How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Telemedicine App?

If you are you planning to develop a telemedicine app, you are not alone. The ability to offer virtual care is not just a fancy feature anymore. It is a must-have that’s demanded by everyone associated with the healthcare industry.

The first question is, what is the telemedicine app development cost? Short answer, it depends on a lot of things. But don’t worry, we are going to break it down for you without giving you technical jargon.

Importance of Telemedicine Software in Healthcare

The global telemedicine market is slated to go beyond $380 billion by 2030. That defines how important telemedicine software has become in healthcare. Especially in the U.S., virtual care is being massively adopted and has become a practical solution for many.

The best part? Insurance companies are starting to cover remote visits, so the adoption rate is set to increase even more. The question now isn’t if a telemedicine app is available or not, the question now is which app is more efficient and reliable.

That’s why now is the right time to develop a telemedicine app or software.

How much does the Telemedicine app development cost?

The answer isn’t straightforward because of the different factors involved when it comes to the telemedicine app development cost. However, we can still provide you with a range: $40,000 to $300,000.

Your development cost increases or decreases based on prototyping, development team location, complexity of the app, platform selection, UI/UX design, and the features you want included in it.

Here’s a further breakdown of the range:

Simple App – $40,000 – $70,000
Medium-Complexity App – $70,000 – $100,000
High-Complexity App – $100,000 – $300,000

Furthermore, here’s a simple formula that you can use to get a ballpark idea of the development of telemedicine software cost:

Total Cost = Number of development hours x Hourly rate of developers

What factors influence the cost of telemedicine app development?

We’ll talk about seven factors that have a direct relation to the cost of telemedicine app development. The list isn’t exclusive, though; there are still other factors and even hidden costs when it comes to telemedicine app development costs.

Which App Platform Are You Targeting?

There are two platform options when it comes to a telemedicine app: Android and iOS. Without going into the details of these platforms, it is important to understand that Android development might end up costing you more because of its huge user base (different devices and different versions of operating systems in place).

We recommend that you begin with one platform, and once you have revenue coming in, you can always develop the app for the other platform.

Which Tech Stack Are You Going To Use?

It is important to have a proper tech stack in place that can handle load and still provide a seamless experience to your telemedicine app users. However, it will come with its own associated cost. Simply put, the more technologically advance you make your telemedicine app, the higher its development cost.

How Many Features Are You Adding To It?

Each feature that you add to the telemedicine app will result in a higher cost. The most bare-bones version of a telemedicine app with only the basic features costs between $40,000 – $55,000.

The cost goes up the more fancy you get with your list of features. However, do keep in mind that having a telemedicine app that offers the best functionalities and makes things easier for users will no doubt be a hit with your target audience, leading to more revenue.

Which Kind Of Development Team Model Are You Choosing?

There are different ways you can carry out the development. For instance, you could choose to hire developers in-house or engage a local development agency. Conversely, you could also hire freelancers or outsource the development project to an offshore company.

Each model has its perks, risks, and associated costs. Take the example of hiring in-house developers; if you don’t have a seasoned project manager, the likelihood of your development project going beyond deadlines is quite high. Then there’s the operational cost that you would have to bear as well. A local development company can take care of all of that, but it would cost you an arm and a leg.

Freelancers can be difficult to work with, and there’s the time zone difference as well. The best option in terms of budget and hassle-free operations is to outsource the development project. However, you’d have to be careful that you outsource to an experienced company.

Here’s a comparison between the costs of different models (estimated costs):

Freelancers – $35,000 – $40,000
In-House Team – $150,000 – $180,000
Local App Development Company – $200,000 – $230,000
Outsourced App Development Company – $65,000 – $85,000

What’s The Size Of Your Development Team?

The size of your development team, whether hired or outsourced, will determine if the project is completed on time and as per your needs. A sound development team will include a project manager, a designer, quality analysts, backend developers, and frontend developers.

If you do opt for a decent development team, the cost will go up. However, the quality of your app development will also increase. The development team’s size can also be increased if you want the app developed quicker. However, that will inevitably lead to a higher cost.

What’s The Location Of Your Telemedicine App Development Company?

The geolocation of your development team will play a huge role in the overall cost of development. For instance, if your development team is based in the US, you can expect a higher cost of around $190,000 to $250,000. Whereas, if your development team is based in Asia, you’re looking at a development cost of around $50,000 to $300,000.

What are the hidden or unseen costs of Telemedicine app development?

The factors discussed above are the factors that contribute to the cost of telemedicine app development. However, it is important to understand that those are not the only factors.

In fact, many businesses tend to ignore certain unseen costs associated with telemedicine app development and end up going above their budget.

We’ll discuss some of those hidden costs so that you’re aware of them when you start your telemedicine app development project:

Cloud Hosting & Infrastructure Costs

If you want your telemedicine app to run smoothly, having a dependable hosting becomes crucial. In addition, you need a reliable hosting if you want to provide the users with data security, quick performance, and scalability.

The optimal choices include Google Cloud, AWS, or Microsoft Azure. However, they charge based on processing power, storage, and bandwidth. What does that mean for you? The cost will go up when users increase.

Regulatory Compliance & Licensing Costs

Regulatory compliance should be the top of your list when you’re planning to develop a telemedicine app. You will have to make room for the legal and licensing fees in your budget because complying with GDPR, HIPAA, and other laws doesn’t come cheap. However, these are crucial costs, otherwise you will runk the risk of getting penalized.

These costs will cover security certifications, compliance audits, and legal consultations.

Continuous Maintenance & Upgrades

Ah, the cost that you will have to bear, no matter what. Welcome to the world of app maintenance and upgrades! A telemedicine app, of all the apps, will be undergoing regular maintenance to ensure that everything is working optimally, removing any bugs, and rolling out new features based on users’ needs.

However, that’s only one side of the spectrum. Let’s not forget that the healthcare space is evolving rapidly and the regulations are always getting updates. So, you will have to push out regular updates to stay compliant with any new regulations.

Marketing, Branding, & User Acquisition

It’s one thing to get a telemedicine app developed, and completely another to have users sign up and become users of it. That’s where your branding, marketing, and user acquisition costs come into play.

If you want to gain traction, you will have to execute a thoroughly thought-out marketing strategy. You should factor this into your telemedicine software cost planning.

How can the cost of telemedicine app development be reduced?

Let’s talk about how you can reduce or optimize the telemedicine app development cost. There are certain ways that you can achieve this but all of this requires proper planning and treating this like a project.

Cross-Platform Technologies Are Your Friend

Of course, you can choose to have a separate iOS and Android telemedicine app developed. However, the world has come a long way and we have Flutter and React Native available that enable a single code base to be used for both platforms. Choosing to use them can help you cut down development time and cost.

As an additional benefit, you will also enjoy reduced maintenance effort since any change would need to be done to a single code base.

Start Off With Basic Features

This is where your planning skills can really shine. If you’re smart about the feature set and don’t overload it with every feature that you can think of, you will enjoy a reduced cost. It’s always a good idea to start things with the basic feature set and then gradually build on it.

Outsourcing Telemedicine App Development

As we have discussed earlier, you should ideally look for a company to which you can outsource your telemedicine app development project. Hiring in-house team members can be a difficult undertaking, local development companies are going to charge a lot, and freelancers can be a hassle to work with.

The smart move is to outsource your telemedicine app development project to a company that’s based in a cost-effective region.

Get in touch with Coding Crafts for a Quote on Telemedicine app or Software

Coding Crafts is one such company that also has experience in developing telemedicine apps. We have a team of experienced developers, designers, and QA analysts. Get in touch with us today to get a quote on your telemedicine app development cost!