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Healthcare · head to head

NextGen Healthcare vs Open Dental

NextGen Healthcare logo

NextGen Healthcare

Healthcare

Integrated EHR and practice management solutions

From
$150/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: NextGen Healthcare no pricing published on website; 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: NextGen Healthcare covers Electronic Health Records, Open Dental covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NextGen Healthcare and Open Dental actually diverge.

Attributes where NextGen Healthcare and Open Dental differ
AttributeNextGen HealthcareOpen Dental
Starting price$150/month$169/month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, Api
Founded19972003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 NextGen Healthcare

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Practice Management
  • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Telehealth
  • Analytics
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Clearinghouses

Only in Open Dental

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

Both cover

  • On-premise deployment

What people use each for

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

NextGen Healthcare

  • Cloud-based EHR and practice management for ambulatory and specialty practicesnot Open Dental
  • AI-assisted clinical documentation to reduce after-hours charting timenot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

NextGen Healthcare

  • No pricing published on website

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

NextGen Healthcare

$150/month

No published plan breakdown. See the NextGen Healthcare review.

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 NextGen Healthcare if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want practice management.
NextGen Healthcare 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 NextGen Healthcare or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. NextGen Healthcare starts at $150/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, NextGen Healthcare or Open Dental?
NextGen Healthcare starts at $150/month and Open Dental at $169/month.
Does NextGen Healthcare or Open Dental run on more platforms?
NextGen Healthcare runs on Web, iOS, Android. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
What is NextGen Healthcare best used for?
NextGen Healthcare is most often used for cloud-based ehr and practice management for ambulatory and specialty practices, ai-assisted clinical documentation to reduce after-hours charting time. Of those, cloud-based ehr and practice management for ambulatory and specialty practices and ai-assisted clinical documentation to reduce after-hours charting time are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can NextGen Healthcare do that Open Dental cannot?
NextGen Healthcare covers Electronic Health Records, Practice Management, Revenue Cycle Management, Telehealth. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. Both handle On-premise deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NextGen Healthcare: How much does NextGen Healthcare cost?

NextGen Healthcare does not publish pricing on its website. The company directs customers to schedule a meeting, request a demo, or chat with sales to receive custom pricing.

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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