The verdict in three sentences
As soon as an application processes personal health data, HDS-certified hosting is a requirement, not an option. The premium is 30 to 60 % over standard cloud hosting, roughly 400 to 2,500 EUR/month depending on traffic and redundancy. The certification covers infrastructure and operations, but responsibility for application-level compliance (health-data GDPR, encryption, logging) stays with the software publisher.
What HDS certification actually covers
HDS certification is built on specific hosting activities: providing infrastructure, managed operations, running the platform and backups. A provider may be certified for all or part of these activities. Before signing, check the exact scope of its certificate.
| Element | Standard hosting | HDS hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Annual third-party certification | No | Yes (audit) |
| Data-access logging | Optional | Mandatory |
| Contractual reversibility | Variable | Framed |
| Encryption at rest | Often optional | Expected |
| Monthly cost (average app) | 250 - 900 EUR | 400 - 2,500 EUR |
| Premium | Baseline | +30 to +60 % |
The premium is not just margin: it pays for the audit, logging, reversibility and a higher service level (SLA).
Options and 2026 budgets
Three solution families exist by project size. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Option | Project profile | Indicative monthly cost | Contractual lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared HDS cloud | MVP, < 5,000 patients | 400 - 800 EUR | 2 - 4 wks |
| Dedicated/managed HDS cloud | Clinic, publisher | 900 - 1,800 EUR | 4 - 8 wks |
| Multi-zone high-availability HDS | Group, telehealth | 1,800 - 2,500+ EUR | 6 - 10 wks |
Add the data-processing agreement and a Data Protection Officer: legal line items not to forget at scoping.
Mini case study
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Mr Ndiaye, CTO of a medical-software publisher in Abidjan targeting the European market, must host an app for 4,000 patients. Standard hosting cost him 600 EUR/month; the managed HDS offer is 950 EUR/month, i.e. +58 %, or 4,200 EUR extra per year. On the other side, a single non-compliance incident can cost far more in GDPR penalties and lost hospital clients. Decision: managed HDS, with encryption at rest and logging enabled from launch, budgeted in the business plan.
FAQ
Does all data in a medical app require HDS?
No: only personal health data. Anonymized data or simple aggregated statistics do not trigger the obligation, but the boundary must be validated legally.
What premium versus classic hosting?
Between 30 and 60 % in 2026, depending on redundancy and SLA. For a small app, that is often 150-400 EUR/month more.
Does HDS certification shield me from GDPR?
No. HDS covers hosting; health-data GDPR (consent, minimization, application encryption, DPO) remains your responsibility as publisher.
Can we switch HDS provider later?
Yes, reversibility is contractually framed, but plan a migration project (2-6 weeks) and its cost. Check exit clauses before signing.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your patient volume, data type and geographic target: we cost the right HDS option and the monthly premium. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
