RapidQDoctor, Haodf, and Chunyu Doctor: Which Online Consultation Platform Leads the Market?

In the field of self-diagnosis and online medical consultations, three notable players stand out: Kuaisu Wenyisheng (Quick Ask a Doctor), Haodf (Good Doctor), and Chunyu Yisheng (Spring Rain Doctor). Each has its distinct characteristics. Kuaisu Wenyisheng integrates resources from platforms such as Youwenbida.com, 120 Health Network, and Aiai Yi. Haodf serves as an extension of its PC-based platform into the mobile space. Chunyu Yisheng represents a case of IT entrepreneurs entering the healthcare sector. If Haodf can be seen as somewhat pioneering physicians’ engagement on the PC platform, then Chunyu Yisheng is an outstanding representative in the mobile arena. Currently, in terms of community user activity, Kuaisu Wenyisheng performs relatively well, demonstrating higher user stickiness.

Table 1: Breakdown of Product Features Across Three Companies

So, the question is: which mobile platform is truly superior?

Yu Pan, a special contributor to VCBeat, analyzed the download volumes and user reviews of the aforementioned three products across various app markets. This analysis excludes potential manipulation of rankings through fake downloads or reviews.

I. Characteristics of Self-Diagnosis and Consultation Mobile Health Products

The Future Main Battlefield:According to data from the “Analysis Report on Typical Business Models and Construction Design Strategies in China’s Mobile Health Industry (2014–2018)” published by Qianzhan.com, the market size for routine mobile health services reached RMB 1.13 billion in 2012, the market size for mobile diagnostic services (referring solely to online auxiliary diagnosis) reached RMB 220 million, and the market size for therapeutic services (excluding inpatient treatment) reached RMB 170 million. By 2017, the market size for routine mobile health services is projected to reach RMB 7.34 billion. Given the technological foundation of mobile internet,Basic routine services, diagnostic services, and treatment services will continue to account for the vast majority of China’s mobile healthcare market.

Brand Strategy of Shouting Loudly:Just as China Merchants Bank adopted a “loud shouting” public relations strategy when its number of nationwide branches was merely on par with those of the Shanghai Branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, resulting in widespread public perception that it was a major bank comparable to the Big Four, similarly, in the internet healthcare sector, the homogeneity in product feature design has led to a proliferation of undifferentiated products. At this juncture,The “Loud Shouting” brand promotion strategy will yield remarkable results.Chunyu Doctor has invested substantial resources in brand promotion, with Zhang Rui and Bi Lei frequently making public appearances, participating in various forums, and granting numerous media interviews to discuss their insights on the industry and its disruption. Although they were not the earliest entrepreneurs among the three major players in this field, they have proven to be the most adept at leveraging media exposure.

Similar Functional Modules:Compared with other medical applications, self-diagnosis and consultation apps are advisory services that provide personalized health information. They primarily focus on pre-consultation inquiries, addressing users’ needs during the interval between “experiencing physical discomfort” and “visiting a hospital.” Acting as family doctors, they offer guidance on diagnosis and treatment, or assist with recommending hospitals and physicians, securing additional appointment slots, and other similar services. The functional modules of such products include patient self-diagnosis or preliminary diagnosis, doctor-patient communication platforms, patient mutual support communities, contracted private physician services, medication guidance, and news push notifications. We will conduct our analysis from the perspectives of user characteristics, product positioning, and service functionalities.

User Characteristics:Users of self-diagnosis and consultation services are not necessarily patients themselves; rather, they primarily seek rapid access to relevant information—either by consulting physicians or through self-assessment—to obtain guidance when they or their family members experience physical discomfort.

Product Positioning:It targets non-rigid diseases, lacks data, and involves mild adhesions. For patients, usage frequency is low, there is no dependence on physicians, and trust in the software is limited. For physicians, the absence of patient data results in low academic value and a relatively casual approach.

Service Features:Key features include interactive self-diagnosis and triage, appointment scheduling and real-time registration, data interpretation, and pharmacy recommendations.
Self-diagnosis and consultation apps do not require high levels of professionalism and cover a broad user base, serving as a self-assessment model for individuals uncertain about their health conditions. The actual value of news push notifications on such platforms remains to be observed.

II. Overall Performance of the Three Companies in the App Market

We collected data from five major app markets: 360, Xiaomi, Wandoujia, QQ App Store, and official websites. Baidu’s download market exhibited a significant discrepancy compared to the others; as some entrepreneurs reported that its data were relatively unstable, we excluded Baidu from our analysis.
We analyzed the aforementioned three products from three main dimensions: download volume, comment count and ratio, and comment content.

Table 2 Overview of Three Products

1. Downloads

In terms of download volume, Haodaifu recorded the lowest figure at 1.12 million, followed by Quick Doctor Ask with 5.07 million, while Chunyu Rain reached the highest at 19.18 million. As a dominant player in online consultations on the PC platform, Haodaifu has shown relatively sluggish progress in the mobile sector. According to information obtained by VCBeat, Haodaifu’s mobile strategy aims to cover the entire patient journey, from pre-visit consultations to clinical visits and follow-up management. It also provides physicians with platforms for personal brand building and access to data required for scientific research and publications. This indicates that its core focus remains on serving physicians rather than facilitating doctor-patient communication, implying that its promotional efforts are primarily targeted at hospitals rather than ordinary users.

2. Number of Comments and Comment Rate

The number of reviews refers to the total count displayed on the app stores included in the analysis, and the review rate is calculated as the total number of reviews divided by the total number of downloads. In terms of review rate, it increases alongside download volume; for instance, while Quick Doctor has 4.5 times the downloads of Haodafu, its review rate is 5.4 times higher.

III. Detailed Data Analysis of Haodafu

Table 3 Downloads of Haodf Online on Four Mainstream Android App Markets

Table 4: Analysis of User Reviews for Haodf on the Android Market

Conclusion:
(1) Apart from blocking one-sentence reviews on Haodf Online, the main issues are software-related, including version updates and basic functionality problems; app crashes and performance inefficiencies; and connectivity issues.
(2) Haodaifu is a comprehensive medical and health services website that entered the market early, resulting in a substantial market share; however, the efficiency of physician responses still needs improvement.
(3) Another major complaint from users is the high price; if this issue is not addressed, user churn is inevitable.

IV. Detailed Data Analysis of Chunyu Doctor

Table 5 Download Volume of Chunyu Doctor on Four Mainstream Android App Stores

Table 6 User-Interested Content on Chunyu Yisheng’s Android Market

Conclusion:
(1) The quality of physicians constitutes their core competitiveness, encompassing professionalism in answering queries, efficiency, and service attitude, which can transform the outpatient scenario of “waiting for three hours only to have a three-minute consultation.” Overall, Chunyu Wenzhen performs very reliably in this regard.
(2) Precise consultations for minor ailments have largely replaced non-professional, generalized inquiries and experience-sharing on platforms like Baidu Baike and Q&A sites. Information on Baidu Baike, Kaoyan, and Q&A platforms is overly abundant yet lacks specificity. Chunyu Doctor has likely captured a significant share of Baidu’s user base.
(3) Due to the specialized nature of medicine and healthcare, users pay more attention to issues with the App itself than they do with other tools.
(4) Given the vast size of the B2C market and the heterogeneity of its user base, payment convenience can significantly increase both the payment conversion rate and average transaction value; however, reviews rarely mention payment-related issues.
(5) As it can address practical issues, users exhibit a strong willingness to pay.

V. Quick Doctor Consultation Analysis

Table 7. Downloads of “Quick Ask a Doctor” on Four Mainstream Android App Stores

Table 8: Analysis of User Reviews for Kuaisu Wen Yisheng on Android App Stores

Conclusion:
(1) “Ask a Doctor Quickly” was jointly developed by 120 Health Network, Youwenbida Network, and Aiai Yi Network, and thus has likely accumulated substantial resources.
(2) Apart from the predominantly positive comments, the main issues raised concern three areas: physician services, fees, and software.

This article is republished exclusively by VCBeat with authorization from Yu Pan. About the author: Yu Pan, a member of the VCBeat VB Entrepreneur Circle, a special researcher at VCBeat, and a senior expert in mobile internet product operations. WeChat ID: pandayu