Dentrix vs Open Dental
Both are server-based systems with deep feature sets. Open Dental publishes its price ($199 per location per month, then $149) and has an open API. Dentrix has the largest installed base and Henry Schein One's add-ons, including Detect AI and Eligibility Pro, but quotes its pricing. Pick Open Dental on cost and openness, and Dentrix on familiarity and its vendor ecosystem.
Side by side
| Dentrix | Open Dental | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Henry Schein One · American Fork, UT | Open Dental Software · Salem, OR |
| Category | Practice management | Practice management |
| FDA 510(k) | None confirmed | None confirmed |
| Cleared for | — | — |
| Imaging modalities | — | — |
| Pricing | Not published (Quote: license plus support plan) | From $199 (Per location / month) |
| Integrations | Dentrix Imaging, VideaHealth (Detect AI), Most imaging bridges and third-party eServices | Pearl, Overjet, VideaHealth, Better Diagnostics, Most imaging software via program bridges |
| Best fit | solo, group | solo, group |
| Last verified | Oct 21, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 |
- Your team already knows Dentrix and you want minimal retraining
- You want eligibility, eClaims and Detect AI from one vendor
- You value the widest third-party support
- You want published, lower pricing: $149 to $199 per location per month
- You want direct database access and an open API for reporting and integrations
- You want AI x-ray analysis at a published price ($149 per month via Better Diagnostics)
- Largest installed base: most staff have used it and most vendors integrate with it
- Deep feature set for insurance-heavy general practices
- AI (Detect AI) and eligibility add-ons from the same vendor
- Server-based: the practice manages the server, backups and remote access
- Pricing is not published, and add-ons are sold separately
- Multi-location groups often move to Dentrix Ascend or another cloud system
- Lowest published cost of any full-featured PMS
- Every add-on has a published price
- Open database and API make integrations and custom reporting easy
- FDA-cleared AI x-ray analysis available natively for $149/month/location
- Large user community and detailed documentation
- Self-hosted by default: you manage the server unless you pay for Cloud
- Open Dental Cloud is in limited release with some third-party integration limits
- Dense interface that takes training
Common questions
What is the difference between Dentrix and Open Dental?
Both are server-based systems with deep feature sets. Open Dental publishes its price ($199 per location per month, then $149) and has an open API. Dentrix has the largest installed base and Henry Schein One's add-ons, including Detect AI and Eligibility Pro, but quotes its pricing. Pick Open Dental on cost and openness, and Dentrix on familiarity and its vendor ecosystem.
Which is FDA cleared, Dentrix or Open Dental?
Dentrix: no clearance confirmed. Open Dental: no clearance confirmed. Check the scope of each clearance; features outside it are not cleared.