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Healthcare · head to head

Cerner vs Open Dental

Cerner logo

Cerner

Healthcare

Health information technology solutions for healthcare organizations

From
On request
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: Cerner no published pricing on vendor website; enterprise healthcare software requires custom quotes; 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: Cerner 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 Cerner and Open Dental actually diverge.

Attributes where Cerner and Open Dental differ
AttributeCernerOpen Dental
Starting priceOn request$169/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, Api
Founded19792003

Identical on both: 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 Cerner

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Revenue Cycle
  • Population Health
  • Patient Engagement
  • HL7
  • FHIR
  • Lab 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

Both cover

  • On-premise deployment

What people use each for

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

Cerner

  • Hospital and acute care EHR for chart review and clinical documentationnot Open Dental
  • Mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devicesnot Open Dental

Open Dental

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cerner

  • No published pricing on vendor website; enterprise healthcare software requires custom quotes

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

Cerner

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cerner 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 Cerner if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want revenue cycle.
Cerner 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 Cerner or Open Dental better?
Neither clearly leads. Cerner starts at On request and Open Dental at $169/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cerner or Open Dental?
Cerner starts at On request and Open Dental at $169/month.
Does Cerner or Open Dental run on more platforms?
Cerner runs on Web, iOS, Android. Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api.
What is Cerner best used for?
Cerner is most often used for hospital and acute care ehr for chart review and clinical documentation, mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devices. Of those, hospital and acute care ehr for chart review and clinical documentation and mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devices are not what Open Dental is typically brought in for.
What can Cerner do that Open Dental cannot?
Cerner covers Electronic Health Records, Revenue Cycle, Population Health, Patient Engagement. Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. Both handle On-premise deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cerner: Does Cerner publish its pricing?

No, Cerner does not publish standard pricing. As an enterprise healthcare EHR vendor (now acquired by Oracle), pricing is customized per healthcare organization based on size, bed capacity, modules required, and implementation scope. Contact Oracle Health for 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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