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Healthcare · head to head

Dentrix vs Shepherd

Dentrix logo

Dentrix

Healthcare

The Most Trusted Name in Dental Practice Management

From
$299/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shepherd logo

Shepherd

Veterinary

Cloud veterinary practice management built by a practising vet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dentrix the Dentrix product page publishes no price and no licence term, and directs buyers to request a demo or contact the vendor; Shepherd quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • They diverge on capability: Dentrix covers Patient scheduling, Shepherd covers Consultation-first records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dentrix and Shepherd actually diverge.

Attributes where Dentrix and Shepherd differ
AttributeDentrixShepherd
Starting price$299/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWeb, Cloud
CategoryHealthcareVeterinary
Founded1989Unknown

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 Dentrix

  • Patient scheduling
  • Electronic health records
  • Treatment planning
  • Insurance claim processing
  • Clinical charting
  • Imaging integration
  • Patient communication
  • Revenue cycle management

Only in Shepherd

  • Consultation-first records
  • Charges from treatment
  • Inventory
  • Cloud-based

What people use each for

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

Dentrix

  • Practice management, charting and scheduling for dental officesnot Shepherd
  • Dental insurance claims, treatment planning and patient billingnot Shepherd
  • Managing imaging alongside clinical records in one systemnot Shepherd

Shepherd

  • Practices losing revenue to treatment delivered but never billednot Dentrix
  • Clinics replacing on-premise legacy systemsnot Dentrix
  • Independent practices wanting something designed around clinical work rather than administrationnot Dentrix

Where each one falls short

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

Dentrix

  • The Dentrix product page publishes no price and no licence term, and directs buyers to request a demo or contact the vendor
  • Automatic software updates, in product chat support and priority access to specialists come through the paid Connected Care Essentials plan rather than the base software
  • Dentrix is sold as customisable packages and suites rather than one product, so what a practice gets depends on which suite it buys
  • Henry Schein One sells two separate practice management systems side by side, Dentrix and Dentrix Ascend, so buyers must choose between them rather than moving between editions

Shepherd

  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • A smaller vendor than the established systems, with a correspondingly shorter track record
  • Cloud-only, so consultations depend on clinic connectivity

Pricing, plan by plan

Dentrix

$299/month
  • Dentrix G7$299/month
    • Patient scheduling
    • Treatment planning
    • Insurance management
  • Dentrix Enterprise$499/month
    • Multi-location support
    • Centralized management
    • Advanced analytics
  • Dentrix Ascend$399/month
    • Cloud-based platform
    • Automatic updates
    • Remote access

Shepherd

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Shepherd review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Dentrix if

  • You need patient scheduling.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Api.
  • You also want electronic health records.
Dentrix review

Choose Shepherd if

  • You need consultation-first records.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want charges from treatment.
Shepherd review

Questions people ask

Is Dentrix or Shepherd better?
Neither clearly leads. Dentrix starts at $299/month and Shepherd at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dentrix or Shepherd?
Dentrix starts at $299/month and Shepherd at On request.
Does Dentrix or Shepherd run on more platforms?
Dentrix runs on Windows, Web, Api. Shepherd runs on Web, Cloud.
What is Dentrix best used for?
Dentrix is most often used for practice management, charting and scheduling for dental offices, dental insurance claims, treatment planning and patient billing, managing imaging alongside clinical records in one system. Of those, practice management, charting and scheduling for dental offices and dental insurance claims, treatment planning and patient billing are not what Shepherd is typically brought in for.
What can Dentrix do that Shepherd cannot?
Dentrix covers Patient scheduling, Electronic health records, Treatment planning, Insurance claim processing. Shepherd covers Consultation-first records, Charges from treatment, Inventory, Cloud-based.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dentrix: Does Dentrix publish pricing online?

No, Dentrix does not disclose specific pricing, subscription tiers, costs, or licensing fees on their website.

Source
Shepherd: What does Shepherd cost?

Pricing is quoted per practice and not published.

Dentrix: How can I get a Dentrix pricing quote?

Contact Dentrix's sales team via the 'Request a Demo' or 'Request Info' options on their website, call 800-336-8749, or visit their support contact page.

Source
Shepherd: What makes it different from other veterinary systems?

It was designed by a practising vet around the consultation workflow, so charges accrue from recorded treatment rather than being entered as a separate billing step.

Dentrix: Does Dentrix offer customizable packages?

Yes, Dentrix mentions 'Dentrix Packages & Suites' as customizable options, but specific details and pricing for each package are not provided online.

Source
Shepherd: Is it cloud-only?

Yes, which removes server maintenance and makes connectivity a dependency.

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