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Veterinary · head to head

Animana vs Open Dental

Animana logo

Animana

Veterinary

Browser-based practice management for European small-animal clinics, owned by IDEXX

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Animana it runs only in a browser, so a broadband outage stops consulting, invoicing and dispensing at the same time, and there is no offline mode to fall back on.; Open Dental uS support is $199 per month per location on an initial 12 month contract, dropping to $149 per month only after that year
  • They diverge on capability: Animana covers Cloud clinical records, Open Dental covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Animana and Open Dental actually diverge.

Attributes where Animana and Open Dental differ
AttributeAnimanaOpen Dental
Starting priceOn request$169/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWindows, Web, Api
CategoryVeterinaryHealthcare
FoundedUnknown2003

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Animana

  • Cloud clinical records
  • IDEXX diagnostics integration
  • Multi-country financials
  • Inventory and dispensing
  • Multi-location support
  • Reporting

Only in Open Dental

  • Patient scheduling
  • Clinical charting
  • Insurance claim processing
  • Treatment planning
  • Digital imaging integration
  • Patient communication
  • Reporting and analytics
  • eServices integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Animana

  • A Dutch or Belgian clinic replacing an ageing on-premise system without buying a new servernot Open Dental
  • A multi-country European group that needs one system handling several VAT regimesnot Open Dental
  • A practice already committed to IDEXX analysers and reference laboratory servicesnot Open Dental
  • A clinic wanting staff to work from home or a second site without remote desktop softwarenot Open Dental

Open Dental

  • Practice management, charting and scheduling for dental officesnot Animana
  • Dental insurance claims, billing and treatment planningnot Animana
  • Running an open source dental system with direct database accessnot Animana

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Animana

  • It runs only in a browser, so a broadband outage stops consulting, invoicing and dispensing at the same time, and there is no offline mode to fall back on.
  • The diagnostics integration is deepest with IDEXX equipment, so a practice that later switches laboratory supplier keeps software built around the supplier it left and loses the smoothest part of the workflow.
  • It is not sold in North America, where IDEXX offers a different cloud product, so a group with clinics on both continents runs two systems and consolidates reporting manually.
  • Reporting is functional rather than deep, and practices wanting detailed business analysis typically export to a spreadsheet or a separate tool.
  • Imaging is handled through integrations rather than natively, so radiography and ultrasound workflows depend on which PACS the practice already owns and how well it connects.

Open Dental

  • US support is $199 per month per location on an initial 12 month contract, dropping to $149 per month only after that year
  • The monthly fee covers up to 3 providers per location; each additional provider is $20 per month
  • Fees are charged per location, so a multi site practice pays for every office
  • eServices are charged separately per location, including eClipboard at $45 a month, ODMobile at $35 a month and eConfirmations at $25 a month
  • Electronic prescribing through DoseSpot costs $57 per month per prescribing provider
  • Conversion and implementation fees are not published and require consultation

Pricing, plan by plan

Animana

On request
  • Animana$undefined/year
    • Per-user subscription
    • Implementation and data migration quoted separately
    • Support included

Open Dental

$169/month
  • Standard$169/month
    • Full software access
    • Unlimited workstations
    • Technical support
  • Cloud$249/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Cloud hosting
    • Automatic backups

Which should you pick?

Choose Animana if

  • You need cloud clinical records.
  • You also want idexx diagnostics integration.
Animana review

Choose Open Dental if

  • You need patient scheduling.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Api.
  • You also want clinical charting.
Open Dental review

Questions people ask

Is Animana or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Animana starts at On request and Open Dental at $169/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Animana or Open Dental?
Animana starts at On request and Open Dental at $169/month.
Does Animana or Open Dental run on more platforms?
Animana runs on Web. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
What is Animana best used for?
Animana is most often used for a dutch or belgian clinic replacing an ageing on-premise system without buying a new server, a multi-country european group that needs one system handling several vat regimes, a practice already committed to idexx analysers and reference laboratory services, a clinic wanting staff to work from home or a second site without remote desktop software. Of those, a dutch or belgian clinic replacing an ageing on-premise system without buying a new server and a multi-country european group that needs one system handling several vat regimes are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Animana do that Open Dental cannot?
Animana covers Cloud clinical records, IDEXX diagnostics integration, Multi-country financials, Inventory and dispensing. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Animana: Can I use Animana with non-IDEXX laboratory equipment?

Yes, but the integration is shallower. IDEXX analysers and reference lab results flow in automatically; other suppliers usually need a separate integration and sometimes manual result entry.

Open Dental: How much does Open Dental cost?

Open Dental costs $199/month per location or office with a 12-month contract minimum. After the initial 12-month term, pricing continues on a month-to-month basis at a reduced rate.

Source
Animana: Is Animana available in the United States?

No. IDEXX sells a different cloud practice management system in North America, so Animana is a European purchase only.

Open Dental: What does the $199/month fee include?

The monthly fee includes software access, full telephone support, all software releases, imaging and video capture, patient portal and web forms, and automated reminder features for up to 3 dentists per location.

Source
Animana: Do I need a server in the practice?

No. Everything runs in the browser. You need reliable internet and enough bandwidth for imaging, not local server hardware.

Open Dental: Does Open Dental offer a money-back guarantee?

Open Dental includes a 90-day money-back guarantee on subscription fees.

Source
Open Dental: What additional costs are there?

Data conversions from other dental software systems incur additional fees. Customized training with an Open Dental trainer is also available at extra cost.

Source
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