Open Dental

Overview

Open Dental is licensed dental-practice software with a separate support plan and optional patient-facing services. It is a strong candidate for practices that want scheduling and digital patient workflows across one or more locations, provided they can work within its location-based pricing and workstation requirements.

Its trial has no time limit, but caps use at 30 patients and excludes the API and eServices. That makes it useful for exploring core software, not for judging the connected services that may matter to a practice.

Key features

• Patient workflows and scheduling: Listed eServices include a patient portal, web forms, automated messaging, texting, eClipboard, mobile access, and online scheduling. Patient self-booking, reminders, online intake forms, and provider calendars are also supported. Together these suit offices seeking digital patient access alongside scheduling, though the trial cannot demonstrate the eServices experience.
• Location coverage: Multi-location support is available, and Open Dental Cloud can serve US customers with one or multiple locations. This is useful for practices operating across offices, but fees vary by location and provider count.
• Integrations and data access: Native integrations include DoseSpot e-prescribing, Global Payments, PayConnect, PaySimple, BetterDiagnostics, Pearl, DentalXChange, and EDS. Open Dental identifies its API as the approved method for third parties to write to the database, an important boundary for practices evaluating custom connections.
• Security controls: Individual credentials, permission groups, global security settings, and an audit trail of user actions provide controls for managing access and accountability. Security documentation lists TLS 1.2 for browser-based eServices and AES encryption for eConnector communication.
• Support: Monthly support includes software updates and phone, chat, and email technical help, with up to two specific issues per call. Data conversion is outside the monthly support fee, so practices moving existing records should account for that separately.

Pricing

Open Dental uses a freemium model, with paid pricing starting at $89/mo (annual). Charges vary by location, provider count, and additional functionality, so the entry price is not a universal estimate for every practice.

• Dental schools: Open Dental for Dental Schools is 0.00 USD per free for dental, hygiene, and dental-assisting schools, qualifying clinics with student rotations, and adjunctive faculty clinics on school premises. It is a specific educational eligibility route rather than a general free practice tier.
• Developing countries: The software license and support plan is 0.00 USD per free, with limited support. It suits eligible practices prioritizing no license charge, but the support limitation is a meaningful trade-off.
• Other countries: The license and support plan costs $89/month/location or office · 12-month contract. It covers all computers at one location, up to 3 providers, with email and telephone support. Practices with more providers or locations should expect terms to vary.
• United States: The license and support plan costs $199/month/location or office for the initial 12 months, then the current reduced rate is $149/month/location after 12 consecutive months. It covers all computers at one location and up to 3 providers; additional locations or providers affect fees.

The free trial does not expire, but is limited to 30 patients and has no API or eServices access. It includes a blank database and a demo database of fictional patients, but excludes copyrighted CDT content. These limits make it a constrained preview rather than a full-service pilot.

Platforms

Open Dental lists Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, Windows, API, and self-hosted platform options, but the client program itself cannot run on Linux or Mac workstations. Supported workstation and server systems include Windows 11 and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025; a Linux or macOS server is an alternative. Open Dental Cloud is available only to US customers.

Who it's for

Open Dental best fits dental practices that need patient-facing services, provider calendars, and support for multiple locations, and can budget by office and provider count. It is less suitable for a practice that needs to validate API or eServices workflows during its trial, or that relies on Linux or Mac workstations for the client program.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Patient services, self-booking, reminders, and provider calendars cover several connected patient and scheduling needs.
• Pro: Multi-location support and a US cloud option suit practices with more than one office.
• Pro: The paid plans cover all computers at one location, avoiding a per-computer limit within the stated provider cap.
• Con: The trial excludes API and eServices and caps the database at 30 patients, limiting evaluation of connected workflows.
• Con: Location- and provider-based fees, a 12-month term on the $89 plan, and separate data-conversion costs complicate budgeting.
• Con: The client cannot run on Linux or Mac workstations, despite Linux and macOS being supported server alternatives.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison of scheduling-focused options, browse Dental Appointment Scheduling Software.

• Apexo is a free alternative with web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android platforms.
• DentinCloud is worth considering for a small team seeking a web-based free tier: its Free plan allows 2 users, up to 250 patients, and 500 MB storage, with appointment and patient management, basic reports, and email support.
• ABELDent has a free tier on Windows, but telephone support, one-on-one training, ongoing updates, data migration, and premium options are chargeable.
• Dentella is a freemium alternative available on web, Android, and iOS.
• DentalPin is a free web-based alternative.
• ExACT Medical & Oral is a freemium alternative.
• Curve Dental is a paid alternative on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows, with custom pricing and specially priced startup implementation and license fees.
• ClearDent is a paid alternative available on web, iOS, and Android.

Verdict

Choose Open Dental if your practice wants patient-facing services, scheduling, and multi-location support within a license-and-support model. Its broad workflow coverage and all-computers-per-location terms are compelling, but the location-based fees, workstation restrictions, and trial exclusions make it a weaker fit if you need a low-friction technical evaluation or rely on Linux or Mac desktops.