Celo

Celo is a healthcare collaboration platform for teams coordinating patient care through secure messaging, shared media and patient-specific case work. It suits practices and larger care organizations that need clinical communication on Android, iOS and the web. The decisive questions are how many users you have and whether you need external chat, calling, AI Scribe or EHR connectivity.

Overview

Celo combines one-to-one and group communication with case-focused collaboration rather than treating healthcare work as ordinary workplace chat. Patient information is encrypted and Celo says it is not stored permanently on a user’s device. It states HIPAA and HITECH compliance and GDPR standards compliance, with Microsoft Azure storage, encryption at rest, extra protection for patient-data fields and geo-replication.

That security and patient context make Celo a logical fit for healthcare teams of different sizes; Celo says more than 500 organizations use it. The weakness is tier separation: the free and lower paid plans cover core messaging, while several important collaboration features are held for Business Pro or Enterprise.

Key features

One-to-one and group messaging includes notifications, read receipts and delivery status. Those controls help coordinators see whether an update reached colleagues, though Celo does not provide end-to-end encryption. Secure sharing covers photos, videos and documents, with shared media kept in a library separate from a personal gallery. Guest access, file sharing and audit logs support broader collaboration and accountability.

Patient-specific case files keep conversations tied to an individual case. Secure external chat can include patients, families and other stakeholders, but it is a Business Pro feature. Celo Connect, currently in beta, lets patients, families and referrers initiate a HIPAA-compliant conversation from a team homepage.

Celo AI Scribe records patient conversations, generates clinical notes and lets users review and share those notes with their team. Free users receive only a trial, while Growth and higher plans can add it. For integrations, Celo says its EHR support uses FHIR or HL7 and REST APIs, with API-key, mutual-SSL and IP-restriction authentication; this is an Enterprise capability.

Pricing

Celo is freemium, with a 14-day trial and paid plans from $49/month billed annually. User caps make the plan choice consequential.

• Free — $0/month, billed annually: up to 10 users, HIPAA-compliant messaging, read receipts and delivery status, and a secure photo and video library. AI Scribe is trial-only. It fits a small team validating the workflow, but omits a continuing scribe capability and has no room beyond 10 users.
• Growth — $49/month, billed annually: up to 20 users, a BAA, workspace-user management and an optional AI Scribe add-on. It is the practical entry point for a small organization that needs managed membership or a BAA, but it does not include the external chat and calling listed for Business Pro.
• Business — $99/month, billed annually: up to 30 users, onboarding experts and priority support, with AI Scribe available as an add-on. Additional users cost $3/month each. This suits a growing team that values implementation help, although the 30-user base cap and add-on pricing still require budgeting.
• Business Pro — $199/month, billed annually: up to 30 users, secure video and audio calling, external chat, role-based messaging and optional AI Scribe. Additional users cost $5/month each. Choose it when patient-facing communication or calling is central; it is a substantial premium over Business.
• Enterprise — custom pricing: unlimited workspaces, EHR integration, unlimited partner workspaces, broadcast, analytics reports and an enterprise SLA. It is the tier for organizations needing integrations, reporting or large-scale workspace administration.

Platforms

Celo runs on Android, iOS and the web, with both mobile apps. That combination supports field and bedside access while retaining browser use for desk-based coordination.

Who it's for

Celo is best for healthcare practices, clinics and distributed care teams that need patient-specific collaboration with compliance-oriented controls. Free works for teams of up to 10 exploring secure messaging. Growth and Business fit organizations that need larger caps, user administration or support. Business Pro is the right choice when staff must chat with patients or use secure calls. Enterprise is aimed at organizations requiring EHR connectivity, analytics and unlimited workspaces.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Patient-specific case files keep clinical work organized; secure media handling separates shared care material from personal galleries; AI Scribe can turn conversations into reviewable, shareable notes; FHIR, HL7 and REST integration options support enterprise workflows; Android, iOS and web access cover common care settings.
• Cons: The free plan stops at 10 users and limits AI Scribe to a trial; external chat and calling require the $199/month Business Pro tier; user overages add recurring cost on Business and Business Pro; EHR integration is restricted to Enterprise; Celo does not offer end-to-end encryption.

Alternatives

For a broader secure team chat software shortlist, compare products by platform and team limits. Rocket.Chat is worth choosing when you need Linux, macOS, Windows or self-hosting alongside mobile and web access, with a free Starter plan for 50 users. Wire is the better fit if full open-source availability for verification is a priority. 8seats suits general team communication where a free 10-employee plan, unlimited guests and 365-day message history matter more than clinical case tools. Crypho is an option for personal use with encrypted calls and video calls. Troop Messenger fits teams seeking a paid general-purpose messenger with a free trial. Eleven for Business is aimed at teams wanting every feature on a free plan for up to three spaces. Secretly for Teams focuses on encrypted chats, files and calls across desktop platforms. Element is an alternative when self-hosting and plans spanning community to enterprise deployments are important.

Verdict

Choose Celo if your healthcare team needs secure patient-centered messaging, case collaboration and a route to clinical notes, external conversations or EHR integration. Its strongest reason to buy is the way those clinical workflows are combined in one platform. Look elsewhere if you need end-to-end encryption, a lower-cost route to patient chat and calling, or a general team messenger without healthcare-specific tier costs.