For a 5-person team that wants a signed BAA on the plan it pays for, Yodl is the cheapest at $10 a month flat. As of November 2026, Chanty Business is cheaper for teams of 3 or fewer at $3 per user a month billed annually, Microsoft Teams Essentials is $4 per user paid yearly with the BAA by default, and Celo and Hucu.ai offer free tiers with real limits. Free, cheap and HIPAA-ready are three different things, so here is the arithmetic.
What cheapest has to include
A chat app is only a HIPAA option if the vendor signs a Business Associate Agreement (BAA): the contract HIPAA requires before a vendor may store protected health information (PHI), meaning anything that identifies a patient and relates to their care. A $0 plan without a BAA is not a cheap HIPAA tool; it is a tool you cannot put patient information into. So every price below is the price of the plan that actually comes with the BAA.
- The plan with the BAA, not the plan on the billboard.
- Annual versus monthly billing, since several low prices need a year paid up front.
- User caps, because a flat price for 'up to 5 users' changes at user 6.
- Free-tier limits on users, storage and message history.
All prices below are as of November 2026 and were read on each vendor's site; they change, so check before you buy.
The list at a glance
| Tool | Price for 5 people as of November 2026 | Price for 10 people | Signs a BAA | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hucu.ai Basic | $0 | $0 (10 users is the cap) | Yes, included for contracted entities | Yes | Post-acute teams that fit its limits |
| Celo Growth | $49 a month billed annually (Free covers 10 users but lists no BAA) | $49 (up to 20 users) | Yes, Growth and up | Yes (10 users) | Clinical teams of 10 to 20 on a flat annual plan |
| Chanty Business | $15 a month ($3 per user billed annually; $4 monthly) | $30 | Yes, Business plan | Yes (5 members, no BAA listed) | Teams of 3 or fewer |
| Yodl (Team plan) | $10 a month flat, 5 users included | $20 ($10 plus 5 extra users at $2) | Yes, every plan | No | Teams of 4 to 25 that want one flat bill |
| Microsoft Teams Essentials | $20 a month ($4 per user, paid yearly) | $40 | Yes, by default on commercial plans | Yes (consumer Teams, not covered) | Offices already on Microsoft 365 |
| Google Workspace Business Starter | $35 a month annual ($7 per user) or $42 flexible | $70 annual or $84 flexible | Yes, accepted in the Admin console | No (14-day trial) | Offices on Gmail |
| Zenzap Business+ | $50 total a month (up to 5 users) plus an unpriced HIPAA add-on | Not published ('Book a Demo' above 5 users) | Yes, as a paid add-on | Yes (unlimited users, 1 GB) | Teams that want WhatsApp-style chat |
| Spruce Health Basic | $120 a month ($24 per user, taxes and fees extra) | $240 | Yes, all trials and plans | No (14-day trial) | Practices that need patient texting and phones too |
The tools, one by one
Hucu.ai
Hucu.ai's Basic tier is free with a BAA included for contracted entities, the only free option with the agreement. The limits are real: 10 users, 10 patient channels, 10 discussion channels, 2 weeks of data access and 500 MB of attachments. Paid tiers are priced per patient or per location at amounts the site does not publish.
Celo
Celo's Free plan covers up to 10 users with HIPAA-compliant messaging, but the BAA line appears only from Growth, which is $49 a month billed annually for up to 20 users. The annual billing is the catch: $49 a month is $588 up front.
Chanty
Chanty's Business plan is $3 per user a month billed annually ($4 monthly) and lists HIPAA compliance and a BAA. For 1 to 3 people it beats every flat plan: $3, $6 or $9 a month. The free plan allows 5 members but does not list the BAA.
Yodl
Yodl is $10 a month for one location with 5 users and 20 GB, and the BAA is signed on that plan. There is no annual commitment and no per-seat math until user 6, who costs $2 a month. That makes it the cheapest paid plan with a BAA from 4 people up to about 25, with channels, threads, search and audit export included. It has no calls, no SSO yet, no free plan and no trial.
Microsoft Teams Essentials
Teams Essentials is $4 per user a month paid yearly, and Microsoft's BAA applies by default on commercial plans through its data protection addendum. For 1 or 2 people it is cheaper than $10 flat. The annual subscription auto-renews.
Google Workspace
Google Chat is included with Workspace, where Business Starter is $7 per user a month on an annual plan or $8.40 on the flexible plan. An admin accepts the BAA in the Admin console and Chat is on Google's covered list. You cannot buy Chat alone.
Zenzap
Zenzap Business+ is $50 total a month for up to 5 users, with the annual toggle selected by default and no monthly rate shown. That is the same $10 a head as Yodl, but HIPAA compliance and the signed BAA are an add-on with no published price, so the real number is $50 plus a quote.
Spruce Health
Spruce Basic is $24 per user a month, taxes and fees extra, with the BAA on every plan. It costs more because it is not only chat: you get a HIPAA phone line, patient texting, e-fax and video visits. If you need those, $120 for 5 people replaces other bills; for staff chat alone it is twelve times Yodl's price.
Two cheap tools that are not HIPAA options
- Pumble is free for unlimited users and Pro is $2.49 per seat a month billed annually, but our research found no HIPAA or BAA statement on its pricing or security pages.
- Slack Pro is $8.75 per user a month on monthly billing ($43.75 for 5), but Slack's HIPAA support is limited to Enterprise plans with an executed BAA.
Which one for your team
- One to three people: Chanty Business, $3 per person billed annually, or Teams Essentials for one or two people.
- Four to twenty-five people on one bill: Yodl, $10 for 5 and $2 for each extra person; 20 people cost $40.
- Ten to twenty clinicians who want read receipts and a photo library: Celo Growth at $49 billed annually.
- A post-acute team that fits the limits: Hucu.ai Basic, free.
- Already on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace: use what you have.
Yodl's Team plan is $10 a month for 5 people with a signed BAA; the details are on the pricing page.
The cheapest HIPAA chat is the one whose paid plan includes a signed BAA. At 1 to 3 people that is Chanty; at 4 to 25 it is Yodl at $10 flat plus $2 per extra user; the free tiers from Celo and Hucu.ai are real but limited.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free HIPAA-compliant chat app?
Hucu.ai's Basic tier is free with a BAA for contracted entities, limited to 10 users, 2 weeks of data access and 500 MB. Celo's Free plan covers 10 users but lists the BAA only from its $49 Growth plan.
Is Pumble or Slack's free plan HIPAA compliant?
Our research found no HIPAA or BAA statement on Pumble's site, and Slack limits HIPAA support to Enterprise plans. Neither free plan is a place for patient information.
Why is Yodl not the cheapest for 3 people?
Chanty Business is $9 a month for 3 users billed annually, and Yodl is $10. Yodl becomes the cheapest at 4 people and stays cheapest as the team grows.
Do annual prices hide costs?
Often. Teams Essentials is paid yearly and auto-renews, Celo bills annually, Chanty is $4 instead of $3 month to month, and Google's flexible plan is $8.40 instead of $7.
What does Yodl's $10 include?
One location, 5 users, 20 GB of storage, a signed BAA and month-to-month billing. Extra users are $2 each and API access is $20 a month.