Best dental CRM and patient communication software, priced honestly.
Six platforms compared on what you actually pay rather than the number on the pricing page — because in this category the headline price and the real bill are rarely the same thing. TheBigBot is one of the six; the dental CRM page covers it in full. Written by a vendor, so we have said where the others win.
Only two of the six publish a price. Weave is the strongest all-in-one, includes a phone system, and starts from $199 a month with onboarding included. TheBigBot is $197 or $497 flat with a $499 setup and answers the phone with AI. RevenueWell, NexHealth, Solutionreach and Podium price by quote, and Solutionreach contracts renew automatically unless you give 30 days’ written notice.
Our methodology, and our bias.
TheBigBot is one of the products on this page. Read the rest knowing that. What we offer instead of neutrality is a comparison that names what the other tools do better and prices them the way you will actually be billed.
Every platform here is compared on real cost rather than headline cost, because dental software is unusually prone to the gap between the two. Most dental vendors do not publish a monthly figure at all, and setup fees, message limits and contract terms rarely appear next to the ones that do.
Figures were checked on 16 September 2026 against each vendor’s own pricing pages and published terms. Where a vendor quotes rather than publishes, we say so instead of repeating review-site estimates, so get your own number. If anything is out of date, tell us and we will correct it, including where the correction favours a competitor.
Six platforms, on what you actually pay.
Setup fees and contract terms included, because those are the two lines that surprise people.
| Platform | Monthly | Setup | Contract | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weave | From $199 | Not published; onboarding included with every plan | Renews monthly unless your order sets another term; 30 days’ notice to cancel | Practices wanting phones, texting and reviews in one system |
| NexHealth | Quote-based | Not published | Not published | Practices led by online scheduling and digital forms |
| Solutionreach | Quote-based | Not published | Yearly contract options; auto-renews unless you give 30 days’ written notice | Established practices comfortable with an annual commitment |
| RevenueWell | Quote-based; two-way texting in every plan | Not published | Not published | Practices wanting marketing automation and recall campaigns |
| Podium | Quote-based | Not published | Not published | Practices focused on reviews and inbound texting |
| TheBigBot | $197 or $497 flat, unlimited users | $499 one-time | Month to month | Practices wanting calls answered by AI and the marketing included |
Checked 16 September 2026 on each vendor’s own pricing page and published terms. “Quote-based” and “Not published” mean the vendor does not publish that figure. Pricing and terms change often, so confirm with the vendor before deciding.
What is the best dental patient communication software?
The best dental patient communication software depends on what your front desk misses. Weave, Solutionreach, RevenueWell, Dental Intelligence, Lighthouse 360 and NexHealth all offer two-way texting, recall and review requests. They differ on AI phone answering and on whether pricing is published. TheBigBot publishes its price and includes a 24/7 AI receptionist in both plans.
| Tool | Two-way texting | Automated recall | Review requests | AI phone answering | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weave | Yes | Yes | Yes | AI Receptionist, in early access | From $199/mo; plan prices by quote |
| Solutionreach | Yes | Yes | Yes, review invitations | AI Receptionist, listed in every package | Quote-based; yearly contract options |
| RevenueWell | Yes, in every plan, with monthly message limits | Yes | Yes, reviews and surveys | AI Receptionist, add-on or standalone | Quote-based |
| Dental Intelligence | Yes | Yes | Yes | AI Receptionist listed | Quote-based |
| Lighthouse 360 | Yes | Yes, automated continuing care | Yes | Not listed; PhoneSight phone system add-on | Quote-based |
| NexHealth | Yes | Yes, one-click recalls | Yes | Not listed | Quote-based |
| Podium | Yes | Reminders listed; recall not listed | Yes, by text | AI Employee, add-on | Quote-based |
| TheBigBot | Yes | Yes, overdue patients by SMS and email | Yes, 2 hours after each visit | Yes, 24/7, included in both plans | $197/mo plus $499 setup |
Checked 16 September 2026 on each vendor’s own website. “Quote-based” means no price is published there. “Not listed” means we found no such feature on the vendor’s site, not that one could never exist. Get the price and the included features in writing.
Where TheBigBot is not the best fit. If you want recall, reminders and scheduling driven directly by Dentrix, Eaglesoft or Open Dental data, a platform built around practice management integration, such as Weave or NexHealth, goes deeper than we do. We offer native integrations with some practice management systems and connect to the rest through Zapier, Make or webhooks. Where we fit is the practice whose calls go unanswered and whose recall list has gone cold, and which wants one published price. See the dental CRM page for how our recall flow works.
Which one is right for your practice.
There is no single best dental platform. There is a best one for what your front desk is actually struggling with.
You want the phones replaced too
Weave includes a VoIP phone system alongside texting and reviews. We answer calls with AI but we are not a phone system, and if you want to replace the handsets Weave is the stronger buy
Online scheduling is the bottleneck
NexHealth is built around scheduling and digital forms, and integrates deeply with practice management systems. If patients cannot book themselves, start there
Reviews are the whole problem
Podium built its reputation on review generation and inbound texting. If your rating is the thing costing you patients, it is a narrower and simpler purchase
You want a price before the sales call
Weave publishes a starting price of $199 a month and we publish $197 and $497. The others quote, so get each quote in writing with setup fees and message limits included
You want a long-term contract
Solutionreach offers yearly contract options. Read the renewal terms first: its agreement renews automatically unless you give 30 days’ written notice before the term ends
Nobody answers the phone
Several vendors above now sell an AI receptionist, often as an add-on, by quote or in early access. If after-hours calls are the leak, ask whether it is in the price. Ours is included in both published plans
Where TheBigBot is and is not the answer.
The honest version, since we are on our own list.
You need dental-specific plumbing we do not have.
- You want to replace your phone system — Weave includes VoIP handsets and we do not.
- You need deep two-way sync with a practice management system like Dentrix or Open Dental for scheduling and charting.
- Insurance verification inside the software is a requirement.
- Online self-scheduling tied to your PMS calendar is the single thing you are buying.
The calls are the thing you are losing.
- Calls after 5pm go to voicemail, and those patients ring the practice down the road instead.
- You want a flat price with no per-user billing and no annual lock-in.
- Your recall list has gone cold and nobody has time to work it.
- You are paying separately for a website, a CRM, a review tool and an answering service.
What the headline price usually leaves out.
1. Is two-way texting included, and how much of it? This is the big one in dental. RevenueWell’s plans page lists two-way texting in every plan but caps it at 750, 1,750 or 3,250 texts a month depending on the tier. Ask which limit your quote includes, because most practices consider texting the point of the purchase.
2. What is the setup fee? Ours is $499. Weave’s pricing page says onboarding is included with every plan but does not publish a separate fee, and the other vendors here do not publish one either, which means asking rather than assuming there is none.
3. Is the contract annual, and how do I leave? Solutionreach’s agreement renews automatically, for one-year periods unless the order says otherwise, and needs 30 days’ written notice of non-renewal. Weave’s terms renew monthly unless your order sets another term, with 30 days’ notice to cancel. A monthly price on an annual commitment is an annual decision.
4. How many locations does that cover? Multi-site pricing is usually per location, so a two-surgery practice can silently be double the quoted figure.
5. Does it integrate with my practice management system? Dentrix, Eaglesoft and Open Dental integrations vary in depth from one-way sync to full read-write. Ask which one you are getting.
6. What happens to patient data if I leave? Ask for the export format before you need it. Health data migration is harder than contact migration and worth settling up front.
7. Who answers the phone when nobody is at the desk? Several of these vendors now offer an AI receptionist, but it is often an add-on, quote-based or still in early access. Ask whether it is in the price you were quoted, and whether it books into the calendar or only takes a message.
How much does TheBigBot cost?
No quote call to find out what it costs. Both plans include all 22 platform features — the difference is how much content and social firepower we produce for you each month.
Authority Launch
Your website, AI receptionist, automations and campaigns built out and switched on.
- 1 complete website — up to 50 pages
- AEO, GEO and SEO ready
- Custom domain, DNS + SSL
- 1 AI Receptionist — 24/7 call answering
- AI website chat widget
- Review harvesting campaign
- A2P SMS submission filed for you
Authority Pro
Everything in Launch, plus a content and social engine publishing under your brand every week.
- 3 SEO blog posts / week (156/year)
- Targeted at what your buyers actually search
- 3 social posts / week, every channel
- Google Business, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn