Software of Excellence (EXACT) Alternatives: Modern Cloud Options for UK Practices

Software of Excellence and its EXACT product are among the most established names in UK dental software, so a lot of practices cut their teeth on them. When those practices start looking at a Software of Excellence alternative, it is usually for one of a few reasons: they want a fully cloud system rather than a desktop-plus-cloud hybrid, they want a public booking website built in rather than a portal, or they want simpler, all-inclusive pricing. This guide gives you a fair way to compare, without asserting anything about a competitor's feature set that they have not published themselves.

Why practices look for an alternative

There is no reason to switch software that already does everything your practice needs. The practices that do look around tend to share a shortlist of triggers:

• A preference for a genuinely cloud-native system they can run from any device without a local server.
• Wanting a branded booking website that takes bookings straight into the diary, rather than a separate patient portal.
• Frustration with per-module pricing, where the features you want live in tiers you have to keep upgrading into.
• A mixed NHS and private book that they want to run from one diary and one price list.

If none of those apply to you, stay put. If one or more does, it is worth putting a modern cloud system on your shortlist to compare.

Cloud-native versus hybrid: the question that matters most

The biggest structural difference between the older incumbents and the newer entrants is where the software actually runs. A cloud-native system keeps your data and your updates centrally, so there is no server humming in a cupboard, no overnight backup job to babysit, and no waiting for a desktop patch when a rule changes. If you are weighing this up, our explainer on cloud versus server dental software lays out the trade-offs on cost, security and remote access in plain terms, and our data security and backup guide covers the compliance angle.

A fair comparison checklist

Score each option you consider against the same criteria so the comparison is honest:

• Deployment — fully cloud, or desktop with a cloud layer?
• Booking — a real branded website that feeds the diary, or a login-only portal?
• Funding — NHS, private and plan in one diary, or separate handling?
• Pricing — published and all-inclusive, or quote-based with module upgrades?
• Switching effort — realistic migration time and data handling (see our migration checklist).

Where DentiPoint fits

DentiPoint is a UK-built, fully cloud alternative aimed at practices that want the modern side of every row in that table: one diary for NHS, private and plan; a branded booking website included on every plan; treatment-driven scheduling; and transparent per-practice pricing with every feature included and no upsell tier. See the whole product on our features page, the head-to-head on our Software of Excellence alternative page, and the numbers on pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Is EXACT being discontinued? No — this guide is not about any product going away. It is for practices that have decided they want a more modern, cloud-native, booking-led system and want to compare their options fairly.

Will I lose my patient history if I switch? A proper migration brings your patient records and history across. Ask any vendor exactly what transfers and what does not before you commit; our switching guide lists the questions.

How do the costs compare? Compare true totals, not headline prices — our UK cost guide shows how per-module pricing and add-ons change the real figure. Independent reviews on Capterra UK are a useful sense-check alongside a hands-on trial.

The best alternative is the one that scores highest against your own requirements. Decide what you actually want to change, then run two or three trials and let the software prove it.