What is a video chat app?
A video chat application is a web, mobile, or desktop application that enables users to communicate via video calls. Video chat apps typically include features such as automatic face detection and overlay effects (e.g., filters and stickers).
Video chat apps are similar to other communication tools like texting apps, voice over IP apps, and messaging apps. Some of the most popular video chat applications include Skype, Facebook Messenger, Google Duo, and FaceTime.
Examples of video chat apps built with Crowdbotics:
- Customers pay by interval of time, will continue being charged as time passes on video chat.
What is the typical cost to build a video chat app?
A video chat app usually costs about $37,500 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $25,000 or as high as $50,000. A video chat app with a low number of features (also known as a minimum viable product, or MVP) will be more affordable than an app that includes all intended functionality.
For example, here are some previous video chat app price quotes from Crowdbotics:
How long does it take to build a video chat app?
A video chat app usually takes 200 hours to build. However, a video chat app can be built in as few as 200 hours, or in as many as 200 hours. The exact timeline mostly depends on how complicated your specific app is. As a general rule, it will take longer if you require highly custom designs, niche features, complex logic, or non-standard release platforms.
For example, some previous video chat apps build with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:
Not seeing what you’re looking for?
Crowdbotics has quoted and built hundreds of applications for teams of all sizes. Browse our historical estimates by industry and app type to understand possible costs and considerations.
How to successfully grow your video chat application
A video chat app has the opportunity to grow quickly if it is able to attract new users who are already on other popular platforms. Video chat apps need to provide a better user experience than other existing video chat services in order to compete effectively. The best strategy for video chat apps is to provide many different ways for users to interact with each other, as well as features that allow users to share content from other platforms with their contacts.
Risks and challenges of building a video chat application
Video chat apps face both legal and logistical challenges related to the distribution of pornographic content. In the United States, video chat apps are subject to state and federal obscenity laws, which regulate the distribution of adult pornography. Before creating a video chat app, you will want to ensure that you have mechanisms in place to prevent users from sharing content deemed offensive by local communities or authorities. You can also build features that allow users to report inappropriate content, block users from their contacts list, and require an email address to use the application.
