Softwr

Healthcare · head to head

Open Dental vs Sectra

Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sectra logo

Sectra

Healthcare

Enterprise imaging and PACS from a Swedish vendor that also sells the pathology and cardiology modules on one platform

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; Sectra sectra does not make scanners, so it cannot cross-subsidise software against modality hardware the way an integrated manufacturer can, and it often loses on headline price in a bundled tender.
  • They diverge on capability: Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Sectra covers Sectra IDS7.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Open Dental and Sectra differ
AttributeOpen DentalSectra
Starting price$169/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWindows, Web, Cloud, On-premise
Founded2003Unknown

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 Open Dental

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

Only in Sectra

  • Sectra IDS7
  • Digital pathology module
  • Sectra VNA
  • Sectra UniView
  • Image Exchange Portal
  • Sectra Amplifier
  • Breast imaging workflow
  • Sectra One Cloud

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

Sectra

  • A hospital group digitising histopathology that does not want a second image archive and a second integration project alongside radiologynot Open Dental
  • A regional health service replacing several departmental PACS with one archive and one clinician viewernot Open Dental
  • An imaging provider moving off a capital refresh cycle to a cloud subscription with predictable annual costnot Open Dental
  • A trust that needs to send and receive studies with neighbouring organisations routinely, where the Image Exchange Portal is already the regional normnot 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

Sectra

  • Sectra does not make scanners, so it cannot cross-subsidise software against modality hardware the way an integrated manufacturer can, and it often loses on headline price in a bundled tender.
  • Diagnostic AI is not built in house; Amplifier orchestrates third party algorithms, so the algorithms themselves need separate licences, separate clinical validation and separate information governance sign off.
  • Sectra One Cloud is priced against a committed annual study volume, and organisations whose imaging activity grows faster than forecast meet overage charges partway through the term.
  • The pathology module assumes you have already solved slide scanning and laboratory workflow, which is the larger and more expensive part of digitising histopathology and is not in Sectra scope.
  • Depth of Epic and Oracle Health integration varies by region and by which modules you buy, so a reference site in Sweden is a weak predictor of what integration will cost a United States buyer.

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

Sectra

On request
  • Sectra Enterprise Imaging$undefined/year
    • Perpetual licence plus annual maintenance, or Sectra One Cloud subscription
    • Priced on committed annual study volume and modules selected
    • Pathology, cardiology and ophthalmology licensed as separate modules

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 Sectra if

  • You need sectra ids7.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Cloud, On-premise.
  • You also want digital pathology module.
Sectra review

Questions people ask

Is Open Dental or Sectra better?
Neither clearly leads. Open Dental starts at $169/month and Sectra at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open Dental or Sectra?
Open Dental starts at $169/month and Sectra at On request.
Does Open Dental or Sectra run on more platforms?
Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api. Sectra runs on Windows, Web, Cloud, On-premise.
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 Sectra is typically brought in for.
What can Open Dental do that Sectra cannot?
Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. Sectra covers Sectra IDS7, Digital pathology module, Sectra VNA, Sectra UniView.

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
Sectra: Does Sectra include diagnostic AI?

No. Sectra Amplifier is a marketplace and orchestration layer for third party algorithms, each licensed and validated separately.

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
Sectra: Is pathology really on the same platform as radiology?

Yes, the pathology module uses the same archive and workflow engine, which is the main reason buyers digitising histopathology shortlist Sectra.

Open Dental: Does Open Dental offer a money-back guarantee?

Open Dental includes a 90-day money-back guarantee on subscription fees.

Source
Sectra: How is Sectra One Cloud priced?

On committed annual study volume plus the modules selected, as a subscription rather than a capital purchase. The vendor does not publish rates.

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
Sectra: Is Sectra CE marked and FDA cleared?

The diagnostic viewing software carries CE marking under the medical device regulation and FDA 510(k) clearance for diagnostic interpretation, but the exact cleared indications differ per module and per market, so confirm for pathology specifically.

Share

Related pages

More on Open Dental

More on Sectra

Keep looking

Other head to heads