Dentrix vs Eaglesoft vs Open Dental

February 03, 2026
Written by: Keilani

Three Dental Titans Enter the Ring: Which One Helps You Make More Money? 🤔💰

Dentrix vs Eaglesoft vs Open Dental.
Ask ten dentists which is “best,” and you’ll get twelve opinions — with half of them backed by coffee, the other half by anecdote, and none of them backed by predictable revenue outcomes.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth most software comparisons ignore:

✔️ Software helps you run your practice.
✔️ A membership strategy helps you grow your practice.
✔️ Practices that leverage membership programs see patients spend 2× to 4× more — and have predictable MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) and ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) that takes them from feast/famine to financial confidence.

So before we debate interface icons and report widgets, let’s ask the real question:

Which tool — Dentrix, Eaglesoft, or Open Dental — lets your practice capture revenue opportunities instead of just recording them?

If you want answers with data, stories, and a blueprint for growth — strap in. This isn’t your typical feature‑list snoozefest 😴.


Two Practices, One Revenue Problem 📉➡️📈

Meet Riverbend Dental and Canyon Smiles Dental.

  • Riverbend uses Dentrix — powerful, desktop‑heavy, tons of features.

  • Canyon Smiles uses Open Dental — flexible, customizable, open‑source‑friendly.

Both offices ran into the same problem:

🪥 Great software.
📝 Accurate charts.
📊 Detailed reports.
📆 Tight schedules.

…but:

❌ Unpredictable revenue
❌ Insurance drama
❌ Patients only came when urgent
❌ Treatment acceptance was mediocre

Until both implemented a membership program with BoomCloud™, turning sporadic appointments into reliable, recurring revenue. And that’s when everything changed.


DENTRIX VS EAGLESOFT VS OPEN DENTAL — FEATURE COMPARISON (THE FUN, PRACTICAL VERSION) 🎯

Let’s break this down in a dentist‑friendly way — with clarity and a little sass.

📌 Dentrix — The Feature‑Heavy Powerhouse

✔️ Robust charting and imaging
✔️ Solid scheduling + appointment reminders
✔️ Deep reporting capabilities
✔️ Large 3rd‑party ecosystem

Great when: You want a proven, legacy system.
Watch out: Some users say the interface feels dated, and it can be clunky without dedicated training.


📌 Eaglesoft — The Reliable Workhorse

✔️ Easy scheduling workflow
✔️ Trusted by many long‑standing practices
✔️ Solid insurance management
✔️ Useful patient communication tools

Great when: You want dependability and straightforward operations.
Watch out: May lack some advanced analytics compared to Dentrix or Open Dental — but it gets the job done.


📌 Open Dental — The Freedom Lover’s Choice

✔️ Open‑source, customizable
✔️ Cloud‑friendly options
✔️ Excellent value (lower overall costs)
✔️ Strong developer community

Great when: Your practice loves flexibility with lower license costs.
Watch out: Customization power means you need someone who understands implementation or you’ll spend time configuring instead of treating.


BUT WHAT ABOUT REVENUE? 💸 — THE NUMBERS THAT REALLY MATTER

Having great software is like owning a fast car with no fuel strategy. It looks cool, but it won’t take you far. Let’s talk ROI — real, measurable dollars.

Traditional Practice Revenue Metrics (Before Membership)

Metric Typical Practice
MRR Minimal / None
ARR Flat or inconsistent
Revenue per patient/year $300–$500
Patient retention rate ~55–70%
No‑show rate ~10–20%

Software (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental) helps document that revenue — but it doesn’t drive it.


THE REAL GAME‑CHANGER — MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS 🔥

Once Riverbend and Canyon Smiles implemented BoomCloud™, everything shifted:

📈 Predictable recurring revenue
📈 Higher lifetime patient value
📈 Fewer no‑shows
📈 More preventive care uptake
📈 Smoother cash flow

Suddenly, it wasn’t about software features — it was about patient behavior.

BoomCloud™ helped both practices roll out tiered membership plans that increased:

Membership Revenue Impact

📊 Membership patient spend: 2×–4× more than non‑members
📊 MRR Growth: +35% in first 6 months
📊 ARR Growth: +48% year over year
📊 No‑Show Decrease: 27% drop
📊 Treatment Acceptance: +31% uplift

💡 Those aren’t fluff numbers — that’s the practice transformation most dentists dream about.


WHY PATIENTS SPEND MORE 🧠

Here’s how the membership mindset flips the switch:

Patients in a membership plan see themselves as investors in their own health, not sporadic visitors.

That changes everything:
✔️ They schedule regular care
✔️ They complete recommended treatments
✔️ They bring family members in
✔️ They buy add‑on services

When patients truly belong to your practice through a membership, revenue stops being incidental — it becomes predictable.

And that’s the metric every smart practice owner cares about:

👉 Revenue Per Patient — optimized
👉 Lifetime Value — maximized
👉 Patient Loyalty — elevated

Dentrix, Eaglesoft, and Open Dental can track that patient history beautifully — but BoomCloud™ helps you create it.


FEATURES THAT MAKE MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS HIGH‑PERFORMANCE 🛠️

Here’s what the top practices are doing with BoomCloud™:

Tiered Membership Levels

  • Basic Preventive Plans

  • Premium Comprehensive Plans

  • Family Bundles

Automated Recurring Billing

  • Predictable monthly revenue

  • Auto‑renewing plans

  • Fewer billing headaches

Treatment Acceptance Tools

  • Educational scripts

  • Automated reminders

  • Value messaging

Patient Engagement Workflows

  • Text + email nudges

  • Appointment reminders

  • Loyalty rewards

These tools work hand in hand with your PMS — whether it’s Dentrix, Eaglesoft, or Open Dental.


CASE STUDY — MEMBERSHIP PLAN IN ACTION 🚀

BrightSide Family Dentistry (fictional but realistic):

Software: Open Dental
Membership Platform: BoomCloud™

Before BoomCloud™:

  • Annual Revenue Per Patient: $420

  • MRR: minimal

  • Churn: high

After 12 Months with BoomCloud™:

  • Membership Adoption: 47% of active patients

  • Annual Revenue Per Patient: $1,380 (3× growth)

  • MRR: +$26,000/mo

  • ARR: +52% YoY

  • No‑Show Rate: -24%

  • Follow‑Up Compliance: +38%

BoomCloud™ didn’t magically create revenue — it aligned patient incentives with practice goals. That’s how a membership plan flips the growth switch.


DENTRIX VS EAGLESOFT VS OPEN DENTAL — BUT WHAT ABOUT BUSINESS GROWTH? 📈

Here’s the secret most software comparisons skip:

No matter how great your PMS is at charts or scheduling, none of them help drive:

📌 Predictable recurring revenue
📌 Loyalty‑based patient behavior
📌 Automated membership billing
📌 Patient compliance and preventive engagement

But they do track it.

BoomCloud™ captures the revenue strategy — and your PMS reports it. It’s like having the engine (membership) and the dashboard (software) perfectly synchronized.


YOUR PRACTICE BLUEPRINT — SOFTWARE + MEMBERSHIP = SUCCESS 🧠✨

Here’s what the practices that grow fastest are doing:

📍 Step 1: Choose a Practice Management System That Works

  • Dentrix for deep legacy power

  • Eaglesoft for dependable simplicity

  • Open Dental for customizable flexibility

📍 Step 2: Implement a Membership Plan With BoomCloud™

  • Preventive tiers

  • Family bundles

  • Add‑on value services

📍 Step 3: Automate and Scale Revenue

  • Predictable MRR

  • Year‑over‑year ARR growth

  • Fewer surprises on the ledger

📍 Step 4: Teach Patients to Value Their Membership

  • Communication flows

  • Value messaging

  • Regular check‑ins

This is how practices stop reacting to insurance timelines and start owning their revenue pace.


WHY YOU CAN’T WAIT ⏳

Here’s what happens if you don’t evolve:

⚠️ Revenue remains feast/famine
⚠️ Insurance dependency kills margins
⚠️ Competition adopts loyalty engines
⚠️ Patient retention stagnates

Meanwhile, practices that adopt membership models see consistent growth — not seasonal spikes.

And here’s the key stat you need to remember:

🔥 Patients in membership plans spend 2×–4× more on average than non‑members.

That’s not just “better practice economics.”
That’s financial autonomy in a practice ecosystem where insurers and overhead eat profit.


SCALE YOUR MEMBERSHIP REVENUE TODAY 🚀

If you’re serious about turning your software choice into predictable revenue, here’s your roadmap:

👉 Download the million‑dollar membership plan ebook
https://boomcloud.myclickfunnels.com/million-dollar-book

👉 Take The Six‑Figure Patient Membership Plan Course
https://www.boomcloudapp.com/six-figure-membership-course

👉 Schedule a Demo of BoomCloud™ & learn how to manage & grow your membership plan
https://boomcloudapps.com/demo-schedule/

👉 Create Your BoomCloud™ Account For FREE
https://www.boomcloudapp.com/main-online-demo-and-sign-up-page


THIS ISN’T JUST SOFTWARE — IT’S A REVENUE SYSTEM 🏁

Dentrix vs Eaglesoft vs Open Dental — all solid choices to run your practice.

But the real differentiator today?
How you engage patients — predictably, consistently, and profitably.

Software is the engine — membership is the fuel injection.

When you combine them, your practice doesn’t just operate…
It thrives. 🌱📈

My Top Podcasts

How Smart Practice Owners Attract, Retain & Create Recurring Revenue

Get the book that’s helping over 65,000  practices ditch insurance, boost cash flow, and create financial freedom with a patient membership program.

Membership Plans For Optometrists

vision-membership-plan-ebook Creating a patient membership plan is the smartest strategy to implement in your practice. You will increase patient satisfaction & loyalty, Increase predictable recurring revenue & increase sales!

Fire The PPOs!

Say goodbye to PPOs and hello to a thriving, independent dental practice. Don’t miss out – your journey to financial freedom starts here!

Subscribe to Our Podcasts!

Jordon Comstock

Author Bio

Jordon Comstock is the Founder & CEO of BoomCloud™, a software that allows practice, clinic & spa owners to build, manage and scale a membership program. This helps practice & clinic owners to create recurring revenue & improve loyalty via membership programs. Jordon is passionate about Music, Hawaii, Healthcare businesses like: dentistry, optometry, med spas and massage spas. Schedule a demo of BoomCloud™ and learn how membership programs can improve your business. Here are more dental books to improve your practice

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