The short version: Microsoft HealthVault shut down on November 20, 2019. The closest modern replacement that matches its philosophy — a private, personal health record vault for individuals and families — is MedKeep, with stronger encryption than HealthVault ever offered.
What happened to Microsoft HealthVault?
Microsoft HealthVault launched in 2007 as one of the first serious consumer personal health record (PHR) platforms. At its peak, it allowed users to store health records, connect devices, aggregate data from multiple providers, and share records with care teams. It was well-regarded, widely used, and considered a trusted platform by healthcare providers and patients alike.
In 2019, Microsoft announced it would retire HealthVault, citing a shifting focus toward enterprise healthcare solutions. On November 20, 2019, the service shut down entirely. Users were given several months' notice to export their data — but many discovered that the export process was cumbersome, the exported formats were not easily imported elsewhere, and there was simply no equivalent platform ready to receive them.
Seven years later, searches for "HealthVault alternative" remain common. Many former users are still looking for something that captures what HealthVault offered: a private, organised place to keep a lifetime of health records.
What a real HealthVault replacement needs to offer
HealthVault users were, by definition, people who took their health records seriously. They organised documents, tracked conditions, stored test results, and maintained records over years or decades. A genuine replacement needs to match that level of commitment to comprehensive record-keeping:
- Storage for documents, lab results, and health records of all kinds
- Support for multiple family members
- Long-term reliability — not a startup that might shut down
- Strong privacy and security practices
- Data export at any time, in a format you can actually use
HealthVault itself stored data on Microsoft's servers, which meant trusting a corporation with sensitive health information. The expectation of privacy was real but ultimately dependent on Microsoft's continued stewardship — which ended in 2019. A better architecture for 2026 puts encryption on the device itself, so the service provider cannot read your records regardless of what happens to the company.
Best alternatives in 2026
MedKeep (iOS & Android) — The closest in philosophy to what HealthVault offered: a comprehensive personal health record vault for individuals and families, with long-term record keeping at its core. MedKeep goes beyond HealthVault's privacy model with AES-256 on-device, zero-knowledge encryption — meaning the company cannot read your records even if compelled to provide them. Medications, vitals, doctor visits, lab results, documents, and PDF export are all included. Available on iOS and Android with full offline functionality.
Apple Health (iOS only) — A solid data aggregator for Apple device users. Integrates with many health devices and apps. Does not offer document storage, family management from one account, or comprehensive record organisation. Not a HealthVault equivalent, but useful as a complementary tool.
CareClinic (iOS & Android) — Feature-rich tracker covering medications, symptoms, and vitals. More complex interface than most users want. Privacy practices are not as clearly documented as MedKeep's. A viable option for users who want advanced symptom tracking.
Your provider's patient portal (Epic MyChart, etc.) — Gives access to records from participating providers but does not serve as a personal health vault for self-entered data or records from non-participating providers.
Building a new health record from scratch
If you exported your HealthVault data in 2019, you likely have a collection of CCDA (Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture) XML files. These can be opened in a text editor or imported into some EHR systems, but most consumer apps do not support CCDA import directly.
The practical approach for most former HealthVault users is to start fresh with a new app and rebuild the record over time. This sounds daunting but is more manageable than it appears:
- Start with current medications and allergies — these are the most immediately useful
- Add any documents you still have saved — lab results, discharge summaries, vaccination records
- Photograph documents as they arrive at new appointments going forward
- Review your exported HealthVault data for anything significant and manually transcribe it
Most people find that rebuilding an organised health record takes a few hours spread over a couple of weeks — and the result is a record that is more current and more useful than what they had before. The important thing is to start, and to choose a platform you can trust for the long term.