How we score
One 100-point rubric for every tool. We give points only for evidence we can link to, and nothing is guessed.
Scores are shown out of 85 (tested so far). Hands-on accuracy testing (15 pts) pending: no tool has had its 15-point accuracy test yet, so every score is X/85 until it does. Ranking order is unaffected.
Updated 2026-10-14: this is a dental-first site, so integration with dental practice-management software now counts for 25 points (up from 15). Pricing (15→12), setup (10→8), support (10→8) and contract terms (10→7) were reduced to make room. All reviews were rescored. See the corrections log.
25 pts
Integrations (dental PMS / EHR)
20 pts
HIPAA / BAA availability
15 pts
Accuracy / output quality
12 pts
Pricing transparency
8 pts
Setup effort
8 pts
Support
7 pts
Contract terms
5 pts
Specialty fit (dental)
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| HIPAA / BAA availability | 20 |
| Integrations (dental PMS / EHR) | 25 |
| Pricing transparency | 12 |
| Accuracy / output quality | 15 |
| Setup effort | 8 |
| Support | 8 |
| Contract terms | 7 |
| Specialty fit (dental) | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Evidence levels
- L1, desk review: public vendor pages only. Scores are "preliminary". Accuracy scores 0 until tested.
- L2, vendor demo: claims confirmed on screen in a recorded demo.
- L3, hands-on test: our own trial with a standard script and synthetic data only. We never use real patient data.
- L4, practice-verified: confirmed by two or more real practices.
Desk-review scoring guide (L1)
| Criterion | How points are given at L1 |
|---|---|
| HIPAA / BAA (20) | BAA text public: 18–20 · BAA stated, text not public or plan-limited: 14–16 · BAA only implied or limited to a higher tier, unclear for small practices: 10 · HIPAA claim, no BAA statement: up to 8 · nothing found: 0 · vendor says it's not HIPAA-compliant: 0 |
| Integrations (25) | Named major dental PMS (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, Denticon, Curve...) with read/write claimed: up to 22 (25 only after a demo shows write-back) · some named, or write-back unclear: 13–18 · generic only (Zapier, calendars): 5 · medical EHRs only: 4 · none stated: 3 |
| Pricing transparency (12) | All tiers + overage public: 12 · public but partial or ambiguous: 9–11 · "starting from" only: 6 · contact sales / demo only: 2 |
| Accuracy (15) | 0 until L3 testing |
| Setup effort (8) | Self-serve, documented: up to 6 · stated onboarding process or timeline: 4 · not stated: 2 |
| Support (8) | Live channels or hours stated: 4–5 · generic claim: 3 · not stated: 2 |
| Contract terms (7) | Month-to-month / no contract stated: 6 · some terms stated: 2–5 · not found: 1 |
| Specialty fit (5) | Dental-only: 5 · dental is a main market: 3–4 · general: 1–2 |
The BAA gate
A tool can't be a "top pick" or appear in "best" lists unless the vendor publicly states it will sign a BAA, whatever its total score.
Rules for facts
- Prices, features and HIPAA/BAA statements are quoted from the vendor, with a link and the date checked. Anything we can't confirm is marked unverified.
- We never say a vendor "is HIPAA compliant". We report what the vendor says. HIPAA has no official certification.
- We don't repeat third-party price reports as fact.
Update schedule
- Pricing and security pages: checked weekly for changes, then re-verified by a person.
- Every review fully re-checked every 90 days. A stale-review banner appears after 120 days.
- Corrections: acknowledged within 5 business days and logged publicly.