8 Best Real-Time Messaging APIs and SDKs [2023]

Looking at the title you may have been looking at the suggestions of real-time messaging APIs, real-time messaging SDKs, or both, but how about reading the introduction and later learning about my suggestions pertaining to real-time chat API and SDK? Let’s go chronologically.

What is a chat API?

Chat API stands for Application Program Interface, and it's essentially a set of building pieces that will result in real-time chat features when embedded into your website or app, allowing you to communicate with your target audience in a seamless manner. Developers consider real-time messaging API as a hot cake since it reduces their efforts.

What is chat SDK?

Chat SDK or software development kit assists your developers in developing a full-fledged real-time messaging system on a website or in-app. The real-time messaging SDK empowers you, your team, and your end-users in having coherent communication, boosting your productivity through its privileges through audio/video calls, messaging, video conferences, etc.

Chat SDK delegates you complete access to your users' data as well as end-to-end control over all of the codes involved in the setup. You may acquire a complete UI framework with the help of its rapid integration feature, alongside its modular architecture that accredits your developers in customizing the UI frameworks to comfort your advanced users.

What is real-time messaging?

Seeing the terms like "real-time chat SDK and real-time chat API," you must be contemplating what is real-time, which is nothing but the distribution of chat or in-app notifications that are destined and developed for instantaneous delivery of text, audio, or video conversations between two or more users. It's a solution that helps you to be relevant and equips you to stay competitive in the digital age.

Which APIs & SDKs can be used to provide a chat application?

You may believe that your developers are capable of developing a real-time messaging system for your website or app; yes, they can, all they have to do is start from scratch, investing their time and money, however, how competent would it be compared to your contemporaries' in-app messaging or website messaging that adapted other popular tools' applied and proven instant messaging APIs or real-time messaging SDKs, or whatever. So to save you from such repercussions, here are some competent tools' recommendations for real-time messaging APIs and real-time messaging SDKs.

Preceding are the solutions that offer the best chat API for apps:

1. Troop Messenger

Troop Messenger is known for offering the best messaging API for websites and in-app, which is basically a stand-alone platform known for its services offered to its clients of different domains, which can serve as an on-premise chat, SaaS, or real-time messaging API and SDK.

If you are seeking a competent real-time messaging SDK and real-time messaging APIs then Troop Messenger will become your answer. Troop Messenger’s advanced real-time messaging APIs are very well structured with an array of commands that enables you to have an instant messaging system through one on one or group conversations.

Real-time messaging SDKs, Voice Messaging API, and others are very compatible in making your developers’ job easy in developing a flawless instant message system with messaging, and audio/video calling features. In addition, it helps you in customizing your chat UI adhering to your requirements. It is considered one of the best chat APIs for apps.

Features

• One on One Messaging
• Group Conversations
• Audio/ Video Calling
• Forkout (which enables you to send a message to multiple users and groups at a single go)
• Live Location Tracking
• Secured & Reliable
• Recall, Edit, & Delete
• Read & Delivery info
• Read Markers
• Screen sharing
• Host Controls
• Video Conference
• Scheduling
• Typing indicator

Supporting Platforms: Android, iOS, and Web Applications

2. MirrorFly

CONTUS MirrorFly Chat API and SDK is a highly scalable and customizable solution meant for all kinds of businesses in the form of SaaS and SaaP. It is the best chat app with SDK, that offers multiple collaborative mediums of chat, voice, and video calling features that can be integrated into any iOS, Android, and web app.

It is a user-friendly chat solution that provides self-hosted, dedicated, and on-cloud infrastructure as per business needs and necessities. Moreover, it synchronizes the conversation and other data across the platforms to have instant messaging conversations via one-to-one or group interaction.

CONTUS MirrorFly ensures enterprise-grade security protocols across all chat, voice, and video calling data and files using advanced encryption APIs.

Features

• Private & Group Chat 
• One-to-one/group Calling
• Voice Calling
• Multi-party Conferencing
• Cross-platform Messaging
• Screen Sharing
• Live Broadcasting 

Hosting: Cloud/Dedicated Cloud and Self Hosted

Supporting Platforms: iOS, Android, and Web App

3. Sendbird

With its full-featured messenger and chat SDK, SendBird, which was founded in 2013, has developed dramatically. Their chat APIs make it possible to integrate chat into any current application, regardless of industry. With in-app chat integration, its chat API allows the construction of a modern chat and messaging experience.

Its real-time messaging API, voice messaging API, etc. combines the majority of operational difficulties under one roof, offering a robust chat service with voice and video conference capabilities.

Their chat APIs make it possible to integrate chat into any current application, regardless of industry. With in-app chat integration, Sendbird's chat API allows the construction of a modern chat and messaging experience.

Features

• Online/ Offline Messaging
• Auto Translation
• Typing Indicator
• In-app support
• Voice and Video APIs

Supporting Platforms: Mobile and Web Applications

4. APIexchange

Integrating its native APIs, APIexchange enables you to build your core product and add features. APIexchnage adds a new name to the roster of API service providers with its efficient APIs. They are aware that businesses can only function with a customer engagement platform, which is a significant reason for the rapid growth of this API service provider since its debut. As a result, they create effective and efficient APIs from API Exchange, enabling your web and mobile apps to create a new app.

All APIs of chat or communication, such as chat APIs and messaging, video, voice, MMS, SMS APIs, etc., are likely to be available on APIexchange. To allow your customers to contact you with whatever they desire while still properly encrypting the data, you can elect to develop a message-based application that allows you to have in-app messaging, in-app audio and video calls, in-app chat solutions, and in-app chat support. With little coding and few functions, you can quickly make your apps live.

Features

• UI Kits
• Quick-to-deploy APIs
• 1:1 messaging, group chat, audio-video calling APIs
• Developer-friendly API documentation
• Audio/ video calling
• Supports on-premise model

Supporting Platforms: Android, iOS Applications

5. Applozic

Applozic was established in 2019 as a real-time messaging API and SDKs with chat, voice, and video to any web, mobile and conversational app. Some startups and small companies opted for this tool's instant messaging API.

It is the best chat APIs that will assist you in developing and reaching the market much more quickly with Applozic, all while building genuine relationships with your customers through meaningful connections.

Irrespective of the domain such as healthcare, finance, eCommerce, technology, or charity, Applozic's ultimate in-app chat solution built by prolific developers can help your team create a seamless communication platform.

With Applozic's instant messaging APIs, you can create and construct a fully-functional chat solution for mobile and web in a few hours, thanks to powerful chat SDKs, UI kit building parts, and advanced data and backend security.

Features

• Read Receipts
• Open Group Chart
• Private 1:1 Chat
• Message Storage
• Group Storage
• File Sharing
• Offline Messaging

Supporting Platforms: Android, iOS Applications

6. Mesibo

If you are seeking the best mobile chat SDK, apparently your search will end with Mesibo. It is the best open-source messaging API that allows you to quickly integrate real-time chat audio/video conversations and messaging into your mobile apps and websites. Its open-source messaging API offers basic functionalities and other features like location sharing, push notifications, typing indications, etc., are among the list they provide. Any company that is seeking to add more features, they are allowed to use the open-source code available on GitHub.

Mesibo's chat SDK is developed to minimize the complexities of messaging by being a cross-platform API with an easy-to-use UI, in addition to a strong, scalable platform built from the bottom up to accommodate millions of concurrent calls and messaging with low latency and great reliability.

Features

• Group Messaging
• Group Calls
• Conference
• File Transfer

Supporting Platforms: Mobile and Web Applications

7. CometChat

CometChat is a live chat platform and the best chat app with SDK that enables users to engage with one another and connect with consumers. CometChat was built with an API and a Chat SDK and can be used on-premise or in the cloud.

CometChat offers the best chat APIs and well-designed chat SDKs in popular languages for all the major technologies such as Kotlin, Swift, React Native, React, PHP/ Laravel, and so on.

Apart from CometChat's SDKs, its end-to-end encryption ensures that all chats are safe and confidential, while other extensions, not allowing intruders, make your chat functions more simple.

Features

• Custom Messages
• Typing Indicator
• Read Indicator
• WebHooks
• One-on-One/ Group Chats

Supporting Platforms: Mobile and Web Applications

8. PubNub

PubNub was founded in 2010 and is one of the most popular real-time communication platforms. It allows users to communicate data across devices in real time and its online messaging API is integrated into many websites of different domains.

PubNub's online messaging API can help you fine-tune your user retention and loyalty, keep discussions spam-free, and minimize customer support expenses without compromising on quality. Read receipts, push notifications, message history, emoji reactions, typing indications, and filters, which block specific terms from being used in in-app chats, are among the other notable features.

Features

• Push Notifications
• Group Chat
• Private Chat
• Location Tracking
• loT devises Chat

Supporting Platforms: Mobile and Web Applications

Conclusion

Any domain with a website and app can use real-time messaging SDKs or real-time messaging APIs to compete head-to-head with its competitors. Many SaaS product-based organizations, to your surprise, are already using messaging API for websites.

It is highly recommended to use the Chat SDKs and APIs of a popular tool, such as Troop Messenger because its real-time chat SDK and API are already in use by many companies and are a successful tool. And for your information, this tool provides the best mobile chat SDK and API.