exocad Subscription Guide: DentalCAD Monthly Plans, Flex Licensing, and Setup

DentalCAD subscription guide

The license model is only one part of the decision. This guide connects exocad Flex licensing to bundles, upgrades, AI credits, setup, and the case mix your team intends to design.

An exocad subscription changes the entry point into DentalCAD, not the software's basic purpose. The useful decision is not simply monthly versus Perpetual. It is whether to start with a narrow module set or remove future module decisions from the beginning.

exocad's official name for the subscription model is Flex License. exocad describes Flex as a lower-initial-cost path with regular upgrades included and the ability to activate or deactivate modules. Dentcore's current monthly plans package that license path with setup and support for teams that prefer a month-to-month operating expense over a large software purchase.

Dentcore's most complete monthly plan

Start with Ultimate.

For full-service labs, Ultimate is the cleanest monthly starting point: restorative, implant, model, removable, splint, smile, and full-arch capability under one plan.

$322/mo

See Ultimate monthly

What the subscription changes

A permanent DentalCAD license is an asset the buyer can continue to use. A subscription is access that stays current while the plan remains active. That distinction affects budgeting, but it also affects how a lab plans upgrades and module decisions.

With subscription licensing, regular upgrades are included. That matters more now because DentalCAD releases increasingly connect core design, implant tools, cloud services, and AI-assisted workflows. A team evaluating DentalCAD 3.3 Chemnitz is not only comparing crown-and-bridge functions; it is also deciding how it wants to receive future software improvements.

What stays the same

Subscription does not replace bundle selection. Core, Advanced, Implant, and Ultimate are different capability sets. The license model answers how you access the software; the bundle answers how much of DentalCAD is available to the team.

Core and Advanced suit focused restorative work. Implant is the narrower choice for implant-driven production. Ultimate is Dentcore's preferred starting point for full-service labs because it brings the broad module range together before the next case type creates another purchasing decision.

Why current releases matter

exocad's current DentalCAD 3.3 Chemnitz release adds multi-unit AI Design support in selected markets, a substantially revised Implant Module, and workflow improvements across areas such as Bar Module and Model Creator. For a subscription buyer, the important point is not that every feature fits every lab. It is that access to regular upgrades is part of the license model instead of a separate future purchasing decision.

That lowers one kind of friction: the team does not have to postpone a supported release because an upgrade contract was allowed to lapse. It does not eliminate implementation work. New tools still need validation against the lab's scanners, libraries, manufacturing process, and quality controls.

AI credits are part of the license conversation

exocad publicly states that qualifying Flex licenses in the United States and European Union include 30 License Credits per month. Those credits can be used for supported AI services such as AI Design, TruSmile Photo, and TruSmile Video, subject to software version and regional availability.

Credits should not decide the license by themselves. They are more useful as an operating detail: a lab that plans to use AI Design regularly should confirm the current DentalCAD build, my.exocad account setup, monthly allowance, and how the team will review AI proposals before production.

Who should consider monthly access

• New digital labs that want genuine DentalCAD without making the largest software commitment on day one.
• Existing labs adding a seat for a technician, location, or specific production line.
• Teams whose case mix is changing and that want a cleaner path to a larger bundle when implant, removable, or model work grows.
• Organizations that value current software and want upgrades treated as part of the operating plan.

A stable, high-volume lab that knows its exact long-term configuration may still prefer Perpetual. Subscription is a choice, not a universal replacement. The right answer comes from expected years of use, modules, seat count, and how strongly the team values ownership.

How to evaluate a plan before checkout

1. List the cases you actually design. Separate daily production from cases you might offer someday.
2. Choose the smallest bundle that covers the real case mix. Compare modules, not marketing labels.
3. Confirm the workstation and production path. Scanner input, libraries, output devices, and file handling still matter.
4. Plan onboarding. Account setup, installation, libraries, testing, and technician training should have owners and dates.
5. Confirm current public terms. Use the live plan page or a written quote because availability and pricing can change.