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Healthcare · head to head

Open Dental vs Software of Excellence

Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Software of Excellence logo

Software of Excellence

Dental

Comprehensive Dental Practice Solution

From
$299/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; Software of Excellence no price is published for EXACT or any Software of Excellence product; the site carries no rate card and routes enquiries to the vendor
  • They diverge on capability: Open Dental covers Clinical charting, Software of Excellence covers Digital charting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Open Dental and Software of Excellence actually diverge.

Attributes where Open Dental and Software of Excellence differ
AttributeOpen DentalSoftware of Excellence
Starting price$169/month$299/month
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWindows, Web
CategoryHealthcareDental
Founded20031995

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

  • Clinical charting
  • Insurance claim processing
  • Digital imaging integration
  • Patient communication
  • Reporting and analytics
  • eServices integration
  • Dexis
  • Planmeca

Only in Software of Excellence

  • Digital charting
  • Imaging integration
  • Insurance processing
  • Billing system
  • Patient portal
  • Custom reports
  • DEXIS
  • Apteryx

Both cover

  • Patient scheduling
  • Treatment planning
  • Carestream
  • QuickBooks
  • HIPAA Compliant
  • On-premise deployment

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

Software of Excellence

  • Dental practice management for UK practices including NHS and private workflowsnot Open Dental
  • Appointment booking, patient recall and treatment planningnot Open Dental
  • Patient communications and marketing campaigns from practice datanot 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

Software of Excellence

  • No price is published for EXACT or any Software of Excellence product; the site carries no rate card and routes enquiries to the vendor
  • The company now operates under Henry Schein One, with the site copyright and contact email pointing to Henry Schein One rather than Software of Excellence
  • Cloud access, patient portal and marketing capability come from separate products such as MyPractice Cloud, Patient Portal and Campaign+ rather than being part of the core system
  • The original softwareofexcellence.co.uk domain now redirects to softwareofexcellence.com

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

Software of Excellence

$299/month
  • Standard$299/month
    • Scheduling
    • Charting
    • Billing
  • Professional$399/month
    • All standard features
    • Imaging integration
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Open Dental if

  • You need clinical charting.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Api.
  • You also want insurance claim processing.
Open Dental review

Choose Software of Excellence if

  • You need digital charting.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want imaging integration.
Software of Excellence review

Questions people ask

Is Open Dental or Software of Excellence better?
Neither clearly leads. Open Dental starts at $169/month and Software of Excellence at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open Dental or Software of Excellence?
Open Dental starts at $169/month and Software of Excellence at $299/month.
Does Open Dental or Software of Excellence run on more platforms?
Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api. Software of Excellence runs on Windows, Web.
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 Software of Excellence is typically brought in for.
What can Open Dental do that Software of Excellence cannot?
Open Dental covers Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Digital imaging integration, Patient communication. Software of Excellence covers Digital charting, Imaging integration, Insurance processing, Billing system. Both handle Patient scheduling, Treatment planning, Carestream, QuickBooks.

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
Software of Excellence: How much does Software of Excellence cost?

Software of Excellence does not publish pricing online. The company uses a consultative sales model where pricing is customized based on practice size, requirements, and specific solutions chosen. Contact their team at [email protected] or 01634 266800.

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
Software of Excellence: How can I get pricing from Software of Excellence?

Customers can book a call with a Customer Success Consultant, call 01634 266800, email [email protected], or use the contact form to discuss specific needs and receive customized pricing.

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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