Dentrix vs Open Dental (2026)
Where each runs, how each is priced and what each sells as an add-on, taken only from Henry Schein One’s and Open Dental’s own websites. If you’re weighing a change, CarifyOne is in the third column.
Dentrix is installed locally on office computers, and Open Dental runs on Windows computers with a database server the practice runs.* Dentrix prices are not published on dentrix.com; Open Dental lists $199 a month per location for the first 12 months, then $149, for up to three providers.* Texting and online booking are add-on suites in Dentrix and cost extra in Open Dental.*
From each vendor’s own website, September 2026.
Dentrix vs Open Dental, Side by Side
Setup, cost, patient tools and clinical add-ons, with CarifyOne alongside.
| Feature | Dentrix | Open Dental | CarifyOne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | |||
| Where it runs | Local installOn office computers, with practice-managed servers and backups. Dentrix Ascend is a separate cloud product.* | Self-hostedOn Windows computers and a database server you run. Open Dental Cloud: $430/mo per location for one provider, in limited release.* | CloudNo server in the back office. Works from any device. |
| Cost and support | |||
| Price | Not publishedNo prices on dentrix.com; it offers a demo request.* | $199/mo per locationFirst 12 months, then $149, for up to 3 providers. Texting, online booking and e-prescribing cost extra.* | From $799/moStarter $799, Growth $1,299, 20% off billed yearly. Enterprise custom. No setup fees. |
| Support | Annual planConnected Care Essentials; price not published.* | In the monthly feePhone, chat and email, up to two issues per call.* | IncludedHands-on onboarding, including migration, plus ongoing support from a team that knows dental. |
| Data conversion | Project-managedFee not published.* | About $1,450Typical US fee per database, not included in support. Image and x-ray conversions are extra.* | IncludedMigration and onboarding included, reconciled line by line before go-live. |
| Patients | |||
| Two-way texting and reminders | $Patient Engage Suite, an add-on* | $eReminders free on support; texting $5/mo per location plus 4¢ per outgoing text* | ✓On your practice number, in the same login |
| Online booking | $Patient Engage Suite* | $Web Sched, $75/mo per location* | ✓Live availability, with a booking inbox |
| Online intake forms | $Patient Forms Suite* | ✓Web Forms free on support; eClipboard check-in $45/mo per location* | ✓Pre-visit intake by link |
| Patient portal | $Part of Patient Engage* | ✓Free on support* | ✓Book, pay, message, sign plans, fill forms and see records |
| Clinical and insurance | |||
| Real-time insurance eligibility | $Eligibility & Claims Processing Suite* | $Through a third-party clearinghouse* | ✓At booking, at check-in and on demand |
| Voice perio charting | $Voice charting is an add-on in the Clinical Technology Suite* | ✓Built in; not available on Open Dental Cloud* | ✓Carify Scribe: say the readings, the chart fills in |
| Imaging | ✓Dentrix Imaging built in* | ✓Imaging Module built in* | ✓Cloud DICOM viewer built in |
| E-prescribing | SubscriptionePrescribe, powered by Veradigm. Price not published.* | $57/mo per prescriberDoseSpot, with EPCS.* | Growth planE-prescribing is on the Growth plan. |
Competitor information comes from each vendor’s public website and documentation as of September 2026; each * links to its source on our Sources page. Add-ons and inclusions vary by plan and change often; if something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it.
Here’s Where CarifyOne Fits.
CarifyOne runs the whole practice in the cloud. Texting, online booking, intake forms, the patient portal, real-time eligibility, voice perio and imaging come in one login, on one bill.
- Runs in the cloud, with no server in the back office
- Two-way texting on your practice number, online booking and pre-visit intake forms
- Real-time eligibility at booking, at check-in and on demand
- Carify Scribe voice perio charting and a cloud DICOM viewer
- E-prescribing and lab case tracking (Growth plan)
- Migration and onboarding included, no setup fees
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dentrix or Open Dental cloud-based?
Not the core products. Henry Schein One describes Dentrix as installed locally on office computers and sells Dentrix Ascend as a separate cloud system.* Open Dental is self-hosted, with an Open Dental Cloud hosting option at $430 a month per location for one provider, in limited release for US practices.* CarifyOne runs in the cloud, with no server in the back office.
How much do Dentrix and Open Dental cost?
Open Dental publishes its fees: $199 a month per location for the first 12 months, then $149, for up to three providers, with add-ons such as the $165-a-month eServices Bundle priced separately.* Dentrix prices are not published on dentrix.com, and its support is an annual plan, Connected Care Essentials.* CarifyOne publishes its plans: Starter at $799 a month and Growth at $1,299, 20% off billed yearly, with no setup fees. See the software cost guide, or run the savings calculator with your own invoices.
What does it take to move between Dentrix and Open Dental?
It depends on the direction. Moving to Open Dental, data conversion is not included in support: the typical US fee is about $1,450 per database, and image and x-ray conversions are extra.* Moving to Dentrix, a project manager runs the conversion, and Henry Schein One doesn’t publish the fee.* Either way, run your reports while you still have full access to the old system; the free switching checklist lists them.
Do Dentrix and Open Dental include texting and online booking?
Not all of it in the base price. Dentrix offers them through its Patient Engage Suite, and online forms through its Patient Forms Suite.* Open Dental includes eReminders, Web Forms and the Patient Portal for practices on support, and charges for texting ($5 a month per location plus 4¢ per outgoing text) and Web Sched ($75 a month per location).* In CarifyOne, two-way texting, online booking and pre-visit intake forms are part of the same login.
Do Dentrix and Open Dental have voice perio charting?
Dentrix sells voice charting as an add-on in its Clinical Technology Suite, and Open Dental has voice perio charting in its perio chart, though not on Open Dental Cloud.* CarifyOne includes Carify Scribe: say the readings and the perio chart fills in, with corrections by voice.
Can I move from Dentrix or Open Dental to CarifyOne?
Yes. CarifyOne migrates from the major practice management systems, including Dentrix and Open Dental. Every migration is expert-run, with a line-by-line reconciliation before go-live. Migration and onboarding are included, with no setup fees. See how switching works.
Still deciding what you need? Our dental practice management software buyer’s guide covers what it does, what it costs, how to switch and the questions to ask any vendor.
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