Build a Chat App Like Discord: Features & Cost

Rajeshwari Published On April 1st, 2025 Share it on

It’s totally normal to feel stressed when you think about building a giant Chat app like Discord. 

You’ll have to add 100s of features, 

keep every code perfect,

add enough security features,

All while counting on the deadline. 

Sometimes, it sounds like a nightmare. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Building a messaging app must be an exciting experience. That makes sure every part of the app you’ve built excites your app user. 

We’d love to discuss one such strategy for a Build Discord clone. If you are all in for this, sit back, relax and enjoy every step we’ve made it easy for you! 

Well, if you are planning to build a Discord-like messaging app, a few of you must already be aware of what it is. But in this section, we’ll brush up a few basics so newbie developers can find it helpful! 

What is Discord?

Discord is a free popular chat app. Today, the app is for everyone. Anyone can join the app and start chatting with others on the platform. 

But, when it started in 2015, it was really only for Gamers. 

You can create your own servers, invite your friends or teammates, easily share files and collaborate. It is a platform for both personal and professional use, with a huge list of communication features. 

Let’s take a quick look into a few important features. This will give you an idea of what features you can add to your messaging platform. 

Key Features of a Discord-like Chat App

Discord Chat Feature List	Does MirrorFly support this feature?
💬 Real-time Messaging	✅
🔔 @Mentions	✅
📞🎥 Voice & Video Calls	✅
🖥️ Screen Sharing	✅
🚀 Real-time Notifications	✅
🔑 Single Sign-On (SSO)	✅
👥🎦 Video Conferencing	✅
📜 Message History	✅
📎 File Sharing	✅
🎭📹 Multi-user Video Calls	✅

These are some of the key features that a Discord app contains. You can add these features to your list, and also scout for more messaging features on our chat features page. 

Infrastructure Of  A Discord-like Messaging App: What’s Inside?

When you build a messaging app like Discord, you’ll have to make sure that both your frontend and backend work together. 

On the front-end, you’ll need to build a Chat Interface that supports communication features such as instant messaging, video calling, voice calling, media sharing and push notifications. To build this, you have 2 different approaches. 

1. You can write the codes yourself 
2. Use a pre-built messaging solution like MirrorFly

We’d recommend the latter as it is high-performant, low-cost, easy to build and gets work done within a few minutes. On the other hand, building it all by yourself gives satisfaction, yet it may take longer than you estimate and maintenance is not easy. 

Consequently, the backend does a lot of work for your chat app. It processes all the messages, manages the users on your platform and makes sure that the messages are delivered in real-time. 

If you are building your chat app’s backend, MirrorFly’s multi-tenant chat servers will handle the message routing, while Cassandra (or any database you prefer) stores the chat history, user profiles and group data. If you are looking for a more scalable option to store your media files like images, videos and documents, you’ll need a cloud storage service like AWS S3 or Firebase. 

Next comes a very important part – Chat Security.

The app can use the solution provider’s JWT or OAuth for performing the authentication mechanism. This way, only users authorized by your platform can access their messages. Neither attackers nor any malware or DDoS attacks can affect your messaging platform. 

A key part of your messaging app’s infrastructure will be the WebSockets or MQTT. These are real-time communication protocols that make sure the messages your users exchange on your app reaches the intended recipient in real-time. 

Lastly, you’ll need a CDN (Content Delivery Network) for fast content delivery and a load balancer to distribute traffic efficiently.

How Message Flows In Your Discord-like Chat App Built With MirrorFly

When a user logs in, the first action MirrorFly does is verifying their identity using JWT/OAuth. If the verification is successful, the WebSocket within the chat solution starts real-time communication. 
Right when the user types a message and clicks the send button, the client encrypts it and transmits it to the MirrorFly chat server. 

The server processes the message, assigns it a unique message ID and determines the recipient. 

If the recipient is online, the message is delivered instantly through WebSocket, appearing in their chat window in real time. If the recipient is offline, a database like Cassandra or AWS stores it temporarily and later delivers it as a push notification. 

Once the recipient opens the app, your app retrieves and displays the stored messages. 

Now, what happens when a user logs in from a different device? 

MirrorFly syncs all the past conversations from the database. 

For every media exchanged in the platform, the server generates a link to access them. This is how exactly users experience instant, reliable and secure communication that’s similar to Discord. 

How Much Does It Cost To Build A Discord-Like Chat App

When you build a messaging app like Discord from scratch, you’re going to pay for the resources.

Want to know how much?

Here is a full breakdown of the cost that will be incurred under various factors and circumstances. 

1. Based on the Complexity of the App:

App Type	Estimated Cost	Development Time
Basic Chat App (Messaging, voice calls, minimal UI)	$20000  – $30000	4 – 6 weeks
Moderate Complexity (Messaging, voice/video calls, file sharing, roles & permissions)	$40,000 –  $70,000	3 – 6 months
Advanced App Like Discord (All major features: servers, screen sharing, integrations)	$80,000 – $150,000+	6 – 12 months

2. Feature-Wise Breakdown

Feature	Estimated Cost
User Authentication & Registration (OAuth, SSO, Email, Google, etc.)	$3000 – $5000
Real-time Messaging (WebSockets, database storage)	$6000 – $12000
Voice & Video Calls (WebRTC, server setup)	$15000 – $25000
Screen Sharing & Streaming (For meetings & gaming)	$10000 – $20000
Server & Channel Management (Like Discord’s server structure)	$8000 – $15000
File Sharing & Media Storage (AWS S3, Google Cloud)	$5000 – $12000
Push Notifications & Mentions (Firebase, OneSignal)	$3000 – $6000
User Profiles & Status Updates	$4000 – $8000
Permissions & Moderation Tools (Role-based access, bans)	$5000 – $10000
Security & Encryption (TLS, End-to-end encryption)	$7000 – $15000
Admin Dashboard & Analytics	$10000 – $20000

3. Cost Based on where you’ll build the app

Location	Hourly Rate	Approx. Cost for 3-6 Months
USA, Canada	$80 – $150/hr	$100000 – $200000+
Western Europe (UK, Germany, France)	$60 – $120/hr	$80000 – $180000
Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine)	$40 – $80/hr	$50000 – $120000
India, Southeast Asia	$20 – $50/hr	$30000 – $80000

4. Infrastructure & Maintenance Costs

Category	Monthly Cost Estimate
Cloud Hosting (AWS, GCP, Azure)	$500 –  $5,000+
Database Management (MongoDB, PostgreSQL)	$300 – $2000
CDN & Media Storage (Cloudflare, AWS S3)	$500 – $3000
Third-Party APIs (WebRTC, Firebase, Twilio)	$500 – $5000
Security & Compliance (Encryption, Firewalls)	$1000 – $5000
Ongoing Maintenance & Updates	15% – 25% of Development Cost Per Year

Final Cost Estimate

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)	$20000 – $50000
Full-Featured Discord-Like App	$80000 – $150000+
Enterprise-Grade Solution	$200000+

Sounds like a lot? 

This is why we’d recommend the cost-effective approach: using pre-built chat SDKs. 

It is best in terms of cost, development and performance. When you go for this approach, your budget is likely to go down significantly around $10000 –  $40000.

Cost of Building a Discord-like Chat App with pre-built SDK like MirrorFly

$10000 –  $40000

This is absolutely a cost-efficient option, without compromising on the features and performance. 

9 Simple Steps To Build A Chat App Like Discord 

Now that we’ve discussed – using MirrorFly could be a wise & cost-effective option, let’s quickly walk through the steps to build your messaging app

What you’ll need? 

Before you begin, ensure your development environment meets the following criteria:

targetSdkVersion and compileSdk 34 or above (for Chat SDK version 7.11.4 or higher)

Android Lollipop 5.0 (API Level 21) or above

Java 7 or higher

Gradle 4.1.0 or higher

Step 1: Obtain an SDK License Key

1. Register an account on the MirrorFly platform.

2. Log in to your account.

What you’ll need?

Before you begin, ensure your development environment meets the following criteria:

targetSdkVersion and compileSdk 34 or above (for Chat SDK version 7.11.4 or higher)

Android Lollipop 5.0 (API Level 21) or above

Java 7 or higher

Gradle 4.1.0 or higher

Integrating MirrorFly Chat SDK into Your Android App

Step 2: Create or Open an Android Studio Project

If you don’t have a project yet, create a new one in Android Studio.

Step 3: Configure the Project Dependencies

For Gradle 6.8 or Higher

Add the following code to your settings. gradle file:

dependencyResolutionManagement {
repositories {
mavenCentral()
google()
jcenter()
maven {
url "https://repo.mirrorfly.com/release"
}
}
}

For Gradle 6.7 or Lower

Add the above code to your root build.gradle file.

Step 4: Add Dependencies

In your app/build.gradle file, include the SDK dependency:

check this

dependencies {   implementation 'com.mirrorfly.sdk:mirrorflysdk:7.13.16'}

Step 5: Configure Gradle Properties

To prevent conflicts with imported libraries, add the following line to gradle.properties:

Step 6: Update Android Manifest

In AndroidManifest.xml, add the required permission:
Initializing MirrorFly Chat SDK

To start using the SDK, initialize it in your Application class inside the onCreate() method:

ChatManager.initializeSDK("LICENSE_KEY", (isSuccess, throwable, data) -> {
    if(isSuccess){
        Log.d("TAG", "initializeSDK success ");
    } else {
        Log.d("TAG", "initializeSDK failed with reason "+data.get("message"));
    }
});

Also, update the AndroidManifest.xml to include the MyApplication class:

<application
    android:name=".MyApplication"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
</application>

User Registration
To register a user in sandbox mode, use the following method:

FlyCore.registerUser(USER_IDENTIFIER, (isSuccess, throwable, data ) -> {
    if(isSuccess) {
        String userJid = (String) data.get("userJid");
        Log.d("TAG", "User Registered: " + userJid);
    } else {
        Log.e("TAG", "Registration failed", throwable);
    }
});

Step 7: Establish Connection to the Chat Server

Once registration is successful, the SDK automatically connects to the chat server. To observe connection events:

ChatManager.setConnectionListener(new ChatConnectionListener() {
    @Override
    public void onConnected() {
        Log.d("TAG", "Connected to Chat Server");
    }

    @Override
    public void onDisconnected() {
        Log.d("TAG", "Disconnected");
    }
});

Step 8: Send a One-to-One Message

To send a message, use the following method:

TextMessage textMessage = new TextMessage();
textMessage.setToId(TO_JID);
textMessage.setMessageText("Hello there!");

FlyMessenger.sendTextMessage(textMessage, (isSuccess, error, chatMessage) -> {
    if (isSuccess) {
        Log.d("TAG", "Message Sent Successfully");
    }
});

Step 9: Receive Messages

To listen for incoming messages:

ChatEventsManager.setupMessageEventListener(new MessageEventsListener() {
    @Override
    public void onMessageReceived(@NotNull ChatMessage message) {
        Log.d("TAG", "New message received: " + message.getMessageText());
    }
});

So that’s it! 

It’s quick and easy to build a messaging app like Discord when you have a customizable chat solution like MirrorFly. 

Read More:

Steps to Build a Real-Time Chat App 

Best 6 Slack Alternatives 2025   

Benefits Of Building Discord Clone App With MirrorFly

MirrorFly has been in the industry for over 16+ years now. The platform has been consistent with its offerings and is always steered towards developer-friendliness and experience. 

In this aspect, MirrorFly has its UVPs pretty-much straight-forward when compared to other solutions in the market.

1. 100% Customizable Features & Workflow: Not just like a Discord app, you can go further and build any kind of messaging app with 1000s of customisable features, with unique workflows that match your business needs. 
2. Data Ownership: You get all the control of your data. Neither MirrorFly nor any third-party you integrate will have access to the data. 
3. Custom Security: Add any number of encryption layers or privacy features to protect your user data and maintain their experience. 
4. Flexible Hosting: You have all the freedom to deploy your app anywhere. You can host it on your own servers, on your company’s premises, or on data centers. 
5. SIP/VoIP Solution: Build any VoIp app with SIP calling that works over internet connection, backed by WebRTC protocols. 
6. Whitelabel Solution: Build it with MirrorFly, but brand it your way. Add your own custom colors, logos and features with  
7. Hire Dedicated Team: Want support with building your chat app? Onboard our team of experts and get end-to-end support. 
8. Full Source Code Ownership: Once you purchase the solution, the source code is all yours. You can add, amend or discard any features just as per your preferences. 

Sounds like a deal? 

Why wait, while you could fill out this form, launch your app in 48 hrs and get your people chatting? For more information, visit our official website, or comment your queries below!