Dentrix vs Eaglesoft

PickMyPMS Editorial · Last reviewed Sep 28, 2026

Quick verdict

Both systems are server-based, Windows-only, and sold by quote with no public price list, so the decision usually comes down to your existing vendor relationship and two hard requirements: Eaglesoft’s 24-month commitment and its ban on virtual machines. If either one is a dealbreaker, that alone can settle it before you even compare features.

Get written quotes for both. Third-party estimates exist for each, but none of them cite a source, and the two products bundle costs differently enough that comparing list prices from review sites will mislead you.

Same setup, different contract terms

Dentrix comes from Henry Schein One, part of Henry Schein, Inc. Eaglesoft comes from Patterson Dental, part of Patterson Companies. Both are installed on a Windows server in your office, with Windows workstations, and neither publishes prices.

The clearest structural difference is contract length. Dentrix sells its optional eServices, such as claims and online booking, on 12-month auto-renewing terms. Eaglesoft’s Service Club, which bundles the license, upgrades and support into one plan, requires a 24-month enrollment. Eaglesoft also has a hardware restriction Dentrix’s data does not mention: Patterson does not support running Eaglesoft, or any of its software, in a virtual machine of any kind, so you need a physical on-site server.

What each costs

Henry Schein One publishes no Dentrix price. Third-party estimates put a one-time license at $5,000 to $10,000, plus $100 to $300 a month for the Connected Care Essentials support plan. A separate third-party source gives a conflicting $500-a-month starting estimate with per-incident support at $179.95 if you skip a plan; neither source explains its numbers. Electronic claims are billed separately, with a $15-a-month minimum starting 60 days after signing.

Patterson doesn’t publish Eaglesoft prices either. It sells five Service Club tiers, each a percentage discount off the base rate: Base at full price, Starter at 10% off, Foundations at 25% off, Professional at 30% off, and Growth at 50% off. Every tier includes the software license, free upgrades and unlimited phone, chat and email support, so the license cost is folded into the monthly plan rather than billed separately. Starter adds insurance or e-prescriptions, payments and statements, team chat and secure email; Foundations adds automated reminders, online forms and two-way text; Professional adds automated recall, online scheduling, online reviews and marketing campaigns; Growth adds missed-call texting and phone service. A third-party estimate, again without a cited source, puts Service Club support at $300 to $500 a month.

Because both vendors quote privately, get a written five-year quote from each before you decide. Feed the real numbers into our cost calculator rather than comparing the estimates above directly. They come from different sources with different assumptions.

Contracts and cancelling

Eaglesoft’s Service Club requires a 24-month enrollment. We could not find a published renewal or cancellation-notice policy for what happens after that term ends.

Dentrix eServices run on 12-month terms that renew automatically at the fees in effect at renewal, with written notice of non-renewal due at least 60 days before the term ends. Leaving early can mean paying for the rest of the term, with no refund of fees already paid. The separate Connected Care Essentials plan bills annually in monthly installments; we found no published notice period for it.

Put whichever renewal date applies to you on the calendar well ahead of time. A 24-month Eaglesoft term is a longer window to track, and missing a 60-day Dentrix eServices notice commits you to another year.

Getting your data out

Neither vendor publishes a data export policy for leaving its own system. For Dentrix, the database sits on your own server, so you hold the files, but moving them elsewhere still needs a conversion Henry Schein One doesn’t price. Patterson doesn’t publish a data export policy or price for leaving Eaglesoft either.

Ask both vendors in writing what it costs and how long it takes to get a full export if you ever switch away.

Switching from Dentrix to Eaglesoft

Patterson says it has converted practices from more than 250 different programs, with a typical conversion taking 4 to 6 weeks. It doesn’t name Dentrix specifically among them, and it says most imaging software doesn’t support image conversion, so your existing x-rays and photos likely stay in whatever system holds them now. Through October 31, 2026, new offices get 50% off an advanced data conversion Patterson values at $1,000; imaging conversion is excluded from that discount.

Before you sign, get these in writing:

• Whether the 4-to-6-week estimate and the conversion discount apply to a Dentrix-specific migration.
• Which records convert: patient history, ledger, insurance plans, clinical notes and perio charts.
• Whether your images need a separate migration plan, since Patterson says imaging conversion is generally excluded.
• How long your remaining Dentrix eServices terms run, so you aren’t paying for both systems at once.

Imaging and features

Both include imaging at no extra fee. Dentrix Imaging handles 2D, 3D CAD/CAM and 3D CBCT in one application and works with more than 150 devices. Eaglesoft’s Advanced Imaging acquires and edits x-rays and video inside the program and integrates with Dentsply Sirona Sidexis, DEXIS, Planmeca, Air Techniques, Instrumentarium, Soredex, Progeny and Schick. Eaglesoft also lists more than 55 authorized third-party integrations through Patterson’s Innovation Connection program.

On Capterra, Dentrix holds 4.3 out of 5 from 378 reviews and Eaglesoft holds 4.1 out of 5 from 157. Dentrix reviewers cite easy navigation and broad office management tools, and complain about slow, inconsistent support and updates that introduce bugs. Eaglesoft reviewers cite ease of use, quick staff training and its color-coded schedule, and complain about hard-to-find and inflexible reports, occasional freezes that need a restart, and only one user at a time in a patient chart.

Who should pick which

Pick Dentrix if you:

• Want the shorter 12-month term on optional eServices rather than a 24-month enrollment.
• Already work with Henry Schein and want to keep that relationship.
• Want claims, eligibility and booking priced and added separately rather than bundled into one tier.

Pick Eaglesoft if you:

• Want the license, upgrades and support bundled into one plan with a discount that grows as you add features.
• Value Eaglesoft’s named imaging integrations and Patterson’s Innovation Connection partners.
• Can commit to 24 months and already run, or plan to run, a physical on-site server without virtualization.

If neither fits cleanly, the Find my PMS quiz scores both products, and other options, against your specialty, size and budget.