The 10 best healthcare software companies in the Netherlands (2026)
Dutch healthcare is digitising rapidly, with high demands on privacy and secure data exchange. But who builds the best healthcare software? We compare ten leading providers, from complete EHR suppliers to custom software builders, and explain honestly which type of partner suits which need.
Why choose a specialist healthcare software agency?
Building healthcare software is a discipline of its own. Where a standard web application runs on predictable data flows, healthcare software directly touches privacy-sensitive patient data, strict legislation and a landscape of existing systems that must communicate with one another. A generic software agency may build a working portal, but it lacks the domain knowledge to create software that fits the rules and working processes of healthcare. Wrong assumptions about a client file, a billing flow or a referral don't just cost time in healthcare; they affect care delivery itself.
The agencies and vendors in this comparison were selected for demonstrable experience in the Dutch healthcare sector. We draw an important distinction here: between vendors of complete packages (such as an electronic client record or patient record) and agencies that build custom healthcare software on top of or alongside those packages. Both are needed, but for different questions. Our assessment considers:
- Healthcare domain knowledge: understanding of care processes, record-keeping, billing and referral
- Privacy and information security: working from GDPR and the healthcare security standard NEN 7510 as a baseline
- Integration expertise: integrations with EHRs, patient records, ZorgMail, VECOZO and diagnostics
- Type of solution: complete package (EHR) or custom software on top of existing healthcare IT
- Scalability and continuity: from a small practice to a large institution
- Healthcare references: proven work with comparable healthcare organisations
The top 10 healthcare software agencies in the Netherlands
Appfront (Amsterdam)
Custom healthcare software specialist: portals, care apps, dashboards and integrations on top of your EHR
- ✓ Custom healthcare software: client portals, treatment apps, informal carer environments and care dashboards
- ✓ Privacy and information security by design: development with attention to GDPR and NEN 7510
- ✓ Integrations with your existing healthcare IT, such as Nedap, ZorgMail and VECOZO
- ✓ API-first architecture, so custom software runs alongside and on top of the EHR without replacing it
- ✓ Full end-to-end service: from product discovery and UX research through development, hosting and ongoing development
Appfront does not build a complete electronic client record. For that, you choose a specialist EHR supplier. Appfront excels where off-the-shelf packages fall short: a care app, a client appointment portal, a family carers' environment or a dashboard that brings together data from several sources. Our focus on integrations means this custom software can work alongside your existing EHR or patient record system, rather than replacing your healthcare IT. Read more about building healthcare software and mental health software.
→ appfront.nl · Amsterdam
Nedap Healthcare (Groenlo)
Nedap Ons® : a widely used EHR for elderly care, care for people with disabilities and mental health care
- ✓ Nedap Ons®: electronic client record with client file, planning and administration in one suite
- ✓ Widely used in long-term care, elderly care and disability care
- ✓ Supports the full care process, from care plan to accountability
- ✓ Open ecosystem with integrations to additional care applications
Nedap Healthcare from Groenlo is one of the best-known names in Dutch healthcare IT. The Nedap Ons® EHR is widely used in long-term care and combines record keeping, planning and administration. For care organisations seeking a complete, proven client record as the foundation of their primary process, Nedap is a logical package choice, with custom software on top of this EHR often built by a specialist such as Appfront.
→ nedap.com · Groenlo
ChipSoft (Amsterdam)
HiX: the most widely used EHR in Dutch hospitals
- ✓ HiX (Healthcare Information eXchange): integrated EHR for hospitals and institutions
- ✓ Market leader among hospitals in the Netherlands
- ✓ Supports record-keeping, care logistics, planning and e-health in one system
- ✓ Suitable for hospitals, mental health care, rehabilitation and independent treatment centres
ChipSoft, based in Amsterdam, is the market leader in electronic health record (EHR) systems for hospitals. It is a comprehensive, integrated system that supports the entire care process within a hospital. For a tertiary institution that needs a complete EHR, ChipSoft is an established package supplier. Additional patient-facing software, such as a portal or app, is in practice often developed as custom software alongside the EHR.
→ chipsoft.com · Amsterdam
PinkRoccade Healthcare (Apeldoorn)
EHR provider for hospitals, mental health and social care with over thirty years of experience
- ✓ Solutions for three segments: hospitals, mental health care and care
- ✓ mijnCaress (care) and mQ Suite (mental health): electronic client records per sector
- ✓ Extensive experience as a software partner in Dutch healthcare
- ✓ Portals for clients and relatives as part of the suites
PinkRoccade Healthcare, based in Apeldoorn, has supplied care software for decades and serves hospitals, mental health and the social care sector with separate product lines. With EHRs such as mijnCaress and the mQ Suite, it is a trusted choice for organisations looking for a sector-specific package. As with other EHR providers, its strength lies in the standard package; bespoke custom development around it often requires an additional development partner.
→ pinkroccade-healthcare.nl · Apeldoorn
Topicus (Deventer)
Care platforms for primary and network care and data exchange
- ✓ Software for secure and fast information exchange between care parties
- ✓ Solutions for primary and secondary care, youth health care and the social domain
- ✓ Certified against information security standards such as ISO 27001 and NEN 7510
- ✓ Strong in platforms that support care chains and collaborative partnerships
Topicus from Deventer is a large IT company with a substantial care division focused on data exchange and collaboration between care parties. Where many suppliers serve a single institution, Topicus's strength often lies in platforms that connect the chain. For regional partnerships and primary care this is relevant; for very specific requirements of a single organisation, additional custom work may be needed.
→ topicus.nl · Deventer
Gerimedica (Amsterdam)
Ysis: an EHR focused on clinicians in elderly care, rehabilitation and care for people with disabilities
- ✓ Ysis: electronic client record with a strongly developed treatment record
- ✓ Aimed at physicians, care practitioners and carers in chronic care
- ✓ Supports multidisciplinary collaboration and care registration
- ✓ Strong in geriatric rehabilitation (GRZ) and centres of expertise
Gerimedica, based in Amsterdam, develops the Ysis EHR, which stands out for its extensive treatment record for multidisciplinary teams in elderly and chronic care. For organisations where the clinical side is central, such as geriatric rehabilitation, Ysis is a specialised package option. Additional client-facing software is usually also built as custom software alongside the record.
→ gerimedica.nl · Amsterdam
Ecare (Enschede)
PUUR.: a deliberately simple EHR for elderly, disability and home care
- ✓ PUUR.: an EHR focused on simplicity and ease of use for care staff
- ✓ Aimed at elderly care, care for people with disabilities, home care and mental health care
- ✓ SaaS solutions, including environments for clients and family members
- ✓ Part of Visma, with the scale and continuity that brings
Ecare, based in Enschede, makes PUUR., an EHR deliberately kept simple so that care professionals can work with it after little training. That makes it appealing to organisations that want to digitise quickly without a heavy implementation process. As a package supplier (now part of Visma), Ecare focuses on the standard record; specific extensions require additional development.
→ ecare.nl · Enschede
Intramed (Convenient) (Moordrecht)
Practice software and EHR for physiotherapy and other allied health professions
- ✓ Intramed: practice and record software for allied health and primary care practices
- ✓ Versatile use for physiotherapy, exercise therapy, dietetics, speech therapy and more
- ✓ Supports scheduling, records, billing and client communication
- ✓ Market position in allied health care through parent company Convenient
Intramed, part of Convenient in Moordrecht, is widely used practice software for allied health professions such as physiotherapy. It brings scheduling, records and billing together in one package tailored to smaller practices. For independent and multidisciplinary practices this is a sensible package choice; organisations with different workflows sometimes opt for custom development in addition.
→ intramed.nl · Moordrecht
Founda Health (Amsterdam)
Integration platform that connects care systems and applications
- ✓ Platform for data exchange between healthcare IT systems and external applications
- ✓ Reusable, standardised integrations with source and record systems
- ✓ Makes connecting e-health applications to EHRs and EPDs simpler
- ✓ Scalable infrastructure with a usage-based model
Founda Health, based in Amsterdam, does not focus on the record itself but on connecting care systems with one another. With reusable integrations, the platform lowers the barrier to connecting e-health applications to existing EHRs. It is relevant for organisations and suppliers with integration challenges, a topic closely aligned with the custom and integration work for which Appfront is also engaged.
→ foundahealth.com · Amsterdam
ZorgDomein (Breukelen)
National platform for digital referrals and care communication
- ✓ Platform for digital referrals, diagnostic requests and handover
- ✓ Connects GPs, hospitals and other care providers
- ✓ Used nationally for secure communication between care providers
- ✓ Connects to EHRs for a smooth flow of information
ZorgDomein, based in Breukelen, is a nationwide platform that supports communication between care providers, from referral to diagnostic requests. It is not an EHR but a link that securely connects care parties with one another. For organisations wanting to digitise their referral and handover processes, ZorgDomein is an established choice; integrations with it are a common part of custom care software projects.
→ zorgdomein.com · Breukelen
Package EHR vs. custom care software: when to choose what?
The most important decision in a healthcare software project is not which supplier to choose, but which type of solution to pick. A complete client or patient record and custom healthcare software solve different problems, and the best care organisations often combine the two.
Package EHR or EPD (Nedap, ChipSoft, PinkRoccade, Gerimedica, Ecare, Intramed)
A proven, complete record for the core care process: client data, care plan, reporting, scheduling and billing in one system. The advantage: it is finished, meets the applicable requirements for record-keeping and accountability, and is maintained and further developed by the supplier. For the central client or patient record, a specialised EHR or EPD supplier is almost always the right choice. The drawback: you work within the limits of the package. Requirements that fall outside the standard, such as your own client portal, a specific app or a dashboard drawing on multiple sources, do not always fit.
Custom healthcare software (Appfront)
Software built around your own processes, either on top of or alongside your existing record system: a client portal, a treatment or lifestyle app, a family carers' environment, or a dashboard that brings together data from several systems. The advantage: no compromises on the standard, and through integrations with your EHR it works alongside what you already have. This doesn't replace your record system; it complements it, doing exactly what your organisation needs. A custom software partner such as Appfront is the right fit here; for the complete record system itself, such a partner would refer you to an EHR vendor. Read more about custom care software and developing care apps.
The Dutch healthcare IT sector
Dutch healthcare is digitising rapidly, driven by staff shortages, the wish to reduce administrative burden, and legislation that encourages secure data exchange. At the same time, it is a sector with high demands: patient and client data is among the most sensitive personal data there is, and healthcare works to specific information security standards. Software that fails to meet those requirements simply does not make it into production.
The healthcare IT landscape therefore has a clear layered structure. At the bottom are the record systems: the EHR in long-term care and the EHR in hospitals. On top of these sits a growing layer of supplementary software: client portals, apps, e-health tools and dashboards. And between them, integrations matter most, because no system stands alone. Key areas in which care organisations invest in software:
- Privacy and information security: GDPR and the NEN 7510 healthcare standard as a hard prerequisite, not an afterthought
- Client and patient portals: clients and their relatives gain secure access and control
- Data exchange: secure sharing between care providers, including via ZorgMail and referral platforms
- Billing and accountability: integrations with, among others, VECOZO for billing and verification processes
- E-health and care apps: treatment, monitoring and prevention beyond the walls of the institution
What should you look for when choosing a healthcare software partner?
The wrong choice in healthcare costs more than money: it affects continuity of care, the privacy of clients and adoption by care professionals. These points are specifically relevant to the healthcare sector:
1. Privacy and information security (GDPR and NEN 7510)
In healthcare, information security is not optional but a requirement. Ask how a provider handles the GDPR and the NEN 7510 care standard, how data is stored and encrypted, and how authorisation and logging are arranged. An agency that stays vague on this does not belong in a care project.
2. Complete package or custom build: choose deliberately
First decide whether you need a complete record system or software on top of an existing system. For the central client or patient record, choose an EHR vendor. For a portal, app or dashboard alongside that record, a custom software developer is the better fit. An honest partner will also tell you when your question belongs with a different type of supplier.
3. Integration with existing healthcare IT
Care software never stands alone. It needs to talk to the EHR, to diagnostics, to referral and communication platforms, and to billing systems. Ask about concrete experience with integrations such as Nedap, ZorgMail and VECOZO. A partner who knows the practicalities of care integrations will save you many surprises.
4. Healthcare domain knowledge
An agency that builds attractive interfaces but does not understand the difference between a treatment plan and a care plan, or does not know how a referral or claim flows, will build on the wrong assumptions. Ask for references from comparable healthcare organisations: not from "healthcare" in general, but from an institution with a similar care process.
5. Adoption by care professionals
The best software is worthless if care staff fall back on paper or loose spreadsheets because the system is too complex. Pay attention to usability and UX, ask for demonstrations using realistic care scenarios, and check whether clients and their relatives can actually manage a portal or app.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an EHR vendor and a custom care software developer?
An EHR vendor (such as Nedap, ChipSoft or PinkRoccade) supplies a complete, ready-made client or patient record for your core care processes. A custom care software developer (such as Appfront) builds bespoke software on top of or alongside that record: for example a client portal, a care app, a family carers' environment or a dashboard. For the central record you choose an EHR; for specific requirements around it, you choose a custom developer. In practice, the two often work together through integrations.
Do I have to replace my EHR to get custom care software built?
No. Custom care software is designed to run alongside and on top of your existing record system, not to replace it. Through integrations, custom software can use and write back data from your EHR, so you benefit from your existing investment. A good custom software partner first maps out your current healthcare IT before writing a single line of code.
What about the GDPR and NEN 7510 for healthcare software?
For healthcare software, the GDPR (the privacy legislation for personal data) and NEN 7510 (the Dutch standard for information security in healthcare) are the baseline. That means encryption, access control, logging and a data processing agreement are not afterthoughts but are built in from the start. Ask every potential partner explicitly how they handle these, and have the answer documented.
Which integrations matter in healthcare?
Common integrations are those with the EHR (such as Nedap), with ZorgMail for secure communication between care providers, and with VECOZO for claims and verification processes. Referral and diagnostic platforms also play a role. Which integrations you need depends on your care process; an experienced partner will map this out with you in advance.
Is a client portal custom software, or is it included in my EHR?
Many EHRs offer a basic portal for clients and family members. If you want more, such as your own design, specific functionality or an experience suited to your target group, a custom appointment portal for clients is often the better choice. Such a portal connects to your existing record but gives you full control over the user experience.
Can AI play a role in healthcare software?
AI can be used in healthcare in a supportive capacity, for example to ease administration or to surface patterns in data. Healthcare is subject to particularly strict requirements around privacy, explainability and accountability. Read more about the possibilities at AI for healthcare organisations. Importantly, AI in healthcare should always support the professional, not make decisions for them.
How do I choose between all these providers?
Start with your question, not the supplier. If you need a complete record, look at the EHR suppliers in this list that fit your sector. If you need software on top of an existing system, a custom developer makes more sense. Not sure? Discuss your question with us, no obligation, and we'll help you identify the right type of partner, even if that turns out to be an EHR supplier.
Conclusion
The Dutch healthcare software market is layered: established EHR suppliers such as Nedap, ChipSoft, PinkRoccade, Gerimedica, Ecare and Intramed for the complete record; integration and communication players such as Founda Health and ZorgDomein that connect systems; and custom developers such as Appfront for software built on top of and alongside those packages. None of these parties is "the best" in general, as they solve different problems.
What all good healthcare software partners have in common: they take privacy and information security seriously, understand care processes, and are honest about what they do and don't do. First decide whether you need a package or a custom solution, then choose a partner who understands healthcare, not just technology.