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Chat app development

Whether it's a standalone messenger, in-app chat between buyers and sellers, or support chat inside your product, real-time messaging has to be fast, reliable and private. We build chat features and full chat apps for Android, iOS and the web.

Types of chat

Which chat do you need?

Chat inside your product

Buyer-seller, rider-driver or patient-doctor messaging inside an existing marketplace or service app.

Team or community app

Group channels, direct messages, file sharing and moderation for a closed community, institute or company.

Customer support chat

Chat widgets and agent dashboards with assignment, canned replies and history, on your site and in your app.

Core features

What a good chat feature needs

  • Instant delivery with sent, delivered and read states
  • Push notifications when the app is closed
  • Images, voice notes and file attachments
  • Message history that syncs across devices
  • Blocking, reporting and admin moderation tools
  • Typing indicators and online status

How we'd build it

Build it or use a chat service?

For many products, a hosted chat service gets you to launch faster, at a monthly cost per active user. For larger user bases or strict data rules, a custom Node.js and WebSocket back end can cost less over time and keeps data under your control. We'll compare both for your expected numbers before you decide.

Project considerations

What drives the cost

  • Build vs buy: a hosted chat SDK lowers build cost but adds a running fee.
  • Media: storing images, voice and files adds storage and bandwidth costs.
  • Voice and video calls: a separate, larger piece of work.
  • Moderation and compliance: reporting tools and data retention rules add scope.

FAQ

Chat app questions

Can you add chat to our existing app?

Yes. We review your app and back end, then add chat as a module rather than rebuilding the app.

Is end-to-end encryption possible?

Yes, but it limits server-side features like search and moderation. We'll explain the trade-off for your use case.

Adding chat to your product?

Tell us who needs to talk to whom, and roughly how many users you expect.