How much does it Cost to Develop a Healthcare App in 2024?

When you hear the word "healthcare," the first associations that come to mind are hospitals, doctors, medicines, and related experiences like long queues, waiting times, high fees, or insurance. You can also think about huge medical and pharmaceutical companies with prohibitive profits. However, in recent years, one more association has been added to the above list, changing much to what we were used to - the apps. Thanks to the world's digitization, many healthcare services can now be received with one touch of a button - patients just need to download the corresponding app on their phone. 

The healthcare app market is experiencing enormous growth, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when patients have started turning to their phones more than ever for health advice, video check-ups, prescriptions, and to track their overall health. It is predicted to reach $340.5 billion by 2030. The skyrocketing demand for healthcare apps has made them indispensable for healthcare providers looking to offer their patients the desired care and convenience, stay competitive and automate their workflow or healthcare processes. 

One of the main questions for entrepreneurs or businesses interested in developing healthcare apps in 2024 is how much it will cost. The answer to this question is obviously not simple as the costs will significantly depend on the type of the healthcare app, its size, features and complexity as well as location and experience of the development team. Below, we will explore the main types of healthcare apps, factors influencing costs, and rough figures for building a healthcare app in 2024.

What is Healthcare App development? 

Healthcare app development is creating a software app to address various needs of patients and medical professionals within the healthcare industry. These needs may be in services, functionalities, or information, so the app can serve many uses, such as remote consultations, communication between patients and doctors or different healthcare providers, administrative work, diagnostics and more. 

All healthcare apps can be those intended to benefit patients, professionals, or both. Apps for patients allow them to skip the hospital and get professional help when they need it. With just a few taps on their mobile devices, patients can connect with healthcare professionals, get all the information about their diagnosis and doctor's recommendations. Healthcare apps may also provide users with educational information and tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle or help them track progress toward achieving their goals. 

Apps for medical personnel like doctors, physicians, or nurses are intended to aid them in delivering healthcare services to people. They aid them in connecting with their patients, handling records, monitoring symptoms, tracking care progress and skipping tedious paper filing or prescription writing. In simple words, they enable them to focus on direct tasks like diagnosis and medical help.

There are about 350,000 apps available worldwide, but while the market may seem competitive, the prevailing majority of health apps can not boast widespread popularity. Likely they have drawbacks in functionality or user experience that doesn't meet consumer expectations and requirements. And this is where you can analyze their faults and make your own application shine.

What Factors Influence The Cost Of Developing a Healthcare App?

Type and size of healthcare app: The type of app directly affects its complexity and required functions. They can range from simple apps with basic functionality to complex platforms with advanced AI-powered features, real-time updates, and integration with other systems. The size of the healthcare app is also an obvious factor in determining its cost—the bigger the app, the more development hours it will require.

Development platform: Healthcare apps can be developed for Android, iOS, and the web. Opting for development on either Android or iOS can limit your reach to potential users while developing for both platforms can significantly increase costs. Cross-platform development using frameworks such as Flutter and React Native has become a popular solution for creating healthcare apps suitable for both Android and iOS platforms without doubling the costs. However, some apps may require only native development for specific platforms. 

Application design: App design plays one of the most important factors in the overall success of apps, as users prefer attractive and intuitive apps. A good design will require more time and experienced designers, which adds to the development cost.

Regulatory compliance: The healthcare industry is highly regulated, and apps are no exception. If they collect sensitive patient data like medical history, diagnoses, and treatments, they must adhere to data protection regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, FDA, etc. Adding security measures such as encryption, access controls, and data backup to protect patient data will add to the overall development cost. However, failure to comply with these regulations can lead to legal and financial consequences.

Third-party integrations: APIs and integration with existing healthcare systems such as electronic health records (EHR) and medical billing systems improve the functionality of healthcare apps. Still, they come with additional costs, especially if such systems use different technologies and standards. 

Location of healthcare app development team: The cost of software development can significantly depend on the team you choose and their location. In 2024, the approximate average hourly rates for software development services in different regions are as follows:

• North America (USA, Canada): $75-$125 per hour

• Western Europe (Poland): $45-$100 per hour

• Eastern Europe (Ukraine): $25-$55 per hour

• Asia (India, China): $20-$60 per hour

• Latin America (Argentina, Brazil): $20-$60 per hour

It is worth mentioning that developing an app is just the beginning of the journey. It's equally important to consider maintenance and updates and not to overlook marketing expenses, as successful products are often the ones that are marketed most efficiently. 

So, how much does it Cost to Develop a Healthcare App in 2024?

Based on the size and complexity: 

• Developing a simple app may range from $20,000 to $50,000. Such apps typically have basic features, such as a user interface, user registration and login, basic functionality. Examples of simple apps include appointment scheduling app, medication reminder app, simple symptom checker or meditation app.

• The cost to develop a more complex app may range from $50,000 to $100,000. Such apps usually have more advanced features, like third-party integrations, real-time updates, push notifications, and advanced user interfaces. Examples of complex apps include telemedicine platforms or apps for monitoring chronic diseases.

• The cost to develop an advanced app may range from $100,000 to $500,000 and even more. Such apps may have sophisticated functionalities like real-time patient monitoring, AI-driven diagnosis, and seamless EHR integration.

Based on the type of a healthcare app: 

• Telemedicine and Doctor On-demand Apps are among the most prevalent healthcare apps. They allow doctors to provide medical services by communicating with patients through real-time video calls. Using these apps, patients can find doctors in their area, check their availability, and then book an appointment. Developing a telemedicine app can cost anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 and even more.

• Personal health records (PHRs) and patient portals are a collection of information about a patient's health so that users can access their information anytime via web-enabled devices. These apps may include features like patient scheduling, medical charting, billing, and payment processing. The cost of developing a simple patent portal can be about $100,000, while for a more complex EHR app costs can go higher and reach $500,000, or more.

• Apps for monitoring chronic diseases that track health indicators can integrate with third-party monitoring devices and wearables. The data collected from these devices can be sent to physicians to assess healthcare indicators and introduce necessary changes in medications, dosages, and frequency of consumption. Creating an app for managing chronic diseases usually costs from $50,000 to $150,000.

• Medicine reminder apps help patients adhere to medication regimens. Such apps ensure that patients receive timely reminders about their medications, such as dosing times, quantities, and refill reminders. Pill reminder app development may cost about $20,000-$25,000 for basic functionalities, while for more advanced features the cost can reach about $50,000-$60,000.

• Lifestyle and fitness apps help users track their water intake, maintain a healthy diet, count calories or steps, ensure enough hours of sleep, monitor sugar intake, etc. The app can also cover all user fitness, nutrition, and exercise needs. The cost of creating a wellness or fitness app usually ranges between $50,000 for simple apps to $150,000 for apps with advanced functionalities.

• Mental health apps can help users manage stress, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders, suicidality, etc. They help patients track their mood, access guided meditation, journal their thoughts, and connect with a supportive community. A simple mental health or meditation app can cost between $20,000 and $40,000 to develop, while a complex mental health app with features like cognitive behavioral therapy and community support can cost around $100,000 or more.

• Appointment scheduling apps where patients and physicians can schedule appointments and interact usually cost about $20,000 to $40,000.

• Medical billing apps help doctors, medical accountants, clinic/hospital admins, etc., streamline the billing and invoicing process. Developing a custom medical billing software usually ranges between $30,000 to $80,000.

• Social networking apps for doctors help them communicate and connect, share information and knowledge, solve patients' cases, rate drugs, and even search for new job opportunities. A medical networking app can cost about $30,000 to $60,000.

• Medical journals and news apps that aggregate the latest medical research articles and industry news for doctors and medical students into a single platform.

• Diagnostic apps can help both patients assess their medical symptoms and obtain potential diagnoses and doctors by providing them with diagnostic support and access to medical knowledge databases. Usually, developing a diagnostic app with basic features and functionality for patients can cost $20,000 to 50,000. However, for more complex diagnostic applications with advanced features such as AI-driven diagnostic algorithms, integration with medical databases and systems, telemedicine capabilities, and real-time data analytics, the cost can be significantly higher: $50,000 to $150,000 and more.

• Medical reference apps that provide healthcare professionals and students quick access to medical information and resources such as drug information, medical dictionaries, clinical guidelines, and anatomy atlases. Creating a medical reference app can cost anywhere from $75,000 to $250,000.

Bottom line:

The healthcare app market is growing rapidly, and the demand for affordable and effective healthcare services is greater than ever. Developing a healthcare app in 2024 opens up many opportunities for healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and investors. It's important to consult with experienced healthcare app development professionals that can not only provide you with the right estimate for the app development, but also turn your idea into reality. With the right approach, you will be able to create a revolutionary app that patients and healthcare providers can appreciate.