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Dental · head to head

CareStack vs Nookal

CareStack logo

CareStack

Dental

All-in-One Cloud Dental Software

From
$829/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nookal logo

Nookal

Healthcare

Australian allied health practice management priced per practitioner with usage charges on top

From
49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CareStack essentials plan starting price $829/month is per location, not per user; Nookal the features most multi-practitioner clinics need, including advanced reporting, custom forms and automated recalls, are held back to the Professional tier, so the AUD 49 entry price is not a realistic budget for anything beyond a solo practice.
  • They diverge on capability: CareStack covers Cloud-based platform, Nookal covers Per practitioner pricing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CareStack and Nookal actually diverge.

Attributes where CareStack and Nookal differ
AttributeCareStackNookal
Starting price$829/month49/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
CategoryDentalHealthcare
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 CareStack

  • Cloud-based platform
  • Patient scheduling
  • Clinical charting
  • Revenue cycle management
  • Patient communication
  • Insurance verification
  • Business intelligence
  • DEXIS

Only in Nookal

  • Per practitioner pricing
  • Clinical notes
  • Automated recalls
  • KPI dashboards
  • Claiming
  • Patient portal
  • AI and voice

Both cover

  • Online booking

What people use each for

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

CareStack

  • Dental practice management and patient schedulingnot Nookal
  • Multi-specialty charting and digital imagingnot Nookal
  • Insurance eligibility verification and claims managementnot Nookal
  • AI-powered clinical notes and diagnosis assistancenot Nookal

Nookal

  • A three to ten practitioner physiotherapy clinic in Australia that wants Medicare claiming and published pricing rather than a quote processnot CareStack
  • A New Zealand practice that needs ACC claim submission integrated with its clinical notes and billingnot CareStack
  • A chiropractic group opening a second location that wants shared patient records and one reporting view across sitesnot CareStack
  • A UK or Irish allied health clinic that wants an Australian-style clinical workflow with GBP or EUR billingnot 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

Nookal

  • The features most multi-practitioner clinics need, including advanced reporting, custom forms and automated recalls, are held back to the Professional tier, so the AUD 49 entry price is not a realistic budget for anything beyond a solo practice.
  • Add-ons stack quickly: AI and voice at about USD 25 per active licence, the patient portal from USD 10 per location and secure messaging from USD 1.50 per user can push a seat close to double its list price.
  • Pricing is not a simple currency conversion, with the USD Essentials tier at 65 and Professional at 89 against AUD 49 and 59, so overseas clinics pay a meaningful premium for the same software.
  • Messaging and claiming are metered per SMS and per claim, so a clinic that leans on reminders to control no-shows finds a variable line item that grows with appointment volume and is easy to underestimate at purchase.
  • Single sign-on is quoted rather than listed and sits with the Enterprise tier, which puts basic identity governance out of reach for mid-sized groups that would otherwise stay on Professional.

Pricing, plan by plan

CareStack

$829/month
  • Essentials$829/month
    • Scheduling, charting, imaging
    • Patient portal
    • Insurance management
  • Intelligence$1299/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • AI-powered clinical notes
    • Voice perio charting

Nookal

49/month
  • Essentials$49/month
    • Per practitioner per month
    • Appointments, patient records and invoicing
    • Online booking
  • Professional$59/month
    • Per practitioner per month
    • Advanced reporting and KPI dashboards
    • Custom forms
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Multi-account management
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose CareStack if

  • You need cloud-based platform.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want patient scheduling.
CareStack review

Choose Nookal if

  • You need per practitioner pricing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want clinical notes.
Nookal review

Questions people ask

Is CareStack or Nookal better?
Neither clearly leads. CareStack starts at $829/month and Nookal at 49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CareStack or Nookal?
CareStack starts at $829/month and Nookal at 49/month.
Does CareStack or Nookal run on more platforms?
CareStack runs on Web, Ios, Android. Nookal runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Nookal is typically brought in for.
What can CareStack do that Nookal cannot?
CareStack covers Cloud-based platform, Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Revenue cycle management. Nookal covers Per practitioner pricing, Clinical notes, Automated recalls, KPI dashboards. Both handle Online booking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CareStack: How much does CareStack cost?

CareStack starts at $829 per month for the Essentials plan and $1,299 per month for the Intelligence plan. Pricing is customized based on the number of locations, chairs, and providers. Custom plans are available and implementation fees may apply.

Source
Nookal: How much does Nookal cost per practitioner?

Essentials is AUD 49 per practitioner per month and Professional is AUD 59, with published equivalents of GBP 29 and 39, EUR 65 and 89, and USD 65 and 89. Enterprise is quoted.

CareStack: What is included in each CareStack plan?

The Essentials plan ($829/month) includes scheduling, charting, imaging, patient portal, and insurance management. The Intelligence plan ($1,299/month) adds AI-powered clinical notes, voice perio charting, X-ray analysis, and clinical diagnosis features.

Source
Nookal: What is not included in the subscription?

SMS from about 7 cents per message, Medicare claims from about 10 cents, ACC claims at about 12 cents, the patient portal, secure messaging, AI and voice, and single sign-on are all charged separately.

CareStack: Are there additional fees for CareStack add-ons?

Yes, CareStack offers optional add-ons including VoiceStack (AI phone system), CareRevenue (RCM services), and ACE DSN (dental procurement) that can be added to either plan at additional cost. No other additional charges apply beyond the monthly subscription.

Source
Nookal: Is there a contract?

No lock-in contract, and the free trial does not require a credit card.

Nookal: Which countries does the claiming work in?

Medicare claiming is Australian and ACC claiming is New Zealand. Elsewhere the software works but you invoice and reconcile manually.

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