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Healthcare · head to head

Open Dental vs OrthoTrac

Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OrthoTrac logo

OrthoTrac

Dental

Complete Orthodontic Practice Management

From
$399/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; OrthoTrac orthoTrac support has moved off Carestream Dental's own site to a third-party portal, gosensei.com, and OrthoTrac customer contact is now booked only through a Calendly scheduling link rather than a phone number or online purchase path, per Carestream Dental's own site.
  • They diverge on capability: Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, OrthoTrac covers Orthodontic treatment planning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Open Dental and OrthoTrac differ
AttributeOpen DentalOrthoTrac
Starting price$169/month$399/month
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWindows, Web
CategoryHealthcareDental
Founded20032007

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 Open Dental

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

Only in OrthoTrac

  • Orthodontic treatment planning
  • Contract management
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Insurance processing
  • Imaging integration
  • Progress tracking
  • Appliance tracking
  • Referral management

Both cover

  • HIPAA Compliant
  • Data Encryption
  • On-premise deployment

What people use each for

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

Open Dental

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

OrthoTrac

  • Orthodontic practice managementnot Open Dental
  • Treatment planningnot Open Dental
  • Contract managementnot Open Dental
  • Progress trackingnot Open Dental

Where each one falls short

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

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

OrthoTrac

  • OrthoTrac support has moved off Carestream Dental's own site to a third-party portal, gosensei.com, and OrthoTrac customer contact is now booked only through a Calendly scheduling link rather than a phone number or online purchase path, per Carestream Dental's own site.

Pricing, plan by plan

Open Dental

$169/month
  • Standard$169/month
    • Full software access
    • Unlimited workstations
    • Technical support
  • Cloud$249/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Cloud hosting
    • Automatic backups

OrthoTrac

$399/month
  • OrthoTrac Standard$399/month
    • Patient scheduling
    • Treatment planning
    • Billing management
  • OrthoTrac Cloud$549/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Cloud-based access
    • Imaging integration

Which should you pick?

Choose Open Dental if

  • You need patient scheduling.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Api.
  • You also want clinical charting.
Open Dental review

Choose OrthoTrac if

  • You need orthodontic treatment planning.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want contract management.
OrthoTrac review

Questions people ask

Is Open Dental or OrthoTrac better?
Neither clearly leads. Open Dental starts at $169/month and OrthoTrac at $399/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open Dental or OrthoTrac?
Open Dental starts at $169/month and OrthoTrac at $399/month.
Does Open Dental or OrthoTrac run on more platforms?
Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api. OrthoTrac runs on Windows, Web.
What is Open Dental best used for?
Open Dental is most often used for practice management, charting and scheduling for dental offices, dental insurance claims, billing and treatment planning, running an open source dental system with direct database access. Of those, practice management, charting and scheduling for dental offices and dental insurance claims, billing and treatment planning are not what OrthoTrac is typically brought in for.
What can Open Dental do that OrthoTrac cannot?
Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. OrthoTrac covers Orthodontic treatment planning, Contract management, Appointment scheduling, Insurance processing. Both handle HIPAA Compliant, Data Encryption, On-premise deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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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