The most useful Zocdoc alternatives for a practice fall into four groups: other directories and marketplaces, booking links on your Google Business Profile, a scheduling tool on your own website, and paid search that sends patients to that website. Each trades the per-booking fee for a different cost: a subscription, your staff's time, or ad spend. This page compares them by cost model, who controls the patient's path, and what happens to the data.
Last verified: October 23, 2026, against each company's own pages. For Zocdoc's own model, see Zocdoc costs and fees; for the full set of dated comparisons, see medical marketing software compared.
Why practices look for Zocdoc alternatives
Practice owners search for this by name:
| Search (US, monthly) | Volume | Avg. CPC |
|---|---|---|
| zocdoc alternatives | 170 | n/a |
| zocdoc competitors | 140 | $67.35 |
| alternatives to zocdoc | 50 | n/a |
Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US, 12-month average to Sep 2026.
The reasons usually come down to three questions. Cost: Zocdoc says providers pay a one-time booking fee when it helps a new patient discover and book with them (Zocdoc release, September 22, 2026 (opens in a new tab)), and some practices want to compare that with channels they own. Control: a marketplace profile lives on someone else's platform. Fit: some specialties, such as therapy, have their own directories that patients use.
If you want an outside view of where your new patients come from now, a free marketing audit scores your website, Google listing and ads in a few minutes.
Other booking marketplaces and directories
Before you treat a directory as an alternative, check who powers its booking. Zocdoc's September 16, 2026 release (opens in a new tab) names Yelp and Healthgrades among the partners in its Care Access Network, which lets partners offer Zocdoc booking on their own sites. A booking made there may still run through Zocdoc and its fee model, so ask both companies before you assume otherwise.
Psychology Today (therapists and other mental health professionals). Its sign-up page (opens in a new tab) says members pay a fixed monthly fee of $29.95, with no plans or contracts. Profiles can include a personal statement, photo gallery and intro video, plus a protected phone number and call and email tracking. The sign-up page doesn't mention online booking; patients contact you, and you schedule them. Last verified October 23, 2026.
Healthgrades and other doctor directories. We couldn't load Healthgrades' provider pages to confirm what a profile includes or costs, so we don't describe them here. Most directories let you claim and correct a basic profile; our guide to online listings for practices covers which ones matter by specialty and how to keep them consistent.
Google Business Profile booking and appointment links
This is the closest thing to a free Zocdoc alternative for patients who find you on Google Search and Maps.
- Add your own booking link. Google Business Profile Help (opens in a new tab) lets a business add links for appointments and bookings, up to 10 links per category, from the profile editor in Search or Maps. You choose the URL: your website's booking page or your scheduling tool.
- Book through a Google partner. Google also supports bookings through third-party providers it lists under Reserve with Google (Set up bookings through a provider (opens in a new tab)). Google notes that "your provider might charge you."
- Watch for links you didn't add. Google says links from partners may appear on a profile automatically, and that providers must remove third-party links within 5 days of a removal request.
- Health providers. The help articles we checked don't single out health providers. Add the link, then search for your practice on a phone to confirm the button appears.
Last verified October 23, 2026. For the rest of the profile, from categories to photos, see our Google Business Profile guide.
Your own website, forms and booking tools
Patients who reach your website are already looking for you. Giving them a way to book there means no marketplace fee and no second profile to maintain. You need two pieces: a scheduling tool, and a website that sends patients to it.
Scheduling tools that publish HIPAA terms. If a booking form collects health details, the vendor's BAA (Business Associate Agreement) matters:
- Acuity Scheduling (Squarespace). Squarespace says you must be on the Powerhouse or Premium plan (opens in a new tab) to enable HIPAA-related services and enter into a BAA, and that its other form features can't be part of a HIPAA-compliant solution.
- Wix Bookings. Wix says HIPAA compliance is available (opens in a new tab) on its Business, Plus, Elite, Business Elite and Enterprise plans, and that you sign its BAA after activating PHI protection. It warns that adding a note to a booking may contravene HIPAA.
- Tebra online scheduling. Tebra says patients can book 24/7 from your website (opens in a new tab) and online profiles, including Google, and its security page (opens in a new tab) says it commits to HIPAA safeguards through its business associate agreement.
- Zocdoc's own website scheduling. Zocdoc sells branded website scheduling as part of its Practice Solutions and says there is no booking fee when a patient searches for a specific provider.
Last verified October 23, 2026. Prices for these tools depend on plan and region, so check each vendor's pricing page.
Where Medfy fits
Medfy doesn't provide booking software; scheduling stays in the tool you choose. Medfy rebuilds your website with a page per service and HIPAA-compliant forms, and links each page to your booking tool. Its first-party analytics measure bookings and booking clicks on the website, along with calls and forms, so you can see how many patients book directly.
Paid search for new-patient demand
A marketplace captures patients who search "dermatologist near me" and pick from a list. Google Ads lets your practice appear for those same searches with your own ad and landing page.
- Cost model. You pay Google per click, plus any management fee. Nothing is charged per booking, so your cost per new patient depends on your ads, landing pages and front desk.
- Health targeting limits. Google lists health as a sensitive category: advertisers promoting health products or services can't use advertiser-curated audiences (opens in a new tab) such as Customer Match or remarketing lists. Plan on keyword targeting, not retargeting your patients.
- Ownership. Open the ad account in the practice's name so the history stays with you.
Our guide to Google Ads for practices covers keywords, budgets and policy. If you use Medfy, its Google Ads management add-on is $199/month, and ad spend is paid directly to Google, never marked up.
Comparison table: cost model, ownership, data
| Option | Cost model, as published | Who controls the booking path | Patient data and BAA, as published | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zocdoc Marketplace | Free to join; one-time booking fee per new patient Zocdoc helps you find; no fee for existing patients or name searches | Zocdoc and its partners | Not confirmed: Zocdoc's privacy and provider terms didn't load for us | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Psychology Today | $29.95/month fixed fee; no contracts | Psychology Today profile; you schedule | Sign-up page doesn't mention booking or a BAA for the directory | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Google Business Profile link | Free to add a link; a Reserve with Google provider may charge you | You choose the link | Depends on the booking tool you link | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Website scheduling tool | Subscription to the tool | Your website | Squarespace: BAA for Acuity on Powerhouse or Premium; Wix: BAA on listed plans; Tebra: BAA stated | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Google Ads to your website | Pay per click to Google, plus any management fee | Your ad account and website | No patient lists in health ads targeting | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Medfy (website and Google Ads add-on) | $349/month base plan; Google Ads add-on $199/month; ad spend paid directly to Google | Your own domain | BAA with every practice; patient information in separate, encrypted HIPAA databases | Medfy's own terms |
When staying on Zocdoc is the better fit
Zocdoc is the better fit when you need new-patient bookings quickly and have no one to run ads or content, when many of your patients choose by insurance plan, or when you want to be bookable on its partners, such as Yelp, Gemini and Healthgrades, through one connection. A common middle path is to keep Zocdoc for open new-patient slots while you build the owned channels above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Zocdoc for a small practice?
There isn't one answer; it depends on where your patients search. A solo therapist may get more from a directory such as Psychology Today, $29.95 a month as published in October 2026. A practice with a website and Google listing can add a booking link and its own scheduling tool. A practice that needs new-patient volume quickly may keep Zocdoc and build owned channels alongside it.
Can patients book appointments from Google?
Yes. Google Business Profile lets a business add booking links to its profile, up to 10 links per category, and Google also supports booking through third-party Reserve with Google providers. Google's help pages note that a booking provider might charge you. The articles we checked don't single out health providers, so add the link and test it on your own profile.
Is it worth leaving Zocdoc?
It depends on your numbers. Compare your Zocdoc booking fee, divided by the share of booked new patients who show up, with your cost per new patient from Google, your website and referrals. If owned channels cost less per patient and can fill your schedule, cutting marketplace volume can make sense. Many practices keep both and use Zocdoc for open slots.