Softwr

Dental · head to head

Dentally vs Open Dental

Dentally logo

Dentally

Dental

Cloud Dental Practice Management

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 Dentally has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Dentally pricing is per site and scales with the number of surgeries: Starter is £125 a month at 3 surgeries but £575 a month at 9; 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: Dentally covers Cloud scheduling, Open Dental covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Dentally and Open Dental differ
AttributeDentallyOpen Dental
Starting priceFree$169/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, Web, Api
CategoryDentalHealthcare
Founded20152003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Dentally

  • Cloud scheduling
  • Digital charting
  • Patient portal
  • SMS/Email reminders
  • Imaging support
  • Mobile app
  • DEXIS
  • Dolphin

Only in Open Dental

  • Patient scheduling
  • Clinical charting
  • Insurance claim processing
  • Digital imaging integration
  • Reporting and analytics
  • eServices integration
  • Dexis
  • Planmeca

Both cover

  • Patient communication
  • Treatment planning
  • Carestream
  • HIPAA Compliant

What people use each for

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

Dentally

  • Cloud dental practice management for UK NHS and private practicesnot Open Dental
  • Appointment scheduling, charting and patient records across multiple sitesnot Open Dental
  • Producing clinical notes with AI transcription during appointmentsnot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dentally

  • Pricing is per site and scales with the number of surgeries: Starter is £125 a month at 3 surgeries but £575 a month at 9
  • Phone support is not included on the Starter plan, which is chat only
  • Multi site operation and a customer success manager require the Essentials plan or higher
  • AI clinical note transcription is metered at 45 per surgery per month on Essentials and 90 on Pro
  • Digital imaging through Dentally Vision, custom integrations and custom email domains are Pro only
  • Starter and Essentials are restricted to approved partner integrations

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

Dentally

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Scheduling
    • Charting
    • Patient portal
  • Professional$149/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Insurance management

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 Dentally if

  • You need cloud scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital charting.
Dentally 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 Dentally or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Dentally 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, Dentally or Open Dental?
Dentally has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Dentally and $169/month for Open Dental.
Does Dentally or Open Dental run on more platforms?
Dentally runs on Web, Ios, Android. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
Can I use Dentally for free?
Yes. Dentally has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Open Dental starts at $169/month.
What is Dentally best used for?
Dentally is most often used for cloud dental practice management for uk nhs and private practices, appointment scheduling, charting and patient records across multiple sites, producing clinical notes with ai transcription during appointments. Of those, cloud dental practice management for uk nhs and private practices and appointment scheduling, charting and patient records across multiple sites are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Dentally do that Open Dental cannot?
Dentally covers Cloud scheduling, Digital charting, Patient portal, SMS/Email reminders. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Digital imaging integration. Both handle Patient communication, Treatment planning, Carestream, HIPAA Compliant.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dentally: How much does Dentally cost?

Dentally pricing depends on the number of surgeries and tier selected. For one surgery: Starter is £125/month, Essentials is £220/month, and Pro is £320/month. Pricing increases for additional surgeries. All prices exclude VAT.

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
Dentally: Are there limits on the number of users per tier?

All Dentally tiers include unlimited maximum users, so you can add as many users as needed without additional per-user charges.

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
Dentally: What's included in the Essentials tier?

Essentials includes multi-site capability, 45 clinical note transcriptions per surgery per month, Dentally Portal access, chat and phone support, and a customer success manager. It also includes everything in Starter.

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

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

Source
Dentally: What is the difference between clinical note quotas in Dentally tiers?

Starter includes limited trial AI clinical notes, Essentials includes 45 transcriptions per surgery per month, and Pro includes 90 transcriptions per surgery per month. Clinical notes are not available in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Dentally

More on Open Dental

Keep looking

Other head to heads