Ayla vs Open Dental.
Modern cloud platform vs open-source server-based. Full mobile app vs $85/mo add-on. Everything included vs eServices à la carte.
Open Dental's base price is the lowest in dentistry — but the add-ons add up fast.
Open Dental starts at $199/month and is genuinely the most affordable PMS base price available. But building a complete stack — texting, online booking, mobile access, recall scheduling, and analytics — requires layering on eServices add-ons that add $500-600/month to the base price. Ayla includes all of this in one flat price with no à la carte fees.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Open Dental | Ayla |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Server required (Windows) | Cloud — no server needed |
| Base Price | $199/mo (first 12 months) | $599-799/mo flat |
| Price After Year 1 | $149/mo + add-ons | Same flat rate |
| Per-Provider Fees | $20/mo over 3 providers | Never |
| Mobile App (ODTouch) | $85/mo add-on | |
| Full Clinical on Mobile | ||
| Online Booking (Web Sched) | $75/mo add-on | |
| Recall Scheduling | $75/mo add-on | |
| eServices Bundle | $165/mo add-on | |
| Secure Email | $30/mo add-on | |
| Analytics | Third-party add-on (DI) | |
| Membership Plans | ||
| Reputation Management | Third-party add-on | |
| On-Site Training | $3,650/day | Free with annual plan |
| Online Training | $80/hour | Free always |
| Custom Form Design | $55/hour | Included |
| Live Phone Support | Included with support plan | Always free |
| OS Compatibility | Windows primary | Any browser, any OS |
| Open Source |
Key differences
The add-on math
Open Dental's $199/mo base price is genuinely the most affordable in dentistry. But a complete stack costs significantly more. Adding the eServices Bundle ($165/mo), online booking ($75/mo), recall scheduling ($75/mo), ODTouch mobile ($85/mo), and analytics ($350/mo via Dental Intelligence) brings the real monthly cost to $949+/mo — before any third-party tools for reputation management or membership plans.
All add-on pricing sourced directly from Open Dental's published fee schedule
Mobile costs extra
Open Dental's mobile access requires subscribing to ODTouch at $85/month — an add-on for up to 4 devices. Even then, ODTouch offers limited clinical access compared to a full-featured mobile app. Ayla's iOS and Android app — with full clinical chart access, analytics, and patient messaging — is included in every plan at no extra cost.
Technical complexity
Open Dental's open-source foundation gives technically inclined practices deep customization — but most dental teams are not SQL developers. Advanced reporting, custom queries, and form design are billed at $80-110/hour by Open Dental's team. Ayla is built to work out of the box for every role with no technical setup needed.
Training and query pricing from Open Dental published fee schedule
What Open Dental users report.
Based on verified reviews from Capterra, G2, and Software Advice.
Some G2 and Software Advice reviewers report performance issues with Open Dental — including lag when managing large patient volumes across multiple offices, and occasional frozen screens that require restarting the application during active workflows.
Multiple reviewers note that eServices features — including mobile access, online scheduling, and texting — are not included in the base subscription and must be added individually at extra cost, with some noting the cumulative cost of eServices as a pain point.
Independent analysts and reviewers consistently note that Open Dental's interface, while highly functional, is not as polished as modern cloud-native competitors — and that advanced customization requires technical knowledge, including familiarity with SQL queries.
Pricing comparison
Open Dental (complete stack)
Base support: $199/mo
eServices Bundle: $165/mo
(texting, forms, eClipboard, confirmations)
Online booking: $75/mo
Recall scheduling: $75/mo
ODTouch mobile: $85/mo
Analytics (Dental Intelligence): $350/mo
Estimated complete stack: $949+/mo
Ayla
$599-799/month flat
All features included
No add-on fees ever
Free mobile app
Free support always
Free onboarding with annual plan
$599-799/month — everything included
Ayla Complete is $150/mo less than a comparable Open Dental stack — with a modern UI and full mobile app.
Choose Open Dental if...
- You have a technical team comfortable with open-source customization and SQL
- You need deep data control and open-source flexibility
- You are on a very tight budget and will use minimal add-ons
- You are a large DSO already standardized on Open Dental at scale with volume discounts
- You need Dental Intelligence integration specifically
Choose Ayla if...
- You want a modern polished UI your entire team enjoys
- You want everything included at one flat price
- You need a full mobile app with clinical chart access
- You want free support without per-hour training fees
- You want no technical setup or SQL knowledge required
Last updated: March 2026
Competitor information on this page is based on publicly available user reviews from Capterra, G2, GetApp, and Software Advice, and from each company's public pricing and feature pages. All user sentiments are paraphrased from verified reviews — no direct quotes are used. Pricing estimates are based on publicly available information and industry research and may not reflect current vendor pricing. Features and pricing change frequently — verify directly with each vendor before making a purchasing decision. Ayla is not affiliated with any competitor mentioned on this page.
Ready to see Ayla in action?
Book a personalized demo and see how Ayla can transform your practice.