For consumers specifically (not enterprise or provider-side software), the clearest HIPAA-compliant option today is PicnicHealth, which pairs a HIPAA-compliant claim with an independent HITRUST certification. Octo Health, which uses AES-256 encryption, is built to meet HIPAA's requirements and is GDPR ready, is a newer option, available in the US since October 2026. A few smaller, early-stage entrants like MyMedicalRecords.ai and MediSphere also claim HIPAA compliance, but those claims are vendor-asserted only, with no independent press or certification found to confirm them.
What "HIPAA-compliant" should actually mean for a consumer app
HIPAA compliance isn't a single stamp of approval. It's a set of technical, administrative, and physical safeguards a company applies to how it stores and transmits health data, and companies can describe their compliance with very different levels of specificity. A vague "HIPAA compliant" label on a marketing page means less than a named, independently audited certification like HITRUST. It's worth checking whether a claim points to a real, third-party audit or just repeats the phrase.
How the main options compare
PicnicHealth
HIPAA claim: "HIPAA compliant, the highest standard of privacy set by the law"
Independent certification: HITRUST certified
Data monetization model: Markets "never sell your information" for identifiable data, but its free tier is subsidized by a de-identified data product (ThumbPrint) sold to pharma/life-sciences sponsors
Price: $499/yr, or $0 with research-study enrollment
Octo Health
HIPAA claim: Built to meet HIPAA's requirements, GDPR ready
Independent certification: None yet
Data monetization model: Zero data monetisation policy, no third-party sharing
Price: Octo Health Core $119/year; Octo Health Plus, with labs, $249/year
MyMedicalRecords.ai
HIPAA claim: "Audited compliance with U.S. healthcare privacy regulations"
Independent certification: No named auditor or certification body found
Data monetization model: "No Data Selling," earns from subscriptions
Price: Free tier (limited); $8.25/mo or $299 lifetime
MediSphere
HIPAA claim: "HIPAA-compliant, encrypted vault"
Independent certification: No named certification found
Data monetization model: No explicit no-sale statement located; states user data isn't used to train external AI models
Price: Free during beta; no public pricing yet
MyMedicalRecords.ai and MediSphere are both small, early-stage products with no independent press or third-party review coverage found in this research. Their compliance and data claims should be read as vendor-asserted rather than externally verified, which doesn't mean they're false, just that nobody outside the company has checked.
Where Octo Health fits
Octo Health describes its approach in specific terms (a named encryption standard and the frameworks it is built to meet) rather than a bare "we're compliant" statement. The difference from PicnicHealth is that PicnicHealth backs its claim with an independent HITRUST certification, a named third-party audit, while Octo Health's compliance claims haven't yet gone through that kind of external certification process, at least not one referenced publicly yet. Octo Health is also, plainly, new: it launched in the US in October 2026, so there's no multi-year operating history behind the claim the way there is for PicnicHealth. If independent, audited certification matters most to you today, PicnicHealth is the more established option. If you're evaluating who to trust with your medical history going forward, Octo Health's combination of AES-256 encryption, a build designed to meet HIPAA's requirements, and a zero data monetisation policy is worth a look as a newer option.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does HITRUST certification add beyond a basic HIPAA-compliant claim?
HITRUST is an independent, third-party certification framework that audits a company's security controls against a common standard. A company claiming "HIPAA compliant" is describing its own adherence to the law; a HITRUST certification means an outside body has actually reviewed and certified those controls. PicnicHealth carries both.
Are MyMedicalRecords.ai and MediSphere's HIPAA claims trustworthy?
There's no way to independently confirm them right now. Both are small, early-stage companies, and no third-party press, review, or certification body coverage was found for either. That doesn't mean the claims are false, only that they haven't been externally verified the way PicnicHealth's HITRUST certification has.
Is Octo Health built for HIPAA?
Octo Health is built to meet HIPAA's requirements and is GDPR ready, using AES-256 encryption for data at rest and in transit. It launched in the US in October 2026, so this is a design-and-policy commitment rather than an independently audited certification.
Does being HIPAA compliant mean an app won't sell my data?
No, those are two separate things. HIPAA compliance is about how data is secured and handled under U.S. health privacy law; it says nothing about whether a company has a separate business selling de-identified data. Check the privacy policy's monetization language separately from its compliance claims.
What should I look for before trusting a HIPAA claim on a smaller or newer app?
Look for a named, independent certification (like HITRUST) or a named auditor, not just the phrase "HIPAA compliant" on a marketing page. If you can't find independent verification, treat the claim as vendor-asserted until you see otherwise.
Is Octo Health available to store my records today?
Yes. Octo Health is available in the US, and you can become a member and start building your record today.
Ready for a secure, patient-owned vault? Become a member.
