The Leading Chat Platforms in 2024 provide the best Messaging, Audio & Video APIs & SDKs for Chat Apps.
Chat Platforms play a key role in offering pre-built chat features to developers interested in building chat apps. It’s 2024 and when it comes to chat platforms, we’re certainly not starved of choice. The number of SDK providers in the market is overwhelming, leading to confusion among developers in choosing the best.
So, I’ve curated a list of the best Chat platforms with their key features, pros, and cons to help you identify who fits the need of the hour.
What is Chat Platform?
Chat platforms are the modern way of achieving real-time communication. This has been a major resource for businesses to eradicate communication gaps between their team and customers.
Nowadays, chat platforms are provided as complete toolkits for developers as communication APIs and SDKs that can be directly integrated into their apps.
By integrating these APIs and SDKs, you can get access to chat, voice, and video communications on your website or mobile apps.
Statistical Information on Chat Platform usage
- Chat messaging platform provides limitless prospects as well as tremendous marketing potential and growth for businesses all over the world.
- The overall number of mobile texting app users is estimated to reach 3 billion by 2022.
- Live chat platform has a success rate of 92 percent.
- 63% of customers who utilized the live chat platform indicated they were more inclined to come back to that website again.
- 62% stated they were more likely to make another purchase from that website
Benefits of Chat Platform
A chat messaging platform is a powerful tool for business communication and to engage customers by providing real-time support.
There are a few key benefits to chat platforms that drive engagement in your business.
- Enables real-time communication
- Promotes collaboration and teamwork
- Easy accessibility and convenience
- Provides organized communication
- Integration with other tools
- Improved documentation and knowledge sharing
- Access to remote work and global connectivity
- Robust security and privacy
- Improves employee engagement
- Detailed analytics and insights
These benefits can play a major role in the scalability of your business with increased employee productivity and revenue.
Advantages of Chat Messaging Platform
We must be able to adapt to changing trends to keep up in this fast-paced environment. The best chat platforms allow employees to interact and collaborate.
1. eCommerce : You can expand your eCommerce businesses with chat messaging platforms easily. These allow you to respond to customer queries & collaborate with your team & provide real-time support to your consumers. This can help improve the shopping experience, increase sales, and increase customer retention.
2. Finance : With over 61% of consumers reporting that messaging is the easiest, most convenient way to contact a business. Most digital-first financial services are putting their money where their messaging is to attract the next generation of customers and deliver a better digital experienc.
3. Healthcare : The chat messaging app enables doctors, medical staff, and nurses to share the patient’s protected information. The doctor and patient are connected through a cost-effective, voice and video-calling real-time chat platform.
4.Enterprise : The chat messaging platform enables employees to interact with one another, share relevant ideas, solve workplace problems, and better prepare for the future of their enterprise. This includes task management, chat, video conferencing, and other communication and productivity management features.
Comparison of the 5 Best Chat Platforms for any Industry in 2024
Many businesses are looking for the best live chat solutions on the market. Your organization can answer consumer questions in real-time, decrease response time, increase agent efficiency, and much more with the best chat platform solution.
1. MirrorFly
MirrorFly is a secure chat platform for developers and enterprises. Their chat, voice, and video SDKs support multi-platform apps and provide native-like performance.
Moreover, It has the ability to drive 1B+ conversations across web and mobile applications even at ultra-low latencies.
MirrorFly Chat Platform Features
Key features
- Chat API with Pre-built UI Kit
- Push notifications, File sharing, Presence indicators, Read/delivery receipts, etc.
- End-to-end encryption
- Privacy regulations compatible with HIPAA, GDPR, and OWASP
- 99.999% uptime SLA
- Hassle-free integration
- Scalability
Pros and cons
Pros
- One-on-one and group chats, voice, and video calls
- User security and privacy
- 3 ms average response time
- Easy integration in 20 minutes
Cons
- Suitable only for medium-scale and large-scale enterprises
- Missing video recording option
Pricing
MirrorFly offers pricing strategies in twin modules, SaaS and SaaP.
SaaS: lifetime free messaging API, 21-day free trial for voice and video, month-on-month subscription.
SaaP: Fully customizable, one-time license fee, and white label solutions
Why MirrorFly?
MirrorFly provides enterprise-grade chat solutions with advanced features and ironclad security. And it has the ability to eradicate communication gaps in your business. Finally, MirrorFly supports cross-platform communications and integrations.
Use cases:
- Transportation and logistics: Integrate chat SDKs into your transportation and logistics apps for smoother communication. You can connect your drivers, customers, managers, warehouse storekeepers, and dealers to be updated on the process.
- Social and dating: Keep your users engaged with advanced chat, voice, and video features. Creating groups, channels, and rooms for detailed chats, debating ideas, sharing views, etc. Provide your users with a chance for interaction and track your app’s engagement.
2 . Sendbird
Sendbird is a popular website and mobile chat application. It offers a powerful chat service with audio and video conferencing features, bringing the majority of operational challenges under one roof.
Sendbird Chat Features
- Chat Moderation
- User Muting
- Image Filtering
- Spam Flood Protection
- Smart Throttling
- Managing Moderator Roles & Permissions
- Announcements
- Profanity Filters
Pros & Cons
- This chat app platform allows you to create a variety of private group channels that can be used for any purpose.
- Allows chat users to put a chat channel on hold.
- Limited Customization
- Beta version for video and voice calling
Pricing: Available on free trial on all Pro Features
Why Choose Sendbird Chat API?
The developer prefers Sendbird because of its unique capabilities, such as the ability to send encrypted files and autotranslations within the conversation.
3. Rocket.chat
Rocket.chat is a web-based and mobile-based open source team chat solution. It provides a solid communication platform that connects an endless number of tools and individuals. It brings all types of communication together under one roof, regardless of the technology used by the user.
Rocket Online Chat Features
- Audio and video
- Screen sharing
- File sharing
- Emojis
- Live chat
- SMS and CRM Integration
- Supportive Platforms
- Mobile and Web
Pros & Cons
- Allows multi-level authentication
- Facilitates multi-tenant hosting
- Controls MAU levels & connections
- Does not offer any in-built VoIP feature or WebRTC
Pricing: Available on free trial
Why Choose Rocket.Chat API?
The majority of developers prefer Rocket.chat since it is open source and self-hosted. It is also simple to interface with any third-party device. It gives you ultimate control over your data and privacy.
4. Getstream
GetStream.io is an enterprise-grade chat and activity stream source that allows you to quickly develop a large in-app chat solution. It has since served billions of people. It is one of the most popular activity feeds that supports Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
Getstream Chat Platform Features
- Direct and group chats
- E2E encryption via TLS
- Edit and delete messages
- Threaded conversations
- Spam and profanity protection
- BGP + DNS routing
- Threaded conversations for emails, newsgroup, and Internet forums
- Best chat platform for iOS, Android, and Web Apps
Pros
- Easy implementation
- Search feature in messages and conversations
- Video playback
- Presence Indicators
Cons
- Price of the SDK
Pricing: Paid & Offers 30 days Free trial for Feeds.
Why Choose Getstream Messaging API?
GetStream.io is a robust chat SDK that comes with several custom features and a plethora of UI options for a custom mobile chat app
5. Applozic
Applozic is a full-featured instant chat messaging platform that enables enterprise-grade in-app chat apps. It was created as a real-time messaging API and SDKs for any web, mobile, or conversational app featuring chat, audio, and video.
Applozic Chat Platform Features
- one-to-one and multiparty chat
- Delivery and read receipts
- Timestamps
- Typing Indicators
- Media sharing
- Protect and monitors users
- Best chat platform for iOS, Android, and Web Apps
Pros & Cons
- End-to-end encryption protects against monitoring.
- Allows multi-level authentication
- Facilitates multi-tenant hosting
- Does not offer any in-built VoIP feature or WebRTC.
Pricing: Available on free trial
Why Choose Applozic Chat API & SDK?
When it comes to comprehensive chat systems for websites and mobile devices, most developers choose Applozic since it is simple to integrate and economical to grow user interaction.
6. Cometchat
Cometchat is a flexible chat SDK that can easily add chat, voice and video chat to your app with customizable message templates, fonts and UI designs. It also allows you to build your own extension using hooks. Thereby, you will be able to build industry-specific features for your chat apps based on your business needs.
Cometchat Chat Platform Features
- Customizable UIs
- Push Notifications
- Group Conferencing
- Collaborative whiteboard
- Data Masking
- In-flight Webhooks
- Post-event Webhooks
- Private and Shared Cloud Servers
- On-premise hosting
Pros
- Cross-platform support
- In-depth tutorials and docs
- Easy integration with other features
- Personalized User Experience
Cons
- Support Hours to certain locations are not convenient
Pricing: Availability of an unlimited Free Plan. The Paid Packages start from $149/ month for 25 – 1K users
Why Choose Cometchat Chat API & SDK?
Cometchat is highly recommended for businesses that look for communication APIs that are easy to integrate and flexible to scale. It helps users to not only add interactive messaging components to their chat app, but provides video calls with high resolution.
7. Pubnub
Pubnub is popularly known for its enterprise-grade Chat components. It offers almost 75+ chat SDKs that can add online chats, geo-location, IoT and real-time device controls to their apps. Besides, it offers a high-grade security with uptime of 99.999% SLA and latencies less than 100 ms.
Pubnub Chat Platform Features
- Automated Actions
- SMS/ Email Integrations
- Player Movements
- Location updates
- Leaderboard
- Charts
- Whiteboard Movements
Pros
- Cross-platform support
- Versatility of Development Languages
- Lightweight APIs
Cons:
- Does not provide white-label browser library
- Do not allow configuration of private key permissions
Pricing: Free trial is available to develop proof of concept with limitation functionalities. The Paid packages start at $49/ month with MAU limits.
Why Choose Pubnub Chat API & SDK?
Pubnub is known for its powerful infrastructure that can leverage real-time communications within apps. It is uniquely known to create virtual spaces that can connect large groups of people belonging to different online communities, across thousands of companies and different industries.
Conclusion
Thank you for reaching this far and taking the time to read this article. I hope you have gained insights about having chat, voice, and video functionalities in your app.
Moreover, my detailed research will help you find the right chat SDK provider for your business. Visit their websites, talk to their experts, and use their demo before you choose.
For any further queries, post your questions in the comment section, and I will be delighted to address them.
