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Healthcare · head to head

Cerner PowerWorks vs Open Dental

Cerner PowerWorks logo

Cerner PowerWorks

Healthcare

Revenue cycle management and financial solutions from Cerner

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: Cerner PowerWorks covers Medical Coding, Open Dental covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cerner PowerWorks and Open Dental actually diverge.

Attributes where Cerner PowerWorks and Open Dental differ
AttributeCerner PowerWorksOpen Dental
Starting priceOn request$169/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, DesktopWindows, Web, Api
Founded19792003

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Cerner PowerWorks

  • Medical Coding
  • Charge Capture
  • Claims Management
  • Accounts Receivable
  • Financial Analytics
  • Billing Integration
  • Clearinghouses
  • Insurance Plans

Only in Open Dental

  • Patient scheduling
  • Clinical charting
  • Insurance claim processing
  • Treatment planning
  • Digital imaging integration
  • Patient communication
  • Reporting and analytics
  • eServices integration

Both cover

  • On-premise deployment

What people use each for

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

Cerner PowerWorks

  • Patient Carenot Open Dental
  • Medical Recordsnot Open Dental
  • Practice Managementnot Open Dental
  • Telehealthnot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cerner PowerWorks

Nothing recorded yet. See the Cerner PowerWorks review.

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

Cerner PowerWorks

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cerner PowerWorks review.

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 Cerner PowerWorks if

  • You need medical coding.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want charge capture.
Cerner PowerWorks 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 Cerner PowerWorks or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Cerner PowerWorks starts at On request and Open Dental at $169/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cerner PowerWorks or Open Dental?
Cerner PowerWorks starts at On request and Open Dental at $169/month.
Does Cerner PowerWorks or Open Dental run on more platforms?
Cerner PowerWorks runs on Web, Desktop. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
What is Cerner PowerWorks best used for?
Cerner PowerWorks is most often used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth. Of those, patient care and medical records are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Cerner PowerWorks do that Open Dental cannot?
Cerner PowerWorks covers Medical Coding, Charge Capture, Claims Management, Accounts Receivable. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. Both handle On-premise deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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

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

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
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