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Healthcare & Medical · head to head

Open Dental vs SimplePractice

Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare & Medical

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

SimplePractice

Healthcare & Medical

Practice management and EHR for mental health and therapy

From
$49/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; SimplePractice no API or webhook support for integrations, preventing connections to Zapier or custom automation tools
  • They diverge on capability: Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, SimplePractice covers Scheduling.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Open Dental and SimplePractice differ
AttributeOpen DentalSimplePractice
Starting price$169/month$49/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20032011

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare & Medical).

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 SimplePractice

  • Scheduling
  • Client Portal
  • Notes
  • Billing
  • Telehealth
  • Documents
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

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

SimplePractice

  • Patient Carenot Open Dental
  • Medical Recordsnot Open Dental
  • Practice Managementnot Open Dental
  • Telehealthnot 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

SimplePractice

  • No API or webhook support for integrations, preventing connections to Zapier or custom automation tools
  • Lacks AI clinical documentation in base plan, requiring manual note typing which takes 15-30 minutes per session
  • Reporting and customization features are limited compared to competitors, with weak insurance workflow support
  • Hidden costs beyond base pricing, with real cost often 3x higher after add-ons and annual increases
  • Telehealth component reported as unstable and frequently unreliable by some users

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

SimplePractice

$49/month
  • Starter$49/month
    • Scheduling
    • Documentation
    • Client portal
  • Essential$79/month
    • Billing and payments
    • Insurance claim filing
    • Telehealth
  • Plus$99/month
    • Website builder
    • Advanced reporting
    • ePrescribe 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 SimplePractice if

  • You need scheduling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want client portal.
SimplePractice review

Questions people ask

Is Open Dental or SimplePractice better?
Neither clearly leads. Open Dental starts at $169/month and SimplePractice at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open Dental or SimplePractice?
Open Dental starts at $169/month and SimplePractice at $49/month.
Does Open Dental or SimplePractice run on more platforms?
Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api. SimplePractice 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 SimplePractice is typically brought in for.
What can Open Dental do that SimplePractice cannot?
Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. SimplePractice covers Scheduling, Client Portal, Notes, Billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SimplePractice: What does SimplePractice pricing include?

SimplePractice tiers start at $49 (Starter), $79 (Essential), and $99 (Plus) per clinician per month. Add-ons cost extra, including AI Note Taker at $35/month and ePrescribe at $49/month plus $89 setup.

Source
SimplePractice: Does SimplePractice include telehealth?

Yes, all SimplePractice tiers include HIPAA-compliant integrated telehealth, allowing therapists to conduct secure video sessions directly from the platform.

Source
SimplePractice: Is AI documentation included in SimplePractice?

No, AI clinical notes are not included in base pricing. SimplePractice offers an optional AI Note Taker add-on for $35/month that provides basic transcription, though it lacks advanced note generation features of competitors.

Source
SimplePractice: Does SimplePractice support international or non-US workflows?

No, SimplePractice is designed for US practices only and does not support non-US workflows, insurance structures, or currencies, limiting its use for international practitioners.

Source
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