Web platformHealth, fitness & wellnessOriginal by Doctolib
Doctolib started as software that digitises the secretarial work of doctors and clinics, and on the patient side it offers a booking site and app connected to that software. Because the clinic already keeps its calendar in the system, the free slots shown to patients are always correct. The software being an indispensable work tool for the clinic is what makes the patient-side network reliable and lets it grow.
Building something similar covers clinic and hospital scheduling software, secretary screens, a patient website and mobile app, video consultation infrastructure and a secure patient-doctor messaging module. Multi-site clinics need resource and room planning, automatic reminders and secure document sharing. The whole structure should be built on health data security and GDPR compliance.
How Doctolib works: the core user flow
How many apps and dashboards do you need?
Patient site and app
The patient interface for booking, joining video consultations and viewing documents sent by the doctor.
Clinic scheduling software
The web app where doctors and secretaries manage all appointments, rooms and patient records.
Video consultation module
The screen where a doctor holds a secure video call with a patient and shares documents.
Admin panel
The internal panel that manages clinic subscriptions, integrations, support requests and system security.
Critical features of a product like Doctolib
Secretary-focused calendar
Appointments from phone, walk-ins and online land in one calendar, with colour, room and doctor filters.
Visit type rules
First visits, check-ups and procedures are assigned different durations and preparation instructions.
Video consultations
Encrypted video calls that run in the browser and app come with screen and document sharing.
Secure document sharing
Documents such as reports, lab results and prescriptions are sent to the patient's account encrypted.
Smart reminders
SMS and email reminders help a cancelled slot get refilled quickly.
Multi-site resource planning
In hospitals and clinic chains, doctor, room and equipment capacity is planned centrally.
What goes into the first version, what comes later
First version (MVP)
- Clinic calendar and secretary screen
- Search and online booking on the patient site
- SMS and email reminders
- Visit type and duration rules
- Clinic subscriptions and billing
Later releases
- Video consultation module
- Patient app and document sharing
- Secure patient-doctor messaging
- Integration with hospital information systems
Modules and how the budget is calculated
The budget is calculated with 360 SOFT’s pricing model from the modules below, about 34 screens and the project’s complexity: roughly 219 person-days for the full scope and 155 person-days for the first version. Every module you drop lowers the budget directly.
| Module | Phase |
|---|---|
| Sign-up, login, social login | First version |
| User profile and settings | First version |
| Roles and permissions | First version |
| Admin dashboard | First version |
| Booking / reservations | First version |
| Advanced search and filters | First version |
| Video / voice calls | First version |
| Real-time messaging | First version |
| Email / SMS notifications | First version |
| Push notifications | First version |
| File, photo, video upload | First version |
| Subscriptions and recurring billing | First version |
| GDPR and security hardening | First version |
| Reporting and analytics | First version |
Hosting, SMS, map APIs, app store accounts and payment-provider fees are separate items. Maintenance and improvements (optional): €750 / month. We send a fixed written price within 24 hours after a free discovery call.
The hard parts
Clinic habits
Secretaries find it hard to give up the system they have used for years, so data migration, training and on-site support are needed.
Continuous uptime
The clinic day runs on the calendar, so even a short outage halts operations and high availability is essential.
Telehealth regulation
Video consultation services must be designed to comply with telehealth rules, and current regulations need to be followed.
Business model
The patient side is free; revenue comes from clinics and doctors as a monthly subscription per practitioner. Video consultations, advanced patient communication and hospital-level resource planning can be priced as separate packages or add-ons. Setup, data migration and training services create extra revenue from large institutions.
Get a free quote for your project
Let us scope it together and send a fixed written quote within 24 hours. NDA on request; you own the source code.
Choosing a company to build an app like Doctolib
Most people searching “website like doctolib” are really looking for a reliable app development company. When comparing quotes, check four things:
- Can you try similar products they have shipped, in the stores or live?
- Are the source code, design files, servers and store accounts transferred to you by contract?
- Do they show a working demo every two weeks, with written scope and acceptance criteria?
- Are maintenance, scaling and GDPR/security costs written into the quote?
Copyright and trademarks
A business model and features are generally not protected on their own, but the Doctolib name, logo, interface design, content and source code are. That is why we build a product with similar functionality but your own brand, design and code. This is not legal advice; we recommend a trademark search before launch.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a website like Doctolib?
A first version with a clinic calendar and a patient booking site can go live in a few months. Video consultations, messaging and hospital modules are added in later phases.
Clinic software first, or the patient site?
In this model the clinic software comes first, because accurate availability data flows from it. The patient site gains value as more clinics use the software.
Will there be copyright or trademark issues?
Clinic software and the booking business model are free to use, but the name, logo, interface, content and code cannot be copied. This is not legal advice.
What should I look for when choosing a company to build a site like Doctolib?
Look for B2B SaaS, high-availability infrastructure and WebRTC-based video experience. The tests planned for health data security should also be stated in the proposal.
