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Dental · head to head

MaxiDent vs Open Dental

M

MaxiDent

Dental

Complete dental practice solution for Canadian practices

From
$50/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  • Each has a real cost: MaxiDent outdated user interface design compared to newer dental software competitors; Open Dental uS support is $199 per month per location on an initial 12 month contract,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: MaxiDent covers Canadian insurance integration, Open Dental covers Clinical charting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where MaxiDent and Open Dental differ
AttributeMaxiDentOpen Dental
Starting price$50/month$169/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsCloud, On-Premises, Windows, macOSWindows, Web, Api
CategoryDentalHealthcare
Founded19882003

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 MaxiDent

  • Canadian insurance integration
  • Provincial fee guides
  • Bilingual support
  • Canadian insurance carriers
  • Dental labs
  • Imaging systems
  • PIPEDA Compliant
  • Encrypted Data

Only in Open Dental

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

Both cover

  • Patient scheduling
  • Treatment planning
  • On-premise deployment

What people use each for

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

MaxiDent

  • Canadian dental practicesnot Open Dental
  • Insurance processingnot Open Dental
  • Multi-location managementnot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

MaxiDent

  • Outdated user interface design compared to newer dental software competitors
  • Digital charting and X-ray imaging require separate one-time setup fees beyond base software cost
  • Limited mobile accessibility for staff working offsite or in remote locations
  • No open API or third-party integration platform connections available

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

MaxiDent

$50/month
  • Basic$50/month
    • Single user
    • Patient management
    • Scheduling
  • Standard$40/month
    • Multiple users (up to 10)
    • Advanced charting
    • Digital imaging

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 MaxiDent if

  • You need canadian insurance integration.
  • You work on Cloud, On-Premises, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want provincial fee guides.
MaxiDent review

Choose Open Dental if

  • You need clinical charting.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Api.
  • You also want insurance claim processing.
Open Dental review

Questions people ask

Is MaxiDent or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. MaxiDent starts at $50/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, MaxiDent or Open Dental?
MaxiDent starts at $50/month and Open Dental at $169/month.
Does MaxiDent or Open Dental run on more platforms?
MaxiDent runs on Cloud, On-Premises, Windows, macOS. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
What is MaxiDent best used for?
MaxiDent is most often used for canadian dental practices, insurance processing, multi-location management. Of those, canadian dental practices and insurance processing are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can MaxiDent do that Open Dental cannot?
MaxiDent covers Canadian insurance integration, Provincial fee guides, Bilingual support, Canadian insurance carriers. Open Dental covers Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Digital imaging integration, Patient communication. Both handle Patient scheduling, Treatment planning, On-premise deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MaxiDent: What deployment options does MaxiDent offer?

MaxiDent is available in both cloud-based and on-premises deployment options, allowing practices to choose based on their infrastructure and data security needs.

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
MaxiDent: Does MaxiDent include voice charting?

Yes, MaxiDent's MaxiChart electronic dental charting is customizable with different templates and compatible with hands-free voice dictation devices.

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
MaxiDent: Does MaxiDent support insurance billing?

Yes, MaxiDent includes Canadian insurance forms and billing natively built-in, with customizable appointment scheduling for multi-provider clinics.

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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