What is the Cost of Developing a Healthcare Mobile App? 

Before COVID-19, healthcare apps were helpful. After COVID-19, they became essential.

What was once seen as a convenience quickly became a lifeline for healthcare professionals, patients, and entire healthcare systems around the world. Overnight, the expectations for the digital healthcare industry changed.

Doctors needed new ways to reach patients remotely. Patients demanded safe, easy access to care from their phones. And healthcare organizations were suddenly tasked with going digital, fast.

Let’s look at the numbers to see just how big that shift was

More people owned smartphones after the pandemic than before. Since mobile health apps work on smartphones, millions more people could now use digital health tools.

 Public attention to health information online skyrocketed from 69.8%-81.5%, showing a major increase in digital health awareness and engagement.

The use of internet hospitals (or digital clinics) went from 1.6% to 12.9%, as patients leaned into virtual care.

Interestingly, overall mHealth app use is going to increase somewhat 14.1% CAGR by 2030. This is probably a sign of users getting more selective and interested in health-related apps that serve their purposes.

Mental health apps, though, showed the reverse pattern: in one survey, active user numbers more than doubled, session durations rose, and individuals opened the apps more frequently. So, there is enough evidence of an increasing need for emotional and mental well-being support. Then, what about the cost of developing a healthcare mobile app?

Source: https://www.prismetric.com/

In the UK, the NHS App surged from 5 million users in 2021 to 33.6 million by 2023, largely due to features like digital vaccine passports and appointment bookings.

So, what does all this mean if you’re planning to build a healthcare app today?

It means opportunity and pressure.

Healthcare apps are now expected to do more, serve more, and comply with more regulations than ever before. It’s not enough to launch a good-looking app. It needs to be secure, scalable, compliant, and genuinely useful to users whose expectations are higher than they’ve ever been.

And here’s the hard truth: if you don’t understand the real cost of building a healthcare app in this new landscape from app design and development phase to hipaa compliance, integration, and app maintenance you’re likely to burn through your budget fast, build the wrong features, or worse, launch an app that never gets used.

That’s where this guide comes in. The shift in digital transformation is now clear. Let’s explore what types of healthcare apps exist and how their purposes shape development costs.

Types of Healthcare Apps & Their Costs

The cost of developing a healthcare mobile app is determined by what problem you’re trying to solve and for whom you’re doing it.

Telemedicine apps that are created by large organizations like the Cleveland Clinic provide Virtual consultations, scheduling appointments, and distance care, and usually cost between   $120,000 to $200,000.

EHR apps like MyChart permit patients to view their medical history and lab reports digitally. This can range from $80,000 to $150,000.

Care management apps for chronic care, for example, Livongo, follow vitals of blood glucose and blood pressure in the home environment, and the project cost of building this app ranges anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000, contingent on device connection, data storage, and handling.

Source: https://bluewhaleapps.com/

Mental wellness and healthcare apps such as Headspace provide therapy techniques, guided meditation, and also monitor the stress levels of patients with a development budget ranging from $60,000 to $180,000.

The cost of developing a healthcare or remote patient monitoring app varies widely, typically between $40,000 and $300,000, depending on factors like advanced technologies used, medical facilities’ needs.

At the premium level, AI-driven diagnostic apps such as Zebra Medical Vision or Skin Vision, that employ machine learning to make early disease detection are classified as Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) and cost around $250,000 to $500,000 to develop because of its complex nature, clinical validation, and adhere very strictly to regulation.

Now that we’ve broken down the costs by app type, it’s time to understand how different pricing models and team structures influence your final development budget.

Cost Estimation Formula for Healthcare App Development

So, how much does it cost to build a healthcare app? The answer here depends on some main factors like app model or the pricing model you choose. 

There are three common models: hourly rates, where you pay for the time developers spend; fixed-price, where you agree on a total cost upfront based on the project scope; and feature-based pricing, where each feature is priced separately. 

Source: https://successive.tech/

Each model has its pros and cons. Hourly gives you flexibility, fixed helps with budget control, and feature-based lets you prioritize exactly what you need. Your total cost also depends on your team size and project timeline. 

The more team members or the more experienced the team is, costs for healthcare application development increase, but the completion time reduces. The budget estimation, a rough formula that can be used, is:

Cost = Development Time × Hourly Rate × Team Size.

Where

Development time is the total number of hours or months required to complete the app.

The hourly rate is charged by the developers. It can vary based on their location and expertise.

Team size is nothing but the number of developers and professionals working on the project 

This gives you a rough idea, but the actual amount can vary based on app complexity, platforms (iOS or Android), and additional features like AI, video calls, or integration with medical devices, which may increase costs. Let’s see how that alone can dramatically drive your app’s cost.

How App Complexity Increases Healthcare App Development Costs?

The complexity of a healthcare app plays a significant role in determining the development process cost, timeline, and overall effort required. Here’s a breakdown of different levels of app complexity, outlining the features, timeframes, and estimated costs for each.

Complexity Level	Features & Characteristics	Development Time	Estimated Cost Range
Basic Apps	Essential features like user profiles, appointment scheduling, and push notifications.	2-4 months	$15,000 – $50,000
IntermediateApps	Includes basic features + integration with third-party systems (e.g., EHR), Multi-factor authentication.	4-6 months	$50,000 – $150,000
Advanced Apps	Custom development, AI and IoT integration, and data security protocols.	6-12 months	$150,000 – $500,000+
Dual-Purpose (Both Patients & Providers)	Multiple user roles, tailored interfaces for patients and providers, and complex data handling.	8-12 months	$100,000 – $400,000

But complexity isn’t just about features, it’s also about the technology behind those features. So let’s dig into how advanced functionalities impact your budget.

How Do Extra Features Impact Your Healthcare App’s Cost?

Adding extra features to a healthcare app can make it more expensive, depending on how difficult they are to build and how much time they take.

For example, using Artificial Intelligence in medical diagnosis or machine learning to give personal health tips or analyze data costs more. These features need experts and more time to create.

Connecting the app to wearables or fitness trackers to track health in real-time is also tricky. It costs more, especially if the app has to work with many different devices.

Feature	Estimated Cost Range
AI/ML Integration	$40,000 – $100,000+
Wearable Device Integration	$20,000 – $60,000
Live Virtual Consultations	$30,000 – $80,000
EHR System Integration	$40,000 – $100,000+
Voice Assistant / Chatbot (NLP)	$25,000 – $70,000
Advanced Security Features	$20,000 – $50,000+
Real-Time Analytics Dashboards	$15,000 – $40,000
Multilingual Support	$10,000 – $30,000
Accessibility Enhancements	$8,000 – $25,000
Interoperability with External Systems	$20,000 – $60,000

Adding live video calls for doctor visits also increases the cost. You need good video systems and have to follow health rules for online care.

If the app connects with hospital systems to get patient records, called EHR integration, that also adds to the cost because of the need for strong data encryption and special connections.

Features like voice assistants or chatbots, which help app users collect information using speech or text, also take more time and money to build.

On top of that, adding things like stronger security such as multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and following health privacy laws like HIPAA), real-time data tracking dashboards, support for multiple languages, better accessibility for people with disabilities, and connections to pharmacies, labs, or insurance systems can also make the app more expensive and harder to build.

Each of these features comes with its challenges. When you put them all together, they can increase the total cost. So, the cost of developing a healthcare mobile app can increase according to the effort needed to develop your app.

Beyond the features themselves, who you hire and where they’re based also play a crucial role in determining your total development costs.

How Much Do Developers Charge for Healthcare App Development Around the World?

The cost of hiring developers for your healthcare app depends on where they are located. In the United States and Canada, developers charge the highest rates, usually between $100 and $200 per hour or more, because of the high cost of living and their advanced skills.

In Western Europe, the rates are a bit lower, typically ranging from $60 to $150 per hour, depending on the country and the developer’s expertise.

Source: https://orangesoft.co/

Eastern Europe offers more affordable options, with hourly rates ranging from $30 to $80, and the developers there still have strong technical skills.

Asia, particularly countries like India and China, has the lowest rates, ranging from $20 to $50 per hour. This makes them a popular choice for companies looking to reduce development process costs. Even with a solid budget, hidden costs can sneak in and derail your plan. Here’s what you should watch out for.

Hidden Costs in Healthcare App Development You Should Know About

You’ll need to pay for hosting and cloud services to store health data securely and keep your app running 24/7. These costs depend on your app’s size and user traffic, typically ranging from $100 to over $1,000 per month.

App store and platform fees are another expense. To publish your Android apps, you’ll pay a one-time $25 fee for Google Play or $99 per year for Apple’s App Store. If you offer in-app purchases, expect to give up 15–30% of that generate revenue to the platform.

Source: https://www.ailoitte.com/

If your app connects to third-party tools like payment gateways, video call systems, predictive analytics, or messaging services, you’ll need to budget for those as well. These can cost anywhere from $50 to $500 or more per month per service, depending on usage and provider.

Legal compliance requirements, such as meeting HIPAA or GDPR standards, can be a major but necessary cost. This might include legal advice, data protection measures, or certifications, with expenses typically ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 or more, depending on how complex your app is and where it’s available.

Lastly, don’t forget about marketing. Getting people to discover and use your app is crucial. Marketing costs like paid ads, social media campaigns, or influencer partnerships can run from $1,000 to $20,000+ per month, depending on your strategy and reach. Initial development is just one phase; maintenance is what keeps your medical application alive and thriving post-launch.

Why Ongoing Support and Regular Updates are Crucial for Your Healthcare App?

Developing healthcare apps presents unique pain points, as each healthcare app varies, and an app development cost calculator can help estimate expenses when an app meets specific 1-2 or even 2-3 requirements.

When budgeting for your healthcare app, it’s easy to focus only on the cost of building it. Design and cross-platform development usually take up most of the initial budget, and rightly so, since they bring your idea to life.

But the work doesn’t stop once the app is launched. Ongoing maintenance is just as important. You’ll need to plan for regular updates, fixing bugs, adding new features, and making sure everything runs smoothly. 

Maintenance also includes things like customer support, performance monitoring, and keeping the app secure and compliant with healthcare regulations. These services aren’t one-time tasks — they continue as long as your app is live.

Estimated Maintenance Cost

Monthly: $2,500 – $12,500+

Yearly: $30,000 – $150,000+

Over time, these recurring costs can add up. That’s why it’s essential to plan for them from the beginning. Your first investment gets the app off the ground, but it’s the maintenance that keeps it running, relevant, and competitive in the long term. 

Of course, the audience you’re building for and the tech stack you choose also shape your app’s scope and success. Let’s take a quick look.

How Does the Audience, Team, and Technology Stack Decide Your App Costs?

The cost of developing a healthcare mobile app depends on who your app is built for. Doctors and patients have a big impact on the overall cost. Apps designed for patients often focus on ease of use, reminders, and medication tracking, while those for healthcare professionals may require more complex features like electronic health records, diagnostic tools, or secure communication systems.

Beyond the audience, the cost of a healthcare app also depends on several important factors. These include the tasks involved in development, such as design, coding, testing, agile development, and project management.

Your platform choice matters too; building for both iOS and Android will affect time and budget.

The hiring model and location of your development team play a role as well; for example, hiring developers in North America will generally cost more than hiring in Eastern Europe or Asia. 

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry, here are smart strategies to save money without cutting corners on quality or performance.

How to Save Money on Healthcare App Development?

According to developers and project managers behind these medical apps, a few tips to stand out and scale in less cost without sacrificing quality.

First, start with healthcare market research and real user feedback to avoid building features no one needs.

Many also stress the importance of good UX design and regulatory compliance from day one to avoid costly changes later. 

Next, focus on creating an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), a basic version of your app with only the essential features, so you can launch faster and test your idea before investing more.

Using an agile development approach also helps, as it breaks the project into smaller parts and allows for quicker adjustments, reducing time and cost.

Another smart move is to outsource your development to experienced teams in cost-effective regions, instead of hiring a large in-house team.

Finally, wherever possible, use existing integrations like payment systems, chat tools, or scheduling platforms instead of building everything from scratch. These steps can help you stay on budget while still building a solid, user-friendly healthcare app. 

Whether you’re ready to launch or just gathering information, choosing the right healthcare mobile app development company can make all the difference. Here’s why Appkodes could be yours.

Partner with Appkodes

Appkodes, is a proven and reliable partner for businesses seeking to develop cutting-edge healthcare applications. Our experts understand the unique challenges that the healthcare industry faces and craft custom solutions.

With a strong portfolio of successful app development projects across various sectors, especially the healthcare sector, Appkodes brings a wealth of experience, innovation, and technical expertise to every project. 

The cost of developing a healthcare mobile app is within your prepared budget. Our solutions are designed to be both scalable and tailored to meet your healthcare industry needs and can give you long-term success. 

Our team of skilled developers, designers, and consultants works closely with clients, ensuring that each app is developed with a focus on user experience, security, and seamless functionality and similar to a healthcare app like Zocdoc. 

As your development partner, you can trust that we will deliver a solution with development efforts that not only meet but exceed your expectations, empowering your business to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

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