What are the alternatives to Zocdoc for a medical practice? Online Booking Guide for Medical Practices
By Capital Growth Studio · Published · 5 min read
This article compares the main alternatives to Zocdoc for a medical practice. It also explains why online booking on your own website and Google Business Profile comes first.
Zocdoc is an online marketplace where patients find and book doctors. A directory is a website that lists providers, such as Healthgrades or an insurer's "find a doctor" search. A Google Business Profile is the free listing of your practice in Google Search and Maps.
The main alternatives to Zocdoc are Google Business Profile, Healthgrades, WebMD Care, Doximity and insurer directories. As of October 2026, the first four are free to claim. But online booking on your own website and Google Business Profile comes first.
Want help with your listings and online booking? Apply for a free consultation
What does Zocdoc charge now?
On September 22, 2026, Zocdoc announced that any provider can join its network for free. Zocdoc says that there is no booking fee when a patient searches for a specific provider. The same applies when an existing patient books.
Providers pay "only when Zocdoc helps a patient discover and book with them." Zocdoc calls this a "discovery booking fee." Zocdoc also says that it charges no booking fee for bookings through your own website.
Our guide to whether Zocdoc is worth it shows how to work out your cost for each new patient.
What are the alternatives?
We checked each official page below on October 20, 2026.
| Option | What it offers | Cost to the practice |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Booking links on your listing in Google Search and Maps | Free |
| Healthgrades | A listing for each provider; a scheduling link with the Elevated Profiles upgrade | Free profile; no upgrade price published |
| WebMD Care | A listing on WebMD and Vitals.com; online booking with a Featured Profile | Free Basic Profile; Featured Profile price not published |
| Doximity | A public profile that shows in web search | Free membership |
| Insurer directories | Your listing in each plan's "find a doctor" search | No listing fee named in CareFirst's provider FAQ |
| Your website | Online booking that you control | Build and hosting; scheduling tools vary |
What do directories not give you?
A directory listing helps patients find you. But the directory controls the page around your name.
- Your brand. On a directory, the patient sees the brand of the directory first. On a free Healthgrades or WebMD Care listing, ads or listings for other providers can appear. The paid upgrades remove them.
- The booking button. Zocdoc says that its partner network includes Healthgrades, Yelp and Gemini. Its discovery booking fee can apply to bookings on these partner sites. Zocdoc says that some partners, such as insurance directories, make all bookings free to providers. Links from third-party partners "can automatically appear" on your Google Business Profile. So check which company runs each "Book" button.
- Your details. Each directory keeps its own copy of your hours, locations and insurance plans. Update each copy in its own portal. Keep a log of each directory, its login owner and the date of your last check.
How do you set up booking that you own?
You own your website, and you manage your Google Business Profile. As of October 2026, a profile can carry up to 10 booking links.
Online booking is still new for many practices. In July 2025, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) ran a poll. In that poll, 71% of practice leaders said that fewer than 25% of their patients book online.
- Turn on online booking in your electronic health record (EHR) or practice management system.
- Start with "routine, low-risk visit types," as MGMA suggests, such as annual physicals.
- Put a clear booking button on every page of your website.
- Add your booking page as a booking link on your Google Business Profile. Mark it as "Business preferred."
- Point your Healthgrades, WebMD Care and Doximity listings to your website, where each platform allows it.
- Ask each new patient how they found you. Count new patients by source.
Our guide to Business Profiles for doctors covers practice and provider listings.
Frequently asked questions
Is Healthgrades free for providers?
The basic profile is free. As of October 2026, every provider in the National Provider Identifier (NPI) registry has a free Healthgrades profile. The provider can claim and manage it. Healthgrades does not publish a price for its Elevated Profiles upgrade.
Is a WebMD Care profile free?
Yes, the Basic Profile is free. As of October 2026, it appears on WebMD and Vitals.com. It shows your insurance, degrees and conditions treated. The Featured Profile upgrade adds online booking and prominent placement.
Does updating CAQH update every insurer directory?
Not always. CAQH ProView is a shared database of provider data. As of October 2026, CareFirst uses it for credentialing, but not for its provider directory. CareFirst asks practices to confirm their directory data at least every 90 days in its own portal.
Updated .
Sources: Zocdoc press release, September 22, 2026; Zocdoc for providers; Google Business Profile Help: business links; Google Business Profile Help: add or claim a profile; Healthgrades methodologies; Healthgrades Elevated Profiles; WebMD Customer Care; WebMD Featured Profile; Doximity: membership; Doximity: public profile; CareFirst provider directory FAQ; MGMA Stat, July 2025.
