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Dental · head to head

Apteryx vs Open Dental

A

Apteryx

Dental

Digital Dentistry for the Modern Practice

From
$299/month
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: Apteryx apteryx is now sold as the cloud imaging product inside the Planet DDS portfolio rather than as a standalone vendor; 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: Apteryx covers Digital imaging, Open Dental covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apteryx and Open Dental differ
AttributeApteryxOpen Dental
Starting price$299/month$169/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, Web, Api
CategoryDentalHealthcare
Founded20082003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Apteryx

  • Digital imaging
  • Cloud storage
  • Practice management
  • Patient charting
  • Patient portal
  • Messaging tools
  • Business analytics
  • DEXIS

Only in Open Dental

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

Both cover

  • Treatment planning
  • Carestream
  • HIPAA Compliant

What people use each for

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

Apteryx

  • Cloud based storage and viewing of 2D and 3D dental imagesnot Open Dental
  • Connecting sensors and imaging hardware from different manufacturers to one viewernot Open Dental
  • Sharing radiographs between dental locations and with specialistsnot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

Apteryx

  • Apteryx is now sold as the cloud imaging product inside the Planet DDS portfolio rather than as a standalone vendor
  • No price is published for Apteryx cloud imaging; Planet DDS routes all pricing enquiries to sales or a demo request
  • Practice management is a separate purchase, Denticon or Cloud 9, so imaging alone does not cover charting and billing

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

Apteryx

$299/month
  • Imaging$299/month
    • Digital imaging
    • Image storage
    • Basic charting
  • Complete$449/month
    • Advanced imaging
    • Full practice management
    • Treatment planning

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 Apteryx if

  • You need digital imaging.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want cloud storage.
Apteryx 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 Apteryx or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Apteryx starts at $299/month and Open Dental at $169/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apteryx or Open Dental?
Apteryx starts at $299/month and Open Dental at $169/month.
Does Apteryx or Open Dental run on more platforms?
Apteryx runs on Web, Ios, Android. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
What is Apteryx best used for?
Apteryx is most often used for cloud based storage and viewing of 2d and 3d dental images, connecting sensors and imaging hardware from different manufacturers to one viewer, sharing radiographs between dental locations and with specialists. Of those, cloud based storage and viewing of 2d and 3d dental images and connecting sensors and imaging hardware from different manufacturers to one viewer are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Apteryx do that Open Dental cannot?
Apteryx covers Digital imaging, Cloud storage, Practice management, Patient charting. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Digital imaging integration. Both handle Treatment planning, Carestream, HIPAA Compliant.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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