UI/UX | Front End | Back End | Database
Seamless Agile Delivery & Deployment
Design & Develop Customized SaaS Application
Real-time Access to Vehicles
Build custom apps for Android
Develop your own white-label iOS apps
Self-hosted solution for mobile & web apps
Fully customizable chat & call features
Blog » Communication » How to Create a Chat & Instant Messaging App from Scratch?
In today’s virtual times, the popularity of messaging apps has been gaining attraction more than ever.
As per a Statista study, the global number of messaging app users is projected to grow 3.51 billion users in 2025.
Almost all businesses are focusing on establishing a chat app of their own to facilitate quick interactions with their customers. Have you been planning to do so too? We are here to help. In this article, we shall discuss all the important aspects that need to be considered in order to build a chat app. Stay with us and read on!
Table of Contents
Developing a chat app from scratch may seem to be a daunting task, but businesses have good reasons to build their application or implement chat capabilities to existing apps.
Because it comes with advantages like customization, branding, contact support, improved engagements, and finally conversions. So there we go.
Note: For more details or code info on how to add specific features, check out our developer docs.
If you have planned to use pre-built UI kits from a third-party provider, then your frontend will directly interact with the provider’s backend servers, thus minimizing your backend development time.
After you have successfully built your chat application, the next step is to choose the deployment option. You can either host your app on your premise server or host it on any third-party vendor’s cloud or simply on cloud servers like AWS or Render.
However, by opting for on-premise chat servers, you can take complete control of your data and security.
Now when you have launched your app, your next step is to improvise it based on user feedback. You can either give them an email address or a web form to collect feedback or use a social media account for the user community to interact about your product.
And based on the reviews collected, fix the bugs, reiterate your process, and add in new features if required. The Software Product Development Life Cycle then again continues.
Have you been wondering how to build a chat app? Fret not! We have got your back. Now, it is important that you chalk out your audience requirements before starting your app development process. Perform a detailed research and then plan your framework. It will help you stand out from the crowd.
In this section, we shall be discussing some of the best features that you should incorporate in your app. Let us closely look at them one by one.
First, let us learn about the core features that are indispensable for a good messaging experience for your app users.
If you want to build a native messaging app that can help you beat your competitors, you need to incorporate certain advanced functionalities in order to make it more engaging for your audience. Let us understand some of those advanced features one by one.
When you plan to build a messaging chat app, you need to make sure that you take all important technical factors into account. You need to wisely select your preferred chat framework, front-end and backend coding languages, and much more. Some of the most popular backend languages that you can choose from are Python, Java, PHP, and others.
On the other hand, some of the top front-end languages include React Native, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin, and others. We recommend you to perform detailed market research before choosing your preferences. Select options that best suit your business communication objectives.
If you’ve been planning to build a chat app, it is important that you dig deep into some of the most popular messaging apps among audiences. Let us look closely at them one by one.
WhatsApp ensures fast, simple, and secure messaging all over the world. It was founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton. Around 2 billion people in over 180 countries conduct communication with friends and family, anytime and anywhere via WhatsApp. There’s no denying that it has become a successful alternative to regular SMS messaging.
Top Features:
iMessage is an instant messaging service that is developed by Apple Inc. and was launched back in 2011. It is compatible with Apple platforms such as macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.
Slack is recognized as the modern way to communicate with your team. It was released in July 2022, 2013 and has around 10,000,000+ downloads. Slack tends to transform the ways in which modern businesses operate. Let us look at some of its best functionalities.
An instant messaging app and platform that is developed by Facebook and was first released in 2011. It allows you to easily sync your messages and contacts to your phone and connect with anyone, anywhere. Let us dig into some of its most popular functionalities.
It is not a one day task to build a chat app. Developing it from scratch requires a lot of time and investment. The whole process of chat app development depends on a lot of factors such as your app objectives, infrastructure expenses, and much more.
The budget for your app is based upon your unique requirements. Initially, you may be required to invest on developer salaries and basic infrastructure costs.
Once the app is developed, you may also need to incur some maintenance and scaling cost. Moreover, if you’re planning to build a standalone chat app that is compatible with multiple platforms and has advanced messaging features, you might be required to spend more time and cost than usual.
Developing a chat app from scratch requires a deep understanding of different technologies. In this section, we shall delve into some of those technologies that you need to integrate into your app. Let us discuss them one by one.
When you have the right tools, developing a chat app does not take much of your time. You do not need to build it from scratch. Given below is a list of some of the best tools that you can leverage for your chat app development.
We’ve tried different options to build an instant chat and messaging app from scratch, but with some considerations:
Based on our first investment, Time, we chose the Chat APIs to build the messaging app. Followed by cost, technical infrastructure, and team, choosing the best messaging SDK provider. We’ll help you out.
After hours of reviewing many platforms, we came up with MirrorFly.
We hope our article helped you understand the crucial aspects attached with standalone chat app development. If you want to build a native chat app, leverage MirrorFly’s Business Instant Messaging Software and launch your platform in 48 hrs!. There is a comprehensive suite of chat app API in the market to choose from. So, delay no more! Start your app development process today!
Here are the Steps to build a android chat app from scratch:
Step 1: Define the scope of your chat app
Step 2 : Choose the platform
Step 3: Build your chat UI
Step 4: Build the backend
Step 5: Add third-party APIs
Step6: Test your app
Step 7: Launch your app
Steps to build your messaging app from scratch:
It would cost around $38000 to build a complete messaging app. A chat app MVP (Minimum Viable Product) that comes with basic messaging features is cheaper than a fully-featured app.
No, building a chat app can be time-consuming and costly when you build it from scratch, code, test and manage your app all by yourself. Whereas, it is simple, easy and quick when you use a pre-built messaging SDK. All you have to do is download the SDK, integrate it into your app, and go live in just a few minutes.
When you build a chat app from scratch, it can take anywhere from 6 months to a year. Whereas, when you use a chat SDK, you can build the messaging app in just a few minutes.
The recommended tech stack for building a messaging app includes:
Backend: Node.js, Python, Java, Express.js, and Spring Boot.
Database: Relational database, PostgreSQL, MySQL, NoSQL Database, MongoDB
Messaging Protocol: WebSocket and MQTT
Push Notification Service: Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) and Apple Push Notification Service (APNs)
Authentication and Authorization: JWT and, OAuth2
Client-side Technologies: React.js, Angular, Vue.js, Socket.IO, Pusher, React Native and Flutter
Security: HTTPS, XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) and CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery).
The main goal of building a chat app is to drive seamless communication between users. A messaging app can also include features like video and voice calls, so users can easily communicate with each other on the channel they prefer.
Chat apps must be thoughtful about the copyright laws. Plus, they must also abide by industry regulations, like GPRR, HIPAA and ISO as per the demographic usage and use case of the app.
To make an app scalable, consider the following factors:
Drive 1+ billions of conversations on your apps with highly secure 250+ real-time Communication Features.
Related articles:
Rajeshwari
View More Posts
Rajeshwari is a skilled digital marketer, passionate about SEO and exploring the latest trends and tech innovations in communication and Chat APIs. With a keen eye for detail, she helps brands improve their online visibility, and she is always eager to stay ahead in the evolving digital landscape.
Hey, This blog is so informative. What are key considerations when building a chat application for optimal user experience?
Hello this is Helena, This Blog is nice, Readability also good, keep posting. Can you tell me How do chat apps work?
Hi Team, Can anyone tell me what programming languages are commonly used for building chat applications?
Hi, How can I handle message delivery and synchronization across multiple devices in a chat application?
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
