What do Invisalign Express, Lite, Moderate, and Comprehensive include?
Align sells offices lab packages defined by aligner count, not by a public patient price list. The treating doctor maps a case onto Express, Lite, Moderate, or Comprehensive and then sets the fee. Published dollar bands for those names are office guesses, not Align figures.
The American Association of Orthodontists states that each tray is typically worn one week, at least 22 hours a day. Align's own wear guidance is 20–22 hours. Aligner count is a duration proxy, not a guarantee.
Invisalign Express
Up to 7 aligners
Additional sets: One additional set for 6 months.
Relapse and minor movement. Align lists a path as short as 3 months for some Express cases. Express 5 (up to 5 aligners) is a narrower variant.
Invisalign Lite
Up to 14 aligners
Additional sets: One additional set for 1 year.
Mild crowding or spacing. Class I. No anteroposterior correction. Non-extraction and some pre-restorative work.
Invisalign Moderate
Up to 20 aligners
Additional sets: One additional set for 2 years.
Mild Class II. Mild to moderate crowding or spacing. Mild anteroposterior and vertical discrepancies.
Invisalign Comprehensive
Unlimited aligners
Additional sets: Unlimited additional sets for 5 years.
Class I, II, and III. Moderate to severe crowding or spacing. Extractions and complex pre-restorative work.
Source: Align product portfolio. Invisalign First Comprehensive is a growing-patient variant with unlimited aligners and an 18-month additional-set window. It is not a separate consumer price.
Align's labeled hypotheticals
Align's cost page shows three compensated-patient examples. They are not national averages. The doctor, not Align, set each fee.
CollinAdult example
$5,600 fee
Insurance $2,800. Remaining $2,800, then $233/month for 12 months.
Overcrowding. 1 year of treatment. Align labels this a hypothetical.
EmeraldTeen example
$5,490 fee
No insurance line. Down payment $1,700. Remaining $3,790, then $105/month for 36 months.
Gaps and rotated teeth. Paid with financing, no insurance line. Align labels this a hypothetical.
MilanaTeen example
$7,000 fee
Insurance $5,600. Remaining $1,400, then $58/month for 24 months.
Overbite and crowding. Align footnote: a parent's separate plan covered 80% of the doctor fee.
How much does Invisalign cost with insurance?
Align and the AAO both state that plans with orthodontic coverage usually treat Invisalign the same as braces. FAIR Health describes the typical structure: about 50% of the allowed charge, up to a lifetime dollar maximum that does not reset each year. Coverage is commonly limited to dependents under 19.
Among 112,243 insured U.S. patients verified by OrthoFi in 2021, the mean orthodontic benefit was $1,772. 92% qualified for up to $3,000. 77% qualified for up to $2,000.
1. Quoted fee
$5,108
Synchrony aligner average
2. 50% coinsurance
$2,554
Before the lifetime cap
3. Mean benefit paid
$1,772
OrthoFi 2021, N = 112,243
4. Patient pays
$3,336
Fee minus the mean benefit
On the $5,108 clear-aligner average, a $1,772 benefit leaves the patient paying $3,336. A plan with a lower lifetime maximum pays less than the mean.
What is included in an Invisalign fee?
The AAO tells patients to ask whether the quote is all-inclusive: the appliance, scheduled visits, emergency visits, and post-treatment retainers. Offices that bill those items separately can look cheaper on the first page of the contract.
- The ordered Align packageExpress, Lite, and Moderate include one additional set inside a time window. Comprehensive includes unlimited additional sets for 5 years.
- Attachments and interproximal reductionTooth-colored buttons and limited enamel reduction are usually inside the treatment fee when the ClinCheck plan needs them. Confirm that in writing.
- Wear time the fee assumesAlign: 20–22 hours a day. AAO: at least 22 hours, typically one week per tray. Missed hours stretch the calendar and can add refinement trays.
- Clear plastic retainer (Essix)$181
- Molded acrylic / Hawley retainer$302
- Bonded (fixed) retainer$344
Retainer averages are stand-alone Synchrony 2024 figures, not Invisalign-specific add-ons. Ask whether the first set of retainers sits inside the treatment fee.
Is Invisalign cheaper than braces?
Align says the two are comparable in most cases. Synchrony's 2023 tables put clear aligners at $5,108 on average and metal braces at $6,343. Those are different appliance rows from the same study, not a promise that Invisalign will undercut braces in a given office. Insurance that covers orthodontics usually pays the same lifetime maximum for either appliance.
How much does Invisalign cost by state?
The 2023 Synchrony study reports a clear-aligner average for every state and the District of Columbia. The lowest published average is $3,668 in Utah. The highest is $6,516 in Rhode Island. The figures are category averages for clear aligners, not Invisalign-only quotes, and they exclude insurance.
Lowest averages
- Utah$3,668
- Pennsylvania$3,800
- Texas$3,967
- Montana$4,024
- Ohio$4,044
- North Dakota$4,118
- West Virginia$4,259
- Michigan$4,342
- Massachusetts$4,494
- Oklahoma$4,606
Highest averages
- Rhode Island$6,516
- Hawaii$6,192
- New York$6,177
- South Carolina$6,084
- South Dakota$5,996
- New Mexico$5,934
- Colorado$5,870
- Maryland$5,839
- Wyoming$5,722
- Nebraska$5,721
| State | Clear aligner average |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $4,751 |
| Alaska | $4,878 |
| Arizona | $4,796 |
| Arkansas | $5,250 |
| California | $5,399 |
| Colorado | $5,870 |
| Connecticut | $5,019 |
| Delaware | $5,447 |
| District of Columbia | $5,337 |
| Florida | $5,577 |
| Georgia | $4,651 |
| Hawaii | $6,192 |
| Idaho | $5,538 |
| Illinois | $5,238 |
| Indiana | $5,070 |
| Iowa | $4,861 |
| Kansas | $5,071 |
| Kentucky | $5,253 |
| Louisiana | $4,822 |
| Maine | $5,453 |
| Maryland | $5,839 |
| Massachusetts | $4,494 |
| Michigan | $4,342 |
| Minnesota | $5,274 |
| Mississippi | $5,658 |
| Missouri | $4,966 |
| Montana | $4,024 |
| Nebraska | $5,721 |
| Nevada | $4,938 |
| New Hampshire | $4,868 |
| New Jersey | $4,661 |
| New Mexico | $5,934 |
| New York | $6,177 |
| North Carolina | $5,452 |
| North Dakota | $4,118 |
| Ohio | $4,044 |
| Oklahoma | $4,606 |
| Oregon | $5,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $3,800 |
| Rhode Islandhighest | $6,516 |
| South Carolina | $6,084 |
| South Dakota | $5,996 |
| Tennessee | $5,409 |
| Texas | $3,967 |
| Utahlowest | $3,668 |
| Vermont | $5,076 |
| Virginia | $4,837 |
| Washington | $5,412 |
| West Virginia | $4,259 |
| Wisconsin | $5,655 |
| Wyoming | $5,722 |
Source: Synchrony / CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study (October 2023). A city quote can sit well above or below its state average.
See practices in your state
A local quote replaces the state average. Most AAO member offices offer a free or low-cost consultation.
Do you pay for Invisalign all at once or monthly?
Most offices no longer require the full fee before the first trays. The AAO reports that in-house plans take a down payment, then spread the balance over 12–24 months, often without interest. Align states that some doctors offer low-to-no money down and that FSA or HSA funds can pay eligible fees.
Monthly amounts follow the remaining balance and the term, not a national Invisalign rate. Align's hypotheticals show $58 to $233 a month only because those three cases had different leftovers and different terms.
More specific cost guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Align Technology does not publish a national Invisalign fee. The treating office sets the price from case complexity and how many aligners the plan needs. CareCredit's 2023 Synchrony study of clear aligners, the category Invisalign sits in, reports a U.S. average of $5,108 and a range of $1,800–$8,100. Align's own labeled hypotheticals show doctor fees of $5,490, $5,600, and $7,000.
Without a benefit, the patient pays the office fee. The Synchrony clear-aligner average is $5,108. State averages in the same study run from $3,668 in Utah to $6,516 in Rhode Island. The low end of the published range ($1,800) is typically a limited or direct-to-consumer case, not a comprehensive Invisalign plan.
FAIR Health reports that plans with orthodontic benefits often pay about 50% of the charge, up to a lifetime maximum. Among 112,243 insured U.S. patients verified by OrthoFi in 2021, the mean orthodontic benefit was $1,772. On the $5,108 clear-aligner average, that leaves the patient paying $3,336. AAO states that plans which cover orthodontics usually treat braces and aligners the same.
It sits just under the $5,108 Synchrony clear-aligner average. Whether it is a fair Invisalign quote depends on the Align package (Express, Lite, Moderate, or Comprehensive), what the fee includes, and how long active treatment lasts. Ask the office which package it is ordering and whether retainers and refinement trays are inside the fee.
The lowest published Synchrony state average for clear aligners is $3,668 in Utah. Align's Express package is the smallest lab order, at up to 7 aligners, and is meant for relapse or minor movement. A cheap quote that uses a limited package on a complex bite is not a bargain. Direct-to-consumer trays are a different product and live on the clear-aligners cost page.
Most offices no longer require the full fee before the first trays. The AAO reports that in-house plans take a down payment, then spread the balance over 12–24 months, often without interest. Align states that some doctors offer low-to-no money down. Monthly amounts follow the remaining balance and the term, not a national Invisalign rate.
Align says the two are comparable in most cases. Synchrony's 2023 tables put clear aligners at $5,108 on average and metal braces at $6,343. Those are different appliance categories from different rows of the same study, not a promise that Invisalign will undercut braces in a given office. Insurance that covers orthodontics usually pays the same lifetime maximum for either appliance.
Sources
National Orthodontic Registry does not sell treatment and does not set fees. This page restates published figures so a quote can be read against a documented baseline.
- 1.Synchrony / CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study (October 2023) ASQ360° Market Research cost tables for Synchrony CareCredit, published March 28, 2025 on CareCredit's clear-aligner page. National average $5,108. Range $1,800–$8,100. State table covers the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The study measures clear aligners as a category. Invisalign is the largest brand in that category. Align Technology does not publish a separate Invisalign-only national average.
- 2.Align Technology, Average Cost of Invisalign Aligners Align does not publish a national Invisalign fee. It states that the treating doctor sets the fee from case complexity and aligner count, and that the cost is comparable to braces in most cases. Three labeled hypothetical patient examples show doctor fees of $5,490, $5,600, and $7,000. Patients were compensated. Pricing is independently determined by the doctor.
- 3.Align Technology, Insurance and payment options Many dental plans cover Invisalign the same way they cover braces. OrthoFi 2021 verification data (N = 112,243): mean benefit $1,772; 92% qualified for up to $3,000; 77% qualified for up to $2,000. Data on file at Align as of January 19, 2023.
- 4.Align Technology, Comparing the Cost of Invisalign Treatment vs Braces July 2024. Restates that Invisalign cost is comparable to braces. Cites Healthline for a $3,000–$7,500 braces range without insurance. Wear time 20–22 hours a day.
- 5.Align Technology, Invisalign Product Portfolio Doctor-facing package definitions. Express Package: up to 7 aligners. Lite: up to 14. Moderate: up to 20. Comprehensive: unlimited aligners, unlimited additional sets for 5 years. Express 5: up to 5 aligners. Invisalign First Comprehensive: growing patients, unlimited aligners. These are lab packages sold to offices. They are not patient price lists.
- 6.American Association of Orthodontists, Clear Aligners Each tray is typically worn 1 week, at least 22 hours a day. Plans with orthodontic coverage usually cover braces and clear aligners equally. The treating orthodontist sets the fee after an exam. Aligners are not appropriate for every bite.
- 7.American Association of Orthodontists, Payment Plans in Orthodontics Most in-house plans require a down payment, then monthly payments for 12–24 months, often without interest.
- 8.FAIR Health, Paying for Orthodontics Orthodontics is usually a separate class of benefit: about 50% of the allowed charge, up to a lifetime dollar maximum that does not reset each year. Coverage is commonly limited to dependents under 19.