“Privacy, Security, and Connectivity”

In this creative world, people talk about instant messaging apps, the first name of which is WhatsApp. It is a popular platform where conversations come alive, and people share life’s moments with endless messaging boundaries. These apps allow users to chat, share media files, make voice or video calls, and connect with family or friends anytime and anywhere.

The global instant messaging app market was valued at $109.29 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $341.43 billion by the end of 2030.

“Investing in messaging app development is a golden opportunity for entrepreneurs to elevate their businesses and achieve unprecedented success. Tap into the booming digital communication market and watch your venture soar to new heights!”

So, continue to read this dynamic blog, which will explore how to build an app like WhatsApp that changes the way people connect with the world.

Quick Summary: This blog will help you understand how to build an app like WhatsApp and similar apps. It will also explore the development stages, cost, features, benefits, and monetization techniques.

What is Whatsapp?  

Whatsapp is a free-to-download instant messaging app available for mobile users (Android, iOS) and desktop users (Mac, Windows). The best part is users can sync their WhatsApp mobile with the Whatsapp desktop app. This app is internet-based, where a user can share messages, images, audio, and video with other users. This app also allows users to create a group for sharing text and audio-video messages.

Its major fanbase covers most teenagers. However, its users are from every age group. Additionally, this app also allows the users to share their current and live location in the groups and with the other users. These specialties make it a pioneer app. 

Due to having a variety of fantastic features, it has been motivated many mobile app developers to create the apps like WhatsApp.

 

Some Key Statistics About Whatsapp

It is such a legendary app for messaging that has great cross-platform potential. Whatsapp is being used by Android and iOS users with excitement, among other apps. It is recognized as the most popular global mobile messenger app. 

Expanding it lets us see some key statistics related to it that will help you understand this legendary app much better. 

• As per Statista, worldwide monthly active users are 2 billion. 
• The number of WhatsApp users in the USA is 74.9 million. 
• It comes at the 3rd position in the worldwide ranking of leading social platforms. 
• The persons from the age group of 26-35 years use Whatsapp maximum. 
• Whatsapp is one of the apps downloaded more than 5bn times on Android and iOS platforms. 
• In 2014, the estimated revenue was $1 million, which reached $5.5 billion in 2020. 
• Over 100 million Whatsapp messages have been sent so far since its launch.

 

These statistics represent much about WhatsApp, which makes it a solid example to consider for developing the modern messaging app. Moreover, these stats also indicate that developing an app like Whatsapp is an advantageous idea for revenue generation.   

 

 

Top 7 WhatsApp Alternatives

To develop an app like WhatsApp with high-quality design and specifications, we provide the best social media apps to use to understand its weaknesses or strengths. These WhatsApp alternatives help businesses select the top features and functionalities.

 

 

1. Line

It is one of the most popular instant messaging apps, allowing users to make voice or video calls, chat, and share media content. Develop an app like Line that offers a wide range of functionalities, such as group chats, stickers, sharing updates, changing individual themes, and social media networking.

 

2. WeChat

It is a multitasking platform that allows users to share media files or documents, chat, make voice or video calls, and make mobile payments. Develop an app like WeChat provides advanced features such as booking service cabs, mobile payments, social media features, and two-factor authentication for privacy.

 

3. KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is one of the most famous South Korean instant messaging apps, providing various communication services. Develop an app like KakaoTalk that allows users to share media content files, voice or video calls, chats, stickers, and emoticons. It provides group chats for gaming services and more.

 

4. Rave

Rave is different from other instant messaging apps in that it provides entertainment content such as movies, shows, series, and episodes. It allows users to watch video content in real-time updates and chat or voice communication with their added ones. Create an app like Rave that integrates with popular streaming services to innovate.

 

5. Telegram

It is one of the most used and famous messaging platforms, known for its security and speed. Create an app like Telegram that allows users to text, make voice or video calls, and share documents or media files and stickers. This platform supports advanced features like group video calls and efficient communication.

 

6. Instagram

Instagram is a popular or viral social media platform that provides a wide collection of secure and convenient interactive features. Develop an app like Instagram that allows users to share photos or videos, make posts or stories, upload short videos, like, comment, and send direct messages.

 

7. Moya

Moya is a standard instant messaging platform that provides security and user privacy. It allows users to share media files, text chats, video or voice calls, and group chats. Develop an app like MoyaApp supports interactive features such as offline messaging, a user-friendly interface, and communication channels.

 

5 Benefits For Businesses to Build an App Like WhatsApp

In this modern era, people use messaging apps for any type of work and make video or voice calls through instant messaging apps. Investing in messaging business app development is a massive opportunity for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and reach new heights of success.

 

 

1. Enhanced Customer Engagement

In this benefits, a unique or advanced features messaging app like WhatsApp can engage the more users or customers to connect the app worldwide. Interactive features are video or voice calls, text chats, personalized interactions, instant messaging, and more. So, these features can enhance the user experience with robust security measurements.

 

2. Streamline Communications

Let’s move to the second benefit. An app like WhatsApp provides efficient, streamline communications such as group chats, high-definition video calls, and media or document file sharing. Build an app like NGL that allows users to communicate easily with two-factor authentication and share updates instantly.

 

3. Data Insights

A messaging platform observes or analyzes users’ purchasing patterns, demographics, behavior, habits, preferences, and favorite services. Using these valuable data insights, businesses can identify new areas for improvement and offer exclusive or crazy deals to motivate more users to connect to the app.

 

4. Revenue Opportunities

A well-designed messaging app offers advanced revenue opportunities to grow businesses. These opportunities can include advertising, in-app purchases, subscription plans, transaction fees, delivery fees, collaborations or partnerships, or freemium models. Thus, investing in WhatsApp like app development, provides revenue streams that can help businesses grow their valuation.

 

5. Customize Features

Integrate with customized features to meet the business requirements and attract more users or customers worldwide. Build messaging apps like Slack provide customized features in different formats, such as support tools, e-commerce capabilities, booking services, and integration with other software systems.

Working with Dev Technosys to build an app like WhatsApp was a game-changer for our project. They have 14+ years of experience in app or web development with an expert team. I highly recommend Dev Technosys as it delivers high-quality or scalable apps or websites within a period and budget, giving us incredible results.

                                                            _Shelly Parkson

7 Key Steps to Build an App Like WhatsApp

To create an app like WhatsApp, consider the influential steps for successful app development with robust programming technologies. WhatsApp development with powerful specifications can handle highly automated operations or tasks. So, here we provide the robust steps to create a social media app:

 

 

1. Market Research

In this first stage of development, identify your project requirements or needs and observe what is trending in this competitive market. Analyze existing or similar apps to understand their workings and functionalities and implement unique features in your app. Prepare a plan to compete with market competitors and identify your primary or secondary users.

 

2. Identify Features

In this second stage of development, hire mobile app developers to identify the core or basic features that must be installed in your app. Basic features includes voice or video calls, instant text messaging, profile pictures, status or stories, group chats or video calls, and privacy concerns.

 

3. Choose the Right Tech Stack

Let’s move to the third stage of development: selecting the best tech stacks to create a chat application like WhatsApp with high-quality designs and extensive functionalities. This stage includes advanced resources such as programming language, premium frameworks, inbuilt plugins, and themes.

 

4. Design UI/UX

In this fourth stage of development, hire Android app developers to design a user-friendly interface that allows users to interact easily with all the app’s features. This stage involves advanced designs such as themes, layouts, plugins, menubars, dashboards, and more. It has also paid for design implementation in your app.

 

5. Development

In this development stage, a highly skilled or experienced development team is assembled to build a chat app like WhatsApp with premium features and modules. The development phase involves many advanced resources such as classes, functions, modules, models, APIs, and integrated modes.

 

6. Testing and QA

After the development stage, hire dedicated developers to test your app under different circumstances or conditions. Scan for bugs or glitches automatically generated during the development phase and ensure all features work smoothly. Check the quality of the app and ensure it does not decrease during the implementation phase.

 

7. Launching And Marketing

Let’s move to the last stage of development: it’s time to launch your app on selected platforms such as iOS or Android. After publishing the app, it’s time for marketing; this includes paid collaborations, sharing it on social media platforms, email marketing, affiliate marketing, product marketing, and content marketing.

 

10 Must-have Features to Build an App Like WhatsApp

Are you ready to reveal the app’s additional or premium features? Add these features to make an app like WhatsApp, so here we provide the list of the incredible features:

 

 

1. User Profiles

It provides complex user profiles and allows users to change their profile pictures, status, about, and personal information.

 

2. Real-Time Messaging

This platform enables real-time messaging, where users can send instant messages in real-time delivery and receive messages to enhance the user experience.

 

3. Group Chats

Develop an Android app like WhatsApp that allows users to text messages in a group managed by admins, such as removing or adding members.

 

4. Chat Backups

It provides chat backups, including videos, photos, and voice notes, and restores the chat history after the app is reinstalled.

 

5. Multimedia Sharing

This platform allows users to share multimedia files with original quality such as videos, photos, voice messages, and documents.

 

6. Search Functionality

Create an instant messaging app like WhatsApp allows users to search or find contacts, groups, messages, and individual ones.

 

7. Notifications

It sends alerts when receive any messages, video or voice calls, and other activity. To install this feature in your app, contact mobile application development company.

 

8. Stickers and Emojis

This platform has various stickers or emojis to enhance user communication and provide fun elements.

 

9. Two-Factor Authentication

An instant messaging platform offers two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to the account.

 

10. Help Center

Make a messaging app like WhatsApp that offers 24/7 customer support to solve problems or issues as soon as possible.

 

How Much Does it Cost To Develop Messaging  App Like Whatsapp?

The cost to develop an app like Whatsapp depends on certain factors, where a major portion of the cost is involved in feature implementation. The following are the factors that influence the cost of app development which are:

• Features & Functionalities 
• Mobile App Development Platform
• Number of experts involved 
• Geolocation of mobile app developers
• App Complexity
• Hiring Model  

 

The overall cost is the sum of the cost involved with the above components. Suppose you need an app for a single platform with basic features, then it can cost you around US $8,000-US $25,000. It can be more if you want to implement advanced functionality. 

The above represents the approx cost of developing an app like Whatsapp. But if you want to know the cost breakdown from the time and cost point of view, then check out the following table-

 

Platform	Development Cost	Development Time
Android	$8k – $20K	700-900+ Hrs,
iOS	$30k – $40k	800-1000+ Hrs.
Backend	$20k – $30k	500-600+ Hrs.
UI/UX Design(Single Platform)	$3k-$5k	50-60+ Hrs.

 

The cost of messaging app development is also influenced by how you hire the developers and from where you have hired them. The following table represents the cost of hiring developers from an offshore location. It covers the overall cost and hourly hiring costs. 

 

Location	Overall Cost	Per Hour Hiring
USA	$70,000-$80,000	$150-$200+ / hour
Europe	$60,000-$80,000	$120- $150+ / hour
Australia	$50,000-$70,000	$100- $120+ / hour
India	$8,000- $25,000	$20- $45/ hour

 

 

Note that these rates are based on an approximate idea, and the cost can be less or more. For a clear view, it would be best to consult with a well-known messaging app development company. They will let you know the exact breakdown of the cost of developing all components to turn your idea into a real-life app.  

 

Why is it Important to Fix a Budget for Your Project?

Fixing a budget for your app like WhatsApp helps you allocate resources and understand the financial requirements. It allows businesses to build effective planning and prepare a outline for the project for successful execution.

• It prevents unexpected costs and ensures the enhancement the credibility of the projects.
• Fixing the budget of your project can easily integrate your selected features or functions and control over the resources.
• It allows businesses to manage the automated operational tasks cost and helping to anticipate the expenses.
• It turns the business vision into reality and enable meticulous planning or navigate potential pitfalls.

 

Tech Stack to Build an App Like WhatsApp

The design & develop an app like WhatsApp with efficient functions and responsiveness to choose the best tech stacks for successful app development. So, here is the list of the robust tech stacks:

 

Category	Tech Stack	Description
Frontend	HTML5, CSS	These powerful platforms build robust user interfaces.
Backend	Node js, Django	Powerful backend frameworks build robust applications.
Database	MYSQL, MongoDB	Securely stored massive data
APIs	REST, GraphQL	Sharing data between applications, systems, and devices.
Authentication	OAuth, JWT	Verifies the user’s identity and access token from a trusted server.
Cloud Services	Microsoft Azure, AWS	Allowing apps to access resources in the cloud.

 

5 Monetization Techniques to Build an App Like WhatsApp

An instant messaging community app development with incredible specifications and functions, but don’t know how to generate revenue streams. So, here we provide the latest monetization technologies to make massive money from the messaging app like WhatsApp:

 

 

1. Freemium Model

An instant messaging app offers a simple plan with limited features in this monetization technique. Users or customers must purchase additional features or subscription plans to access unlimited features or functions. So, these freemium models can generate new revenue streams for businesses.

 

2. Subscription Plans

In this second monetization technique, an app like WhatsApp offers paid subscription plans such as primary, premium, and enterprise. If users want to access the app’s full potential, they have to buy the premium or enterprise plan monthly or yearly. These subscription plans can profit from the app and increase the company’s valuation.

 

3. Advertising

Let’s move to this monetization technique, which allows third-party vendors or merchants to display their products in your app and charge fees for showing their items through your app. It includes many formats, such as native ads, display ads, banner ads, interstitial ads, and pop-up window ads. According to the social media app development company, these advertising-based earnings can increase the app’s user base.

 

4. Collaborations and Partnerships

In this monetization technique, you collaborate and partner with related businesses or agencies to sell their products through your app. You can earn a commission-based fee for every sale of their products via your app. This can help you reach your business goals and generate new revenue streams for entrepreneurs.

 

5. Transaction Fees

Let’s move to the last monetization technique: charging a fee for every payment transaction in the app. If users purchase a subscription plan or additional features, the transaction fee will be added during the checkout process. These transaction fees can make an instinctive profit from the app and generate new revenue streams for businesses.

 

How Dev Technosys Will Help You?

Several messaging apps exist that you can find on the internet, but none other than popular than Whatsapp. The messaging app inspired many app developers to create something unique that can change the traditional modes of communication, where Whatsapp is a legendary app. 

If you are looking to develop an app like Whatsapp, then you are on the right path to entrepreneurship. You only need to take care of some crucial points, like choosing the features for implementation and focusing on the app’s platform, design, and layout. Inclusion the most important thing is to hire mobile app developers to develop the chat app. They can help you launch the modern chatting app that you will later leverage for business.   

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How Much Does it Cost to Build an App Like WhatsApp?

The cost to build a mobile app like WhatsApp is around $8,000 to $25,000, depending on the project’s complexity, requirements, size, features, functions, infrastructure, and deployment platforms.

 

2. How Long Does it Take to Build an App Like WhatsApp?

Building an app like WhatsApp takes 5 to 10 months overall, depending on the project requirements, developers’ working hours, and the number of features.

 

3. Why do Businesses Invest in Instant Messaging App Development?

Businesses invest in instant messaging app development to receive new revenue streams and enhance the user experience. So, here is the list of the benefits:

• Revenue generation opportunities
• Brand reputation
• Increased sales
• Data collection and insights
• Higher return on investment

 

4. How Can I Monetize an Instant Messaging App Like WhatsApp?

Diverse monetization techniques must be created to monetize an instant messaging app like WhatsApp. So, here we provide the best or top monetization techniques:

• Subscription plans
• Freemium Model
• In-app purchase
• Collaborations and partnerships
• Delivery fees

 

5. Which Technologies Are Used to Build an App Like WhatsApp?

Extensive or robust technologies are used to build an app like WhatsApp with full functionalities, so here we provide the best programming technologies:

• Java Script
• React js
• Node js
• Python
• Java

 

6. What are the Key Features Needed to Build an App like WhatsApp?

The Core features of the app, like WhatsApp, it includes:

• End-to-end encryption
• Multimedia sharing
• Group chats
• Chat backups
• Voice and video calls

 

7. What are the Ongoing Maintenance Needs for a Messaging App?

The ongoing maintenance and support for a messaging app include many services, such as:

• Security updates
• Server maintenance
• Bug fixes
• User support
• Performance optimization