HIPAA Messaging Cost Calculator
See what secure messaging actually costs for your practice. Compare pricing across every major platform in seconds.
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Most HIPAA-compliant messaging vendors hide their pricing behind sales calls, demos, and multi-week procurement cycles. This calculator uses only publicly available pricing to show you what each platform actually costs — and flags the hidden fees, contract requirements, and setup friction that don't appear on pricing pages.
HIPAA messaging platform pricing at a glance
The table below summarizes published pricing, signup requirements, and hidden costs for the most widely used HIPAA-compliant messaging platforms. See the comparison table above for starting prices and per-user costs.
| Platform | Published pricing | Billing | Start / sales motion | BAA | Category / fit | Setup time | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BloomText | Free team chat up to 5 users; SMS patient texting $129/mo; team chat $14.50/user/mo | Month-to-month | Start today | Included on free and paid plans | Patient SMS + team chat | Same day | None. No setup fees, no onboarding cost. No surprise overage charges. |
| OhMD | Communicate starts at $300/mo; Automate starts at $500/mo | Public monthly start; contract details not listed | Demo required | HIPAA messaging platform | Patient SMS + practice communications | After demo | Starts at $300/mo, but signup runs through a demo. Enterprise and API pricing require sales. |
| TigerConnect | Contact sales | Annual / enterprise contract | Sales call required | Enterprise BAA / security review | Enterprise clinical team messaging | 2-6 weeks | Enterprise quote required. Patient engagement SMS available but bundled in enterprise pricing. |
| Spruce Health | Basic $24/user/mo; Communicator $49/user/mo | Month-to-month | Start trial online | Included, including trial | Patient SMS + phone/fax | 1-3 days | Business SMS requires one-time A2P 10DLC registration ($19.50). Heavy/abnormal usage may need vendor clarification. |
| pMD | pChat $10/user/mo | Month-to-month | Start today | Included in terms | Secure app messaging | Same day | Patients use pMD/pChat rather than plain SMS. Good secure messaging fit, less comparable for no-app patient SMS workflows. |
| Hucu.ai | Free Basic tier; paid plans use per-patient or per-location pricing | Month-to-month available; paid pricing not public | Free tier; paid pricing unclear | HIPAA messaging vendor | Care coordination + patient/family messaging | Same day | Free tier limited to 10 patients, 10 users, 2 weeks data. Paid plans scale by patient or location, not team size. |
| Celo Health | BAA starts on Growth at $49/mo billed annually; patient messaging requires Business Pro at $199/mo billed annually | Annual billing required | Self-serve; annual billing | BAA on Growth+; patient messaging on Business Pro | Clinical messaging / patient app | Same day | Free plan has no BAA. Patient messaging locked to Business Pro ($199/mo). Annual billing required. |
| Klara (ModMed) | Contact sales (part of ModMed Patient Engagement) | Contact ModMed for pricing | Demo required | Part of ModMed platform | Patient engagement / EHR-integrated | After demo + onboarding | Klara is part of ModMed Patient Engagement. Pricing is not published separately. |
| Rhinogram | Contact sales | Contact sales for pricing | Demo required | HIPAA-compliant texting platform | Patient texting + front-office tools | After demo | Pricing not public. Rhinogram emphasizes demo flows over simple pricing. |
| QliqSOFT | Contact sales | Contact sales for pricing | Demo required | Offers BAA; disclaims BA status | Secure clinical messaging + chatbots | After demo + setup | Pricing not public. QliqSOFT routes visitors to demo or contact flows. |
| Microsoft Teams | M365 Business Premium $22/user/mo (minimum for HIPAA compliance with DLP, Intune, Conditional Access) | Annual M365 subscription | Self-serve or enterprise sales | BAA on eligible M365 plans | Enterprise collaboration (HIPAA-capable) | Days to weeks (compliance config) | HIPAA compliance requires Business Premium ($22/user/mo) for DLP, Intune, and Conditional Access. Lower tiers lack compliance tooling. |
| Slack | Free and Pro available but no BAA; Enterprise Grid (contact sales) for HIPAA | Enterprise Grid — contact sales | Enterprise sales required | BAA on Enterprise Grid only | Workplace chat (HIPAA on Enterprise only) | Weeks (enterprise onboarding) | HIPAA requires Enterprise Grid (contact sales). Slack cannot be used for patient communication per Slack HIPAA guidance. |
| Google Workspace | Business Plus $22/user/mo (minimum for HIPAA compliance with Vault for audit/retention) | Annual Workspace subscription | Self-serve or enterprise sales | BAA on eligible Workspace editions | Productivity suite (HIPAA-capable) | Days to weeks (compliance config) | HIPAA compliance requires Business Plus ($22/user/mo) for Vault audit and retention. Lower tiers lack compliance tooling. |
| Google Voice | Voice Starter $10/user/mo + Workspace Business Plus $22/user/mo = $32/user/mo for HIPAA | Annual (Workspace + Voice add-on) | Self-serve | BAA via Google Workspace | VoIP phone system (not messaging) | Days (requires Workspace setup) | Phone system, not a messaging tool. HIPAA requires Workspace Business Plus ($22) + Voice add-on ($10). IT staff needed. |
| Zoom | Business $18.33/user/mo (minimum for BAA); healthcare bundles from $49.99/user/mo | Monthly or annual | Self-serve; healthcare bundles via sales | BAA on Business plan and above | Video conferencing (HIPAA-capable) | Same day for Business | Video-first platform. Free and Pro plans do not qualify for BAA. HIPAA mode disables AI Companion and cloud recording. |
| Signal | Free (no BAA, not HIPAA compliant) | Free | Free download | No BAA available | Consumer encrypted messenger | Same day | No BAA, no healthcare compliance program. Using Signal for PHI violates HIPAA. |
| Free (not HIPAA compliant) | Free | Free download | No BAA — Meta disclaims HIPAA | Consumer messenger (not HIPAA compliant) | Same day | Meta explicitly disclaims HIPAA compliance. No BAA available. Using WhatsApp for PHI violates HIPAA. | |
| iMessage | Free (not HIPAA compliant, Apple devices only) | Free (Apple devices only) | Built-in | No BAA — Apple prohibits PHI | Consumer messenger (not HIPAA compliant) | Same day | Not HIPAA compliant. Apple prohibits PHI. Requires Apple devices on both ends. |
Questions to ask before you sign
Before committing to any vendor, ask these questions. The answers will reveal costs that don't appear on the pricing page.
- Do you charge an implementation or onboarding fee?
Some vendors charge $2,000–$10,000 upfront for setup, training, and onboarding before you send a single message. If the answer isn't "no," ask for the exact amount in writing.
- Can I cancel month-to-month, or is there a minimum contract?
Multi-year contracts with early termination penalties lock you in even if the tool stops meeting your needs. Ask for month-to-month billing or a money-back guarantee.
- Are there per-message fees or overage charges?
SMS volume can change the real cost of a patient messaging product. If a vendor does not publish carrier, registration, or overage details, treat any quoted price as incomplete and ask for those costs in writing.
- How long until we can actually send our first message?
Enterprise tools may take 2–6 weeks for BAA execution, legal review, and provisioning. That's weeks of paying for a tool you can't use yet.
- Do we need IT staff to set this up and maintain it?
Tools requiring server configuration, SSO setup, or EHR integration may need dedicated IT staff or a consultant, a hidden cost that never appears on the pricing page.
- Do our patients need to download an app to communicate?
If patients must install an app to receive messages, expect lower response rates and more friction. Ask whether patients can reply via standard SMS on their existing phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
- We use publicly available pricing from each vendor's website. When exact pricing, HIPAA plan eligibility, or SMS sending costs are not published, we show that uncertainty rather than guessing. Verify current pricing directly with each vendor before making a purchasing decision.
- We verify competitor pricing quarterly and update this page when changes are found. Each vendor row includes a "last verified" date so you can see how recent our data is.
- Many HIPAA messaging vendors do not publish their pricing publicly. They require a sales call or demo to get a quote. We show "Contact sales" rather than estimating, because publishing inaccurate pricing would not help your decision.
- Per-message SMS costs depend on carrier fees, registration type, and volume tiers that vary by vendor. When a vendor does not publicly itemize these charges, we note that in the table rather than assuming SMS is free.
- Yes. BloomText offers a free plan that includes a signed BAA, secure messaging, and up to 5 team members. Paid plans start at $129/month for SMS patient texting and $14.50/user/month for team chat.
- Patient SMS lets your practice text patients on their personal phone. They reply via regular SMS without downloading an app. Team chat is internal secure messaging between your staff members for care coordination and collaboration.
How accurate is this calculator?
How often is pricing updated?
Why do some platforms show "Contact sales"?
Why don't you show exact SMS costs?
Is BloomText really free?
What is the difference between patient SMS and team chat?
Methodology and sources
We built this calculator using publicly available pricing data from each vendor's website. When a vendor does not publish pricing or SMS sending costs, we show "Contact sales" or "unknown" rather than pretending the missing cost is zero. Starting prices reflect the lowest HIPAA-eligible plan from each vendor. We verify pricing quarterly and update this page when changes are found.
- BloomText — published pricing — Public pricing page lists free, SMS, and team chat plans. (verified June 18, 2026)
- OhMD — published pricing — Public pricing page lists Communicate at $300/mo and Automate at $500/mo with Book a demo CTAs. (verified June 18, 2026)
- TigerConnect — contact sales for pricing — No public self-serve pricing found on the vendor site; quote required. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Spruce Health — published pricing — Public pricing page lists Basic at $24/user/mo and Communicator at $49/user/mo. (verified June 18, 2026)
- pMD — published pricing — Public pChat FAQ lists $10/user/mo with no setup fees or long-term contracts. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Hucu.ai — contact sales for pricing — Public pricing page lists a free Basic tier, per-patient or per-location paid pricing, month-to-month availability, and SMS/email usage fees without public rates. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Celo Health — published pricing — Public plan table lists annual billing, BAA starting on Growth, and external user chat on Business Pro. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Klara (ModMed) — contact sales for pricing — ModMed patient communication pages do not publish simple self-serve pricing. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Rhinogram — contact sales for pricing — Rhinogram public pages emphasize demo flows over simple pricing. (verified June 18, 2026)
- QliqSOFT — contact sales for pricing — QliqSOFT public pages point visitors toward a demo or contact flow. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Microsoft Teams — published pricing — M365 pricing published on Microsoft website. HIPAA requires eligible plan + BAA + compliance config. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Slack — published pricing — Slack HIPAA support is tied to Enterprise Grid. Patient communication is restricted. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Google Workspace — published pricing — Google Workspace pricing published. HIPAA requires eligible edition + BAA + compliance config. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Google Voice — published pricing — Voice Starter $10/user/mo + Workspace subscription required. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Zoom — published pricing — Zoom Business plan ($18.33/user/mo annual) is the minimum tier for BAA eligibility. (verified June 18, 2026)
- Signal — published pricing — Signal is free. No BAA or healthcare compliance program. (verified June 18, 2026)
- WhatsApp — published pricing — Meta Cloud API Hosting Terms state WhatsApp is not HIPAA compliant. (verified June 18, 2026)
- iMessage — published pricing — Apple iCloud Terms of Service prohibit PHI. (verified June 18, 2026)
Page last updated June 18, 2026.
Trusted by today's leading healthcare professionals
Streamlined appointment schedulingWith BloomText Broadcast SMS Messaging, I literally took the job of 20 employees and I can do it by myself in three and a half hours.— Chief Administrative Officer, Radiology
Best HIPAA app on the marketBloomText has brought our clinic into the modern age, and our patients love being able to communicate with us via text or through our website.— Office Administrator, Family Medicine
Excellent for acute careBloomText is the nervous system for my business. It helps us differentiate ourselves in terms of our communication and our quality of care.— Clinical Director, Acute Care
