United Kingdom · head to head · updated 2026-08-01
EXACT vs Systems for Dentists
Multinational against independent British vendor. Both are cloud or on-premise, so the hosting decision is not what separates them.
EXACT
Software of Excellence (Henry Schein One)
The long-standing UK incumbent — the system most British practices already run.
- Deployment
- Cloud or on-premise
- Entry price
- Not published
- Built for
- Solo, 2–4 locations, Group, DSO / enterprise
Systems for Dentists
Systems for Dentists (SfD)
Independent British vendor, sold on flexibility and direct support.
- Deployment
- Cloud or on-premise
- Entry price
- Not published
- Built for
- Solo, 2–4 locations, Group
The short answer
Neither EXACT nor Systems for Dentists publishes a price, so any cost comparison between them depends entirely on the quotes you negotiate.
Choose EXACT if…
Established NHS and mixed practices that value ecosystem breadth and easy hiring over price transparency.
It is ahead on native imaging, insurance eligibility, payments, digital forms, open api and 1 more.
Choose Systems for Dentists if…
Practices that want an independent UK vendor rather than a multinational.
Where they actually differ
Of 19 modules we track, these 6 differ. The rest match, so they are not what should decide it.
| Module | EXACT | Systems for Dentists |
|---|---|---|
| Native imaging | Built in | Via integration |
| Insurance eligibility | Built in | Not stated |
| Payments | Via integration | Not stated |
| Digital forms | Paid add-on | Not stated |
| Open API | Via integration | Not stated |
| Orthodontics | Built in | Not stated |
Show all 19 modules, including where they match
| Module | EXACT | Systems for Dentists |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling | Built in | Built in |
| Clinical charting | Built in | Built in |
| Perio charting | Built in | Built in |
| Native imaging | Built in | Via integration |
| Billing | Built in | Built in |
| Claims | Built in | Built in |
| Insurance eligibility | Built in | Not stated |
| Payments | Via integration | Not stated |
| Patient messaging | Paid add-on | Paid add-on |
| Online booking | Paid add-on | Paid add-on |
| Digital forms | Paid add-on | Not stated |
| Recall / reactivation | Built in | Built in |
| Analytics & KPIs | Built in | Built in |
| ePrescribing | Not stated | Not stated |
| Teledentistry | Not stated | Not stated |
| AI features | Not stated | Not stated |
| Open API | Via integration | Not stated |
| Multi-location | Built in | Built in |
| Orthodontics | Built in | Not stated |
Pricing, side by side
EXACT
EXACT does not publish a price. You have to request a quote, which means you cannot budget or compare before speaking to a salesperson. No figure published anywhere on the site.
We do not repeat third-party price estimates for quote-only vendors. Several widely republished figures in this category turned out to belong to a different product — see how we compare.
Systems for Dentists
Systems for Dentists does not publish a price. You have to request a quote, which means you cannot budget or compare before speaking to a salesperson. No figure published.
We do not repeat third-party price estimates for quote-only vendors. Several widely republished figures in this category turned out to belong to a different product — see how we compare.
Strengths and trade-offs
EXACT
Strengths
- The largest installed base in UK dentistry — staff arrive already knowing it, and almost every UK dental product integrates with it.
- NHS claiming and UDA reporting are long-established and well understood, which matters more than any feature list for an NHS practice.
- Backed by Henry Schein One, with a large partner ecosystem.
Trade-offs
- No published pricing.
- A mature product carrying a lot of history; the interface shows its age next to the cloud-native entrants.
- Sold with support and hardware bundles, so the quoted figure is rarely just software.
Systems for Dentists
Strengths
- Independent and British-owned, so support is not routed through a multinational.
- NHS-certified with a long track record in UK practices.
- Offered cloud or on-premise.
Trade-offs
- No published pricing.
- Smaller ecosystem than EXACT or R4, so fewer third-party integrations.
- Limited public documentation of the newer patient-facing features.
Other comparisons
- Dentally vs EXACT — The cloud challenger against the UK incumbent
- EXACT vs R4 — The two entrenched UK systems, head to head
- Systems for Dentists vs Aerona — Independent on-premise against independent cloud