don’t include a ton of “bells and whistles” in the kit; you’ll just get the aligners you need to perfect your smile. But with such an affordable price tag, it’s hard to complain about a simple kit.
• WonderSmile, $2,690 ($2,760 for NightClear): WonderSmile’s base price falls in the middle of the road; it’s not the cheapest, and it’s not the most expensive. They don’t throw in a ton of extras. Basically, you’ll get all of the aligners you need. The most notable price perk of WonderSmile is their single-arch treatment: qualifying customers who only need the top or bottom teeth treated will get $500 off their aligner kit. This isn’t an extremely common occurrence, but it’s worth noting for eligible customers.

SmilePath and WonderSmile have substantially different price points; the exception, of course, is for single-arch treatment. Then the two are pretty comparable. And when you look at what’s included, it’s pretty clear that SmilePath is a much more affordable option. Frankly, neither company really offers any extra perks like whitening or free retainers. So you get the same product for a vastly different price.

Can’t pay all at once? Thankfully, both services offer financing. And as long as you pay the down payment, there’s a 100% approval rate.

• SmileFlex, $2,106 (daytime): SmileFlex is SmilePath’s financing plan that requires a credit check; if you pass the check, you’ll get a simple payment schedule of $117 for 18 months, no downpayment necessary. The terms are just slightly different for nighttime treatments.
• SmileFlex Easy, $2,099 (daytime): SmileFlex Easy doesn’t require a credit check. Instead, you’ll pay a $299 downpayment and slightly bigger monthly payments of $150. But the monthly payments only last 12 months. And like standard SmileFlex, the terms are just a little different if you opt for nighttime treatment.
• WonderSmile, $2,690: A big perk to WonderPay is that you won’t spend anything extra; you’ll just spread it out. First, you’ll need to pay a 20% downpayment. For example, for daytime treatment, that would be $478. After that, you’ll pay the remaining balance over 12 months. There’s no credit check, either.

All told, we find that SmilePath is a better value for both daytime and nighttime treatment. WonderSmile isn’t a bad price per se, but since their kit includes the same materials as SmilePath’s we can’t really justify paying an extra $700.

Customer Support

No one anticipates having issues with their aligners, but stuff happens. That’s life. When it does, you’ll need to talk with customer support. We’ve tested them ourselves, and here’s how the two compare:

Frankly, we really hope you won’t need to spend much time at all dealing with customer support. Ideally, you’ll only interact with them at the very beginning of treatment, with no hiccups along the way. But if you ever need some help, you’ll be in good hands with both WonderSmile and SmilePath.

Ease of Getting Started

Ease is the name of the game when it comes to at-home aligner treatment. But not all aligner companies use the same process. Some are a bit easier than others.

The same goes for SmilePath and WonderSmile, and WonderSmile takes the win here. Thanks to their retail locations that offer 3D scans, it’s fairly easy to get started. There are more than a dozen locations across Australia, too. Plus, it’s a nice way to get quick answers to any questions you have before committing to treatment.

SmilePath doesn’t have retail locations. If you’d rather use SmilePath (or you can’t get to one of WonderSmile’s locations), you’ll need to order an impression kit and complete the process from home. Thankfully, SmilePath makes up for their lack of physical locations with video call “impression sessions,” where an assistant will help walk you through the process to guarantee success.

What if I get it wrong?

Impression kits are a tad tricky, so don’t panic if you mess them up. If the impressions are iffy—they could work, but you’re not sure—send them in. The orthodontists will let you know if you need to try again.

If you’re sure you’ve botched the impressions, contact customer support at SmilePath or WonderSmile. They’ll get another kit sent your way. This will delay your start-up process a bit since you’ll have to wait for shipping both ways. But it’s essential to get a good impression to ensure your aligners fit perfectly once they’re manufactured.

Customer Reviews

For many shoppers, customer reviews can make or break purchase decisions. If you’re one of those shoppers, we’ve got you covered. We’ve done the legwork for you to see what customers across the web are saying about SmilePath and WonderSmile.

Technically, both SmilePath and Wondersmile have a pretty solid online reputation, including on 3rd-party review sites. But we put a slightly higher degree of confidence in SmilePath’s score simply because they have a lot more reviews (especially since you can count their U.S. counterpart, AlignerCo). But either option has a great reputation.

Refund Policies & Satisfaction Guarantees

As with any purchase, there’s always the nagging question: what if it doesn’t work out? SmilePath and WonderSmile both have very individualized approaches for refunds and satisfaction guarantees.

SmilePath’s Satisfaction Policy

SmilePath doesn’t have as fantastic of a guarantee as some of their competitors. If you reach the end of your treatment and you’re not pleased with your smile, SmilePath won’t leave you high and dry. For an additional charge, SmilePath will give you an adjustment and send new aligners your way. Other competitors will give you this adjustment for free as long as you’ve worn your aligners compliantly.

WonderSmile’s Lifetime Guarantee

WonderSmile promises to correct your smile at no extra cost if your teeth ever shift back out of alignment. To be eligible for this guarantee, you must wear your aligners and post-treatment retainers compliantly. Additionally, this guarantee only applies to the teeth originally treated by WonderSmile. Implants, bridges, or similar dental procedures may void the guarantee.

Which Is the Best Home Aligner for You?

When it all comes down to it, SmilePath and WonderSmile are both good options. But at the end of the day, you can only pick one.

If you want our honest opinion, we prefer SmilePath. WonderSmile does a great job, but SmilePath is our second favorite pick overall. We just plain love their affordable treatment prices.

Choose SmilePath if:

you want the most budget-friendly (but still effective and safe) treatment on the market without lots of extra bells and whistles.

Choose WonderSmile if:

you want an easy start-up process, or you think you might be a good candidate for single-arch treatment and you’d like to save $500.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does either home aligner kit offer discounts?

Technically, both services offer discounts. For example, while we’re writing this guide, SmilePath is running a sale for more than $400 off their aligners. Meanwhile, WonderSmile occasionally offers discounts for $100-$200 off their aligners, but you’ll need to subscribe to their email list. Note that none of these sales last forever, so if you find a good one, you’ll want to jump on it.

Are SmilePath and WonderSmile legit?

Your mom warned you about things that sound too good to be true, right? Thankfully home aligner companies like SmilePath and WonderSmile aren’t. These companies leverage a competitive product with competitive prices. But they don’t sacrifice quality to do it. How? They don’t have the overhead costs of a physical office like a traditional orthodontist’s office, so they can invest those savings in measures that ensure treatment quality.

Which home aligner is more customer-focused?

Honestly, neither company really stands out from the other since both do such a great job. The fact that customers frequently thank their support representatives by name tells us that both WonderSmile and SmilePath give individualized, friendly attention to each customer. You won’t feel like a mere face in the crowd.

How exactly do at-home clear aligners work?

They’re nearly invisible, but they’re not magical. Technically speaking, at-home clear aligners use roughly the same technology that Invisalign uses. This starts with your impressions or scans; a dental professional analyzes those impressions to design a series of clear trays that gently and gradually move your teeth to their final destination.

How do SmilePath and WonderSmile compare to Invisalign?

They’re distant cousins, really. Invisalign pioneered the clear aligner alternative to traditional braces. However, Invisalign adds one aspect to the aligners: devices affixed to your teeth to secure the aligners. Those devices have to be attached in-office by a qualified orthodontist. Home aligners don’t use those, allowing you to complete your entire treatment at home.

How do these home aligners compare to Smile Direct and EZ Smile and Byte?

WonderSmile and SmilePath are both pretty similar to other clear aligner companies on the market, but each competitor has its own perks. EZ Smile gives the greatest payment flexibility with the most financing options on the market. Smile Direct has the biggest brand power. And last but not least, Byte has the fastest treatment speed and one of the best lifetime guarantees in the industry.

Is there an age requirement for using either SmilePath or WonderSmile?

With both SmilePath and WonderSmile, you must have all permanent teeth present to begin treatment (you don’t want to dump thousands into teeth that will just fall out, anyway). WonderSmile will treat ages 12 and up; SmilePath bumps that number up to 14. That said, minors must get parental consent prior to getting treatment.

Does either service give free whitening treatment?

Not at this time. WonderSmile and SmilePath both keep their aligner kits pretty simple by only offering the aligners you’ll use mid-treatment. If you’d like to whiten your teeth mid-treatment you can do so, but be sure to get a formula that’s safe to use in conjunction with your aligners. Our top recommendation would be Byte.

Do SmilePath and WonderSmile have aggressive upsells?

Thankfully, no. Since they don’t include any extras, they can’t be classified as “upselling.”

How do I know if at-home aligners are right for me?

Many people are good candidates for at-home treatment. In general, the only people who should automatically steer clear of at-home aligners are people with significant bite issues. If a condition like overbite or underbite is the cause of your teeth’s misalignment, then clear aligners likely won’t be able to permanently correct your issue.

Individuals with implants may still be able to get treatment. To know for sure, you’ll need to take an impression kit with either service. They’ll let you know for sure if you are a candidate or not. If you are not a candidate, you’ll get a refund for the price of the impression kit.

Will either of these home aligners make me talk less funny?

Most people take a few days to adjust to the feeling of aligners—after all, there’s a foreign object in your mouth—but very few experience long-lasting issues. The average observer can’t detect that you’re wearing aligners, even while talking.

If I lose my aligners during or after treatment, do I have to pay for new ones?

Usually, WonderSmile will recommend that you move on to your next aligner (or go back to the previous one) until you’re scheduled to move to the next step. If you’d still like (or need) a replacement, you’ll need to pay $50. SmilePath will work on getting another aligner sent your way as soon as possible after you contact support (for free if you get their WorryFree Protection Plan).With either aligner, though, you should wear your previous aligner until a replacement arrives. That will keep your teeth from shifting too far back.

Can I drink coffee when using SmilePath or WonderSmile?

You can, but you shouldn’t. Aligners from SmilePath and WonderSmile are fairly stain-resistant, but you should generally avoid eating or drinking colored liquids and foods while wearing your aligners. Water is a safe bet, though.

Are there any hidden costs?

Not exactly. With both WonderSmile and SmilePath, the price you see is the price you pay. But one additional expense you might not expect will be post-treatment retainers. Both companies are pretty clear that these retainers are a necessity, but they don’t list them in the initial treatment price.