Short answer: LabStar was acquired by 3Shape in January 2023 and rebranded as 3Shape LMS. Customer migration started in July 2023, and all remaining LabStar sites reached end of life on 31 August 2024, when the sites and their data were permanently deleted.
You cannot buy LabStar today. Below is the timeline, what your options are, and an honest look at how SimpleLabOS compares with 3Shape LMS if you run a small dental lab.
January 2023
3Shape announced the acquisition of LabStar, the US cloud-based dental lab management system. LabStar stopped being sold as an independent product.
July 2023
LabStar was rebranded as 3Shape LMS, and LabStar customers began moving from their LabStar sites to 3Shape LMS.
31 August 2024
All remaining LabStar sites reached end of life on 31 August 2024. The sites and the data on them were permanently deleted.
There is no wrong answer here. It depends on how much of the 3Shape ecosystem you already use and how much software you actually need.
If you migrated in 2023 or 2024, your data is already there and your team knows the screens. If you also run 3Shape scanners or CAD software, staying inside one vendor’s ecosystem is a real advantage. This is the path of least disruption.
A forced migration is also a natural moment to ask whether the software still fits. Small labs often find they were paying for a feature set built for a much bigger operation. If you are re-opening the decision anyway, compare on price, seat model, and how quickly a new tech can pick it up.
Some labs let their LabStar site lapse and went back to paper or spreadsheets. Those sites and their data are gone, so there is nothing to reconnect to. You are effectively starting fresh, which means you can pick on merit rather than on switching cost.
3Shape LMS is the live successor to LabStar, so it is the fair comparison. Where 3Shape does not publish a number, we say so rather than guess.
| SimpleLabOS | 3Shape LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Status today | Live, sold directly | Live, sold by 3Shape and its resellers |
| Entry pricing | $29/mo, then $69/mo and $149/mo | From €79/month for 100 cases (3Shape lists this as a limited-time discount), with higher case-volume tiers above it |
| Setup fee | $0 | Not published — ask 3Shape or your reseller |
| Contract | No annual contract, cancel anytime | Not published — ask 3Shape or your reseller |
| Trial | 14-day trial. A card is required up front but is not charged during the trial | 3Shape advertises a "2 months free" promotion on its LMS pricing page |
| Doctor / clinic logins | Free and unlimited — only lab staff use paid seats | Not published — ask 3Shape or your reseller |
| Scanner and CAD ecosystem | Scanner-neutral. Cases can be created automatically from scanner notification emails — this is not a live API link to any scanner vendor | Built by 3Shape, so it sits inside 3Shape’s own scanner and CAD ecosystem |
| Case types | Crown & bridge plus removable / denture | Broad dental lab coverage — check the current feature list with 3Shape |
| Getting paid | Online invoice payments via Stripe, plus QuickBooks and Xero invoice export | Not published — ask 3Shape or your reseller |
| Security posture | AES-256 encryption and audit logs. HIPAA-conscious, and a BAA is something we are happy to discuss | Ask 3Shape for its current security and compliance documentation |
3Shape LMS pricing above is taken from 3Shape’s own LMS page. It is quoted in euros, is flagged there as a limited-time discount, and 3Shape asks you to contact it or a reseller for regional pricing. Check it directly before you budget.
You have been moved once already. You deserve a straight answer about what moving again would actually involve, so here it is.
We have no data-import tool for LabStar or 3Shape LMS. We will not tell you we can lift your case history across, because we cannot. Anyone who promises that without seeing your export first is guessing.
What we do import is your price list. Products, prices, quantity tiers, and per-doctor pricing can come in from Excel, which is usually the most tedious part of setting up any new system.
Most labs start with open cases and their doctor list. Closed history stays where it is, in your old system or in whatever exports you already hold. Running both systems in parallel for a couple of weeks is the usual approach.
Get your export before you cancel anything. The LabStar shutdown is a reminder that data you cannot download is data you do not control. Whatever you decide, pull your records out first.
Doctor-portal logins are free and unlimited. Your accounts check case status and upload files without adding to your bill, so signing up another practice never costs you more.
Crown & bridge and removable / denture case types, invoices priced from your own price list, online invoice payments through Stripe, and invoice export to QuickBooks or Xero.
AES-256 encryption and audit logs are standard. We build HIPAA-conscious and we are happy to discuss a BAA with you rather than hand-wave at a compliance badge.
Cases can also be created automatically from the notification emails your scanner platform sends. To be precise about it: that reads the email, it is not a live API connection to a scanner vendor.
No. 3Shape acquired LabStar in January 2023 and rebranded it as 3Shape LMS. Customer migration started in July 2023, and all remaining LabStar sites reached end of life on 31 August 2024, when the sites and their data were permanently deleted. You cannot buy or log in to LabStar today.
3Shape LMS is the direct successor. It is the same lineage of product, now built and sold by 3Shape as part of its dental portfolio. If you liked LabStar and want continuity, 3Shape LMS is the closest thing to it.
LabStar sites and the data on them were permanently deleted after the 31 August 2024 end-of-life date. If you migrated to 3Shape LMS, your data went with you and 3Shape holds it. If you exported files or reports before the shutdown, those local copies are what you still have.
We want to be straight with you: no. SimpleLabOS has no data-import tool for LabStar or 3Shape LMS, and we do not have a migration service that moves your case history for you. The one import we do have is an Excel price-list import, which covers products, prices, and per-doctor pricing. Most labs that come to us start with their doctor list and their open cases, and leave closed history where it is. If you want to talk through what that would look like for your lab, get in touch and we will be honest about what is and is not possible.
Pricing pages, review round-ups, and blog posts that quote LabStar monthly fees or setup fees are describing a product that stopped being sold independently in 2023 and was shut down in 2024. Treat any LabStar price you find as historical. For current numbers, look at 3Shape LMS pricing or at the alternatives you are actually evaluating.
SimpleLabOS is $29/mo, $69/mo, or $149/mo per month with a $0 setup fee and no annual contract. There is a 14-day trial; a card is required to start but it is not charged during the trial, and you can cancel anytime.
Look at the dental workflow, check the pricing page, or start a 14-day trial and run it alongside whatever you use today.