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Healthcare · head to head

Open Dental vs Vetspire

Open Dental logo

Open Dental

Healthcare

Powerful, Affordable Practice Management

From
$169/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vetspire logo

Vetspire

Veterinary

Veterinary practice management with clinical decision support

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; Vetspire quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • They diverge on capability: Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Vetspire covers Structured clinical records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Open Dental and Vetspire differ
AttributeOpen DentalVetspire
Starting price$169/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, Web, ApiWeb, Cloud, iOS
CategoryHealthcareVeterinary
Founded2003Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Vetspire

  • Structured clinical records
  • Decision support
  • Integrated invoicing
  • Inventory
  • Scheduling
  • Analytics

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

Vetspire

  • Multi-site veterinary groups needing consistent clinical protocolsnot Open Dental
  • Practices wanting queryable clinical data rather than free-text historynot Open Dental
  • Groups measuring clinician-level performance and outcomesnot 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

Vetspire

  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • A newer entrant, so its track record is shorter than established systems
  • Structured records take more effort to enter than free text, and clinician adoption is the main implementation risk
  • Strongest in the US market, with less coverage elsewhere

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

Vetspire

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Vetspire review.

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 Vetspire if

  • You need structured clinical records.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS.
  • You also want decision support.
Vetspire review

Questions people ask

Is Open Dental or Vetspire better?
Neither clearly leads. Open Dental starts at $169/month and Vetspire at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open Dental or Vetspire?
Open Dental starts at $169/month and Vetspire at On request.
Does Open Dental or Vetspire run on more platforms?
Open Dental runs on Windows, Web, Api. Vetspire runs on Web, Cloud, iOS.
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 Vetspire is typically brought in for.
What can Open Dental do that Vetspire cannot?
Open Dental covers Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Insurance claim processing, Treatment planning. Vetspire covers Structured clinical records, Decision support, Integrated invoicing, Inventory.

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
Vetspire: What does Vetspire cost?

Pricing is quoted per practice and is not published.

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
Vetspire: Why structured clinical records?

Free-text notes cannot be queried or checked against protocols. Structured fields make history searchable and let the system prompt during consultations.

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

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

Source
Vetspire: Vetspire or ezyVet?

ezyVet is the more established system with broader administrative depth. Vetspire competes on the clinical side, particularly structured records and decision support.

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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