DentalHQ vs Smile Advantage
Your membership plan is just one part of getting paid. DentalHQ and Smile Advantage both help dental practices build and manage membership plans. Smile Advantage also brings in-office payments, payment requests, and Smart Payment Plans into the same platform.
What each platform costs
DentalHQ charges a per-location monthly subscription: $109/month for membership management or $199/month with PMS integration. Patients also incur management and merchant fees, the exact amounts of which are not published in DentalHQ's public pricing. Smile Advantage charges a flat monthly subscription: $279/month for Core and $398/month for Pro, billed annually. No per-member software charges.
| Platform | Monthly software pricing |
|---|---|
| DentalHQ Pro | $109/mo per location (membership management) + patient management fees (amounts not published) |
| DentalHQ Pro + PMS | $199/mo per location (membership + PMS integration) + patient management fees (amounts not published) |
| Smile Advantage Core | $279/mo, no per-member fees |
| Smile Advantage Pro | $398/mo, no per-member fees |
Smile Advantage prices shown with annual billing. Monthly billing is also available. DentalHQ pricing based on published enrollment page as of September 2026. DentalHQ also states that patients incur management and merchant fees; exact amounts are not published. Annual billing option with one month free is available from DentalHQ.
What to compare
More than the subscription line.
DentalHQ's published subscription fee is lower than Smile Advantage's. But the full cost comparison depends on patient management fees that DentalHQ does not publish, and on which additional payment tools your practice needs. A practice that absorbs the patient management fee pays more than the subscription alone. A practice that also needs in-office payments or patient payment plans needs tools that DentalHQ does not include.
Membership billing is one part of how patients pay
DentalHQ's customer agreement documents that treatment payments outside the membership plan must go directly to the practice and cannot be processed through its platform. Smile Advantage brings membership billing and everyday patient payments together in one place.
In-office payments
Accept card payments at checkout with an integrated terminal. No separate processor or system to manage.
Payment requests
Send a secure payment link by text or email so patients can pay outstanding balances from their phone.
Smart Payment Plans
Offer in-house financing with no credit check. Auto-retry on failed payments means your team does not chase collections manually.
Payment Requests and Smart Payment Plans are available on Advantage Pro. In-office terminal payments are included on Core and Pro.
Feature by feature
Both platforms support custom dental membership plans, automated recurring billing, and PMS integration. The differences show up in pricing structure, payment tools, and platform scope.
| Feature | DentalHQ | Smile Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Published subscription pricing | | |
| No per-member or patient management fees | Patient management and merchant fees apply | Flat subscription, unlimited members |
| Cost stays flat as membership grows | Depends on patient fee structure | |
| Month-to-month available | | |
| Membership plan management | | |
| Custom membership plan types | | |
| Automated recurring billing | | |
| Patient self-enrollment | | |
| Member reminders (SMS/email) | | |
| PMS integration | | Advantage Pro - 50+ systems |
| Multi-location support | Per-location subscription pricing | Enterprise |
| In-office terminal payments | Membership billing only; treatment payments go directly to practice | Core & Pro - tap, swipe, chip |
| Payment requests by text/email | | Pro |
| Smart Payment Plans (in-house financing) | | Pro - no credit check |
| Unified membership + payment reporting | Membership reporting only | |
| Custom marketing materials | | |
DentalHQ feature data is sourced from published pages, enrollment documentation, and customer agreement as of September 2026. A dash indicates the feature is not publicly confirmed - it does not mean the feature is unavailable.
Where Smile Advantage has the advantage
Membership and payments in one platform.
DentalHQ handles membership subscriptions. It explicitly does not process treatment payments - those go directly to the practice through a separate system. Smile Advantage covers both: membership billing, in-office payments, text-to-pay, and installment plans from one dashboard.
One flat fee without patient management charges.
Smile Advantage publishes a single monthly subscription with no per-member fees and no patient management charges. Your software cost is the same whether you have 50 members or 5,000.
In-house financing without third-party lenders.
Smart Payment Plans let your practice break patient balances into installments with no credit check and no CareCredit split. Automatic retry handles failed payments so your team is not chasing collections.
Dentist-founded, clinically advised.
Smile Advantage was built by practicing dentists who managed these programs in their own offices. That background shapes how the platform approaches plan design, pricing strategy, and support.
Where DentalHQ has the advantage
Lower published subscription fee.
DentalHQ's $109/month (or $199/month with PMS) is lower than Smile Advantage's subscription. For a practice with very few members where patient management fees are minimal or passed to patients, the starting cost is lower.
Frequently asked questions
Membership billing and everyday payments - one platform.
See what your practice would pay with Smile Advantage, and what bringing membership management and patient payments together actually looks like.
One low monthly fee. No per-member charges.
Sources
- DentalHQ: Pricing and enrollment
- DentalHQ: PMS integration documentation
- DentalHQ: Guaranteed Plan Payments
- Smile Advantage: Pricing
Pricing and feature data sourced from DentalHQ published pages, enrollment documentation, and customer agreement. Compiled September 17, 2026.