Curve Dental vs. Open Dental
Dental practices use dental practice management software to grow their businesses and optimize daily tasks. There are many practice management solutions available today, and deciding the best option for you can be a difficult process.
We created a comparison guide to help you choose between Curve Dental and Open Dental, two popular practice management solutions. We analyze their differences, and explore their unique features, to help you choose the best solution for you.
Comparison Summary
Curve Dental and Open Dental are both popular dental practice management solutions used by thousands of dentists nationwide. Both solutions include useful features such as charting, billing, scheduling, imaging, insurance claims, and reporting.
Curve Dental is best for multi-location practices that desire a cloud-based solution. Open Dental is best suited for single-location practices that desire an open source & on-premise solution.
When comparing the two, it's important to focus on the specific tools offered by each vendor, and the corresponding subscription price. Here's a quick test to determine which solution is best for you:
- You desire a cloud-based solution
- Your practice has multiple locations
- Automated data backup is a must-have feature
- You desire an on-premise solution
- You are a single-location practice
- You desire an open source solution
Table of Contents
- Comparison Summary
- Curve Dental & Open Dental Price Comparison
- Curve Dental & Open Dental Feature Comparison
- Bottom Line
Curve Dental & Open Dental Price Comparison
Curve Dental and Open Dental both offer monthly subscriptions. Curve Dental starts at $350 per month, and fees increase depending on the number of dentists in your practice. Open Dental starts at $169 per month for support and software updates. Because Open Dental is open source, access to their platform is free.
Curve Dental Pricing Details
Curve's pricing starts at $350 per month for 1 dentist. Pricing is based on the number of dentists in your practice and the functionality you need. For example, Curve should cost about $700 per month for two doctors including imaging, patient engagement, patient portal, eligibility, e-prescribe functionality and eclaims.
Open Dental Pricing Details
An overview of Open Dental pricing is below:
- Free trial includes conversion from your previous software
- $169/month/location for the first 12 months. After that, the price drops to $119/month/location
- If you have more than 3 dentists in any one location, there is an extra charge of $20/month/dentist
- eServices bundle is $135/month/location
- Full pricing details
Curve Dental & Open Dental Feature Comparison
Curve Dental and Open Dental are both robust solutions that include the core set of features found in most practice management solutions. These features include charting, billing, scheduling, imaging, insurance claims, and reporting.
Although there is an overlap between the two solutions, they both include features that make them better suited for different customer segments.
- Curve Dental is a cloud-based solution that includes automated data backup, making it the best solution for multi-location practices.
- Open Dental is an open source & on-premise solution, making it the best solution for single-location practices that desire a customizable solution.
For a full analysis of their features, read our Curve Dental and Open Dental reviews.
| Feature | Curve Dental | Open Dental |
|---|---|---|
| On-premise | No | Yes |
| Cloud-based | Yes | No |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Automated data backup | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | No | Yes |
| Charting | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Yes | Yes |
| Online patient portal | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Automated reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Imaging | Yes | Yes |
| Treatment plans | Yes | Yes |
| Insurance claims | Yes | Yes |
| E-prescriptions | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA compliant | Yes | Yes |
Curve Dental's Unique Features
Curve Dental offers several features not found in Open Dental. It's important to understand the features below to determine if Curve Dental is ideal for your practice.
Cloud-based Platform
Curve Dental is a cloud-based solution that connects to off-site servers allowing you to consolidate your data across all of your locations. Cloud-based solutions are better suited for multi-location practices. This type of solution is more scalable and eliminates server maintenance costs.
It is possible to connect Open Dental to the cloud. However, implementation and maintenance requires some expertise and can be time consuming. Open Dental does not offer IT support for cloud servers.
Remote Access
Because Curve Dental is cloud-based, you can remotely access the platform on any internet-capable device from any location. This allows dentists and office staff the flexibility to access schedules and patient records outside of the office.
Open Dental does offer an eServices package for remote access. However, eServices does not offer full access to the platform. In contrast, customers can access the entirety of Curve Dental’s platform from any browser.
Open Dental's Unique Features
Open Dental offers several features not found in Curve Dental. It's important to understand the features below to determine if Open Dental is ideal for your practice.
On-premise Platform
Open Dental is an on-premise solution that operates in on-site servers. On-premise solutions do not require an internet connection, which makes it more suitable for areas with low bandwidth or unreliable ISPs. Additionally, because your data is stored in your own servers, on-premise solutions offer more control over data than cloud-based solutions.
Open Source
Open Dental is the only open source solution on the market today. Open Dental’s source code can be modified and shared, making Open Dental very customizable. Customers can use Open Dental for different workflows, and integrate this platform with most software and hardware. Additionally, open source software gives you full access to your data, allowing you to create custom reports and queries.
Bottom Line
Curve Dental and Open Dental are both popular dental practice management systems used by thousands of practices nationwide. Both solutions offer useful features including charting, billing, scheduling, imaging, insurance claims, and reporting.
- If you desire a cloud-based solution to sync data between your multi-location practices, Curve Dental is the best option for you.
- If you want an open source and on-premise solution that gives you full access to your data, we recommend Open Dental.
If you’re interested, visit Curve Dental or Open Dental today to get started.