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Healthcare · head to head

MDLive vs Open Dental

MDLive logo

MDLive

Healthcare

On-demand telehealth and virtual doctor visits

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 MDLive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MDLive wide price ranges ($0-89, $0-179, $0-299) indicate insurance-dependent costs with minimal baseline transparency; 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: MDLive covers Video Consultations, Open Dental covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where MDLive and Open Dental differ
AttributeMDLiveOpen Dental
Starting priceFree$169/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, MobileWindows, Web, Api
Founded20022003

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

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 MDLive

  • Video Consultations
  • Mental Health Services
  • Psychiatry
  • Prescription Services
  • Urgent Care
  • Insurance
  • EHR Systems
  • HIPAA

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.

MDLive

  • Telemedicine urgent care visitsnot Open Dental
  • Mental health counseling and psychiatrynot Open Dental
  • Dermatology consultationsnot Open Dental
  • Primary care wellness screeningsnot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

MDLive

  • Wide price ranges ($0-89, $0-179, $0-299) indicate insurance-dependent costs with minimal baseline transparency
  • Cancellation fees up to $50 for mental health appointments apply within 24 hours
  • Pricing varies substantially based on insurance coverage with no guaranteed maximum out-of-pocket

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

MDLive

Free
  • Urgent Care$null/visit
    • $0-89 per visit with insurance
    • Immediate care access
  • Primary CareFree
    • $0 wellness screenings for eligible insurance plans
    • Upfront pricing shown before appointment
  • Mental Health Talk Therapy$null/visit
    • $0-179 initial appointments
    • $140 follow-up sessions before insurance
  • Mental Health Psychiatry$null/visit
    • $0-299 initial appointments
    • $159 follow-up sessions before insurance

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 MDLive if

  • You need video consultations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want mental health services.
MDLive 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 MDLive or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. MDLive 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, MDLive or Open Dental?
MDLive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MDLive and $169/month for Open Dental.
Does MDLive or Open Dental run on more platforms?
MDLive runs on Web, Mobile. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
Can I use MDLive for free?
Yes. MDLive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Open Dental starts at $169/month.
What is MDLive best used for?
MDLive is most often used for telemedicine urgent care visits, mental health counseling and psychiatry, dermatology consultations, primary care wellness screenings. Of those, telemedicine urgent care visits and mental health counseling and psychiatry are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can MDLive do that Open Dental cannot?
MDLive covers Video Consultations, Mental Health Services, Psychiatry, Prescription Services. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MDLive: What is the cost of an urgent care visit through MD Live?

Urgent care visits cost $0-89 per visit depending on insurance coverage. Pricing is shown upfront before confirming appointment. Most major credit and debit cards accepted for uninsured patients.

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
MDLive: What cancellation fees apply if I need to reschedule?

Wellness visits incur $25 cancellation fee if cancelled within 24 hours. Routine care $25 if cancelled within 2 hours. Mental health $50 if cancelled within 24 hours. Medicaid and Medicare members exempt from fees.

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
MDLive: Are follow-up mental health sessions cheaper than initial appointments?

Talk therapy follow-ups are $140 before insurance (versus $0-179 for initial). Psychiatry follow-ups are $159 before insurance (versus $0-299 for initial). Insurance copays may apply on top of these base rates.

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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