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Dental · head to head

Lighthouse 360 vs Open Dental

Lighthouse 360 logo

Lighthouse 360

Dental

Cloud Dental Practice Management Platform

From
$399/month
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: Lighthouse 360 sold as part of the Henry Schein One line rather than standalone, and lighthouse360.com no longer resolves; 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: Lighthouse 360 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 Lighthouse 360 and Open Dental actually diverge.

Attributes where Lighthouse 360 and Open Dental differ
AttributeLighthouse 360Open Dental
Starting price$399/month$169/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, Web, Api
CategoryDentalHealthcare
Founded20092003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Lighthouse 360

  • Cloud scheduling
  • Digital charting
  • Billing system
  • Patient portal
  • Imaging integration
  • Insurance processing
  • Analytics dashboard
  • DEXIS

Only in Open Dental

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

Both cover

  • Treatment planning
  • Carestream
  • HIPAA Compliant

What people use each for

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

Lighthouse 360

  • Automated appointment reminders by text, email and phonenot Open Dental
  • Reducing no-shows in dental practicesnot Open Dental
  • Recall management for overdue patientsnot Open Dental
  • Pre-visit forms collected before the appointmentnot Open Dental
  • Review requests after a visitnot Open Dental

Open Dental

  • Practice management, charting and scheduling for dental officesnot Lighthouse 360
  • Dental insurance claims, billing and treatment planningnot Lighthouse 360
  • Running an open source dental system with direct database accessnot Lighthouse 360

Where each one falls short

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

Lighthouse 360

  • Sold as part of the Henry Schein One line rather than standalone, and lighthouse360.com no longer resolves
  • Pricing is not published and requires a demo
  • Offered in the United States, Canada and the UK only

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

Lighthouse 360

$399/month
  • Core$399/month
    • Scheduling
    • Charting
    • Billing
  • Complete$599/month
    • All core features
    • Imaging integration
    • 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 Lighthouse 360 if

  • You need cloud scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital charting.
Lighthouse 360 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 Lighthouse 360 or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Lighthouse 360 starts at $399/month and Open Dental at $169/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lighthouse 360 or Open Dental?
Lighthouse 360 starts at $399/month and Open Dental at $169/month.
Does Lighthouse 360 or Open Dental run on more platforms?
Lighthouse 360 runs on Web, Ios, Android. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
What is Lighthouse 360 best used for?
Lighthouse 360 is most often used for automated appointment reminders by text, email and phone, reducing no-shows in dental practices, recall management for overdue patients, pre-visit forms collected before the appointment. Of those, automated appointment reminders by text, email and phone and reducing no-shows in dental practices are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Lighthouse 360 do that Open Dental cannot?
Lighthouse 360 covers Cloud scheduling, Digital charting, Billing system, Patient portal. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Digital imaging integration. Both handle Treatment planning, Carestream, HIPAA Compliant.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lighthouse 360: How much does Lighthouse 360 cost?

Lighthouse 360 pricing is not published on the vendor website. Customers must request a demo or contact the sales team directly to receive a quote.

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
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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