How to Make an App Like WhatsApp: A Complete 2026 Guide

In 2026, building a WhatsApp-like chat rarely means launching a public messenger to compete with global platforms. Instead, it usually refers to embedding an in-product communication layer, whether it’s a SaaS platform, marketplace, fintech app, healthcare system, or enterprise tool.

Industry trends show that products with built-in real-time chat achieve higher engagement and retention than those relying on email or third-party messengers. Research from Intercom confirms that in-app messaging improves user engagement by enabling real-time, context-aware communication within the product. As a result, businesses increasingly invest in custom chat solutions aligned with their product logic, data policies, and growth plans.

Below are the key reasons why companies choose to create WhatsApp-like chat functionality as part of their product strategy in 2026.

For many businesses, especially in regulated industries, communication data cannot live on third-party platforms. Owning the messaging layer allows full control over where messages are stored, who can access them, and how long data is retained. The research on Threats and Advanced Techniques in Security and Forensics shows that regulatory compliance depends on maintaining control over data access and auditability, which is harder to guarantee when communication data is processed on third-party platforms.

Maintaining full control over communication data is critical for products operating under regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA, or that require SOC 2–aligned security and audit controls, as well as for projects with strict data residency or audit requirements. A custom chat architecture enables businesses to implement end-to-end encryption, role-based access controls, logging, and compliance workflows that are difficult to enforce consistently when relying on external messengers.

When messaging is built into the product, it stops being a supporting channel and becomes part of the core user experience. In-product chat shortens feedback loops, enables faster decision-making, and keeps users engaged within a single interface. Users have similar expectations shaped by products like Slack or Discord, where messaging supports day-to-day workflows inside a single interface.

Whether users are coordinating actions, customers are speaking with support, or teams are collaborating in real time, embedded chat increases session length and retention. Instead of sending users to WhatsApp, email, or another app, the product itself becomes the channel for communication and value creation.

Relying on external messengers introduces long-term risks. API changes, pricing updates, usage limits, feature restrictions, or even policy shifts can directly affect your product roadmap without warning.

By building your own WhatsApp-like chat, you eliminate dependency on third-party platforms and gain predictable control over performance limits and operating costs. This independence is especially important for products that plan to scale, customize communication flows, or operate in regions where certain messengers may be restricted or unreliable.

A proprietary chat service can be integrated into business logic rather than operating as a generic messaging tool. This enables domain-specific workflows that external messengers cannot support.

For example, chat can be connected to CRM records, helpdesk tickets, billing events, onboarding flows, or internal approval processes. Messages can trigger actions, update statuses, or automatically surface contextual data. A WhatsApp-like architecture becomes not just a chat, but a communication backbone tailored to how the business actually operates.

Starting with a simple chat MVP and scaling to a production-grade system is significantly easier when messaging is built into the core architecture from day one. Custom solutions allow teams to plan for growth in users, messages, and integrations without constantly reworking the system. This is typically achieved through a distributed system designed for horizontal scaling.

Unlike patched third-party solutions, a well-designed internal chat can evolve alongside the product—from early validation to enterprise-scale usage—without forcing architectural rewrites later. This approach ensures long-term scalability without architectural rewrites.

Owning the messaging layer also opens up new monetization models. Chat functionality can be packaged with premium tiers, enterprise plans, or usage-based pricing. Advanced features such as message history, automation, analytics, and integrations can be offered as paid add-ons.

In some products, messaging itself becomes a value driver—supporting paid collaboration, secure communication, or transactional workflows. This level of monetization flexibility is much easier to achieve when the messaging infrastructure is owned by the product. In 2026, WhatsApp-like app development is less about competing with global messengers and more about creating a scalable, secure, and product-aligned communication layer that supports long-term business goals.

A messenger app's feature set directly influences its usability and development costs. While WhatsApp offers extensive functionality, a better approach is to start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

A Minimum Viable Product focuses only on core features required for effective communication and early user validation. This helps avoid unnecessary complexity and gather insights for future improvements. Below are must-have chat app features for creating a WhatsApp-like app:

Real-time messaging is the foundation of any chat application. For an MVP, this usually includes text messages, basic group chats, starting a new chat, message status indicators (sent, delivered, read), and timestamps. A stable messaging layer is critical because all other features build on it.

Encryption ensures that each message can only be read by the sender and recipient, protecting communication from third-party access. This feature is essential for building user trust, especially for products that handle sensitive or private conversations. Even at the MVP stage, encryption helps meet modern security expectations and regulatory requirements. Implementing it early avoids costly architectural changes later.

Multimedia sharing allows users to exchange images, videos, documents, and voice messages directly within chats. This feature significantly enhances communication by supporting richer interactions beyond plain text.

Voice and video calling extend messaging into real-time conversations, increasing user engagement. An MVP typically starts with one-on-one calls, with group calling introduced later as usage grows. Call quality, latency, and stability are more important than advanced features at this stage. If your goal is to create video chat appfunctionality similar to WhatsApp, careful planning of real-time communication infrastructure is essential.

Push notifications keep users informed about every new message or missed call, as well as important updates, while the app is inactive. They play a critical role in user retention and timely communication. For an MVP, notifications usually cover incoming messages and missed calls. Proper notification logic prevents notification overload while ensuring important events are not missed.

User authentication defines how users register and access the app securely. Relying on phone number verification via SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs) reduces friction during onboarding and minimizes the risk of fake accounts. Secure authentication is also the foundation for identity management and contact discovery.

Contact management allows users to find and connect with people they already know. Typically, this feature integrates with the device’s address book to match registered users by phone number. For an MVP, contact syncing is often automatic and limited to basic discovery. Clear permission handling is important for maintaining user trust and complying with privacy regulations.

Offline support enables users to read and compose messages even when they are offline. Messages are stored locally and automatically synced to the cloud once the connection is restored. Cloud sync also allows access to conversations across multiple devices. This feature improves reliability and creates a smoother user experience, allowing users to access the full chat history across multiple devices.

Building a WhatsApp-like chat application requires more than adding messaging features. You need a clear understanding of your users, a well-defined functional scope, thoughtful UX design, and a development approach that supports scalability. Below are the five key steps that explain how to create a chat app like WhatsApp in practice, from research to launch and long-term support.

Before you start chat app development, you need to research the market. It starts with defining your target audience: are you building a consumer messenger, an internal communication tool, or a chat layer inside an existing product? Each scenario has different expectations for performance.

Next comes competitor analysis. Study existing solutions, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, or niche industry messengers, to understand which features users rely on most and where current products fall short. This helps you identify opportunities for differentiation and avoid building functionality that adds complexity without real value.

Thorough market research helps you make a chat app like WhatsApp that fits a real use case instead of copying features blindly.

The next step is to define the platforms you want to cover, the features to include, the third-party services to integrate, and other technical app specifications, including the technologies to use. This stage helps finalize your requirements and prepare for developing a WhatsApp-like app.

An experienced software vendor can significantly simplify this stage for you. For example, at Cleveroad, we support our clients during the initial development stages through our Product Discovery Phase, which focuses on transforming your product requirements into a clear project plan. As part of discovery services, we help:

• Define the optimal feature set for MVP and future releases
• Select a suitable tech stack and architecture
• Identify integration points and scalability requirements
• Build a clear product roadmap aligned with budget and timelines
• This approach ensures that development starts with a validated plan rather than assumptions, reducing development risks and costly reworks.

App design directly impacts user adoption and retention, which is why it is essential to make your chat app intuitive and visually clean.

Key design principles for a WhatsApp-like chat app include:

• Simple navigation with minimal steps for core actions
• Clear visual hierarchy for messages, statuses, and notifications
• Consistent behavior across screens and devices
• Accessibility considerations for different user groups

UI/UX designers at Cleveroad specialize in communication-heavy products and help translate complex workflows into intuitive interfaces. Below is an example of a messaging interface designed by our team, showing conversation and chat screens aligned into a single, cohesive experience.

At this stage, the project moves from planning to implementation. Building an app like WhatsApp means setting up a secure backend and reliable real-time communication so messages stay consistent across devices. The development team builds mobile and web applications based on approved designs, focusing on performance, responsiveness, and stability in real-world use cases.

Development follows an iterative process with continuous testing and reviews. This approach helps validate functionality early, keep technical debt under control, and deliver a production-ready communication platform rather than a one-time prototype.

Once development and testing are complete, the application is prepared for release. This stage includes configuring production environments, final performance checks, and submitting the app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in compliance with platform guidelines and security requirements.

After launch, the focus shifts to regular updates that address possible bugs and ensure compatibility with new OS versions and devices.

Ongoing maintenance is another critical part of long-term success. It includes infrastructure monitoring, scaling backend services as usage grows, updating dependencies, and gradually introducing new features. With a structured post-launch support process, a WhatsApp-like application remains reliable and aligned with evolving user and business needs.

When you find a good guide on how to create an app similar to WhatsApp or how to create a website like WhatsApp, you should get acquainted with WhatsApp's architecture. It's important to understand the app's background. In this section, we've gathered key information to consider before you start. All of WhatsApp's processes would be impossible without the technologies given below.

Now, let’s define what these technologies are and how your development team will use them to create a WhatsApp-like:

The front end is like the storefront of your app – it’s what users see and interact with. It handles the visual elements, smooth navigation, and responsive design that make your mobile messaging app engaging and user-friendly. To achieve an intuitive and seamless user experience, common choices include languages like:

• Swift: Apple’s native language for iOS apps, offering high performance and seamless integration with the iOS ecosystem.
• Kotlin: For teams exploring how to make an app like WhatsApp for Android, it is often the preferred choice due to its performance, security, strong support from the Android community, and seamless integration with the Android OS.
• React Native: A cross-platform framework enabling a single codebase for both iOS and Android, reducing development time without sacrificing quality.
• Flutter: Google’s UI toolkit for building visually appealing, high-performance apps with a single codebase for multiple platforms.

The backend is like a car's engine—it powers the app's core functionality and keeps everything running behind the scenes. It processes requests, manages data, and handles real-time communication. For a WhatsApp-like app, the back end typically relies on these technologies:

• Node.js: A fast, scalable option for handling real-time features like instant messaging and notifications.
• Django (Python): Offers a robust framework for developing secure, scalable applications.
• Ruby on Rails: Known for its speed of development and convention-over-configuration philosophy.

Think of third-party integrations as the specialty tools that enhance your app’s functionality without reinventing the wheel. They enable advanced features such as push notifications, analytics, cloud storage, and ready-made SDKs that speed up chat app development without rebuilding core functionality from scratch. Common choices include:

• Twilio: Enables secure, scalable communication features, including messaging and calling.
• Firebase: Offers real-time database capabilities, authentication, and cloud messaging.
• Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Storage: Manages file storage for shared images, videos, and other media, or adds features faster via a chat SDK.**

Databases efficiently store and manage user data, messages, and app content. Many teams also rely on open source database technologies to keep infrastructure flexible and avoid vendor lock-in. That’s what is usually used to accomplish safe and effective data management and storage:

• MongoDB: A NoSQL database ideal for handling unstructured data like chat messages
• MySQL: A relational database management system for structured data
• PostgreSQL: A robust open-source database known for scalability and reliability

Real-time messaging and calling would not be possible without efficient communication protocols. These technologies enable instant message delivery, typing indicators, presence status, and voice or video calls.

Typical protocols include:

• WebSockets: A persistent WebSocket connection provides low-latency, persistent connections for real-time message exchange.
• XMPP: A messaging protocol often used for presence and instant messaging systems. XMPP-based solutions such as ejabberd are often used to support presence and message routing.
• WebRTC: Powers peer-to-peer voice and video calls with minimal delay and high quality.

Cloud infrastructure ensures availability and fault tolerance as your user base grows. A WhatsApp-like app must handle traffic spikes, a global user base, and high volumes of media and messages.

Most solutions rely on:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Offers flexible compute, storage, and networking services for global-scale apps.
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP): Provides managed services for hosting, databases, analytics, and real-time workloads.

Cloud services also support load balancing, auto-scaling, monitoring, and disaster recovery — all critical for production-grade messaging platforms.

The cost of making an app like WhatsApp can range from $50,000 to $100,000+. The amount depends on many factors, including the number of features and their complexity. At this point, we will consider the development time and cost to build a custom messaging app with only the basic functions. The table below shows the approximate development time.

You can see that the MVP creation process for a messenger with familiar WhatsApp features may take approximately 2125 hours across iOS and Android. Given the time required, it will cost $30,000-$50,000 + for one platform and $60,000-$100,000 for two (at an average rate of $50 per hour).

Please note that the costs above are approximate and based on the MVP features. Pay attention that you will need to add about 60-70 additional hours to the total amount of working hours to implement UX/UI design. You can contact our Senior Business Analysts for a detailed estimate based on your messenger app requirements.

Cleveroad is a software provider headquartered in Estonia, Central Europe. Our team of 250+ engineers has helped startups and businesses develop unique technical solutions for over 15 years of experience in app development, including social media and messaging apps. During that time, our specialists have completed 200+ successful projects, including social media and messaging apps.

Applying to the Cleveroad team to create a WhatsApp-like chat, you will get many advantages, among which are:

• Our experts will pick up your project at the stage of a raw idea, conduct full-fledged market research, and make a WhatsApp-like app that will stand out
• Our developers use a modern tech stack that will help your app stay ahead of the competition. This includes Java, Kotlin, Swift, Objective-C, Flutter, etc.
• Cleveroad team received ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:201,5proving that keep up with software development integrity, security, and quality
• Based on your needs and capabilities, you can choose between building an app from scratch, IT staff augmentation, or dedicated team models
• We sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) per your request to ensure your idea security

One of our latest media solutions is a sports social network. Its main purpose was to unite people passionate about sports so they could organize and participate in events. To meet the client's requirements, our specialists created two native iOS and Android applications, built with Swift and Kotlin. Braintree, Google Maps, and Intercom were also integrated.

The solution includes the following features:

• Account registration
• User profile setting
• Guest mode
• Game detail module
• Payment processing, etc.

Besides, the notification service ensures users stay updated with real-time alerts across all game stages – pre-game, in-game, and post-game – covering event details, changes, cancellations, and more. In-app chat enables seamless communication among players in the same game, allowing them to share experiences and ideas and connect with the support team for assistance. This live chat functionality is powered by the Intercom Chat API, ensuring real-time message delivery and a smooth user experience.

As a result, the client received the following:

• A quality application. With well-thought-out UX, users were interested in the app, and their number was increasing.
• A complete environment. Interaction between users of both platforms and administrators became as convenient as possible.
• Increased revenue. Thanks to the growing app's popularity, the client was able to maximize profits according to the chosen monetization model, namely subscriptions.

Here’s what David Argyle, CEO & Co-Founder of Just Play, says about cooperation with Cleveroad: