Lumina vs Dentally
Both cloud-based. Both built for UK dental practices. But the approach, architecture, and pricing are fundamentally different. Here's how they compare.
At a Glance
| Lumina | Dentally | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes - Starter Practice | No |
| Starting price | Free (paid from £199/mo) | From £195/mo |
| Per-surgery charges | No - unlimited surgeries | Per-surgery pricing historically |
| Patient portal included | Yes - all plans | Yes - all plans |
| AI clinical documentation | Built-in, all plans | Usage-capped (45-90/mo per surgery) |
| Clinical charting | Built by dentists, surface + root views | Available, common user complaints |
| Multi-practice management | Dedicated Admin app | Supported |
| UK data residency | Yes - UK data centres | Cloud-hosted (Google) |
| Ownership | Independent | Henry Schein One |
| Transparent pricing | Yes - published on site | Indicative, tailored proposals |
| Data export | Full export, all plans | Available |
Traditional PMS vs Lumina Core
Dentally is a cloud-based PMS. Lumina Core is a clinical operating system. The difference is in the depth.
Charting Built by Dentists
Lumina's charting was designed by a practicing dentist. Surface views, root views, full tooth history, periodontal recording, and structured exams, all built for clinical depth, not just ticking boxes. Dentally's charting is a frequent source of user complaints.
AI Without Usage Caps
Lumina Scribe is built into your clinical workflow, not layered on top with a separate subscription. Every plan includes AI documentation with generous allowances. Dentally caps AI transcriptions at 45-90 per surgery per month depending on plan.
Chair to Payment
Sessions become billable automatically. Payments in practice or online. Inventory with expiry tracking. Lab work tracked visually. One workflow from clinical to operational, with no disconnected systems.
Intelligent Booking
Drag-and-drop calendar with AI-assisted booking management. Managed diaries that work with your clinical workflow, not against it. Checklists, emergency alerts, and live patient status, all in one view.
How Lumina Admin Compares
Dentally supports multi-site practices. Lumina Admin is a dedicated operations intelligence platform built for it.
What Makes Lumina Different
Beyond features, the fundamental approach is different.
Transparent Pricing
Published pricing. No "indicative" quotes. No mandatory onboarding fees. No per-surgery charges that scale against you. Start free, upgrade when you're ready.
Independent Company
Lumina is independently owned by its founders, a software engineer and a practicing dentist. Not part of a corporate dental conglomerate. Your data stays yours, your feedback shapes the product.
Three Surfaces, One System
Clinical (Core), operational (Admin), and patient-facing (Portal) are three purpose-built surfaces of the same system. Not modules bolted together. Data flows between them natively.
Built by a Dentist
Dr Georgina Moore co-founded Lumina because she was frustrated with the tools she had. Every clinical workflow, every charting interaction, every care plan has been designed by someone who's used it chairside.
UK Data Residency
All data encrypted and hosted in UK data centres with full GDPR compliance. Organisation-level data isolation. Not hosted on shared infrastructure under a multinational corporate umbrella.
No Lock-In
Cancel anytime with no fees. Full data export on every plan. Your data stays accessible for 2 years after cancellation. We earn your business every month.
Further reading
- What to look for in a dental PMS →
A practical guide to the features that matter when switching systems.
- Stop bolting tools onto SOE, R4 and Dentally →
Why extra AI and automation add-ons should be part of your PMS, not billed separately.
- Passwordless login for dental practices →
How Lumina replaces passwords with one-time codes, passkeys and SSO by default.
Ready to see the difference?
Unlike anyone else on the market, there's no mandatory demo or sales call. Get started for free. It's quick, easy, and no contact required.