Comparison

ADA Chairside Instructor vs Spear Online

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ADA Chairside Instructor

This app provides dental professionals with a comprehensive visual guide for patient education. It features over 250 full-color images and 25 animations covering a wide range of dental topics, from prevention to complex restorations. Users can also draw on images and email them to patients.

Highlights
  • 250+ full-color dental images
  • 25 animations
  • Draw on images and email
  • iCloud photo access
  • Upload from Camera Roll
  • English and Spanish text
  • WiFi printing
  • Favorites list
Features
Read full description

Chairside Instructor - the best-selling dental case guide from the American Dental Association – is now available as an app for iPhone and iPad! With over 250 full-color dental images and 25 animations, the ADA Chairside Instructor App is your all-in-one resource for visual patient education. Content covers a wide range of prevention and treatment topics, including hygiene; anatomy; x-rays; periodontal disease; decay; crown, bridge, dentures, root canal, and other restorations; orthodontics; cosmetic treatment; TMJ; pathologies; and now cracked tooth and bruxism. Ideal for patient education or as a teaching tool for dental assistants. Eight categories include Oral Anatomy, Prevention and Diagnosis, Gum Disease, Caries and Restorations, Tooth Replacement, Orthodontics, Cosmetic Options, and Other Oral Conditions.  Also includes effects of sugar on oral health; steps of filling a cavity; tooth erosion; gum recession; peri-implantitis; and tobacco use. - Plus, these award-winning features: - 51 new/revised full-color images - Show 25 silent animations on your device. - Draw on pictures and email them to patients. - Access pictures across multiple devices from iCloud. - Upload photos from your own Camera Roll - Includes both English and Spanish text - WiFi printing - Add frequently viewed topics to your Favorites list for quick access or create your own - Use in both portrait and landscape orientation for both iPhone and iPad - Download on up to 6 devices for your dental team to use

About

Spear Online

Access dental continuing education courses and earn CE credits on your mobile device. This app offers over 2,300 video lessons and coursework covering a wide range of dental topics for the entire practice team.

Highlights
  • Mobile dental continuing education
  • Earn CE credits on the go
  • Over 2,300 video lessons
  • CE-eligible coursework
  • Practice team development
  • Restorative and clinical pathways
Read full description

With the Spear Online app, you have added versatility with your dental continuing education and the ability to complete CE credits from your mobile device at home or on the go. Dentistry’s Most Innovative Online Learning Resource Sharpen your skills with more than 2,300 video lessons and CE-eligible coursework that includes prescribed curricula and pathways on everything from common restorative challenges to advanced clinical issues, in addition to other multimedia to support the development of the entire practice team. Visit speareducation.com for more about Spear Online - your “Gateway to Great Dentistry.”

Screenshots

ADA Chairside Instructor3 screens
Spear Online4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Spear Online at 4.9 against ADA Chairside Instructor's 3.3. Spear Online also leads on ratings volume (821 vs 8) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spear Online holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spear Online has 821 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of ADA Chairside Instructor's written reviews are positive against 64% of Spear Online's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ADA Chairside Instructor ships an update every 7 months, Spear Online every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ADA Chairside Instructor versus Spear Online: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterADA Chairside InstructorSpear Online
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (8 ratings)4.9 (821 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews63.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8821 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size192 MB70 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperAmerican Dental AssociationSpear Education, LLC

Customer experience

ADA Chairside Instructor

All ratings8 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Spear Online

All ratings783 ratings
Positive97.8%
Neutral1.3%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral13.6%
Negative22.7%

Bugs and requests

ADA Chairside Instructor

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Spear Online

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • New version broken for iPhone users
  • Courses not showing up

Requested features

3 requests
  • Casting capabilities
  • Access to Master Program and Study Club info
  • Add Study Club icon

In-app purchases

None

ADA Chairside Instructor

No in-app purchases

None

Spear Online

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ADA Chairside Instructor free?
ADA Chairside Instructor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spear Online free?
Spear Online is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ADA Chairside Instructor or Spear Online?
Spear Online is rated higher. ADA Chairside Instructor averages 3.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Spear Online averages 4.9 from 821 ratings.
Do ADA Chairside Instructor or Spear Online have ads?
Neither ADA Chairside Instructor nor Spear Online shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ADA Chairside Instructor or Spear Online?
ADA Chairside Instructor ships an update every 7 months, and Spear Online every 2 months. Most recently, ADA Chairside Instructor was updated on October 23, 2026 and Spear Online on October 29, 2026.

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