- Base price (US): $199 per location per month on a 12-month contract, dropping to $149 per month month to month after 12 months. Covers up to 3 providers.
- Extra providers: $20 per provider per month above 3. 4 to 9 offices: $169 per office, then $149.
- Open Dental Cloud is extra: $250 to $2,370 per month by package, plus a $400 migration fee.
- Common add-ons: eServices bundle $165, Web Sched Recall $75, eClipboard $45, ODMobile $35, AI x-ray analysis $149 (all per location per month).
- A typical 2-provider office that adds the eServices bundle pays about $364 per month in year one and $314 after.
Open Dental is the only major dental practice management system that publishes its full price list, so its true monthly cost can be worked out before talking to sales. All prices below come from Open Dental’s fee pages, checked on October 21, 2026. Fees are US prices unless noted.
Base price: software license and support
| Plan | Fee | Contract | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| US, first 12 months | $199 / location / month | 12 months | All computers at one location, up to 3 providers |
| US, after 12 months | $149 / location / month | Month to month | Same |
| Each provider over 3 | $20 / provider / month | None | Part-time providers can be combined by full-time equivalent |
| 4 to 9 offices | $169 / office / month | None | Drops to $149 after 12 months |
| 10+ offices | Custom | None | Call Open Dental management |
| Canada | $164, then $137 / location / month | 12 months | Up to 3 providers |
| Other countries | $89 / location / month | 12 months | Email and phone support |
| Dental schools | Free | None | Includes hygiene and assisting schools |
The monthly fee covers the software, all version updates, and phone, chat and email support. Open Dental says the only upfront cost is the first month of support. After the initial contract, fees continue month to month. Prepaying earns a discount on support fees: 5% for 6 months, 10% for 1 year, 15% for 2 to 3 years. A mobile treatment unit counts as its own location.
Open Dental Cloud hosting
By default you host Open Dental on your own server. Open Dental Cloud is a hosted version run by Open Dental. Its fees are in addition to the support fee above.
| Package | Monthly fee | Concurrent sessions | Database / images storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | $250 | 7 | 5 GB / 20 GB |
| Medium | $520 | 15 | 10 GB / 40 GB |
| Large | $1,300 | 35 | 15 GB / 60 GB |
| X-Large | $1,850 | 55 | 30 GB / 120 GB |
| Enterprise | $2,370 | 75 | 45 GB / 130 GB |
There is a one-time $400 migration fee, and extra storage is $0.40 per GB above the allotment. Cloud is US-only and in limited release. Open Dental accepts a limited number of practices and recommends at least 20 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up. Some third-party integrations that don’t use the Open Dental API won’t work with it.
Add-ons
| Add-on | Fee (per location / month) |
|---|---|
| eServices bundle (eClipboard, eConfirmations, texting access and more) | $165 |
| Web Sched Recall | $75 |
| Web Sched New and Existing Patient | $75 |
| Web Sched ASAP | $20 (free with Web Sched Recall) |
| eClipboard | $45 |
| OCR for eClipboard (reads insurance cards) | $20 |
| eConfirmations | $25 ($40 with landline texting) |
| ODMobile / Mobile Web | $35 |
| Secure Email | $30 |
| ODTouch (up to 4 devices) | $85, plus $20 per extra device |
| Integrated texting access | $5 (assigned number) or $20 (landline), plus $0.04 per outgoing US message |
| Mass Email (Mailchimp) | $8 access fee |
| AI image analysis (Better Diagnostics) | $149 |
| eReminders, patient portal, payment portal, web forms, Message-to-Pay | Free on support |
Electronic prescribing is per prescribing provider. DoseSpot with EPCS is $57 per month. Ensora eRx Basic starts at $29 per month.
AI x-ray analysis for $149 a month
Open Dental integrates Better Diagnostics natively in its Imaging Module. Images are analyzed as they are taken or stored, and findings appear as layers you can filter by pathology, for patients 18 and older. It is billed on the Open Dental statement. At $149 per location per month, this is the only published price for FDA-cleared dental imaging AI we have found. Overjet, Pearl and VideaHealth all quote. See our dental AI x-ray pricing guide and FDA clearance tracker.
Training, conversion and support services
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Webinars | Free |
| Online training | $80 / hour |
| On-site training | About $4,325 for the first day per trainer, $1,325 each additional day |
| Blank database setup | $100 / session |
| Custom forms (sheet design) | $55 / hour |
| Custom queries | $110 / hour ($220 expedited) |
| After-hours support appointment | $100 / hour |
| Incident support when not on a plan | $150 for the first half hour, $50 per extra half hour |
| Data conversion | Varies by source software; quoted |
What a typical office pays
Two-provider general practice, one location, self-hosted, with the eServices bundle:
- Year one: $199 support + $165 eServices = $364 per month
- After 12 months: $149 + $165 = $314 per month
Same office on Open Dental Cloud (Small) with AI x-ray analysis:
- Year one: $199 + $165 + $250 hosting + $149 AI = $763 per month, plus the $400 migration fee
- After 12 months: $713 per month
Five-provider office, self-hosted, no add-ons: $199 + 2 × $20 = $239 per month in year one, then $189.
These figures exclude texting message charges, conversion and hardware. A self-hosted office also needs a server and IT support.
How it compares
Open Dental’s published costs are lower than every system that publishes prices. CareStack starts at $829 per month, or $1,299 with its AI plan. Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Eaglesoft, Curve and Denticon quote. For the full comparison, see best dental practice management software and Dentrix vs Open Dental.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Open Dental cost per month?
In the US, $199 per location per month for the first 12 months on a 12-month contract, then $149 per month month to month. That covers the software, updates and support for up to 3 providers. Each additional provider is $20 per month.
Is Open Dental free?
The software is open source, but using it in a US practice means paying the monthly support fee, which includes the license, updates and support. It is free for dental schools and in developing countries, with limited support.
Is there an upfront cost for Open Dental?
Open Dental says the only upfront cost is the first month of support. Data conversion from your old software is charged separately, and on-site training is optional at about $4,325 for the first day.
How much is Open Dental Cloud?
Open Dental Cloud hosting is in addition to support fees: $250 per month (Small, 7 concurrent sessions), $520 (Medium, 15), $1,300 (Large, 35), $1,850 (X-Large, 55) or $2,370 (Enterprise, 75), plus a one-time $400 migration fee and $0.40 per GB over the storage allotment. It is US-only and in limited release.
Is Open Dental cheaper than Dentrix?
On published pricing, yes. Dentrix does not publish prices, but its license, support plan and add-ons typically cost more than Open Dental's $149 to $199 per location per month. Factor in that Open Dental is self-hosted by default, so you also pay for a server and IT unless you use Open Dental Cloud.
Sources
Independent and unsponsored. We verify regulatory claims against the FDA 510(k) database and link every filing. Found an error? Email [email protected]; corrections are logged on our editorial policy page.