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Healthcare · head to head

Bahmni vs Carestream Dental

Bahmni logo

Bahmni

Healthcare

Open source hospital information system and EMR for low-resource hospitals, built on OpenMRS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Carestream Dental logo

Carestream Dental

Healthcare

Integrated Imaging and Practice Management

From
$350/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bahmni has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bahmni the licence is free and the implementation is not; configuration, data migration, training and multi-year support from a partner routinely cost far more than a small commercial system would have, and hospitals that budget only for hardware stall.; Carestream Dental no pricing information published on the vendor website
  • They diverge on capability: Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Carestream Dental covers Dental imaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bahmni and Carestream Dental actually diverge.

Attributes where Bahmni and Carestream Dental differ
AttributeBahmniCarestream Dental
Starting priceFree$350/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, AndroidWindows, Web, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

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 Bahmni

  • OpenMRS clinical record
  • Configurable clinical forms
  • Laboratory integration
  • Billing and inventory
  • Imaging
  • Inpatient management
  • Offline-capable clinical app
  • Reporting

Only in Carestream Dental

  • Dental imaging
  • Scheduling
  • Clinical charting
  • Treatment planning
  • Patient portal
  • Insurance management
  • Billing integration
  • 3D imaging support

What people use each for

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

Bahmni

  • A mission or charitable hospital in India or East Africa that cannot fund a commercial hospital information system licence but needs a real EMR rather than papernot Carestream Dental
  • A ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised Digital Public Goodnot Carestream Dental
  • An NGO health network wanting one clinical record across several facilities with reporting that can feed a national DHIS2 instancenot Carestream Dental
  • A hospital that needs the clinical record, laboratory, pharmacy and billing to share one patient identity rather than running four disconnected systemsnot Carestream Dental

Carestream Dental

  • Imagingnot Bahmni
  • Practice managementnot Bahmni
  • Surgical planningnot Bahmni

Where each one falls short

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

Bahmni

  • The licence is free and the implementation is not; configuration, data migration, training and multi-year support from a partner routinely cost far more than a small commercial system would have, and hospitals that budget only for hardware stall.
  • There is no single vendor with an obligation to you unless you contract one, so upgrade timing, security patching and defect resolution depend on whichever partner you hired and how long they stay engaged.
  • It integrates four substantial open source systems, which means an upgrade touches OpenMRS, OpenELIS, Odoo and the imaging stack together, and hospitals with heavy customisation often freeze on an old version rather than risk it.
  • Skilled Bahmni implementers are concentrated in a small number of firms in India and a few African countries, so a hospital outside those markets may find nobody local who can support it.
  • Funding for the coalition and its shared engineering comes from donors and member contributions rather than licence revenue, which makes the pace of core development dependent on grant cycles rather than on customer demand.

Carestream Dental

  • No pricing information published on the vendor website

Pricing, plan by plan

Bahmni

Free
  • BahmniFree
    • AGPL open source, no licence fee
    • All modules included
    • Community support via forum and documentation

Carestream Dental

$350/month
  • Standard$350/month
    • Imaging solution
    • Basic scheduling
    • Charting
  • Complete$500/month
    • Advanced imaging
    • Full scheduling
    • Treatment planning

Which should you pick?

Choose Bahmni if

  • You need openmrs clinical record.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Android.
  • You also want configurable clinical forms.
Bahmni review

Choose Carestream Dental if

  • You need dental imaging.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want scheduling.
Carestream Dental review

Questions people ask

Is Bahmni or Carestream Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Bahmni starts at Free and Carestream Dental at $350/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bahmni or Carestream Dental?
Bahmni has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bahmni and $350/month for Carestream Dental.
Does Bahmni or Carestream Dental run on more platforms?
Bahmni runs on Web, Linux, Android. Carestream Dental runs on Windows, Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Bahmni for free?
Yes. Bahmni has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Carestream Dental starts at $350/month.
What is Bahmni best used for?
Bahmni is most often used for a mission or charitable hospital in india or east africa that cannot fund a commercial hospital information system licence but needs a real emr rather than paper, a ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised digital public good, an ngo health network wanting one clinical record across several facilities with reporting that can feed a national dhis2 instance, a hospital that needs the clinical record, laboratory, pharmacy and billing to share one patient identity rather than running four disconnected systems. Of those, a mission or charitable hospital in india or east africa that cannot fund a commercial hospital information system licence but needs a real emr rather than paper and a ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised digital public good are not what Carestream Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Bahmni do that Carestream Dental cannot?
Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Configurable clinical forms, Laboratory integration, Billing and inventory. Carestream Dental covers Dental imaging, Scheduling, Clinical charting, Treatment planning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bahmni: Is Bahmni free?

The software is, under an open source licence. Implementation, hosting, configuration, training and support are charged by whichever partner you engage.

Carestream Dental: What is Carestream's pricing model?

Carestream does not publish standard pricing for its dental imaging and medical solutions. Healthcare products from Carestream require direct contact with their sales team for custom quotes based on facility size, equipment needs, and support requirements.

Source
Bahmni: Who owns and governs Bahmni?

Thoughtworks transferred ownership in October 2017 to the Bahmni Coalition, under the fiscal sponsorship of the non-profit OpenMRS Inc. Thoughtworks remains on the governing committee.

Carestream Dental: How do I request a Carestream product demo or pricing quote?

Carestream provides contact options and a service request portal on their website. You can submit a service request or contact their sales team directly to discuss your healthcare imaging needs and receive a personalized quote.

Source
Bahmni: What does an implementation actually cost?

It varies by hospital size and country, but expect the dominant costs to be partner services, training and multi-year support rather than software or hardware. Get a fixed-scope quote covering upgrades, not just go-live.

Bahmni: Is it a recognised Digital Public Good?

Yes, Bahmni is on the Digital Public Goods Alliance register, which is increasingly a condition of donor funding for health information systems.

Bahmni: Where is it used?

More than 500 implementations across roughly 50 countries, concentrated in South Asia and Africa.

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