Falkon SMS vs Curogram (HIPAA Compliant Texting App Comparison)
- Himanth Esarapu
- 2 days ago
- 12 min read
If you run a medical practice, clinic, or any healthcare organization, you already know that patients would rather text you than call you. You also know that texting patient information over a regular messaging app is a compliance risk you cannot afford. That is why so many practices end up comparing Falkon SMS vs Curogram, two HIPAA compliant texting platforms that solve the same core problem in noticeably different ways.
Both platforms let you send and receive secure, two way text messages with patients. Both will sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). Both encrypt messages and keep audit trails. But they are built around different philosophies. Curogram is a healthcare only patient engagement suite that layers texting on top of reminders, forms, payments, and telemedicine.
Falkon SMS is a compliance first business texting platform that text enables the phone number you already own, keeps pricing transparent, and works just as well outside healthcare as inside it.
This guide compares the two head to head on compliance, features, integrations, pricing, ease of use, and real world fit so you can make a confident decision for your organization.
Why HIPAA Compliant Texting Matters More Than Ever
Text messages get read. Industry research consistently shows that the vast majority of texts are opened within minutes, while phone calls increasingly go unanswered and emails sit unread for hours or days. For a healthcare practice, that difference translates directly into fewer no shows, faster confirmations, and less time spent on the phone. For a deeper look at the numbers, see these healthcare texting statistics.
The catch is that standard SMS was never designed for protected health information (PHI).
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires covered entities to protect PHI wherever it travels, and the Department of Health and Human Services expects safeguards such as encryption, access controls, and audit trails. Texting patients from a personal phone or a consumer messaging app can expose your practice to penalties that reach into six and seven figures.
A HIPAA compliant texting platform closes that gap with three essentials. It signs a BAA that makes the vendor legally accountable for safeguarding PHI. It encrypts messages in transit and at rest. And it maintains audit logs so every message can be traced. Both Falkon SMS and Curogram check these boxes. The real differences show up in how they work day to day, what they cost, and what else they can do for you.
Falkon SMS at a Glance
Falkon SMS is a business texting platform built by Falkon Systems, a Texas based company that has served law firms, healthcare providers, home care agencies, and financial advisors across the US and Canada since 2021. Its defining idea is simple. You should not have to change your phone number, your phone system, or your hardware to start texting.
Falkon SMS text enables the numbers you already have, including landlines, VoIP lines, toll free numbers, and Microsoft Teams numbers. Patients text the same number they already call, which builds trust and keeps your practice identity consistent.
Key Falkon SMS capabilities include
Two way texting from your existing landline, VoIP, toll free, or Microsoft Teams number
HIPAA compliance with a signed BAA on the Pro plan
SOC 2 Type I certification with encryption and full audit logs
Secure Chat, PIN protected private sessions for conversations that need protection beyond standard SMS
Secure file sharing through expiring links, keeping PHI off email
Shared inbox so front desk teams can manage one number together, with conversation assignment
Scheduled texts, templates, keyword auto replies, MMS, group broadcasts, and custom tags
Falkon AI, which can be trained on your own SOPs and policies to suggest compliant replies
Managed 10DLC registration so your messages stay deliverable and carrier compliant
Apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, the web, and a Microsoft Teams app
Pricing is public and flat. At the time of writing, the Essential plan starts at $17.99 per user per month, and the HIPAA ready Pro plan is $29.99 per user per month, with roughly 20 percent savings on annual billing and a free trial that requires no credit card. You can verify current rates on the Falkon SMS pricing page.
Curogram at a Glance
Curogram is a HIPAA compliant patient engagement platform aimed squarely at medical practices. Texting is the core of the product, but the pitch is broader. Curogram wants to run your entire front office communication workflow.
Key Curogram capabilities include
Two way HIPAA compliant texting from your main office number
Secure encrypted messaging for PHI without requiring patient portal logins
Automated appointment reminders by text, email, and voice, customizable by visit type, language, and location
Online patient forms sent by text for intake, insurance cards, and health histories
Mass messaging for announcements and recalls
Text to pay requests
Reputation management and review requests
Missed call and voicemail to text
Telemedicine with integrated scheduling
Integrations with more than 20 EMR and practice management systems
Curogram is SOC 2 certified, retains full message history for audit purposes, and is delivered as a web based application that works in any browser. The company reports strong outcomes for its customers, including significant reductions in phone call volume and no show rates.
Pricing, however, is not published. Curogram uses tiered subscription pricing per provider or per location, and you need to book a demo to get a quote. Third party sources place typical entry pricing at roughly $125 per month and commonly in the 200 to $400 per month range depending on features and practice size.
Falkon SMS vs Curogram Side by Side
Here is how the two platforms compare on the factors that matter most to a practice choosing a HIPAA compliant texting app.
Factor | Falkon SMS | Curogram |
HIPAA compliance with BAA | Yes, on Pro plan | Yes |
SOC 2 certification | Yes, Type I | Yes |
Encryption and audit logs | Yes, full audit logs | Yes, permanent message history |
Text from existing landline or VoIP | Yes, core strength | Yes, main office number |
Microsoft Teams texting | Yes, native integration | No |
Toll free texting | Yes | Not a focus |
EMR and EHR integrations | Limited | 20 plus systems |
Appointment reminder automation | Scheduled and recurring texts | Advanced multi channel reminders |
Online patient forms | Secure file sharing via links | Dedicated forms module |
Text to pay | No | Yes |
Telemedicine | No | Yes |
AI assisted replies | Yes, Falkon AI trained on your SOPs | Not a headline feature |
Desktop and mobile apps | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, web | Web based |
Published pricing | Yes, from $17.99 per user per month | No, quote based |
Free trial | Yes, no credit card required | Demo request required |
Works outside healthcare | Yes, many industries | Healthcare only |
HIPAA Compliance and Security
This is the non negotiable, and both vendors handle it seriously. Falkon SMS pairs its BAA with SOC 2 Type I certification, end to end encryption, role based access controls, immutable audit trails, and message archiving that also satisfies SEC and FINRA rules for regulated financial clients. That last point matters because it signals a platform engineered for compliance across multiple regulated industries rather than one bolted on for a single use case. Falkon SMS also adds Secure Chat, a PIN protected session mode for sensitive conversations, and secure file sharing through expiring links.
Curogram encrypts PHI in transit and at rest, keeps a permanent audit trail by never deleting message history, and lets providers send lab results and clinical follow ups through encrypted SMS links with a simple patient identification step instead of portal passwords. It is SOC 2 certified as well.
Verdict. Even. Both platforms meet the HIPAA bar convincingly. Falkon SMS has an edge in breadth of compliance coverage, while Curogram has a polished flow for sharing PHI with patients.
Phone Number Flexibility
Falkon SMS was built around the principle of bringing your own number. It can text enable a traditional landline, a VoIP line, a toll free number, or a Microsoft Teams calling number without hardware changes or number porting. If your practice runs its phones through Teams, Falkon SMS is one of the few HIPAA compliant options that lets staff text patients directly inside the Teams interface.
Curogram also texts from your main office number, which is genuinely valuable and something many patient engagement platforms still get wrong. However, it does not offer Microsoft Teams texting, and toll free texting is not a focus.
Verdict. Falkon SMS. Both keep your caller ID consistent, but Falkon SMS supports more number types and more phone systems.
Features and Workflow Tools
Curogram clearly offers the deeper healthcare feature stack. Automated multi channel appointment reminders, digital intake forms, text to pay, reputation management, mass messaging, voicemail to text, and telemedicine make it closer to a front office suite than a texting app. If your goal is to consolidate several point solutions into one healthcare platform, Curogram has more boxes ticked out of the gate.
Falkon SMS concentrates on doing secure texting exceptionally well. You get scheduled and recurring messages, templates, keyword auto replies, group broadcasts, MMS, shared inboxes with assignment, custom tags, exportable logs, and scheduled reports. Its standout differentiator is Falkon AI, which can be trained on your own compliance manuals and standard operating procedures so that suggested replies stay inside your regulatory guardrails. For teams that live in email and Teams all day, native desktop apps for Windows and macOS are a genuine quality of life advantage over a browser only tool.
Verdict. Curogram for breadth, Falkon SMS for focus. Choose based on whether you want an all in one suite or a lean, sharp texting tool that plugs into what you already use.
EHR and Software Integrations
Curogram integrates with more than 20 EMR and practice management systems and promotes near universal EMR support. Appointment data flows into reminder automations, which is the glue that makes its no show reduction claims work. If deep EHR sync is a hard requirement, Curogram is ahead here.
Falkon SMS takes a different route, integrating with the communication and productivity tools businesses already run, including Microsoft Teams, HubSpot, Slack, Webex, and Clio.
Healthcare specific EHR integrations are more limited, which is the honest trade off of a platform that serves many industries. However EHR integrations in Falkon SMS are currently in the developing phase.
Verdict. Curogram, if EHR integration drives your workflow. Falkon SMS, if your practice coordinates through Teams, a CRM, or standard office tooling.
Ease of Use and Setup
Curogram advertises that staff can be trained in about 10 minutes, and reviewers on platforms like Capterra and G2 frequently praise its ease of use, though some report occasional integration hiccups with specific EMR platforms.
Falkon SMS is similarly quick to adopt because it does not ask you to change anything about your existing phone setup. You keep your number, your carrier, and your call flow, and texting simply gets added on top. Onboarding involves verifying your number, completing 10DLC registration, which Falkon SMS handles for you, and inviting your team. Its interface follows a familiar messaging layout that front desk staff pick up quickly, and the free trial means you can validate fit before paying anything.
Verdict. Even. Both are easy to launch. Falkon SMS gets bonus points for a no credit card trial and managed 10DLC registration.
Pricing and Value
This is where the two platforms diverge most sharply.
Falkon SMS publishes its pricing. The Essential plan is $17.99 per user per month, and the Pro plan, which includes HIPAA compliance with a signed BAA, Secure Chat, and secure file sharing, is $29.99 per user per month. Annual billing drops those to $14.99 and $24.99 respectively. There are no setup fees, and 10DLC campaign registration is a transparent $10 per month. A small practice with three staff members could run fully HIPAA compliant texting for under $90 per month.
Curogram does not publish pricing. Reports from buyers and software directories suggest entry points around $125 per month, with typical configurations landing between 200 and $400 per month per provider or location. That spend can be justified if you actively use the reminders, forms, payments, and telemedicine modules. It is harder to justify if what you really need is secure two way texting.
Verdict. Falkon SMS, decisively, on transparency and total cost. You know exactly what you will pay before you ever talk to sales, and the entry cost is a fraction of a typical Curogram quote.
See Falkon SMS in Action
Discover how Falkon SMS simplifies HIPAA-compliant patient texting with your existing office number. Book a free 15-minute demo and get your questions answered.
Support and Platform Availability
Falkon SMS offers responsive support that customers highlight in reviews, plus dedicated success managers and tailored SLAs on Enterprise plans. Its apps run natively on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS, with a Chrome extension and Microsoft Teams app rounding out access. Curogram provides a support portal and is web based, which keeps it accessible from any device with a browser but means no native desktop or offline experience.
Verdict. Falkon SMS by a nose, thanks to native apps across every major platform.
When Curogram Is the Better Fit
Choose Curogram if the following describes your practice.
You want one healthcare platform to handle reminders, intake forms, payments, reviews, and telemedicine together
Deep integration with your EMR or practice management system is a hard requirement
You have the budget for a quote based patient engagement suite and will use most of its modules
Reducing no shows through automated multi channel reminders is your single biggest priority
Curogram is a capable, well reviewed product, and for larger multi provider groups that want an all in one engagement suite, it earns its place on the shortlist.
When Falkon SMS Is the Better Fit
Choose Falkon SMS if the following sounds like you.
You want HIPAA compliant texting on the office number patients already know, without changing phone systems
You need transparent, predictable pricing you can approve without a sales call
Your team works in Microsoft Teams and wants to text patients from inside it
You value a fast start, with a free trial, no credit card, and managed 10DLC registration
You need compliance beyond HIPAA, such as SOC 2 or SEC and FINRA archiving for affiliated entities
Your organization also texts for non clinical purposes, such as billing, recruitment, or a related business line
Falkon SMS keeps the surface area small and the compliance rigorous. For independent practices, therapy and mental health offices, home care agencies, pharmacies, and hospices, that combination of simplicity, security, and price is hard to beat.
How to Make the Final Call
Work through these five questions with your team.
What will we actually use? List the workflows you will run in the first 90 days. If the list is mostly two way texting, reminders, and secure file sharing, a focused platform wins. If it includes digital intake, payments, and telehealth, a suite makes sense.
What is our real budget? Multiply the quoted monthly price by 12 and add setup and per message costs. Compare that against published per user pricing.
Which systems must connect? If your EMR must drive automations, weight integrations heavily. If your hub is Teams, Slack, or a CRM, weight those.
Who sends the texts? Front desk teams benefit from shared inboxes, assignment, and desktop apps. Clinical teams may prioritize secure PHI workflows.
Can we try before we buy? A free trial de risks the decision in a way a scripted demo cannot.
Whichever way you lean, insist on a signed BAA, confirm encryption and audit logging, and train staff on what belongs in a standard SMS versus a secure encrypted channel. For a refresher, see our guide on HIPAA texting dos and don'ts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Falkon SMS HIPAA compliant?
Yes. Falkon SMS offers HIPAA compliant texting on its Pro plan, which includes a signed Business Associate Agreement, encryption, audit logs, Secure Chat, and secure file sharing. The platform is also SOC 2 Type I certified.
Is Curogram HIPAA compliant?
Yes. Curogram provides two way HIPAA compliant texting with encrypted messaging for PHI, a permanent audit trail, and SOC 2 certification. It is built exclusively for healthcare organizations.
Can I keep my existing office phone number with these platforms?
Yes, with both. Curogram texts from your main office number. Falkon SMS goes further by text enabling landlines, VoIP lines, toll free numbers, and Microsoft Teams numbers with no hardware changes and no porting.
Do I need a BAA to text patients?
Yes, if messages contain protected health information. HIPAA requires a Business Associate Agreement with any vendor that transmits or stores PHI on your behalf. Both Falkon SMS and Curogram sign BAAs. Texting PHI through a consumer app with no BAA is a violation risk. Learn more in our guide on whether you need a BAA to text patients.
Which costs less, Falkon SMS or Curogram?
Falkon SMS in nearly every scenario. Falkon SMS publishes plans starting at $17.99 per user per month, with HIPAA compliance at $29.99 per user per month. Curogram uses quote based pricing that third party sources typically place between 125 and $400 per month depending on configuration.
Does regular SMS meet HIPAA requirements?
Not for PHI. Standard SMS is unencrypted, so appointment logistics without health details may be acceptable with patient consent, but lab results, diagnoses, and treatment information require an encrypted channel from a vendor operating under a BAA.
Can businesses outside healthcare use these platforms?
Falkon SMS, yes. It serves law firms, financial advisors, home care agencies, insurance offices, and many other industries alongside healthcare. Curogram is designed only for medical practices.
The Bottom Line
Curogram is a strong all in one patient engagement suite. If you are a larger practice that will genuinely use its reminders, forms, payments, and telemedicine modules, and your budget accommodates quote based pricing, it deserves consideration. If you are still weighing more options, our review of the best HIPAA compliant texting platforms compares the wider field.
For most practices comparing these two platforms, though, Falkon SMS is the smarter starting point for HIPAA compliant text messaging. You keep the number patients already trust, you get a signed BAA, SOC 2 certification, secure chat, and secure file sharing at a published price that a small office can approve in minutes, and you can prove the value in a free trial before spending a dollar. Add Microsoft Teams texting, native apps on every platform, and AI assisted compliant replies, and Falkon SMS delivers the essentials of secure patient texting with less cost and less complexity.
Ready to see it with your own number? Start a free trial or book a quick demo with the Falkon SMS team and send your first compliant text today.
Sources
HIPAA rules from the Department of Health and Human Services - https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html
HHS guidance on the HIPAA Security Rule - https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/security/index.html
FCC guidance on text messaging rules - https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/text-message-scams-and-spam
SOC 2 reporting framework from the AICPA - https://www.aicpa-cima.com/topic/audit-assurance/audit-and-assurance-greater-than-soc-2
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