Time to roll-up our sleeves and develop a stupendous chat app like Signal with this Chat App Development Cost Calculator!
We are here to find Chat App Development Cost. Before, actually, diving into how much does it cost to develop a chat app? Here are a few things to get started with. That’s a fact, after any pandemic or disaster, our social norms and behaviors change. It feels like we love more communicating with people on messaging apps than we do in person (may vary).
Let me take a moment to put that into perspective for you. Facebook Messenger has 1.3 billion active monthly users, and Skype has 300 million monthly users.
Instant Messaging apps have entirely revolutionized the way we interact with each other. Imagine yourself 10 years back, we could not imagine ourselves without phone calls, but the trend has moved to chat.
Messaging apps give a way to connect and communicate with people from anywhere in the world for free and pay less on international calls as compared to regular calls.
However, this free and instantaneous communication brings data privacy and security concerns with itself. The top messaging apps like Signal, Telegram, Line, Whatsapp are some promising chatting apps offering end-to-end encryption that your data won’t be shared and stored for commercial purposes.
With the increasing cases of cyber threats and data breaching, people are more concerned about data privacy. You won’t be surprised if you put Whatsapp last. These days, WhatsApp is surrounded by so many controversies, that says it is supposed to reserve the right to share data, it collects information about users with the broader Facebook network, mainly to improve Facebook ads and product experiences.
Nevertheless, Whatsapp is withholding all this from its end, but it has positively boosted the business of privacy-focused messaging apps like Signal, Telegram, Snapchat which are standing on their toe to replace WhatsApp, capturing its fan-base, and grab the market. We genuinely are not supposed to favor anyone but secure messaging that sending one-to-one and group messages, including files, voice notes, images, and videos.
#Messagingapp #Signal became the most downloaded app on #Apple #AppStore on Monday days after Facebook-owned #WhatsApp updated its privacy term
— MobileAppDaily (@mobileappdaily) January 13, 2021
Take a look at the security comparison b/w WhatsApp and signal, and what features of @WhatsApp persuaded people to download @signalapp pic.twitter.com/wHO4Hk3tLu
To withstand the competition, customers are all leaned towards multi-mode messaging, end-to-end encryption, and synchronization. This serves as a great chance for young entrepreneurs, SMBs, and Startups to grab low hanging fruits and enter the market by developing a super-secure chatting app in 2023.
In this article, we are going to discuss every single detail you need to build a modern chat app, power-packed with all the functionalities and security features. Let’s get to how much does it cost to build a messaging app, including messaging app development trends, types, and total hours required to create one.
Additionally, we also highlight some of the best mobile app development companies in the world, available to build a secure messaging app for your business. So, without wasting any extra second, let’s get started with chat app development cost and time estimation.
Now, how much time and money will it take to create a chat app of your own? Here is an estimate of chatting app development time, with respect to the features, and functionalities described above in the article. We have tried to collect as precise information as we can. Although, every project has its own requirements and complexities. Let’s take a look at the total time required in Chatting app development.
The final cost of developing a social media app can cost you between $35,000 for iOS or Android and $55,000 for iOS and Android (at the rate of 50/hr). Let’s take a common hourly rate ($50/h), we will get the following totals.
| Tasks/Platform | Chat App Development time | Chat App Development Cost |
|---|---|---|
| iOS | 700-900+ hours | $35,000-$45,000 |
| Android | 800-1100+ hours | $40,000-$55,000 |
| Back-end | 500-700+ hours | $25,000-$35,000 |
| UI/UX design (one platform) | 60-80+ hours | $3,000-$4,000 |
The cost to develop a messaging app depends on features and functionality. The set of features differentiates your app from your competitors and captures more user attention and engages the audience as well. Chat application development includes planning the app structure, app authorization, import contacts, instant messaging, file sharing, etc. So when talking about how to develop a chat app on major operating systems, then these are the features to consider.
| Feature | Time Estimated (In Hours) | |
|---|---|---|
| iOS | Android | |
| Authorization (With Phone Number) | 20 | 26 |
| Filter Favourite Contacts | 19 | 27 |
| Contact Info (Edit contact info, Custom Notification, Media Links, Starred Messages, Save Media) | 48 | 58 |
| Contact Sync (Local Device) | 16 | 22 |
| Call (Video + Voice) | 136 | 171 |
| Call History | 17 | 23 |
| App settings | 13 | 19 |
| Profile edit | 15 | 18 |
| Chat (1-to-1) | 81 | 91 |
| Group Chat) | 83 | 87 |
| Create and Edit Group Info (Media, Starred Messages, Location, Encryption, Custom Notification, Export) | 87 | 85 |
| Contact Sync (Local Device) | 16 | 22 |
| Call (Video + Voice) | 136 | 171 |
| Call History | 17 | 23 |
| App settings | 13 | 19 |
| Profile edit | 15 | 18 |
| Connect Web/Desktop/QR Scanner | 12 | 19 |
| Account (Privacy, Change Number, Security, Delete Account) | 9 | 7 |
| Chat Settings | 18 | 24 |
| Chats Backup | 27 | 32 |
| Notification Settings | 41 | 45 |
| Data Storage | 6 | 10 |
| About App | 17 | 18 |
| Data Sharing | 6 | 13 |
| End-to-end encryption | 6 | 8 |
| Message Notifications | 38 | 44 |
| Total Hours (Approx) | 912 | 1100 |
The ultimate aim of every business is to earn money, so as in the mobile industry. To monetize your app, it’s crucial to identify your target audience to determine the user demographics. Run competitor analysis to create solid business strategies that improve upon your competitor's, and obviously adding a unique app idea is a must to make your app successful and trending.
| Monetizing Model | Description |
|---|---|
| In-App Purchase | Allow your users to purchase premium stickers or some supplementary features to advance User Experience. |
| Subscription | Allow your users to access premium features like adding unlimited contacts, making in-app calls, turning off ads, etc. |
| In-App Advertising | Mobile advertising is an effective monetization strategy for mobile publishers to get paid to ads within the app. |
| P2P Payments | Peer to Peer transactions can be used for anything from splitting a $20 dinner bill among friends to paying your rent. |
Depending upon the app complexity and project requirements, here is the complete breakdown of the technology stack in chat app development.
| Android | |
| Programming language | Kotlin |
| Networking | Retrofit 2, OkHttp 3 |
| Database | Room, Anko SQLite |
| JSON parsing | Gson, Jackson |
| JSON parsing | Glide |
| iOS | |
| Programming language | Swift |
| Networking | Alamofire |
| Back-end development | |
| Programming language | JavaScript, Node.js |
| Framework | Express 4 |
| Database | MySQL |
| API documentation | Swagger |
| Infrastructure | AWS |
| Third-party services | |
| Storage | Amazon S3 |
| Real-time engine | Socket |
| SMS | Twilio |
| Emails | Elastic Email |
| Push notifications for iOS | APNS |
| Push notifications for Android | FCM |
To develop a scratch-free app you need expert hands that include social media app developers, Project Managers, Back-end developers, designers, testers, etc. Here are the top reasons why you should outsource your app development.
Startups, SMBs, and entrepreneurs who don’t have in-house mobile app development teams can outsource their app development to the top mobile app development companies to build an extraordinary app for business.
| Team | Function | Cost/hr |
|---|---|---|
| Project manager | Assembling the team, assigning duties, dividing schedules and resources to ensure timely completion of the assigned app. | $20+ |
| Developer | Create, maintain, and execute the source code to develop mobile apps. | $30+ |
| Back-end developer | Securing transparent communication between the application, the database, and the server and ensuring the app runs flawlessly. | $25+ |
| Designer | Works on the app interface, making an app look good. Defining app specifications, designing visual designs, and creating a fully-functional app. | $15+ |
| Tester | Develop test cases and prioritize testing activities. Track and monitor app design, functions, and working uses. | $20+ |
Taking figures into consideration, Total Messenger App Development Cost varies from $30,000 to $70,000. However, these figures are approximate values, cost can vary according to Chat application development requirements.
| Region | Total Cost | App development Rate/Hr |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Europe | $35,000+ | $50/h |
| North America | $70,000+ | $100/h |
| India | $29,000+ | $45/h |
| Western Europe | $63,000+ | $90/h |
| Australia | $70,000+ | $100/h |
If you’re planning to develop a chatting app, it’s important to understand the numbers and trends. Let’s share some statistics and facts about messaging apps including Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and others.
Online chatting platforms like Telegram, Whatsapp, are not limited to voice and text messaging applications, but highly useful in online business promotions, broadcast messaging, and video conferencing as well. To build a chat app like a Signal or Telegram, let’s move to the quick messaging app development checklist that contributes to the overall app cost.
Step 1. Research the market.
Step 2. Identify the competitors of your secure messaging app.
Step 3. Select important features to build a chat app.
Step 4. Select the first platform(s) to create a messenger app for.
Step 5. Choose the best monetization strategy for your instant messaging app.
Step 6. Write your thoughts down.
Step 7. Select features for the app's MVP.
Step 8. Find and hire a reliable app developer or mobile app development company.
Step 9. Share your goals, vision, and objectives with them.
Step 10. Invest in app marketing strategy and launch it before the app's release.
Step 11. Release the app.
Step 12. App maintenance and updates.
With this, we have come to the end of this article, I hope we are able to answer how much does it cost to build a messaging app? If you have a great chat app idea, this is the best time to give it a perfect shape. Choose one of the top chatbot companies of 2020, and let’s make this happen now!
Aparna is a growth specialist with handsful knowledge in business development. She values marketing as key a driver for sales, keeping up with the latest in the Mobile App industry. Her getting things done attitude makes her a magnet for the trickiest of tasks. In free times, which are few and far between, you can catch up with her at a game of Fussball.
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