exocad DentalCAD
by exocad (Align Technology) · exocad.com ↗
The open standard in lab CAD: nearly every indication, works with almost any scanner, mill and printer, and can be bought outright. From about $5,800 perpetual or $3,530 a year on Flex through US resellers.
exocad DentalCAD review: our verdict
By the Denture-ID Research Desk · updated Sep 30, 2026 · based on vendor documentation, published pricing and public user reviews; not hands-on tested
Reviewed by Dr. Robert Brennan, DDS, Endodontic Specialist · Editorial Board
exocad DentalCAD is the most widely supported open CAD system in dentistry. It covers almost every restorative and removable indication, accepts scans from most intraoral scanners, and exports to a long list of mills and printers. Unusually, you can still own it outright.
The trade-offs are the reseller model, which makes prices and support vary, and an annual upgrade fee if you want new versions. For a lab, it is usually the default to beat.
Strengths
- Indications from single crowns to full dentures, bars, partial frameworks and splints
- Open: imports from most intraoral scanners and exports to many mills and printers
- Perpetual licence available; keeps working if you stop paying for upgrades
- Modules can be added one at a time
- AI multi-unit design in DentalCAD 3.3 Chemnitz
Watch-outs
- Sold through resellers; prices differ by reseller and country
- Upgrade contract needed each year for new versions
- Flex licences stop working if not renewed
- Few public user reviews: 6 on Capterra
What exocad DentalCAD is
DentalCAD is exocad's design software for dental laboratories, with a chairside sibling, ChairsideCAD, for clinics. exocad, based in Darmstadt, Germany, has been owned by Align Technology since April 2020. The latest major release, DentalCAD 3.3 Chemnitz, upgraded the Implant module, added a split-denture workflow and introduced AI-enabled multi-unit design.
Our data records indications including crowns, bridges, inlays and onlays, veneers, abutments, implant bars, full-arch and implant bridges, full and partial dentures, partial frameworks, splints, surgical guides, models, aligners, provisionals, post and cores, and smile design. Modules include Implant, Full Denture, Model Creator, Smile Creator, Bite Splint, PartialCAD and TruSmile.
Pricing
exocad sells through resellers. First-year US prices from GRO3X, read on September 30, 2026:
| Package | Perpetual | Flex, year 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $5,800 | $3,530 |
| Implant Bundle | $8,780 | $4,630 |
| Ultimate Bundle | $12,970 | $6,820 |
Single modules on Flex range from $275 for the DICOM viewer to $1,177 for Smile Creator with TruSmile. Flex renewals run at roughly half the first-year price, according to the reseller. exocad's own shop lists the perpetual upgrade contract at €720 a year and a refresh fee of €1,790 for reactivating an out-of-date licence. Ask your reseller for the full five-year cost of both options for the modules you need.
Where exocad is strong
- Openness. Scanner imports and mill and printer outputs cover most of the market, including 3Shape, iTero, Medit, Primescan and Shining 3D scans.
- Breadth. One system for fixed, removable, implant and appliance work.
- Ownership. A perpetual licence keeps working without a subscription.
- Modularity. Buy only the modules you use.
- Libraries. A very large implant library, recorded in our data as tens of thousands of entries.
Where it falls short
- Reseller dependency. Price, training and first-line support depend on who sells it to you.
- Upgrade costs to stay current.
- Learning curve for new users, as with any full lab CAD system.
- Few public reviews. Six on Capterra, rated 4.8.
- Owned by Align. exocad remains open, but buyers wary of a single company's ecosystem should know the ownership.
Alternatives to compare
- 3Shape Dental System: 3Shape Dental System vs exocad.
- CEREC Software for chairside: CEREC vs exocad.
- Medit ClinicCAD: exocad vs Medit ClinicCAD.
All systems: dental CAD ranking.
Bottom line
For most labs, exocad is the reference point: open, broad and available to own. Choose perpetual if you expect to use it for five years or more, get quotes from two resellers, and ask each what training and support are included in the price.
Sources for this review (4)
- GRO3X: exocad DentalCAD licensing — US reseller prices for perpetual and Flex licences and modules
- exocad shop: DentalCAD upgrade — upgrade contract and refresh fee
- exocad: DentalCAD 3.3 Chemnitz — current release
- Align Technology completes acquisition of exocad — ownership
Data Index profile
Table view
| Axis | exocad DentalCAD | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 8.2 | 14 of 17 tracked capabilities confirmed (3 unverified) |
| Integrations | 5.9 | listed as a verified integration by 5 products in our database |
| Pricing clarity | 8.0 | public full, 12-month minimum term |
| Support | no data | Support model not documented |
| Vendor stability | 7.0 | 201–500 staff |
| User rating | 9.6 | 4.8/5 from 6 public reviews |
Of the 5 axes we could measure, exocad DentalCAD is strongest on user rating (9.6/10) and weakest on integrations (5.9/10). Well liked by its users, but verify it connects to your PMS before you buy. It ranks #1 of 15 in dental CAD, 2.6 points above the category median of 4.9. We could not verify support yet, so those axes are left blank rather than scored.
- Features8.2
14 of 17 tracked capabilities confirmed (3 unverified). What this measures ⓘ
- Integrations5.9
listed as a verified integration by 5 products in our database. What this measures ⓘ
- Pricing clarity8.0
public full, 12-month minimum term. What this measures ⓘ
- Supportno data
Support model not documented. What this measures ⓘ
- Vendor stability7.0
201–500 staff. What this measures ⓘ
- User rating9.6
4.8/5 from 6 public reviews. What this measures ⓘ
CAD indications & automation
exocad DentalCAD confirms 14 of 17 capabilities we track for this category (3 not verified yet). Relatively rare among its 15 peers: implant bars, full arch, full dentures, and partial frameworks.
- ✓ Crowns
- ✓ Bridges
- ✓ Inlays/onlays
- ✓ Veneers
- ✓ Abutments
- ✓ Implant bars
- ✓ Full arch
- ✓ Full dentures
- ✓ Partial frameworks
- ✓ Splints
- ✓ Surgical guides
- ✓ Models
- ✓ Aligners
- ✓ Smile design
- ? AI margin
- ? AI crown proposal
- ? Material library
- Implant libraries
- 77,000
- Learning curve
- low
- Sold via resellers only
- No
See how every dental CAD product compares on these features →
Integration web
5 products in our database list exocad DentalCAD as a supported integration — a proxy for how central it is to the ecosystem.
Pricing & 3-year cost
- License model
- Perpetual
- Price transparency
- Full public pricing
- Starting price
- Not published
- Free trial
- Not verified
- 3-year cost estimate
- $52,950 1 location, 2 providers, 5 users
- Price last checked
- Sep 30, 2026
- Minimum term
- 12 months
- Auto-renew
- Not verified
- Cancellation notice
- Not verified
- Early termination fee
- Not verified
- Data export on exit
- Not verified
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | One-time | Unit | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core, perpetual | — | — | $5,800 | per user | — |
| Core, Flex (year 1) | — | $3,530 | — | per user | — |
| Ultimate Bundle, perpetual | — | — | $12,970 | per user | — |
| Ultimate Bundle, Flex (year 1) | — | $6,820 | — | per user | — |
3-year cost for your practice
Compare with others →Recurring list prices × your inputs. Excludes taxes, negotiated discounts and add-ons not published by the vendor.
Who it’s for
Best for
- Dental labs that want one CAD system for crowns through dentures, bars and splints
- Labs and clinics that receive scans from many different scanners
- Buyers who prefer a perpetual licence to a mandatory subscription
Not ideal for
- Chairside dentists who want a guided, few-click workflow tied to their mill
- Buyers who want to purchase directly from the software maker in the US
- Beginners without access to reseller training
Practice size
- Specialties
- Dental lab
- Deployment
- Desktop
- Open API
- ?
User ratings
4.8/5 averaged across Capterra from 6 reviews. That is a small sample — treat it as directional.
Ratings are snapshots from third-party platforms, shown with their date and link. We do not publish them as our own review stars.
Company
- Vendor
- exocad (Align Technology)
- Employees
- 201–500
Markets
Vendor also markets the product globally.
Markets the vendor actively sells into: Global.
FAQ
How much does exocad DentalCAD cost?
US reseller GRO3X listed, for the first year: Core at $5,800 perpetual or $3,530 Flex, the Implant Bundle at $8,780 or $4,630, and the Ultimate Bundle at $12,970 or $6,820, when we read it on September 30, 2026. Another reseller, Full Arch Masters, listed the perpetual Ultimate Bundle at the same $12,970. exocad's own shop lists the annual upgrade contract at €720.
What is the difference between an exocad perpetual and Flex licence?
A perpetual licence is bought once. After the first year you pay an annual upgrade contract for new versions; if you stop, the software keeps working at the last version you had. A Flex licence costs less up front but must be renewed every year or it stops working. GRO3X puts the break-even between the two at about year five.
Who owns exocad?
Align Technology, the maker of Invisalign and iTero, completed its acquisition of exocad in April 2020 for about €376 million. exocad has kept its open approach and continues to support scanners and hardware from other companies.
What are the best alternatives to exocad DentalCAD?
By our Data Index, the strongest alternatives in dental CAD are Clinux (6.2), 3Shape Dental System (6.1), and Medit ClinicCAD (5.7).
Sources18 cited · 18 field-level citations
- exocad Perpetual License Ultimate Bundle · fullarchmasters.com · vendor site
- exocad DentalCAD - gro3x · gro3x.com · vendor site
- DentalCAD | exocad · exocad.com · vendor site
- DentalCAD Upgrade Contract - exocad Shop · shop.exocad.com · pricing page
- For dental technicians | exocad · exocad.com · vendor site
- exocad Reviews and Pricing 2024 - Capterra Singapore · capterra.com.sg · review platform
- Integration Partners | exocad · exocad.com · vendor site
- 3D Printer Integration | exocad · exocad.com · vendor site
- DentalCAD Library Integration | exocad · exocad.com · vendor site
- exocad GmbH | LinkedIn · linkedin.com · review platform
- exocad DentalCAD (German) · exocad.com · vendor site
- Cloud services - exocad · wiki.exocad.com · vendor site
- exocad DentalCAD brochure · bcontent.exocad.com · vendor docs
- DentalCAD Modules – exocad · exocad.com · vendor site
- Our Partners - Reseller · exocad.com · vendor site
- exocad student licenses · exocad.com · vendor site
- GRO3X: exocad DentalCAD licensing · gro3x.com · dealer listing
- exocad shop: DentalCAD upgrade · shop.exocad.com · pricing page
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