Microsoft Teams is the harder comparison for Yodl: Microsoft's Business Associate Agreement (BAA) applies by default to commercial plans, and Teams Essentials is $4.00 per user a month paid yearly, or $20 a month for 5 people. Pick Teams if your clinic already runs on Microsoft 365 or needs video meetings. Pick Yodl for a lighter, flat-priced chat tool a practice manager can run without an IT person.
At a glance
Protected health information (PHI) is any detail that identifies a patient and relates to their health or care. A BAA is the contract HIPAA requires from a vendor before it handles PHI. Microsoft prices are as of November 2026 from Microsoft's Teams comparison page, paid yearly on an auto-renewing subscription; prices change, so verify on microsoft.com.
| What matters | Yodl | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Price for a 5-person office | $10 a month, BAA included | Teams Essentials $4.00 per user a month paid yearly ($20 for 5); Microsoft 365 Business Basic $7.00 ($35) |
| How it is priced | Flat per location; $2 per extra user; $10 per extra location | Per user, paid yearly, auto-renewing |
| Signs a BAA, and on which plans | Yes, every plan | Yes, by default on commercial plans; free consumer Teams not listed as in scope |
| Free tier or trial | None | Free Teams for personal and small use, 60-minute meetings, no BAA |
| Built for | Small healthcare teams and small businesses | Businesses of 1 to 300 users on Business plans |
| File storage | 20 GB per location | Essentials 10 GB per user; Business Basic 1 TB per user |
| API | $20 a month per workspace | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Apps and devices | Any browser, Mac app, iPhone app (beta) | Not detailed on the pages we read |
Pricing in detail
Yodl has one plan: $10 a month for 5 users, 1 location, 20 GB and a signed BAA. Extra users are $2 each, an extra location is $10 with 5 more users and 20 more GB, and the API is $20 a month. Month to month, no free trial.
Teams Essentials is $4.00 per user a month paid yearly: chat, calling and video, 10 GB of storage per user, meetings up to 30 hours with 300 participants, no Office desktop apps or business email. Microsoft 365 Business Basic is $7.00 per user and adds web and mobile Office apps, business email and 1 TB per user. Free Teams is $0 for personal and small use with 60-minute meetings. Business Standard with Copilot is $23.50 per user; Teams Premium is a $10.00 add-on.
For 5 people: Teams Essentials is $20 a month, billed as $240 a year and auto-renewing; Business Basic is $35 a month. Yodl is $10 a month, billed monthly.
HIPAA and the BAA
HIPAA requires a BAA before a vendor handles PHI (45 CFR 164.502(e) and 164.308(b)). HIPAA does not certify any app; the BAA plus your own policies and training is compliance with either tool.
Microsoft's HIPAA page says its Business Associate Agreement is available through the Online Services Data Protection Addendum by default to customers that are covered entities or business associates. Teams is listed as in scope, audited against ISO/IEC 27001 and the HITRUST CSF, and business plans list encryption for meetings, chats, calls and files. Two cautions from Microsoft: free consumer Teams is not listed as in scope, and a BAA alone does not make a customer compliant.
Yodl signs a BAA with every customer on every plan, including the $10 plan. It is encrypted in transit and at rest, hosted on HIPAA-eligible infrastructure with subprocessor BAAs, and not end-to-end encrypted, by design, so that search, retention, audit and admin controls work, the same model Teams and Slack use.
The features a small practice actually uses
| Feature | Yodl | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Public and private channels, DMs, group DMs, threads, reactions, @mentions, saved messages | Unlimited chat, file attachments and search; guest access |
| Meetings and calls | None | Up to 30 hours and 300 participants; recordings, transcripts, captions |
| Scheduling, apps, AI | Website leads into a channel; optional PhiClaw AI teammate (separate) | Shifts, Bookings, Planner and Forms on Microsoft 365 plans; over 250 apps; Copilot add-ons |
| Roles, audit, lock | Manager, Member, Viewer; invite-only; audit viewer with CSV export; retention and legal hold; passkeys; 15-minute lock | Not detailed on the pages we read |
Where Microsoft Teams is the better choice
Teams is the better choice if your clinic already pays for Microsoft 365. Business Basic at $7.00 per user includes business email, web and mobile Office apps, 1 TB per user and Teams, with Microsoft's BAA by default. Another chat tool on top of that is a second login and a second bill.
It is also the better choice if you need meetings: up to 30 hours with 300 participants, recordings, transcripts and captions, from $4.00 per user on Essentials. Yodl has no voice or video. Teams also wins on breadth: over 250 apps, Shifts for staff scheduling, Bookings, Planner, Forms and Copilot add-ons.
Where Yodl is the better choice
Yodl is the better choice for a clinic that does not run on Microsoft and does not want to start. There is no annual contract: $10 a month, billed monthly, against Teams' paid-yearly, auto-renewing subscription. Extra users are $2 each; a second location is $10.
Yodl is lighter on purpose: channels, threads, DMs, files and search, with the HIPAA controls in one admin panel, so a practice manager can set it up without an IT partner. Teams allows guest access and chat between work and personal accounts, one more thing to govern; Yodl workspaces are invite-only, and patients never message into it.
Who should choose which
| Your clinic | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic already on Microsoft 365 with an IT partner | Microsoft Teams | BAA by default; already paid for |
| Clinic that needs video meetings and staff scheduling | Microsoft Teams | Meetings, Shifts, Bookings, Planner |
| 5 to 15 person office without Microsoft 365 or an IT person | Yodl | $10 a month, month to month, one admin panel |
| Team that wants to try, then cancel without a contract | Yodl | Month to month, no annual term |
If Yodl is the fit, start on the pricing page: $10 a month for 5 people, a signed BAA.
Teams is a sound HIPAA-eligible choice for clinics on Microsoft 365 or needing meetings, at $4.00 to $7.00 per user paid yearly. Yodl is the lighter, flat-priced option: $10 a month for 5 users, month to month, with BAA and admin controls in one panel.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Teams HIPAA compliant?
Microsoft's BAA applies by default through its Online Services Data Protection Addendum to commercial customers that are covered entities or business associates, and Teams is listed as in scope. Free consumer Teams is not, and Microsoft says a BAA alone does not make you compliant.
How much does Microsoft Teams cost for 5 users?
As of November 2026, Teams Essentials is $4.00 per user a month paid yearly, so $20 a month ($240 a year) for 5 users; Business Basic is $7.00 per user, so $35. Both auto-renew yearly. Prices change; verify on microsoft.com.
Is the free version of Teams okay for a clinic?
Not for PHI. Free Teams is for personal and small use and is not listed among the in-scope services under Microsoft's BAA. Use a paid commercial plan, or a tool that signs a BAA on every plan.
Why pay $10 for Yodl when Teams Essentials is $4 per user?
For 5 users Teams Essentials is $20 a month and Yodl is $10, and extra Yodl users are $2 against $4. The bigger reasons are month-to-month billing, a lighter tool and HIPAA controls in one panel. If you need meetings or own Microsoft 365, Teams is the better value.