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Healthcare · head to head

Calm vs Open Dental

Calm logo

Calm

Healthcare

Sleep, meditation and relaxation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Calm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Calm free tier is severely limited, with almost all content requiring payment; 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: Calm covers Sleep Stories, Open Dental covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Calm and Open Dental differ
AttributeCalmOpen Dental
Starting priceFree$169/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWindows, Web, Api
Founded20122003

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 Calm

  • Sleep Stories
  • Guided meditations
  • Daily Calm
  • Breathing exercises
  • Calm Body stretching
  • Apple Health
  • Apple Watch
  • Samsung Health

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.

Calm

  • Workout trackingnot Open Dental
  • Nutrition managementnot Open Dental
  • Health monitoringnot Open Dental
  • Fitness coachingnot Open Dental
  • Wellness improvementnot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

Calm

  • Free tier is severely limited, with almost all content requiring payment
  • Only one meditation per day included in free tier (Daily Calm)
  • Annual pricing is among the highest in the meditation app category
  • Less extensive free content library compared to Insight Timer (which has 100,000+ free meditations)
  • Limited customization of meditation sessions; mostly follows Calm's curated content

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

Calm

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Daily Calm
    • Select Sleep Stories
    • 1 breathing exercise
  • Premium Monthly$12.99/month
    • All content unlocked
    • Sleep Stories
    • Masterclasses
  • Premium Annual$69.99/year
    • All content unlocked
    • Sleep Stories
    • Masterclasses
  • Family Plan$99.99/year
    • Up to 6 accounts
    • All Premium content
    • Separate customization per member

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 Calm if

  • You need sleep stories.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want guided meditations.
Calm 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 Calm or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Calm starts at Free and Open Dental at $169/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Calm or Open Dental?
Calm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Calm and $169/month for Open Dental.
Does Calm or Open Dental run on more platforms?
Calm runs on iOS, Android, Web. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
Can I use Calm for free?
Yes. Calm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Open Dental starts at $169/month.
What is Calm best used for?
Calm is most often used for workout tracking, nutrition management, health monitoring, fitness coaching. Of those, workout tracking and nutrition management are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Calm do that Open Dental cannot?
Calm covers Sleep Stories, Guided meditations, Daily Calm, Breathing exercises. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Calm: What does Calm's free tier include?

The free plan includes 1 breathing exercise, Day 1 of programs, select Sleep Stories, and Scenes, plus the famous Daily Calm feature and bedtime stories. Most content is locked behind the paid tier.

Source
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
Calm: What is included in Calm Premium?

Calm Premium (all paid tiers are identical) includes The Daily Calm, Sleep Stories narrated by celebrities, exclusive music playlists, masterclasses taught by experts, Daily Move video lessons for stretching and mindful movement, and the entire content library.

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
Calm: How much does Calm Premium cost?

Monthly subscription is $12.99/month, annual is $69.99-$79.99/year, Family Plan is $99.99/year (includes 1 Admin + 5 Members), and lifetime membership is available as a one-time payment.

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

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

Source
Calm: Does Calm offer pricing for organizations or teams?

Yes. Calm offers organizational plans for groups of 5-300 people with per-seat pricing based on total 'covered lives.' Larger groups receive deeper discounts. Pricing is significantly reduced compared to individual subscriptions.

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
Calm: Does Calm work offline?

Calm's app functions offline for already-downloaded content. Downloaded Sleep Stories, meditations, and Music programs can be accessed without an internet connection.

Source
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