Dental · head to head
CareStack vs Apteryx
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CareStack essentials plan starting price $829/month is per location, not per user; Apteryx apteryx is now sold as the cloud imaging product inside the Planet DDS portfolio rather than as a standalone vendor
- They diverge on capability: CareStack covers Cloud-based platform, Apteryx covers Digital imaging.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CareStack and Apteryx actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Dental).
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 CareStack
- Cloud-based platform
- Patient scheduling
- Clinical charting
- Revenue cycle management
- Patient communication
- Online booking
- Insurance verification
- Business intelligence
Only in Apteryx
- Digital imaging
- Cloud storage
- Practice management
- Patient charting
- Treatment planning
- Patient portal
- Messaging tools
- Business analytics
Both cover
- DEXIS
- Carestream
- HIPAA Compliant
- SOC 2 Type II
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CareStack
- Dental practice management and patient schedulingnot Apteryx
- Multi-specialty charting and digital imagingnot Apteryx
- Insurance eligibility verification and claims managementnot Apteryx
- AI-powered clinical notes and diagnosis assistancenot Apteryx
Apteryx
- Cloud based storage and viewing of 2D and 3D dental imagesnot CareStack
- Connecting sensors and imaging hardware from different manufacturers to one viewernot CareStack
- Sharing radiographs between dental locations and with specialistsnot CareStack
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CareStack
- Essentials plan starting price $829/month is per location, not per user
- Intelligence plan adds $470/month minimum to base Essentials cost
- Pricing based on number of locations, chairs, and providers (not per-user)
- Core charting and imaging capabilities limited to base Essentials plan
- AI-powered clinical features require Intelligence plan upgrade
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
Pricing, plan by plan
CareStack
$829/month per locationNo published plan breakdown. See the CareStack review.
Apteryx
$299/month- Imaging$299/month
- Digital imaging
- Image storage
- Basic charting
- Complete$449/month
- Advanced imaging
- Full practice management
- Treatment planning
Which should you pick?
Choose CareStack if
- You need cloud-based platform.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want patient scheduling.
Choose Apteryx if
- You need digital imaging.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want cloud storage.
Questions people ask
- Is CareStack or Apteryx better?
- Neither clearly leads. CareStack starts at $829/month per location and Apteryx at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CareStack or Apteryx?
- CareStack starts at $829/month per location and Apteryx at $299/month.
- Does CareStack or Apteryx run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is CareStack best used for?
- CareStack is most often used for dental practice management and patient scheduling, multi-specialty charting and digital imaging, insurance eligibility verification and claims management, ai-powered clinical notes and diagnosis assistance. Of those, dental practice management and patient scheduling and multi-specialty charting and digital imaging are not what Apteryx is typically brought in for.
- What can CareStack do that Apteryx cannot?
- CareStack covers Cloud-based platform, Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Revenue cycle management. Apteryx covers Digital imaging, Cloud storage, Practice management, Patient charting. Both handle DEXIS, Carestream, HIPAA Compliant, SOC 2 Type II.