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Healthcare · head to head

Bahmni vs Dentrix

Bahmni logo

Bahmni

Healthcare

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dentrix logo

Dentrix

Healthcare

The Most Trusted Name in Dental Practice Management

From
$299/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.; Dentrix the Dentrix product page publishes no price and no licence term, and directs buyers to request a demo or contact the vendor
  • They diverge on capability: Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Dentrix covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bahmni and Dentrix actually diverge.

Attributes where Bahmni and Dentrix differ
AttributeBahmniDentrix
Starting priceFree$299/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, AndroidWindows, Web, Api
FoundedUnknown1989

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 Dentrix

  • Patient scheduling
  • Electronic health records
  • Treatment planning
  • Insurance claim processing
  • Clinical charting
  • Imaging integration
  • Patient communication
  • Revenue cycle management

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 Dentrix
  • A ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised Digital Public Goodnot Dentrix
  • An NGO health network wanting one clinical record across several facilities with reporting that can feed a national DHIS2 instancenot Dentrix
  • A hospital that needs the clinical record, laboratory, pharmacy and billing to share one patient identity rather than running four disconnected systemsnot Dentrix

Dentrix

  • Practice management, charting and scheduling for dental officesnot Bahmni
  • Dental insurance claims, treatment planning and patient billingnot Bahmni
  • Managing imaging alongside clinical records in one systemnot 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.

Dentrix

  • The Dentrix product page publishes no price and no licence term, and directs buyers to request a demo or contact the vendor
  • Automatic software updates, in product chat support and priority access to specialists come through the paid Connected Care Essentials plan rather than the base software
  • Dentrix is sold as customisable packages and suites rather than one product, so what a practice gets depends on which suite it buys
  • Henry Schein One sells two separate practice management systems side by side, Dentrix and Dentrix Ascend, so buyers must choose between them rather than moving between editions

Pricing, plan by plan

Bahmni

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

Dentrix

$299/month
  • Dentrix G7$299/month
    • Patient scheduling
    • Treatment planning
    • Insurance management
  • Dentrix Enterprise$499/month
    • Multi-location support
    • Centralized management
    • Advanced analytics
  • Dentrix Ascend$399/month
    • Cloud-based platform
    • Automatic updates
    • Remote access

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 Dentrix if

  • You need patient scheduling.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Api.
  • You also want electronic health records.
Dentrix review

Questions people ask

Is Bahmni or Dentrix better?
Neither clearly leads. Bahmni starts at Free and Dentrix at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bahmni or Dentrix?
Bahmni has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bahmni and $299/month for Dentrix.
Does Bahmni or Dentrix run on more platforms?
Bahmni runs on Web, Linux, Android. Dentrix runs on Windows, Web, Api.
Can I use Bahmni for free?
Yes. Bahmni has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Dentrix starts at $299/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 Dentrix is typically brought in for.
What can Bahmni do that Dentrix cannot?
Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Configurable clinical forms, Laboratory integration, Billing and inventory. Dentrix covers Patient scheduling, Electronic health records, Treatment planning, Insurance claim processing.

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.

Dentrix: Does Dentrix publish pricing online?

No, Dentrix does not disclose specific pricing, subscription tiers, costs, or licensing fees on their website.

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.

Dentrix: How can I get a Dentrix pricing quote?

Contact Dentrix's sales team via the 'Request a Demo' or 'Request Info' options on their website, call 800-336-8749, or visit their support contact page.

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.

Dentrix: Does Dentrix offer customizable packages?

Yes, Dentrix mentions 'Dentrix Packages & Suites' as customizable options, but specific details and pricing for each package are not provided online.

Source
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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