What optical store software should cost

Most optical software vendors don't publish a price, and the ones that do rarely show the whole bill. The monthly fee is usually the smallest surprise. This guide covers what you will actually be charged for, the ranges stores are paying, and how to compare quotes fairly.

How optical software is priced

There are three common models, and the one a vendor uses tells you a lot about who the product is built for.

• Per location. One fee for each store, however many staff use it. This suits dispensaries, where several opticians and front-desk staff share the software all day.
• Per provider or per doctor. The fee scales with the number of optometrists. This is the usual model for EHR-first products, where the exam room is the centre of the business.
• Modules. A base price, with optical point of sale, billing, inventory, recalls or e-prescribing sold separately. The headline number looks low; the useful configuration does not.

None of these is wrong. The problem is comparing a per-location quote with a per-provider quote without converting both to what your store would pay.

What stores are paying

Published prices and industry estimates as of late 2026, in US dollars:

Product type	Typical monthly cost	Notes
Dispensary-first, published price	about $259 to $400 per location	Often plus a one-time setup fee per location
EHR-first, per provider	about $300 to $700+ per provider	Full module sets push toward the top of the range
Quote-only suites	broadly $200 to $800 per provider	Priced by size, providers and modules

These ranges come from vendors' own pricing pages, marketplace listings and published estimates. They move, so treat them as a sanity check rather than a quote.

The costs that aren't on the pricing page

This is where most of the money goes. Ask about each one in writing.

1. Setup and migration. Moving patients, prescriptions and purchase history out of your old system is skilled work. Some vendors include it, some bill hourly, some hand you a spreadsheet template. Setup fees from a few hundred to several thousand dollars are common, sometimes charged per location.
2. Add-ons. Text messaging, e-prescribing, device integrations, online booking and patient portals are often listed separately. Price the version you will actually use, not the base plan.
3. Payments. Some vendors require their own card processing. Compare the processing rate as well as the software fee; a fraction of a percent on every sale can outweigh the subscription.
4. Lab and catalogue connections. Electronic lab ordering and frame catalogues can involve their own subscriptions. A frame catalogue service, for example, is usually paid by the store directly, separately from the software.
5. Training. Find out how many sessions are included and what extra training costs when you hire.
6. Hardware. Barcode scanners, label printers, receipt printers and card terminals. Check which models are supported before you buy.
7. Getting your data out. Ask what an export costs if you ever leave, and in what format. A vendor that charges to release your own records is telling you something.

Compare on a three-year total

Monthly fees are easy to compare and misleading on their own. Add everything up over three years for your actual store:

(monthly fee × locations or providers × 36) + setup + add-ons × 36 + training + hardware

A worked example for a two-location dispensary with no optometrist on site:

	Vendor A	Vendor B
Monthly fee	$259 × 2	$399 + $349
Setup	$1,000 × 2	$1,500 once
Texting add-on	$40 a month	included
Three-year total	about $22,100	about $28,400

On these assumptions the cheaper monthly fee wins, but change one line (another location, an add-on you need, a migration billed by the hour) and the order can flip. Do the sum with your own numbers.

Questions to ask every vendor

• Is the price per location, per provider or per user, and what counts as a user?
• What exactly is included, and what is an add-on?
• What does setup cost, is it per location, and what does it include?
• Who moves my data, what comes across, and what doesn't?
• What does it cost to leave, and how do I get a full export?
• Is there a contract term or cancellation fee?
• Are prices in US or Canadian dollars, and are taxes extra?

The short version

Ask for a written three-year total, including setup, add-ons and the cost of leaving. A vendor that is confident in its price will give you one. If the number only appears after the demo, compare it with one you can see published, and decide on the whole bill, not the monthly line.