Free tool · September 2026
Telehealth Startup Cost Calculator
Estimate what it costs to start a telehealth business in 2026. Pick your vertical, launch states, and expected patient volume to see cost ranges for launching on white-label infrastructure versus building in-house. Every number is a range drawn from our telehealth startup cost breakdown.
Your launch
Setup, legal review, and first 3 months of platform fees
$21,000–$55,000
Timeline: Weeks for platform configuration; LegitScript (1–3 months) paces paid ads.
| Line item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $2,000–$5,000/mo | Segment spans $1,000–$6,000/mo per public pricing; higher volume usually sits on higher tiers. |
| One-time setup | $5,000–$15,000 | Segment range for onboarding and configuration (brand, intake, catalog, pharmacy routing). |
| LegitScript certification | Low thousands | Application plus annual fees, tiered by company size — see LegitScript's published fees. Review typically takes 1–3 months and gates Google and Meta ads. |
| Legal / MSO review | $10,000–$25,000 | Typical range is $5,000–$25,000. Launching in 10 states pushes toward the upper half. |
| Consult fees | $1,250–$12,000/mo | Assumes ~$25–$60 per visit and up to one visit per patient per month; many programs bill less often after intake. |
| Medication economics | Varies by vertical | Ask for medication pricing in writing: a low platform fee with heavy medication markup can cost more at scale than a higher flat fee with pass-through pricing. |
GLP-1 weight loss: Medication cost of goods is the dominant per-patient line, and injectables need cold-chain shipping. Compounded GLP-1 availability depends on current FDA rules — get your pharmacy's dated legal basis in writing.
Not included either way: brand and site ($5,000–$50,000) and launch marketing ($15,000–$100,000+ for the first 90 days) — you own those on any route.
Directional estimates, September 2026 — scope your real number on a demo.
Scope my real numberFrequently asked questions
- Can you start a telehealth business with $10,000?
- At the very low end of the white-label route, yes — roughly enough to cover a modest setup fee, a basic brand and site, and initial legal review. But you would launch with almost no marketing budget, which is where telehealth businesses actually live or die. A more realistic all-in figure for a credible launch on white-label infrastructure is $25,000–$75,000 including 90 days of marketing.
- How long does it take to launch a telehealth business?
- On white-label infrastructure, brands commonly go live in a few weeks to a few months, with LegitScript certification often the pacing item for paid advertising. Building from scratch typically takes 6–12+ months before the first patient, driven by software development, entity formation, and provider credentialing.
- How much does LegitScript certification cost?
- LegitScript charges application and annual fees that run into the thousands of dollars, tiered by company size, with exact amounts published on LegitScript's site. Budget for the calendar time as much as the fee: certification is effectively mandatory before Google and Meta will approve telehealth and pharmacy ads.
Keep reading: the full line-by-line breakdown in how much it costs to start a telehealth business, and the week-by-week reality in the telehealth launch timeline.
These are directional estimates, not quotes or financial advice.
Get your real number
We price by vertical, states, and volume. Book a call and we will scope your launch cost and timeline.