I’ve been researching custom healthcare software development companies for the last few months because our team needed a vendor that could handle a pretty complex mix of HIPAA-compliant workflows, EMR integration, and a mobile app for clinicians. I talked to around 6 vendors, got 5 full estimates, and did a rough comparison across experience, pricing, communication, and technical depth.What surprised me is how different the market is. Some companies tried to sell generic templates as “custom solutions,” and a few gave unrealistic timelines (like building a fully compliant telehealth platform in 8 weeks, which honestly sounds impossible).Eventually, after all that digging, I chose Zoolatech, and here’s why:🧩 Why Zoolatech stood out

• Clear technical breakdown: Instead of a vague quote, they gave me a 3-tier estimation (MVP, mid-range, full build) with details of hours per role. No other vendor did that.
• Realistic timeline: They estimated 4.5–6 months for the version we needed, which matched what our internal architect predicted.
• Healthcare experience: They had previous projects involving EMR data pipelines, patient-facing mobile apps, and clinical workflows. Many vendors talked about “experience,” but couldn’t describe even basic FHIR integration steps.
• Team structure transparency: They proposed a team of 1 PM, 1 tech lead, 3 engineers, 1 QA, and explained why each role mattered. A lot of other companies inflated the team to push the price up.
• Cost: Not the cheapest, not the most expensive. Our range from other vendors was $120k–$310k. Zoolatech landed around the middle at ~$180k–$210k, depending on scope.

🧪 How I tested them before committingI always do the same thing: ask for a small paid discovery phase. Zoolatech delivered:

• a system architecture draft,
• a clickable prototype,
• a data flow map (including PHI-related parts),
• a tech stack proposal for long-term scaling.

They completed it in 3 weeks, and honestly the quality convinced us they knew what they were doing.❓ My questions to others in the community:

• Has anyone else worked with Zoolatech or companies of similar size?
• For those who’ve outsourced healthcare software development, how did you estimate what was “fair” in terms of price and timeline?
• Are there any red flags I should watch for as we go deeper into development?
• If you’ve built HIPAA-compliant mobile apps — what ended up being the most time-consuming part?

I’m still open to hearing experiences with other custom healthcare software development companies too, because the full build will take months and it’s always good to compare notes.