HealthViewer vs Google Health
Google Health syncs your medical records to your phone for free. HealthViewer keeps your lab history in an encrypted file on your computer. How they differ.
| HealthViewer | Google Health | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Mac and Windows | Android 14 or later, iPhone with iOS 26 or later; no desktop app |
| Price | $24.99 once, after a 7-day free trial | Free; Premium $9.99/month or $99/year |
| Lab PDF import | Yes, plus CSV, FHIR JSON, and MyChart (C-CDA) files | Upload through the AI coach, which needs Premium |
| Patient portal connections | Epic, Oracle Health (Cerner), athenahealth, eClinicalWorks (US) | US providers, by portal sign-in or CLEAR identity check |
| Where your data lives | Encrypted file on your computer | Google Health's servers |
| Account | None | Google Account |
In May 2026 the Fitbit app became the Google Health app, and it can now sync medical records from US providers alongside your activity and sleep data. HealthViewer also pulls records from patient portals, but it is a desktop app that keeps them on your computer. We make HealthViewer, so we have tried to be specific about where Google Health is the better choice.
Where Google Health is stronger
- It is free, and on your phone. Records sync is part of the free app, on Android 14 or later and on iPhones running iOS 26 or later. HealthViewer has no phone app.
- It finds your providers for you. Besides signing in to each patient portal, you can verify your identity with CLEAR, and Google Health looks for past providers on an ongoing basis.
- It holds more than labs. It syncs allergies, medications, vaccines, lab results, vitals, procedures, conditions, and visits. HealthViewer imports lab results and, from files, medications. It does not import conditions, allergies, or visit notes.
- It sits next to your wearable data. If you use a Fitbit or Pixel Watch, your steps, sleep, and heart rate are already in the same app, synced live. HealthViewer imports device data from Apple Health, Dexcom Clarity, and Withings export files.
- It can share a summary. Smart Health Links let you share a record summary with a doctor as a link or QR code.
Where HealthViewer is stronger
- Your records stay on your computer. Google says synced records are “securely stored on Google Health’s servers”. HealthViewer keeps them in one encrypted file on your Mac or Windows PC, with no account. Google has committed not to use Fitbit and Google Health data for ads.
- Lab PDFs are read without a subscription. In Google Health, you upload a PDF or photo through Ask Coach, the Gemini-based coach, which needs a Premium subscription at $9.99 a month or $99 a year. The coach also needs a Fitbit or Pixel Watch. HealthViewer reads lab PDFs from Quest, Labcorp, Mayo, MyChart, and others for $24.99 once.
- Connections do not lapse. Google’s help pages say a provider connection “may be as short as one day or one week” before you need to sign in again. In HealthViewer, results you have imported stay in your file, whatever happens to the connection.
- It runs on a computer. Google lists only Android and iPhone. If you prefer to work through your records on a big screen, or use Windows, HealthViewer is built for that.
- Your history does not depend on an account. Your HealthViewer file can be backed up, copied to a new computer, or exported to CSV, JSON, or PDF. Google Health offers a medical records export that arrives as an emailed download link.
- AI is optional and yours. HealthViewer works without AI. If you turn on AI extraction for scanned PDFs, it uses your own provider and API key.
Which one fits
Choose Google Health if you already use a Fitbit or Pixel Watch, want your records on your phone at no cost, and are comfortable with Google storing them.
Choose HealthViewer if you want your lab history on your own computer, your results arrive as PDFs from several labs, or you would rather not depend on connections that need renewing. Many people use both: the phone app for a quick look, and HealthViewer as the complete, private copy.
Download HealthViewer’s free trial, or read Getting Started.