Orthia AI is ahead on PMS integrations and insurance verification today. If live Dolphin or Ortho2 integration is your single deciding factor, Orthia ships that now and Rune does not yet. That's the honest answer.
Rune is the broader play. It's not just an answering service — it pairs with Gleam (AI review management) and Flint (speed-to-lead form follow-up) to automate the full new-patient acquisition loop. Orthia answers your calls. Rune, Gleam, and Flint handle everything from the first form submission to the 5-star review. Both are month-to-month. You can test either without commitment.
Side by Side
Every row is based on publicly available information. Where we're uncertain, we say so.
| Feature | Rune (LucraLab) | Orthia AI |
|---|---|---|
| Answers inbound calls 24/7Core voice AI function | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Books consultations / appointmentsDirect calendar booking | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| HIPAA-compliant · BAA includedMandatory for patient data | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Month-to-month, no contractCancel any time | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Ortho-specific call handlingInvisalign, braces, retainers, consult types | ✓ Configured per practice | ✓ Built exclusively for ortho |
| Live PMS integrationReads/writes your schedule in real time | ⚠ In developmentVia Sikka ONE API — launching mid-2026 | ✓ Live AheadCloud 9, Dolphin, Ortho2, OrthoTrac, Dentrix Ascend |
| Real-time insurance verificationConfirms coverage during the call | ⚠ In testingEarly access available for select practices | ✓ Live Ahead |
| Speed-to-lead form follow-upCalls web form submissions within 5 minutes | ✓ Flint product Rune onlyIdentifies as AI, qualifies, books | ✗ Not available |
| Review management (Google)AI drafts replies to every Google review | ✓ Gleam product Rune onlyOwner approves in 2 taps, then posts | ✗ Not available |
| Full CRM / marketing stackLead tracking, automations, pipelines | ✓ Powered by GoHighLevelCRM, SMS, email, automation included | ✗ Standalone voice product |
| Caller spell-back + verificationReads back name, email, phone before booking | ✓ Yes — confirmed by tool, not guessed | Unknown |
| Scam / sales call detectionEnds cold calls without involving doctor | ✓ Pitch detection, ended in ~8 sec | Unknown |
| Whisper briefing before transferDoctor hears caller context before picking up | ✓ Private briefing, doctor accepts or declines | Unknown |
| Public pricing listedCan evaluate cost without a sales call | ✗ Contact us | ✓ $399/$499/mo Ahead |
| Disclosed as AI to callersCaller knows they're talking to AI | ✓ Always — by design | Not confirmed publicly |
| Setup timeFrom contract to live calls | ✓ 48 hours | ✓ Under 1 hour (per Orthia) |
Where Each Platform Leads
Skip the spin. Here's what actually differentiates each product.
Where Orthia is ahead — and we mean it
PMS integration is live. Orthia connects directly to Cloud 9, Dolphin Management, Ortho2 Edge, OrthoTrac, and Dentrix Ascend today. Rune's integrations are in development via the Sikka ONE API. If your team is expecting a booking to appear in Dolphin without anyone touching a keyboard, Orthia delivers that right now.
Insurance verification during the call. Orthia verifies insurance coverage in real time while the caller is on the phone. This eliminates the back-and-forth your front desk currently handles. Rune is testing this capability with select practices — it is not yet generally available.
Transparent pricing. Orthia lists $399/month (after-hours and overflow) and $499/month (full 24/7) publicly. You can evaluate budget fit without talking to anyone. Rune's pricing requires a conversation — which is a real friction point if you just want to know the number.
Ortho-only focus. Orthia is built solely for orthodontic practices. Every workflow, every default, every edge case is ortho-first. Rune is ortho-configured — it handles ortho calls well — but it's a broader platform that serves multiple verticals.
Where Rune leads — and why it changes the math
The full new-patient funnel, not just the phone. Answering calls is one piece of patient acquisition. The family that submits your free consult form at 9 PM on a Tuesday — while Orthia is answering your phones — gets called by Flint within 5 minutes. The Harvard Business Review 7x rule is real: the first practice to respond to an inquiry wins that family at 7x the rate of everyone else. Orthia has no equivalent to Flint. Neither does any other AI receptionist we're aware of.
Review management closes the loop. 97% of families research a practice before booking a consult (BrightLocal 2026). 56% change their opinion based on how a practice responds to reviews. Gleam drafts a reply to every Google review your practice receives — owner approves in 2 taps, then it posts. Orthia has no review management product. Neither does any other AI receptionist we're aware of. The practices that win on Google Reviews are the ones that respond to every one of them.
Honest AI by design. Rune never confirms an appointment it hasn't actually booked. It reads back every piece of caller data before acting. If a tool fails, it tells the caller honestly and offers a real backup plan. This isn't marketing copy — it's an architectural constraint. You can test it yourself: call (253) 340-8863 and see exactly what your patients will hear.
Full CRM and marketing automation. Rune is powered by GoHighLevel — which means every call, every lead, every booking lands in a CRM with follow-up automations, SMS sequences, and pipeline tracking. Orthia is a standalone voice layer with no CRM component. If you want to see your new-patient funnel, track case acceptance, or run nurture sequences on prospects who didn't book, Rune's stack does this. Orthia does not.
What Each Platform Costs
Orthia publishes pricing. Rune doesn't yet — we'll fix that. Here's what we can say honestly.
Orthia pricing sourced from orthia.io as of May 2026. Rune pricing on request — call (253) 340-8863 or email us.
Which One Is Right for Your Practice?
Honest answer: it depends on what problem you're trying to solve.
Consider Orthia if...
- Live PMS integration is non-negotiable. Your team needs bookings to appear in Dolphin or Ortho2 automatically, right now, without workarounds.
- Insurance verification is a daily pain point. You lose time on every call verifying coverage. Orthia handles this live during the call today.
- You want a known price before talking to anyone. Orthia's $399/$499 pricing lets you budget without a sales call.
- You only need the phone answered. You're not looking for review management, speed-to-lead, or a CRM. Just calls handled well.
Consider Rune if...
- You're losing leads from web forms, not just calls. Flint calls form submissions within 5 minutes. Families submit to 2–3 practices simultaneously — first call wins.
- Your Google Reviews are going unanswered. 56% of families change their mind about a practice based on how it responds to reviews. Gleam handles every reply.
- You want a full CRM and follow-up system. Every call, lead, and booking tracked. Nurture sequences, pipelines, SMS follow-up — all included in the GHL stack.
- You can wait 4–8 weeks for PMS integration. Rune's Dolphin + Ortho2 integration is launching mid-2026. If the timeline works, you get the full stack at launch.