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Cost and Process to Develop a Messaging App Like Whatsapp and Telegram

Blog: NASSCOM Official Blog

In the last few decades, Smartphones have brought a revolutionary change in this world and instant messaging apps like Whatsapp and Telegram make communication easy. They reduced the expenses of mobile bills (messaging and tariffs) and also provided far better communication features. People are curious to know the estimated development cost of such apps, Many industry experts have already stated that the mobile app development cost for a messaging app can go beyond $ 30,000, especially when you’re building it for both major platforms (Android and iOS).

It is notable that the cost has spiked almost 3 times after 2013, it is because of most of the modern-day features, integration with various other platforms and the compatibility with the wide range of the devices and hardware. Some Key Statistics of Messaging Apps states that WhatsApp has 2000 million active users in March 2020, and every month around 2 million new users are joining this platform. Thus investing in the development of such messaging apps will be highly profitable

Thus here we are with the factors that impact the cost of the development of such messaging apps.

Role & Goal

Instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, WeChat had been launched years ago with the simple aim of making the entire communication process simpler, faster and cheaper. The main role of these instant messaging apps is to provide users with the opportunity to exchange messages in real-time using an Internet connection only.

You can take a simple example of Facebook messenger, initially, all these apps are like Facebook messengers but with every new update, these apps started to get better. You can now add stories, send media and documents and many more. However, here are some of the major roles and functions of such instant messaging apps.

These features are essential and must-have things in an instant messaging app.

Important Things to Consider While Developing Such Messaging Apps

We understand your excitement to launch the app as soon as possible however an unplanned launch and maintenance can turn everything into a blunder. Thus before starting the messaging app development project think about some of the important aspects mentioned below:

Perfect Design

No matter how smart your app is, if it is not engaging and easy to use, people will not prefer it over others(already stable apps). From the theme colour, font style, icon design or layout of each and every page/ window, animation, to the navigation options. Everything matters and a small mistake can work against your app. You also have to take care to make it easy to use and keep the app size as small as possible.

Start from the logo and then each and every option and app page and keep them up-to-date with the ongoing trends. Check the history of changes in Whatsapp and telegram, they are quick to understand the latest design trends and needs of users. And with timely updates, they reached here.

Key Steps to Develop a Messaging App

Undoubtedly social messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp have become very powerful platforms not only for chatting or messaging but also for online business promotion, conference calls and group chatting and many other things.

App development is not a very complex procedure but without proper planning, it can be. So here we are enlisting a step by step guide that helps you create a business growing chatting app like WhatsApp and Telegram.

4.1 Plan the app Structure

To make your newly launched app a success, it is important to make and follow a robust plan. It will keep your and your team’s head clear and focused. Gather all the information, do research, check the history of other apps, their platforms, the technology they are using, and then create a robust plan. Also, make sure that the team is keeping everything on track.

4,2. Choosing The Right Monetizing Model

Without good earning, even the biggest firms will lose interest in the project, so before opting into a monetization model for your app, you must know the basic principles to succeed.

Before choosing a monetization platform you should think about the Target Audience, App Idea and your Competitors. And on the basis of the outcome, you will be able to choose the most suitable monetizing model from In-App Purchase, In-App Advertising, and P2P Payments.

4.3 Must-have features

Nowadays messaging apps pack a lot of features such as High-end security, Multi-platform support, Unlimited chat history, Team collaboration, Multimedia sharing, Search chat, Pin chat, Self-chat (reminder or memos), App notification, Message, Reply, Forward, Copy messaging, Attachment preview before download, Online/Offline/Idle user status, Unread message count, Group chat/call/ video call, Group notification, Contact sharing, Offline messaging, Audio and Video call, story/ status etc. Along with all these, there are some backed processes and testing work required for all these features and keeping everything checked. The complete process can take upto 350hrs to bring everything alive.

4.4 Hiring a Mobile App Development Team

When it comes to developing a messaging app like Whatsapp or telegram then you have two options to either get it done, developed through an in-house development team or hire an app development company. The second option is more beneficial because a full house app development company will have all the resources and experience of this field. They will take care of everything from top to bottom.

How Much It Cost To Develop a Chat App Like WhatsApp?

Calculating the overall cost of developing a messaging app is also one of the most challenging questions for developers. Nevertheless, estimates would be roughly around $ 20,000 to $30,000 and can go at any expensive cost depending on the features and functionality you want in your app.

If you still want to know how to calculate the price of development of an app similar to Whatsapp and telegram then apply this simple formula:
Total Number of Hours of Development X Per Hour Cost of the Developer = Final Development Cost.

Here you need to keep in mind that Price and time are rough estimations and it can vary as per the project’s unique needs and complexity.

Everything in a Nut-Shell

Investing in an instant messaging app is beneficial and how much does it cost to develop an app such as Whatsapp, Snapchat, telegram etc, are also roughly stated above. It is also clear that the development cost depends on the hours taken to complete the project, complexity, and unique features you want in-app.

The post Cost and Process to Develop a Messaging App Like Whatsapp and Telegram appeared first on NASSCOM Community |The Official Community of Indian IT Industry.

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