Softwr

Healthcare · head to head

Open Dental vs Softdent

Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Softdent logo

Softdent

Dental

Intelligent Dental Practice Management System

From
$249/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; Softdent now supported as a Carestream Dental product (softdent.com redirects to carestreamdental.com); no pricing is published, only support and installation scheduling links
  • They diverge on capability: Open Dental covers Insurance claim processing, Softdent covers Electronic health records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Open Dental and Softdent differ
AttributeOpen DentalSoftdent
Starting price$169/month$249/month
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWeb, Ios, Android, Windows
CategoryHealthcareDental
Founded20032010

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

  • Insurance claim processing
  • Digital imaging integration
  • Patient communication
  • Reporting and analytics
  • eServices integration
  • Dexis
  • Schick
  • Weave

Only in Softdent

  • Electronic health records
  • Imaging integration
  • Billing and invoicing
  • Insurance claims
  • Inventory management
  • DEXIS
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

Both cover

  • Patient scheduling
  • Clinical charting
  • Treatment planning
  • Planmeca
  • Carestream
  • 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 Softdent
  • Dental insurance claims, billing and treatment planningnot Softdent
  • Running an open source dental system with direct database accessnot Softdent

Softdent

  • Practice managementnot Open Dental
  • Patient schedulingnot Open Dental
  • Clinical documentationnot Open Dental
  • Financial managementnot Open Dental
  • Multi-location coordinationnot 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

Softdent

  • Now supported as a Carestream Dental product (softdent.com redirects to carestreamdental.com); no pricing is published, only support and installation scheduling links

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

Softdent

$249/month
  • Starter$249/month
    • Patient scheduling
    • Clinical records
    • Billing basics
  • Professional$399/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Advanced imaging integration
    • Treatment planning tools
  • Enterprise$599/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Multi-location management
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Open Dental if

  • You need insurance claim processing.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Api.
  • You also want digital imaging integration.
Open Dental review

Choose Softdent if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
  • You also want imaging integration.
Softdent review

Questions people ask

Is Open Dental or Softdent better?
Neither clearly leads. Open Dental starts at $169/month and Softdent at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open Dental or Softdent?
Open Dental starts at $169/month and Softdent at $249/month.
Does Open Dental or Softdent run on more platforms?
Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api. Softdent runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
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 Softdent is typically brought in for.
What can Open Dental do that Softdent cannot?
Open Dental covers Insurance claim processing, Digital imaging integration, Patient communication, Reporting and analytics. Softdent covers Electronic health records, Imaging integration, Billing and invoicing, Insurance claims. Both handle Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Treatment planning, Planmeca.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Open Dental

More on Softdent

Keep looking

Other head to heads