34 Best Telemedicine Apps for Providers and Patients in 2023

Harsh winters make the roads out of town frequently impassable. According to the National Institute of Health, they — and the 20 percent of Americans like them who live in rural areas — are statistically more likely to die of heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, drug overdoses, obesity and diabetes.

At a busy outpatient clinic in Denver, Colorado, a doctor waits for a patient who will never arrive. That no-show costs the provider money and time, which increases the costs and wait times for every other patient.

These are just two examples of how the telemedicine industry has the potential to reduce costs for providers and improve health outcomes for patients. A 2021 review of 15 rural telehealth studies showed telemedicine led to an array of improvements in patient access, costs, travel time, provider retention and more. A 2022 study by the American College of Surgeons found the no-show rate for telehealth visits was 2.5 percent, compared to 11.7 percent for in-person visits. The use of telehealth services is increasing, and its benefits to providers and patients alike are tantalizing.

Telemedicine app development comes with its own set of challenges. The primary obstacle is complying with a thicket of state and federal regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Fortunately, the federal government is taking strides to make it easier for developers to check all the right boxes as they build the next telehealth app. The US Department of Health and Human Service's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) launched a platform for developers to help answer your regulatory questions.

All of this indicates an industry ready to explode. Below, we've analyzed 34 pioneers in this burgeoning field to give you a sense of what's out there, what's possible, and to perhaps inspire the next generation of app developers to recognize gaps in services and improve upon what's available.

Best On-Demand Visit Apps for General Medicine

On-demand, virtual healthcare services boomed during the pandemic, and it shows no signs of relenting. Here are the best low-cost apps that give patients convenient access to doctors.

1. LiveHealth Online

LiveHealth Online earned top marks for customer satisfaction according to the latest J.D. Power report. The telemedicine platform syncs with Apple Health, so it's easy to share vital statistics with board-certified medical specialists during your next visit.

The app supports native Spanish speakers, and also allows LGTBQ+ users to select specific doctors trained to meet their needs. LiveHealth also makes it easy to get doctor's notes so you can get excused absences from work and school when you need them.

LiveHealth Online app features:

• Syncs to Apple Health
• Offers support in Spanish
• 24/7 care
• Accepted by some insurance providers
• Easy signup process

Cost: $59 for most medical visits. Up to $175 for psychiatry consultations.

2. Doctor on Demand

Doctor on Demand relies exclusively on video calls to provide telemedicine services like preventative, chronic and urgent care. Patients gain access to an entire team of medical professionals, so they can enjoy comprehensive, 360-degree care for all of their health needs right from the app.

Doctor on Demand app features:

• Free assessment to determine needs
• Specialist profiles makes it easy for patients to choose the right care provider
• Mobile app interacts with most Electronic Healthcare Record systems to gather patient records

Cost: $75 to $299 depending on the service.

3. Lemonaid

San Francisco-based startup Lemonaid has been around for a decade. The platform's care providers can help patients with more than two dozen medical health conditions, including anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Patients simply describe their medical history and then a doctor reaches out for a follow up, often by live video calls. Doctors can prescribe medications, which Lemonaid fills through its own pharmacies and delivers by mail, usually within just a couple days.

Lemonaid app features:

• Primary care, Dieticians, Behavioral Health, Women's Health, and Reproductive Health doctors
• Medical record transfers
• Symptom checker for pre-diagnostics
• Chat
• Video conferencing
• Prescription delivery

Cost: $25 to $70 for consultations. Monthly subscriptions range from $15 to $115 depending on the service.

4. Amwell

Amwell offers a wide range of health services, including urgent care and mental health care. Patients can take advantage of on-demand visits with therapists, psychiatrists, dietitians and other specialists 24/7. The AmWell software provides full-spectrum virtual care options for multiple medical specialties, including telepsychiatry, pediatrics, and more.

AmWell app features:

• Urgent care, Nutrition, Cardiology, Women's Health, Physical Therapy, Dermatology, Pediatrics, and Behavioral Health doctors
• Physician directories
• Direct-to-patient and provider-to-provider modules
• ePrescriptions
• Billing
• Video conferencing

Cost: Most visits cost $79 and up. Regular therapy sessions begin at $99 per visit. Some health insurance companies cover Amwell visits. Check their insurance FAQ to learn more.

5. Teladoc

Teladoc offers mental health, dietary coaching, chronic pain management, therapy session and primary care. The app boasts 50,000 specialists available by video, audio, text and email.

Teladoc app features:

• Everyday care, Behavioral Health, Dermatology, Nutrition, and Women's Health doctors
• Integration with Apple HealthKit
• ePrescriptions
• Billing
• Video conferencing

Cost: Costs range from $75 to $299 per visit, though some insurance companies cover Teladoc services.

6. K-Health

One of the lowest-priced telemedicine apps on the market, K-Health gives patients access to care for a monthly fee. The reason it's so inexpensive is that the core offering is powered by AI. That means users can skip the doc and first find out how others with similar symptoms were diagnosed and treated. Then, they can use that information to decide on next steps.

K-Health app features:

• Prescription refills
• 24/7 video appointment availability
• Monthly subscription
• AI-powered symptom checker

Cost: $39 per visit or $49 monthly subscriptions.

7. HealthTap

HealthTap lets you compare prescription prices and apply coupons for deep savings. Patients can set up separate profiles for their kids to help keep their family's records. HealthTap services include ordering lab tests and analyzing the results, care referrals and AI-powered health recommendations.

HealthTap app features:

• Q&A forums
• Symptom checker for pre-diagnosis
• ePrescriptions
• Text chat
• Personalized treatment plans
• Video conferencing
• Push notifications
• Lab result storage and sharing

Cost: $15 per month, plus $44 for video calls and $59 for urgent care visits.

8. MDBox

This platform  allows patients to see a medical practitioner from their phone any time, from anywhere without an appointment. MDBox boasts a 5-minute wait time to speak with a provider, and users pay a flat fee.

MDBox app features:

• Custom treatment plans
• No appointments necessary
• Simple onboarding and symptom evaluator
• ePrescriptions

Cost: $49.95 per visit for patients.

9. MDLive

Beyond appointments, MDLive can sync with biometric devices like your FitBit to help you assess health risks in real-time and provide updated, relevant health advice and diagnoses.

MDLive app features:

• Primary care, Dermatology, and Behavioral Health doctors
• Physician & pharmacy directories
• ePrescriptions
• Billing
• Appointment scheduling
• AI-powered chatbot
• Video conferencing

Cost: Urgent care visits cost up to $82; mental health therapy costs up to $108; psychiatry services up to $284; dermatology up to $95.

10. PlushCare

PlushCare wins patients' trust by hiring doctors from the top 50 US medical schools who have an average of 15 years experience in their respective fields. The platform has treated 550,000 patients for everything from urgent medical issues to chronic care to date.

PlushCare app features:

• Primary care and Behavioral Health doctors
• Physician and pharmacy directories
• ePrescriptions
• Billing
• Appointment scheduling
• Unlimited chat
• Video conferencing

Cost: $14.99 per month plus $99 per visit for patients.

11. Fruit Street

Fruit Street focuses its services on patients with, or at risk for, diabetes. The app starts users with a 60-second quiz to determine a patient's risk for diabetes. Then, the app pairs patients with a team of dieticians who guide them through a 12-month program endorsed by the CDC.
The program includes weekly video chats with a dietician and small group support.

Fruit Street app features:

• Photo food log
• Fitbit integration
• Group classes
• Risk reduction
• Community forums
• Chat

Cost: $500 for the class.

Leading Apps for Virtual "Talk" Therapy

The telemedicine industry has seen demand explode for mental health therapy mobile apps in the last half decade. Industry research found 40 percent of employees suffer from depression or anxiety. A separate report estimated that employers who fail to address this mental health epidemic among their workers stand to lose $580 per employee in absences, strangled productivity and turnover.

Here are some of the best in the business.

12. Wysa

Wysa has supported 500 million conversations between five million people in 95 countries. 

The FDA awarded Wysa its Breakthrough Device Designation in 2022. This award recognizes that Wysa is an effective tool comparable to in-person counseling.

Wysa app features:

• AI-powered friendly chat
• Sleep story playback
• Guided mindfulness meditation playback
• Chat

Cost: $179.99 for a three-month subscription.

13. Sibly

The app lets users talk to therapists privately from anywhere at any time, without an appointment. Coaches are trained to provide compassionate help via chat.

Sibly app features:

• Unlimited chat
• 24/7 availability
• Data-rich dashboard for employers that highlights things like population health and member sentiment.
• No appointment necessary

Cost: $25 every two weeks for patients.

14. OOTify

This app boasts a new, democratic model for mental health support. Users pay only when they have found a practitioner that is the right fit for their mental health needs.

The AI-powered concierge is a chatbot that helps to ensure that patients are matched with the right therapists. Later, users have the option to connect for in-person visits with a medical professional.

OOTify app Features:

• AI-powered chat intake
• Mental health portal
• Text, audio, video and in-person visits supported
• Provided OOT tokens and NFTs as extrinsic motivators

Cost: $50 per month for providers, Unspecified for patients.

15. Talkspace

This app currently hosts thousands of licensed therapists who deliver psychiatry services, including prescription management, to 1 million users. 60,000 users have rated the app a five-star experience.

Patients fill out a brief assessment, which helps match them with a provider. Once a relationship is established, the therapist and patient will stay connected throughout the duration of the treatment program. Talkspace offers specialized therapy for couples, teens, as well as psychiatry.

Talkspace app features:

• Intake/assessment
• ePrescriptions
• Billing
• Unlimited chat
• Image and video messaging

Cost: $69/week for messaging therapy, $99/week for video and messaging. $109/week for video, messaging and workshops.

16. Brightside

Brightside claims 86 percent of their members report feeling better mentally over the course of three months. Users can book video appointments with as little as 24 hours notice. The app supports personalized therapy plans and promises patients can work with the same provider throughout their treatment.

Visual progress monitoring tools help patients see the progress they've made for motivation. After the initial assessment, patients can choose medication, talk/chat therapy, or both.

Brightside uses the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality framework to address crisis situations.

Brightside app features:

• Visual mental health monitoring (charts)
• 1:1 sessions
• 24/7 messaging
• Interactive lessons

Cost: $95-$349/month depending on the service.

17. Monument

Consumers seeking a private and secure solution that provides virtual therapy for problem drinking can find it here. The Monument telemedicine platform facilitates personalized treatment plans, therapy, moderated support groups, and a community forum.

Monument app features:

• Online alcohol support groups
• 24/7 anonymous forums
• ePrescriptions

Cost: $9.99 to $58/month depending on services.

18. BetterHelp

BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy service. The app works with more than 31,000 licensed therapists and has assisted more than 3.8 million people.

The app provides counseling for individuals, couples and teens. Patients can chat by text, video, or by phone.

BetterHelp app features:

• Digital worksheets
• Group sessions
• 24/7 messaging
• In-office visits
• Easy scheduling

Cost: $60 to $90/week depending on the service.

Recommended Patient Care Platforms for Providers

The applications above deliver an experience geared toward consumers interested in convenient access to doctors. But what about practitioners looking to expand their reach? That's where the following telemedicine platforms take the lead.

19. eVisit

eVisit is built for  large hospitals and health systems. It offers more than 150 ways to customize its telemedicine platform to match administrators' needs. The company claims a 5.8x ROI.

eVisit integrates with more than a dozen of the most common EHR, identity management and prescription management software packages found in hospitals, including Allscripts, Okta, Cerner, and more.

eVisit app features:

• Seamless EHR integrations
• Routing and referral tools
• Eligibility, billing and reimbursement management
• Patient intake
• Clinician tools for reviewing charts, taking notes and prescribing meds

Cost: $600+ per month for providers.

20. Medici

Medici hosts doctors in industries ranging from general healthcare medical services to obstetrics to veterinary work. The app is built specifically for medical providers and includes built-in customizations.

Medici app features:

• Primary Care, Dermatology, Behavioral Health, OB/GYN,
• Pediatric and veterinary doctors
• Chat with translation for 20 languages
• ePrescriptions
• No download access for patients
• Billing
• Appointment scheduling
• Video conferencing
• Contact importing

Cost: $125/month for providers.

21. SimplePractice

SimplePractice is designed for private healthcare practitioners looking to grow their business and deliver enhanced telehealth experiences to patients. Administrators can handle scheduling, billing, insurance, and documentation all from the app. More than 160,000 providers have used the app.

SimplePractice app features:

• Mobile-optimized
• Industry-leading customer support
• Client portal for communication

Cost: $29-$99/month depending on the service.

22. Luma Health

Luma Health positions itself as a "Patient Success Platform" that's built to handle every step of the patient journey from acquisition to billing. The app has 25 different out-of-the-box modules for maximum customizability for every medical practice.

Providers get detailed analytics around patient satisfaction, billing conversations, and more. Luma Health also boasts a nearly exhaustive list of integrations with EHR systems, payments tools, call center apps, medical-specific CRMs, and more. More than 650 health systems use Luma Health.

Luma Health app features:

• Outreach campaigns
• Self-service scheduling
• Appointment reminders
• Patient feedback
• Cancellation management
• Intake
• Chat
• Insurance verification
• Payments
• Analytics

Cost: Unspecified—dependent on bed count.

23. Adracare

Adracare is purpose-built for mental healthcare providers.The system can be integrated with EMR solutions like OSCAR, Kai Innovations, and Juno as well as other third-party tools to create a complete and customized online solution.

Adracare app features:

• Appointment scheduling
• Appointment notifications
• Self-check-in and intake
• ePrescriptions
• Filesharing
• Group conferencing
• Chat
• Video conferencing
• Screen-sharing
• In-session charting

Cost: $79/month.

24. Cliniko

Developed as a full-suite operations solution for clinics and allied health practitioners, this app now includes telehealth features for video consultations. Cliniko also  connects with other apps, like MailChimp or Xero, so providers can automatically pull data from other platforms and communicate with patients.

Cliniko app features:

• Appointment scheduling
• Intake
• Billing
• Reporting and analytics
• Chat
• Video conferencing
• Group conferencing
• Screen sharing

Cost: $45 to $395/month based on the number of practitioners. 10¢ per SMS sent.

25. NexHealth

For providers seeking a solution for hybrid patient care, NexHealth is the answer. This full-suite patient experience platform makes it easy for providers to assign appointments to either telemed or in-person and bill accordingly. Providers can also create reports to compare the time spent on telemed vs. in-person visits and the result of those visits. That way, clinics can continue to improve their services and their bottom lines.

Nexhealth app features:

• Appointment scheduling
• Appointment notifications
• Reports
• Billing
• Chat
• Video conferencing

Cost: $350 to $700/month.

26. RXNT

RXNT combines practice management tools, electronic health records, and billing into a single piece of software. The cloud-hosted tools can simplify operations within any medical practice.

RXNT app features:

• Appointment scheduling
• Patient intake and check-ins
• Filesharing
• Billing
• ePrescriptions
• Chat
• Video conferencing

Cost: $75/month and up depending on the number of users.

Top Apps for Standalone Telehealth Communications

Some hospitals and practitioners aren't ready to make the switch to a complete telemedicine solution. In these situations, it can be a good idea to start with standalone conferencing software that meets privacy and security standards for medical care. Here are the top telehealth communication apps that fit the bill (Plus, many of these tools play nice with the more full-featured tools above).

27. Werq

Built by a team of international doctors, Werq was designed to give providers a collaboration network, patient portal, and chat features to make quality telemedicine and in-person care easier to deliver.

Werq app features:

• Provider-patient texting
• Referral management
• Appointment management
• Physician network
• Patient records portal
• Filesharing
• Chat

Cost: Undisclosed

28. Spruce

Spruce connects practitioners to teammates as well as patients in a secure conferencing platform. The app provides automated screening assessments, chat, and video messaging.

Spruce app features:

• Automated intake
• Internal task assignment
• Broadcast SMS
• Filesharing
• Voicemail
• eFax
• Chat
• Video conferencing
• Shared inbox
• Teammate paging
• Call routing
• Phone trees
• Multiple lines

Cost: $24 to $49/month per user.

29. VSee Messenger

VSee Messenger uses low-bandwidth HD video to connect providers and patients. That means crisp, clear video during live conferences, even over weak connections. Live annotation and screen share capabilities—allowing providers to control a patient-side camera—make this app shine.

VSee Messenger app features:

• Chat
• Image sharing
• Video messaging
• Video conferencing
• Group conferencing
• Live annotation
• Screen sharing
• Stream peripherals
• Pan-tilt-zoom camera control

Cost: $0-$299/month depending on services.

30. MyTeleMed

MyTeleMed is a specialized medical answering and message management service that automates part of the in-person, hybrid, and virtual care between provider and patient.

TeleMed app features:

• New message push with alerts and badges
• Read receipts
• Protocol-based escalation
• Chat with voice-to-text capabilities
• Call recording
• Customizable caller-ID for return calls
• Comment and callback logs
• In-app customer service

Cost: Free with a subscription to MyTelemed Practice.

31. Zocdoc

Beyond being a conferencing platform, Zocdoc is a physician directory for local patients seeking care in their area. doctors can use this app both as a powerful marketing tool and a video communication platform for patient visits.

Zocdoc app features:

• Physician directory filterable by insurance accepted, location, and specialty
• Insurance checker (scan insurance card and see list of available providers)
• Appointment scheduling
• Video conferencing

Cost: $300 per month for providers.

32. Pager

Essentially a group-chat app for care teams, Pager brings patients and their entire care team together to so providers can make better-informed and faster medical decisions. Pager claims that networks that use the app divert half their in-person care visits to virtual visits, saving about $153 per doctor visit.

Pager app features:

• Consults via AI chat, audio, or video
• Prescription and lab services
• Automated reminders and messaging
• AI-powered task and workflow tools to increase productivity.
• Enterprise-oriented branding

Cost: Undisclosed

33. OhMD

OhMD is an SMS platform catered to the needs of healthcare providers. According to the company's internal data, their software cuts call volumes in half. OhMD makes it easy to share information securely between patients, providers, and your EHR. Providers can send out automatic reminders, healthcare forms and surveys.

OhMD app features:

• Two-way SMS texting
• Appointment notifications
• Broadcasts texts
• Form, survey, & filesharing
• Video conferencing
• EHR Integrations
• Pay version doesn't require an app to use

Cost: Free up to 15 users. $175+/month after that.

34. Updox

Essentially, Updox started as a secure online fax and filesharing platform for medical practitioners. Now, the system includes telehealth features, including virtual waiting rooms.

Updox app features:

• Appointment notifications
• eFax
• File sharing
• Billing
• Broadcast SMS
• Chat
• Video conferencing
• Patient portal
• Payments tool

Cost: Unspecified

Use Stream's Chat APIs to Build the Next Generation of Telemedicine Apps

Telehealth is still in its infancy. More people than ever can access telehealth thanks to increased internet speeds and lower costs to achieve those speeds. That means higher demand for apps that deliver on the promise of convenient, lower-cost health services. As that demand draws more software developers, expect many of today's unique features to soon become table stakes in the next generation of telemedicine.

At Stream, we're ready to power the next innovation in telehealth. Our messaging APIs and SDKs are designed to make it easy to build  HIPAA-compliant messaging solutions and telemedicine apps. Contact one of our experts to learn how we can help you build the next telehealth solution to connect providers and patients!