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When the world began filling with global messaging networks reimagining how people communicate, few would have predicted that a homegrown alternative could have such an immediate impact. But Arattai, which is developed by Zoho Corporation, has managed to do just that. To be sure, innovation that is rooted in simplicity, privacy, and cultural sensitivity has demonstrated its ability to challenge the titans of global technology.
The market for instant messaging/communication software keeps growing by the minute. Its estimated market size is $28.9 billion in 2024 and more than $64 billion in 2033. This is more than a commercial trend – it illustrates how deeply digital conversations are ingrained in the fabric of day-to-day life and business.
An Extraordinary Opportunity For the forward-thinking organisation, this transformation offers one of the most significant opportunities of its age. The need for secure, fast, scalable chat is constant and universal. Many of us at Eminence Technology are iOS and Android users ourselves, and have so many app ideas that we just don't know where to start. As a mobile app development company, we offer cross-platform mobile app development services that help businesses connect users on any device with the same quality and performance.
In this blog, we'll discuss how to create a messaging app like Arattai, examining its key functions and the foundational building blocks needed for a successful communication app. It also showcases at a high level how platforms like Flutter and React Native enable developers to build more productive, future-proof apps.
Decoding Arattai — A Tale in Informative Accessibility
The word "Arattai" comes from Tamil and means a "friendly chat" or
"chit-chat". This title perfectly describes its goal: to streamline digital communication while maintaining humanity and tact.
Arattai was released in 2021 as a safe, easy-to-use messaging app for people who live on shaky mobile data connections, and low cost remains essential. In a matter of days after the release, engagement on the platform skyrocketed from 100 new users per week to more than 20,000 per day.
For us, the secret of its triumph is that the designs adhere strictly to a mindset. Arattai is feature-light and designed to be lean, private, and inclusive. The application performs well even on devices with low processing power, ensuring the highest available encryption quality and preventing data interception.
A good product is all about creativity, yet technicality goes hand in hand with the same at Eminence Technology. Whether you are looking to hire Flutter developers for outstanding UI performance or hire React Native app developers for a consistent experience across ecosystems, our engineering workflow is dedicated to performance, flexibility, and long-term scalability!
Essential Features That All Modern Messaging Apps Should Have:
To build a messaging app, you need to do more than just incorporate chat features. It requires architectural vision, performance foresight, and design sensitivity. Here are 10 must-haves that set high-performing communication tools apart from their less user-friendly counterparts.
Frictionless User Onboarding
An easy setup that requires only a few groups of users to say their first word in seconds. Permission requests are presented seamlessly alongside clear instructions, which should minimize confusion and drop-off.
Instant and Reliable Messaging
Messages should pop up on screen with delivery confirmations, reactions, and read receipts. The required fluidity and cross-platform responsiveness are possible with frameworks such as Flutter and React Native. It is also one of the reasons why Flutter is the future of mobile app development, and why the benefits of using React Native For Mobile App Development are being realized across all industries.
High-Definition Voice and Video Connectivity
Facilitate secure and high-quality communication between people or groups. Dynamic Bandwidth Management maintains stable performance even in low-coverage areas.
Integrated Meetings and Collaboration Tools
Users should be able to schedule and join virtual sessions through the chat interface. This makes the app more than just a messenger; it is also a multi-utility tool.
Personal Cloud Storage
Securely store all your important documents, photos, and media for instant access (in-app only). Users retain control over their data, with fast, easy access to synchronized files across all devices.
Community and Group Management
Private groups, public channels, and moderated communities drive interaction while ensuring safety and structure.
Intelligent Notifications and Mentions
Provide contextual alerts and on-mention highlights to help users avoid missing significant changes.
Multilingual Support
Enable worldwide communication with translation features and multi-language support that enable inclusive participation.
Security and Privacy Controls
User trust is built on end-to-end encryption, secure logins, and clear data policies.
Multi-Device Accessibility
Be consistent between desktop, mobile, and web experiences. Real-time syncing lets you pick up the conversation seamlessly on any device.
Most companies avoid investing in mobile development because of common mistakes developers make when developing a mobile app, such as failing to scale, underestimating the complexity of the backend, or focusing only on design.
Step-by-Step Process for Building a Messaging App Like Arattai
1. Discovery and Planning
Each project begins with clarity about specific goals and a target audience. We aim to understand the application's main goals and distinguishing features. We use in-depth competitor analysis, feature mapping, and the selection of appropriate technology to develop a target-centered development strategy. This initializes a development roadmap that is scientifically justified and data-driven.
2. UX/UI Design
The design team specializes in webpage design and development. They develop web user interfaces that are a perfect mix of beauty and efficiency, abstract and interactive wireframes/interfaces. Every functional and design web page aims to improve ease of access and user retention.
3. Feature Development and Integration
The user-side features include chat, audio and video calls, meetings, and personal cloud storage, available on all devices with synchronization, and user-level, privacy-preserving encryption. This helps in bringing the idea to life.
4. Core Development
The Core Development phase involves the engineers. They engineer scalable mobile or web applications with a single codebase and the quality of a native application, with software and hardware optimizations using Flutter or React Native, and Node.js with Firebase in the superstructure.
5. Testing and Optimization
Application optimization involves validating the smoothness of an application. This is done by the system operators on the application interfaces. The operators put the application into real-world scenarios and use system controls to monitor the application server's level. This helps in improving user experience. The operators have to adjust the interface controls to make it easier for the user to strategize. This results in the application operating within the user-defined boundaries.
6. Roll-out and Sustaining Operations
We take care of the roll-out process in its entirety, including submitting to the stores, configuring the backend, and setting up the monitoring. Our ongoing maintenance post-launch ensures sustained stability, continuous performance enhancements, and timely delivery of new features.
Estimated Costs and Development Timeline
Every project is distinct; however, the outline below provides a rough idea of the cost and scope.
- Basic Messaging App (10,000 to 40,000 USD)
Contains one-to-one messaging, media sharing, and notification features. Suitable for new companies and MVPs.
- Mid-Level App (40,000 to 120,000 USD)
Contains group chat, file sharing, encryption, and a cross-platform UI. Suitable for growing companies.
- Advanced App (120,000 to 250,000 USD and up)
Contains support for multiple devices, video meetings, AI enhancements, and admin dashboards for enterprise capabilities.
Most development projects take anywhere from three to eight months to complete, depending on features and integrations.
Technology Used for Building a Messaging Application
A robust foundation is needed to develop a messaging application with superior performance.
At Eminence Technology, we generally suggest the following:
- Frontend: Flutter or React Native
- Backend: Node.js, Firebase, AWS
- Database: MongoDB or PostgreSQL
- Real Time Communication: WebRTC
- Security: OAuth 2.0 and End-to-End Encryption
- Infrastructure: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD Pipelines
This technology stack guarantees reliability in performance, scalable modularity, and optimal integration across platforms.
Factors Influencing Development Cost
- Feature Complexity: Additional features, such as encryption or multi-device support, make highly developed platforms more resource-intensive.
- Technology Stack: Premium tools like Firebase or AWS have higher initial costs but lower long-term maintenance costs.
- Platform Choice: Developing mobile applications for both Android and iOS costs more unless cross-platform frameworks are used.
- Team Expertise: Experienced developers for Flutter or React Native are more expensive, but their code is parsed and optimized for quicker delivery.
- Security Architecture: A serious development effort is needed to achieve enterprise-grade configurations that require sophisticated privacy systems.
Building the Next Arattai: Why Eminence Technology Should Be Your Development Partner
Eminence Technology is a proven industry leader for mobile app development. For them, every engagement is viewed as a partnership, not a transaction, which helps them integrate innovation with business development.
Our mobile app development services are the gold standard for reliability, professional transparency, and measurable impact. These enabling solutions create significant economic value for enterprises, as they align with prevailing market conditions and are not only technologically feasible.
Our Core Strengths
1. Proven Expertise Cross Platforms
We maintain deep specialization in Flutter and React Native, enabling us to design cross-platform applications with native performance, faster release cycles, and consistent excellence across devices.
2. Strategic Product Thinking
We build every app from the ground up to align with your business goals. We strategically align technology with market conditions to make sure every element is focused on growth, engagement, and retention at every level.
3. Engineering for Scale and Security
We design architectures that sustain the future, are secure, and are flexible. From modular codebases to encryption and compliance frameworks, our systems are designed to maintain real-world performance.
4. Development with Rational Progress
Milestones are achieved from the rough outline to the final product through our agile system, which ensures development at every tier. Clients are kept fully informed from the concept stage through launch by receiving well-defined updates, performance indicators, and descriptions of the goals achieved.
5. Experience Driven Design
Our UI and UX teams create streamlined, efficient, and beautiful structures that make the experience compelling. Every screen, gesture, and interaction is tailored to the fullest to increase engagement with the application and maximize brand loyalty.
6. Full Application Lifecycle
We are in charge from the beginning to the end of the process, and thus we manage sophisticated and simple workflows seamlessly due to our agile approach. Teams track performance and incorporate new features, which guarantees stability for years to come.
7. Collaboration After Delivery
Partnership goes beyond the deployment stage. We continue to focus on product growth through tailored updates and enhancements, alongside user feedback and strategic assessments, to help retain data-driven competitive advantages.
At Eminence Technology, we do not merely develop applications. Instead, we create enduring digital ecosystems that align with your enterprise's growth, adapt to your audience, and withstand technological shifts.
Conclusion
Arattai exemplifies how purposeful innovation can transform communication. The future of communication rests on three pillars: speed, privacy, and inclusivity.
At Eminence Technology, we create communication systems that interlink the globe with unparalleled reliability and intelligence. Through our tailored cross-platform mobile application development services, we actualize visionary concepts into advanced, robust digital solutions that excel in a saturated market.
The next revolution in communication technology starts right here. It is crafted with precision, powered with unmatched expertise, and designed for unparalleled global outreach.
