Two platforms, one goal
exocad DentalCAD and 3Shape Dental System are the two most widely used CAD platforms in dental laboratories worldwide. Both produce high-quality crown and bridge designs — the differences are in licensing model, flexibility and how each fits into a lab's existing workflow.
exocad: open and modular
exocad is known for its open architecture. It imports standard STL scans from virtually any intraoral or desktop scanner and exports open files for any milling machine or printer. Modules are purchased separately, so a lab pays only for the indications it actually designs — crowns, implants, dentures, bars or aligners.
Because of this openness, exocad is the platform most remote design services work in, and the easiest to integrate into a mixed workflow with equipment from different manufacturers.
3Shape: tightly integrated ecosystem
3Shape Dental System is built around the TRIOS scanner ecosystem. For clinics scanning with TRIOS and labs receiving cases through 3Shape Communicate, the integration is seamless: case details, scans and design requests move in one connected flow.
The trade-off is a more closed environment. Labs working with many scanner brands sometimes find the ecosystem less flexible, though 3Shape does support open file import and export.
Which should you choose?
For most independent laboratories — and for anyone outsourcing design — exocad's open file compatibility makes it the more flexible choice. For clinic-lab pairs already invested in TRIOS, 3Shape's integration saves time on case management.
In practice, the design quality depends far more on the designer than the platform. A well-set margin line, correct occlusion and a natural emergence profile come from experience, not software branding.
Working with a design service
A remote design partner working in exocad can deliver files that open in either ecosystem, so you are not locked into a platform decision to try outsourcing. DM Dental Design works primarily in exocad, with 3Shape, RealGUIDE and Blender where the case calls for it — and always delivers open, production-ready files.