---
title: "Build vs Buy"
url: "https://doccure.io/build-vs-buy/"
updated: "2026-11-03T20:50:38+00:00"
type: "page"
business:
  name: "Doccure"
  phone: "+44 7438 823475"
  location: "City Business Centre, 11a Lower Road, London SE16 2XB, United Kingdom"
---

# Build vs Buy

Build vs buy

# Build, buy or white-label: what a telehealth platform really costs.

A custom telemedicine and pharmacy platform costs about $120,000–$180,000 and takes 9–14 months to build, by our estimate. Doccure projects start from $5,000, and a standard white-label platform goes live under your brand within a week.

[Estimate your build cost](#dbv-calc) [Get a quote for your plan ](#dbv-form)

  Three routes

## Build from scratch, white-label, or both

What each route costs, how long it takes and who carries the work afterwards.

|  | Build from scratch | Doccure white-label | Doccure + custom development |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | About $120,000–$180,000 | From $5,000, quoted to your scope | Quoted per project |
| Time to your first patient | 9–14 months | Set up in minutes, live within a week | Agreed in the scope |
| Hosting and security patches | Your team | Hosting in the US, Europe or Asia on request | Our hosting, your cloud or on-premise |
| Upgrades and new features | Your roadmap and budget | Platform updates from the Doccure team | Platform updates plus your own features |
| Compliance groundwork | You design it | HIPAA-ready and GDPR-ready platform, BAA signed | Same, plus your custom work |
| Who owns what | You own all the code | Your brand, your data, your patients | Source code licence options |

Build figures are Dreams Technologies' estimate for a comparable custom telemedicine and pharmacy platform, based on projects we have scoped. Your own figure will differ. HIPAA-ready and GDPR-ready. We sign a BAA. HIPAA and GDPR have no official certificate.

  Calculator

## Estimate what building it yourself would cost

Pick what you need. Every assumption is shown and you can change it.

### Your platform

Included in every estimate Telehealth, booking, patient records and patient portal

Add modules  Lab: test catalogue, samples, signed reports  Pharmacy: dispensing, stock, purchase orders  Billing and insurance claims  Inpatient wards and beds

Clinics, labs or branches

More than one site adds multi-branch work.

Your team's monthly cost (USD)

Assumption: a small team (developers, QA, design) at about $13,000 a month in total.

Yearly upkeep after launch (% of build cost)

Assumption: about 20% a year for fixes, updates and hosting work.

### Your estimate

Build it yourself**–**

Time before your first patient**–**

Three years, including upkeep**–**

On Doccure**From $5,000, live within a week**

 [Get a quote for this plan](#dbv-form)

The build estimate is months of work multiplied by your team's monthly cost. Telehealth and records take 7.5–11.5 months; each module adds 1–2.5 months; more than one site adds 1–1.5 months. Doccure quotes depend on your scope and custom work.

  The costs that come later

## What a build-it-yourself budget leaves out

- ### Hosting and backups
  
    Servers, backups, monitoring and someone on call when it breaks.
- ### Security patches
  
    Every library and framework needs updates, for as long as the platform runs.
- ### App and browser changes
  
    Video, push notifications and payments change with each browser and phone update.
- ### AI costs
  
    AI providers bill per use. On Doccure you choose the provider, or switch AI off. AI outputs are suggestions reviewed by a licensed clinician. Not a medical device.
- ### Compliance work
  
    Audit trails, consent records, access control and the paperwork for HIPAA or GDPR.
- ### Staff turnover
  
    A custom platform depends on the people who built it.

  ## Get a quote for your plan

Tell us what you want to launch. We send your calculator inputs with the request and reply within one working day.

### What happens next

1. **We reply within one working day** with times for a 30-minute call.
2. **A demo on your workflow**, with the modules you picked.
3. **A written quote** and a launch plan for your scope.

### See the prices

White-label, custom development and Enterprise, and plans for clinics in India.

[See pricing](https://doccure.io/pricing/)

### Prefer to talk now?

[Book a 30-minute demo](https://doccure.io/book-a-demo/)

  FAQ

## Build vs buy questions

 Is it cheaper to build our own telehealth platform?Rarely in the first three years. A comparable custom telemedicine and pharmacy platform costs about $120,000 to $180,000 and 9 to 14 months to build, by our estimate, before hosting, security work and upkeep. Doccure projects start from $5,000.

What does "from $5,000" cover?It is the starting point for a white-label project on Doccure. Your quote depends on the modules, integrations, custom work and hosting you choose. We confirm it in writing after a demo.

How long does a Doccure launch take?Setting up your platform is automated and takes minutes. Most standard white-label launches go live under your brand within a week. Custom features add time, which we agree with you when we scope the project.

Do we own the code?On a white-label project you own your brand, your data and your patient relationships, and Doccure stays our platform. Enterprise deployments can include a source code licence, on-premise or in your private cloud.

Can we start on Doccure and add our own features later?Yes. Our team builds custom modules and integrations on top of Doccure, or, with a source code licence, your own developers can extend it.