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Veterinary · head to head

Covetrus Pulse vs Open Dental

Covetrus Pulse logo

Covetrus Pulse

Veterinary

Veterinary operating system with pharmacy and client engagement

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

  • Each has a real cost: Covetrus Pulse ties clinical software to a supply and pharmacy relationship, which is a commercial dependency worth deciding on deliberately; 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: Covetrus Pulse covers Practice management, Open Dental covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Covetrus Pulse and Open Dental actually diverge.

Attributes where Covetrus Pulse and Open Dental differ
AttributeCovetrus PulseOpen Dental
Starting priceOn request$169/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, Api
CategoryVeterinaryHealthcare
FoundedUnknown2003

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Covetrus Pulse

  • Practice management
  • Integrated prescription management
  • Client engagement
  • Analytics

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.

Covetrus Pulse

  • Practices dispensing heavily that want prescriptions filled without leaving the systemnot Open Dental
  • Groups wanting one platform across clinical, client and pharmacynot Open Dental
  • Clinics moving off legacy on-premise systems such as AVImarknot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

Covetrus Pulse

  • Ties clinical software to a supply and pharmacy relationship, which is a commercial dependency worth deciding on deliberately
  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • Covetrus also owns older systems, and roadmap attention across a portfolio is a fair question
  • Cloud-only, so consultations depend on clinic connectivity

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

Covetrus Pulse

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Covetrus Pulse 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 Covetrus Pulse if

  • You need practice management.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want integrated prescription management.
Covetrus Pulse 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 Covetrus Pulse or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Covetrus Pulse 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, Covetrus Pulse or Open Dental?
Covetrus Pulse starts at On request and Open Dental at $169/month.
Does Covetrus Pulse or Open Dental run on more platforms?
Covetrus Pulse runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
What is Covetrus Pulse best used for?
Covetrus Pulse is most often used for practices dispensing heavily that want prescriptions filled without leaving the system, groups wanting one platform across clinical, client and pharmacy, clinics moving off legacy on-premise systems such as avimark. Of those, practices dispensing heavily that want prescriptions filled without leaving the system and groups wanting one platform across clinical, client and pharmacy are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Covetrus Pulse do that Open Dental cannot?
Covetrus Pulse covers Practice management, Integrated prescription management, Client engagement, Analytics. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Covetrus Pulse: What does Covetrus Pulse cost?

Pricing is quoted per practice and not published.

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
Covetrus Pulse: What makes it different?

Covetrus is an animal-health distributor and pharmacy, so prescription fulfilment and home delivery sit inside the same company rather than behind an integration.

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
Covetrus Pulse: Is the supply relationship a concern?

It is worth deciding deliberately. The convenience is real, and so is tying your clinical system to a distributor you also buy from.

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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