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Healthcare · head to head

Open Dental vs Practice-Web

Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Practice-Web logo

Practice-Web

Dental

Web-Based Dental Practice Management

From
$129/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; Practice-Web each dentist beyond 3 adds $20 per month to the practice management subscription
  • They diverge on capability: Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Practice-Web covers Web-based scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Open Dental and Practice-Web actually diverge.

Attributes where Open Dental and Practice-Web differ
AttributeOpen DentalPractice-Web
Starting price$169/month$129/month
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryHealthcareDental
Founded20032008

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 Practice-Web

  • Web-based scheduling
  • Digital charting
  • Patient portal
  • Mobile app
  • Insurance management
  • Billing integration
  • SMS reminders
  • Basic analytics

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • 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 Practice-Web
  • Dental insurance claims, billing and treatment planningnot Practice-Web
  • Running an open source dental system with direct database accessnot Practice-Web

Practice-Web

  • Dental practice management including charting, treatment plans and billingnot Open Dental
  • Running patient texting, reminders and online scheduling for a dental officenot Open Dental
  • Submitting dental insurance claims and checking eligibility electronicallynot 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

Practice-Web

  • Each dentist beyond 3 adds $20 per month to the practice management subscription
  • The first office plan is $179 per month for the first 12 months and then $129 per month, against regular rates of $199 and $149
  • Migrating from existing practice management software costs a one-off $1,195 database conversion fee
  • Additional intensive web-based training is billed at $75 per hour
  • Two-way texting is a separate $90 per month add-on that includes 2,000 outgoing texts per month, with additional outgoing texts at 5 cents each
  • Mass email marketing is a separate $35 per month add-on covering up to 5,000 patients, with each additional block of 5,000 costing $20 per month, and it requires a texting subscription
  • Online scheduling, Smart Caller ID, online patient reviews, tablet patient forms and teledentistry are each separately priced monthly add-ons
  • ePrescribing is charged per provider at $59 per month plus a $99 setup fee
  • Electronic claims are billed at $0.39 per claim plus $25 per month for attachments and $20 per month for real-time eligibility checks, through third party DentalXChange
  • Support renewal carries a 12-month minimum term
  • Patient payment plans through DocPay charge the patient $3 per payment, or 1% plus $1 per payment for guaranteed plans

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

Practice-Web

$129/month
  • Practice-Web$129/month
    • Promotional: $179/mo for 12 months
    • Regular: $199/mo first 12 months, then $149/mo
    • Core practice management features
  • Practice-Web Next$178/month
    • Promotional: $228/mo for 12 months
    • Regular: $278/mo first 12 months, then $228/mo
    • All Practice-Web features
  • Practice-Web Pro$272/month
    • Promotional: $322/mo for 12 months
    • Regular: $372/mo first 12 months, then $322/mo
    • All Practice-Web Next features

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 Practice-Web if

  • You need web-based scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital charting.
Practice-Web review

Questions people ask

Is Open Dental or Practice-Web better?
Neither clearly leads. Open Dental starts at $169/month and Practice-Web at $129/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open Dental or Practice-Web?
Open Dental starts at $169/month and Practice-Web at $129/month.
Does Open Dental or Practice-Web run on more platforms?
Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api. Practice-Web runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Practice-Web is typically brought in for.
What can Open Dental do that Practice-Web cannot?
Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. Practice-Web covers Web-based scheduling, Digital charting, Patient portal, Mobile app. Both handle QuickBooks, 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
Practice-Web: How much does Practice-Web cost per month?

Practice-Web starts at $179/month for the first 12 months (regular $199/month), then $129/month (regular $149/month). This includes core practice management, portals, and support.

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
Practice-Web: What are Practice-Web's smart tool add-ons?

Smart tools include auto and two-way texting ($90/month), mass email marketing ($35/month), online patient reviews ($69/month), tablet patient forms ($65/month), online scheduling ($119/month), smart caller ID ($119/month), ePrescribing ($59/month per provider), and teledentistry ($49/month). Prices shown are promotional 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
Practice-Web: Does Practice-Web offer customized pricing?

Yes, Practice-Web states they can provide any customized package. Additional charges include database conversion at $1,195 and intensive training at $75/hour.

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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