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Healthcare · head to head

Open Dental vs Pearl

Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Pearl

Dental

AI-Powered Dental Diagnostics

From
On request
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; Pearl primary website not accessible; domain appears to be for sale
  • They diverge on capability: Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Pearl covers AI image analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Open Dental and Pearl differ
AttributeOpen DentalPearl
Starting price$169/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWeb, Integration-api
CategoryHealthcareDental
Founded20032017

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 Open Dental

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

Only in Pearl

  • AI image analysis
  • Radiograph interpretation
  • Disease detection
  • Clinical recommendations
  • Patient reports
  • Trend analysis
  • Integration with imaging systems
  • Performance tracking

Both cover

  • Carestream
  • HIPAA Compliant

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 Pearl
  • Dental insurance claims, billing and treatment planningnot Pearl
  • Running an open source dental system with direct database accessnot Pearl

Pearl

  • Dental imaging analysis with AI diagnosticsnot Open Dental
  • Treatment planning assistance for dental professionalsnot 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

Pearl

  • Primary website not accessible; domain appears to be for sale
  • Product information and pricing unavailable through public channels

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

Pearl

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Pearl review.

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 Pearl if

  • You need ai image analysis.
  • You work on Web, Integration-api.
  • You also want radiograph interpretation.
Pearl review

Questions people ask

Is Open Dental or Pearl better?
Neither clearly leads. Open Dental starts at $169/month and Pearl at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open Dental or Pearl?
Open Dental starts at $169/month and Pearl at On request.
Does Open Dental or Pearl run on more platforms?
Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api. Pearl runs on Web, Integration-api.
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 Pearl is typically brought in for.
What can Open Dental do that Pearl cannot?
Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. Pearl covers AI image analysis, Radiograph interpretation, Disease detection, Clinical recommendations. Both handle Carestream, HIPAA Compliant.

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
Pearl: What is Pearl AI's pricing model?

Specific pricing is not published on the website. Pearl redirects prospects to book a demo or contact their sales team at [email protected] to discuss pricing.

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
Pearl: Is there a free trial available?

No free trial details are provided on the public website. Trial availability must be discussed directly with Pearl's sales team.

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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