What drives the cost
Two things separate a healthcare build from a consumer one. The first is HIPAA: a business associate agreement with every vendor that touches protected health information, encryption at rest and in transit, audit logging, access reviews and a breach process. The second is integration — a product that cannot read or write the record clinicians already use tends not to get adopted.
Both are programme work rather than features, which is why the estimates on this page start higher than a comparable consumer app and why the compliance and security line stays visible in the breakdown.
The three healthcare app scopes
Almost every project in this category lands in one of three scopes. Find yours here, then price it in the calculator.
MVP
2 – 3 months
The smallest version worth putting in front of real users.
Standard
4 – 6 months
A complete product with a custom back end and an admin console.
Advanced
12 – 16 months
Multi-role, real-time and built for national scale.
Where the money goes
The split below is the standard scope above, by share of the build. The calculator turns these shares into itemised dollar figures once it has your answers.
- UI/UX design7%
- Frontend development16%
- Backend development31%
- Features25%
- Infrastructure & DevOps5%
- QA & testing9%
- Project management7%
Cost factors specific to this category
- Protected health information
- The moment the app stores identifiable clinical data, HIPAA applies to the vendors, the infrastructure and the process — not only to the code.
- EHR integration
- FHIR has made this better, not simple. Sandbox access, field mapping and per-organisation quirks make it one of the least predictable lines in a healthcare budget.
- Clinical video
- Telehealth video needs a HIPAA-eligible provider under a BAA, which narrows the vendor list and raises the price relative to consumer video.
- Regulatory posture
- Software that diagnoses or recommends treatment may be a regulated medical device, which changes the project from a build into a submission.
Recommended approach at standard scope
Cross-platform is the right default here
One shared codebase covers this scope comfortably, ships to both stores together and keeps ongoing maintenance with a single team.
A custom backend with a documented API
Your own API keeps business logic off the device, makes an admin console possible, and means a web app or partner integration later is an addition rather than a rewrite.
Cloud architecture proportional to your users
At 10,000–50,000 users a month, managed hosting with monitoring and backups is enough. Keep the infrastructure boring and spend the budget on the product.
Apps in this category
Used only as recognisable reference points for scope and complexity — no affiliation with, or endorsement by, these companies is implied. Products at this scale reflect years of iteration and operating spend that no initial build budget reproduces.
- Teladoc
- MyChart
- Zocdoc
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a healthcare app?
It depends on scope, and the honest answer is a range you have to derive from your own requirements. In the US in 2026 an MVP of a healthcare app takes 2 – 3 months. A standard build with a custom back end and an admin console takes 4 – 6 months. A scaled platform built for national volume takes 12 – 16 months. The calculator prices whichever of those shapes matches your project, itemised by discipline, in US dollars — answer seven questions and the full estimate is shown on screen and emailed to you.
How much does HIPAA compliance add to an app?
For a straightforward patient-facing app, budget a distinct workstream covering BAAs, encryption, audit logging, access control, policies and a security review — it is typically a low-to-mid five-figure addition on top of the build, and it recurs annually as review and training rather than ending at launch.
Do I need EHR integration in version one?
Only if clinicians are the users. Patient-facing products often launch standalone and add integration once there is adoption to justify it. Anything that expects a clinician to work inside it needs to read and write their existing record from day one.
Is my app a regulated medical device?
It depends on what it claims. Tracking, education, scheduling and communication generally sit outside device regulation; software that interprets data to diagnose or direct treatment often sits inside it. That determination belongs to a regulatory professional, and it should be settled before the build starts, not after.
Price your own scope
These are typical scopes, not yours. The calculator prices the exact features, platforms and traffic you have in mind, and shows the itemised breakdown behind the number.