Cloud dental software with published prices and exit terms

What this ranking covers

Twenty-four of the practice management systems we profile are recorded as cloud or hybrid. This page picks four of them, all general-practice systems that run in a browser, and ranks them on what the vendors publish: price, contract terms, data export and the features recorded as included.

The test is narrow. A product earns a place if its price and exit terms can be read from the vendor’s own pages and if the base subscription includes the front-desk features a practice uses daily. Review scores are third-party and are shown beside the vendor figures, never mixed into them.

Other cloud systems exist in the data. They are left off because we hold too little on them to rank them on the same terms.

What cloud means for your costs

A cloud system removes the office server and adds a subscription. The differences between these four are in the subscription.

CareStack and Archy both publish a plan price. CareStack starts at $829/month for Essentials. Archy charges $899/month per location, and $400/month for new practices until 400 patients or one year, whichever comes first. Denticon starts at $795/month, and a Capterra listing shows $750/month. We use the vendor’s $795.

Those figures are starting prices, and the vendors say the final bill depends on the practice. Archy’s suites and CareStack’s e-prescribing are separate add-ons, and Denticon charges $20 a month for a text messaging compliance fee.

Curve Dental publishes nothing. The $99 per user per month on SelectHub has no stated source, and other aggregators disagree with it. Get a written quote.

For a five-year total, use the cost calculator with real quotes.

What is included in the base price

Included features decide how much you pay on top.

Archy includes unlimited texting, eligibility checks and claims in its flat price. CareStack’s Essentials includes eligibility, claims, texting and online appointments, with online forms unclear in our record and e-prescribing an add-on. Denticon records forms, scheduling, texting, eligibility, claims and reporting as included. Curve records texting and online scheduling as included. Eligibility, claims, online forms and e-prescribing are unclear for Curve, which means the page we checked did not settle them.

Contracts and cancelling

Notice periods run from 30 to 90 days.

Archy’s term is set on the Order Form and the practice pays for the entire term, ending early only for cause. Each term then renews for one-month periods, with 30 days’ written notice of non-renewal.

CareStack sets the initial term on each Order Form, renews for one-year periods, and asks for 30 days’ notice. Its standard terms also let either party end the agreement at any time on 30 days’ notice.

Denticon renews for one-year terms. Non-renewal needs 30 days’ notice. Cancelling for convenience needs 60 days, and the fees for the rest of the current term become due.

Curve’s term is 12 months from the first subscription payment. Notice is due 90 days before the term ends, and cancelling early means paying the rest of it.

Getting data out

Of the four, Curve is the only one that allows a download at any time. The data policy page does not say whether images and documents are included or what access looks like after cancellation.

Archy gives one export in a structured, common format at no cost if requested in writing by the termination date. Continued access afterward costs $200/month, and otherwise Archy deletes the data.

CareStack will help export a file of customer data during the term and for up to 90 days after expiration, in a format it chooses. The practice requests it 10 days ahead and pays CareStack’s then-current hourly rates. The delivery target is 15 days.

Denticon requires the practice to extract a copy itself before termination, and can post data to a secure site for 30 days if asked within 10 business days. XVWeb imaging exports cost $995 per extract.

Integrations

NexHealth lists CareStack, Denticon and Curve Dental among the systems it supports. NexHealth makes that claim, and it does not publish the connection method per system. CareStack names RingCentral for phone integration with call pop and outbound calling. Archy states that X-rays are captured with Pearl reading them live.

What reviewers say

CareStack holds 4.8 out of 5 from 219 Capterra reviews. Reviewers cite detailed reporting and responsive chat support, and complain about too many steps to post insurance payments and limited dashboard customization.

Archy holds 4.7 from 6 reviews, which is too few to rank on. Reviewers report easy onboarding for staff without a dental background, and trouble moving X-rays during conversion.

Denticon holds 4.5 from 118 reviews. Reviewers like remote login and multi-location management, and cite slow support tickets and a dated interface.

Curve holds 4.4 from 285 reviews. Reviewers say new staff learn it quickly, and cite confusing billing workflows and weak X-ray viewing.

Who should pick which

Pick CareStack if you want a published starting price, native imaging and a system that covers several specialties.

Pick Archy if you want one flat price per location and are opening a new practice, where the $400/month rate applies. Check the conversion experience first if you are moving X-rays in.

Pick Denticon if you run several locations on Windows and can plan for the $995 imaging export.

Pick Curve Dental if being able to download your own data at any time matters more than knowing the price in advance.

If your specialty is not general practice, the specialty rankings fit better. The Find my PMS quiz scores every profiled system against your size, specialty and budget.

Frequently asked questions

What is cloud dental software?

Practice management software that runs in a browser or a vendor-hosted environment, so the practice has no office server to buy or maintain. All four picks on this page are cloud products: CareStack, Archy, Denticon and Curve Dental. Dentrix, by contrast, is installed on an office server.

Which cloud dental software publishes its price?

Of the four picks, CareStack ($829/month for Essentials), Archy ($899/month per location) and Denticon ($795/month starting price) publish a vendor price. Curve Dental does not. SelectHub lists $99 a month per user for Curve with no stated source, and we treat that as a third-party estimate.

How much notice do I need to leave a cloud dental system?

It varies. Archy, CareStack and Denticon need 30 days' notice of non-renewal, and Curve Dental needs 90 days. Denticon's notice to cancel for convenience is 60 days and the rest of the term becomes due. Check the order form as well, because Archy and CareStack set the initial term there.

Can I get my data out of cloud dental software?

Each vendor handles it differently. Curve allows a download at any time. Archy gives one free export if requested in writing by the termination date, then charges $200/month for continued access. CareStack helps with an export at its hourly rates for up to 90 days after expiration. Denticon charges $995 per extract for XVWeb imaging data.

Does cloud dental software work on a Mac?

Denticon does not; Planet DDS says it is not compatible with macOS. CareStack, Archy and Curve Dental list web as their platform, but their profiles do not name macOS, so ask for a demo on your own machines.