Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best Dental Software (2026)
The cheapest dental software is Open Dental at $0/mo. 1 offer a free tier (Open Dental). This page compares 8 options on entry price, free tier, HIPAA/SOC 2 and best-for — every figure linked to its source, updated June 2026.
8 options compared on price, free tier, compliance and fit — ranked cheapest-first. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it; quote-only tiers show “—”, never a guess.
Key takeaways
- Cheapest: Open Dental at $0/mo (Developing Countries / Dental Schools (Free)).
- Typical paid price: from $125/mo, median $149/mo, up to $829/mo — across 3 with published pricing.
- Free tier: Open Dental.
- HIPAA-ready: Open Dental, tab32, CareStack, Curve Dental, Dentrix Ascend, Eaglesoft, NexHealth.
- Tracked: 8 vendors, data current through 2026-06-15.
Comparison
| # | Dental Software | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | SOC 2 | Best for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Dental | $0/mo Developing Countries / Dental Schools (Free) | Yes | Yes | — | cost-conscious single-location practices | opendental.com |
| 2 | tab32 | $125/mo Alpine Start-Up (Year 1) | No | Yes | Yes | startups and new practices | tab32.com |
| 3 | CareStack | $829/mo Essentials | No | Yes | — | growing multi-location groups | carestack.com |
| 4 | Curve Dental | — | No | Yes | Yes | practices wanting fully cloud-native imaging included | quote-only |
| 5 | Denticon (Planet DDS) | — | No | — | — | DSOs and multi-location group practices | quote-only |
| 6 | Dentrix Ascend | — | No | Yes | Yes | established mid-to-large practices wanting enterprise-grade cloud | quote-only |
| 7 | Eaglesoft | — | No | Yes | — | practices already using Patterson Dental supplies/equipment | quote-only |
| 8 | NexHealth | — | No | Yes | Yes | practices wanting patient engagement layered on top of existing PMS | quote-only |
Prices are the lowest published self-serve monthly rate as captured on the linked source. Annual-billing and usage details are on each vendor's record in our open dataset.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest dental software?
Open Dental has the lowest published entry price at $0/mo (Developing Countries / Dental Schools (Free)), as of 2026-06-15.
How much does dental software cost per month?
Across the 3 dental software with published paid pricing, the median starting price is $149/mo, ranging from $125/mo to $829/mo, as of 2026-06-15. 1 also offer a free tier. 5 are quote-only.
Which dental software have a free plan?
Open Dental offer a free tier.
Which dental software support HIPAA?
Open Dental, tab32, CareStack, Curve Dental, Dentrix Ascend, Eaglesoft, NexHealth state HIPAA support (a BAA). Always confirm current scope with the vendor.
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How we compiled this
Official pricing pages re-fetched directly 2026-06-15: opendental.com/site/fees.html (Open Dental — published prices), tab32.com/pricing/ (tab32 — published prices), carestack.com/pricing (CareStack — published prices), nexhealth.com/pricing (NexHealth — quote-only), curvedental.com/pricing/ (Curve Dental — quote-only), dentrixascend.com packages page (Dentrix Ascend — quote-only). Compliance verified ONLY against the vendor's own live pages: opendental.com/site/hipaa.html, dentrixascend.com/features/soc2, tab32.com/tab32-achieved-soc-2-compliance/, curvedental.com/data-policy, security.nexhealth.com, carestack.com/dental-software/features/hipaa-compliant. Compliance flags set to null where the only source is a third-party aggregator (e.g. CareStack SOC 2 could not be confirmed on a live CareStack page — findemr.com is not the vendor). Vendors that publish no prices (Curve Dental, Dentrix Ascend, Denticon/Planet DDS, Eaglesoft, NexHealth) carry monthlyUsd: null; third-party aggregator estimates are noted in plan notes but never used as the price figure (null beats a guess). accessedAt 2026-06-15.
Last verified 2026-06-15. We re-check published prices and compliance on a recurring cadence and update this page when they change.
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