Top 08 Popular Chat & Instant Messaging Protocols
Published On October 28th, 2024 Communication
Building an instant messaging and video conferencing application from scratch requires the development team to choose the right messaging and signaling protocol for its development.
With several Android, iOS and web chat protocols in the market, it is essential to choose the right protocol that will develop a product to meet the demands of the target market.
In this article, we are going to discuss the best real-time chat & messaging protocols
WebSocket provides low latency and real-time communication sessions between server and client. It is the most commonly used communication protocol.
What Does User Datagram Protocol (UDP) & Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Mean?/ What are the common messaging protocols?
Transfer of data between devices is made possible by the computer network protocols. UDP & TCP are two such network communication protocols that are used to build any kind of instant messaging protocol.
Table of Contents
What is User Datagram Protocol (UDP)?
User Datagram Protocol is the first network communication protocol that is used to send data to a device without establishing a connection. It is most useful in the transmission of DNS lookups, video playback, and other time-sensitive data.
What is the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)?
Transmission Control Protocol is slower in transmitting data when compared to UDP. TCP establishes a connection through an automated process termed as ‘handshake’ which connects two devices – one which sends the data and the other which receives the data. It also checks errors and is the most commonly used protocol.
Best 8 Chat and Instant Messaging Protocols
Out of the innumerable chat and instant messaging or im protocols that are available globally, we have hand-picked the best of them after thorough analysis. And, you can build web chat applications using any of the below protocols.
List of Webchat Instant Messaging Protocols
1. WebRTC – Web Real-time Communication Protocols
WebRTC is an open-source framework that is built into the most commonly used browsers across the world. It is created by Google and uses APIs to establish a connection for real-time communication. It can bypass the firewall between two devices and does not require any third-party plugins or services. The greatest advantage of using WebRTC signaling server is having unmediated and direct access to the users.
WebRTC
2. WebSocket Instant Messaging Protocols
WebSocket provides low latency and real-time communication sessions between server and client. It is the most commonly used instant message protocol. They can be used in the chat application, multiplayer online games, and social streams that update real-time. It is bidirectional and is supported over most of the browsers that are used today.
WebSocket
3. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Chat Messaging Protocols
IRC is one of the oldest instant messaging protocols that provide a connection for more than two users to chat with each other at the same time. When you build a chat app for Android, you can utilize IRC that transmits real-time messages. It was introduced even before the creation of the World Wide Web (WWW). IRC can run on either UDP or TCP ports.
IRC server
List of Cross-platform Chat Protocols
4. XMPP: Extensible Messaging and Present Protocol
Data of Extensible Markup Language (XML) is transmitted over XMPP. Two or more devices that are securely connected using their servers can use XMPP for data transmission. XMPP messaging protocol for chat applications has several free clients and open-source clients which make it easy to transfer data. Further, this protocol helps businesses can stream voice calls, video calls, 1-to-1, and multi-party chats using XMPP.
XMPP
5. Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT)
The next one under the list of messaging protocols is MQTT . It allows machine-to-machine telemetry and is a lightweight messaging protocol that is popular in IoT connections. It enables communications and automation of IoT devices with WebRTC peer to peer. This is mostly used for smart homes. It is the best web chat protocol as it helps in the transmission of data between all modern devices.
MQTT
6. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)/SIMPLE
The instant messaging protocol or im protocol that is built on SIP is termed as Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE). SIMPLE is a text-based protocol that is most commonly used in instant chat system, private telephone systems, and mobile calls over the LTE network.
SIP Server
7. Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP)
Moving over to the next best protocol for chat application is Advanced Message Queuing Protocol.
AMQP can be utilized in the multi-client environment as it uses a streamed binary messaging system. This enables the operation of clients from multiple vendors. This can be used to build WebSocket chat applications as it is portable, secure, and efficient.
AMQP
List of Android Real-Time Chat Protocol
8. Rich Communication Services (RCS)
RCS can transmit audio, video, group chat, read receipts, images, etc. Businesses can create interactive text messaging experiences for their users using RCS while building chat apps for Android. It is the best technology for chat applications which enables the users to make purchases and sales within the chat app.
RCS
Conclusion
As a business, when you have to choose the best protocol for a chat application, this is what you need to consider – what are the use cases of your instant messaging app, your resources in hand, and the protocol’s compatibility with your tech stack. Once you answer these three questions, you will be able to pick the one that will suit your business the best.
Furthermore,To know more about developing a whitelabel chat solution for mobile & web, our self-hosted SDKs can be of your help.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs
Does instant messaging use TCP or UDP?
Depending on the application, Instant messaging uses both TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol), as per needs.
TCP is a connection-based protocol that transmits data packets in an order. An IM system initiates and authenticates a chat connection using TCP. The instant message protocol is commonly preferred for file transfers and emails where orderly transmission of data packets must take place to avoid errors.
UDP, is a connectionless protocol that does not follow any order in the transmission of messages. This protocol is commonly used for low-latency real-time chat , voice and video call.
What are two popular chat protocols?
The two most popular chat protocols are:
XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol): XMPP is an instant messaging protocol that supports features like file transfers, online presence indicators and group chats.
IRC (Internet Relay Chat): IRC is a text-based real time messaging protocol that supports features like one-to-one messages, file transfers, chat rooms and channels
What are the types of TCP protocol?
There are different types of TCP data packets that facilitate instant chat communication across devices and a few of them include:
SYN – synchronize
URG – urgent
FIN – finish
PSH – push
ACK – acknowledge
Which protocol is used in MirrorFly chat API?
WebRTC, WebSockets, XMPP, IRC, MQTT, SIP, and AMQP are some of the real-time messaging protocols used in MirrorFly Chat SDK.
Rajeshwari is a skilled digital marketer, passionate about SEO and exploring the latest trends and tech innovations in communication and Chat APIs. With a keen eye for detail, she helps brands improve their online visibility, and she is always eager to stay ahead in the evolving digital landscape.
Thanks for another lengthy & super-informative post . Can’t wait to dig in & absorb all the knowledge about chat messaging protocols
Hello Blippi,
Thanks for your comment! I’m happy to hear that you found the post informative. If you have any questions about our instant chat protocols, feel free to ask!
Wow what an Epic Blog post Parthiba thank you so much and I am on the way to select to best chat messaging protocols definetly this post will help me to get success
Hi Vikas,
Glad that my article helped you make an informed decision on choosing the best instant message protocol for your app. If you have more questions, feel free to reply to this thread or talk to our team of experts.
Excellent article. As I would see it, extraordinary compared to other messaging protocols, despite the fact that learning it is more troublesome than lightroom.
Thanks for this. And Keep writing. Cheers 🙂
Hello Raveena,
I completely agree! Real-time messaging protocols might be a complex topic to study about but they serve as an essential part of chat apps to establish the rules for how the message data is exchanged and transmitted between devices.
Parthiba, you make EVERYTHING so easy to understand about instant messaging protocols. Thank you soooooo very much. You speak to the very experienced and the professional.
Hello Muthu!
Thank you for your great feedback and I am glad that you found my article helpful. Best wishes to you!
I think very very detailed article for those who try find best instant messaging protocols for build their chat app . There are some drawbacks in each messaging protocols so you should choose any of them carefully. I suggest you XMPP
Hello Vetri.
Thank you for your feedback on my article. Yes, each protocol has its own pros and cons. And it is necessary to consider them carefully to make the right choice for building our instant chat apps. I compared XMPP vs Websocket for one of my projects and found XMPP the perfect fit for my app, as you suggested. Thanks again and good luck with your app development!
Useful information and it is well arranged, so was pretty easy for me to read it. You’ve helped me to choose the best messaging protocols. Thanks for the article. Wonderful work.
Thank you for the feedback Riyan! Stay tuned for more useful content
Very good information for chat protocols. The post is well designed and well written. Full of helpful information.
Thank you for your kind feedback Rupam. Keep coming back for more insight on Android, iOS and web chat protocols.
Hi Parthiba,
Just came across your blog and found it very informative with very valuable information for best messaging protocols chat app
Hello Maria,
Thank you for your kind words. I am glad that you found my content helpful!
Hi Parthiba,Thank you for another amazing post! I’ve been reading many of your blogs, always very thorough and helpful.
Hello Linna,
Thank you for your interest in my article and I am glad that you like my content. Feel free to suggest an instant chat technology that you’d like me to write next.
Really great article, which has lots of good information, when someone is in search of chat messaging protocols.
Thank you Kaur. I’m glad that you found this content useful for finding your instant message protocol. Stay tuned for more informative articles!
Hey Really happy to say, your post is very interesting to read about chat messaging protocols. I never stop myself to say something about it. You’re doing a great job.
Thank you Starc for your thoughtful comment. I’m glad that my article helped you get closer to the details of real time messaging protocol. Best of luck with your business!