VIDEO CHAT APP DEVELOPMENT

Build a video chat app users stay on

We build custom video calling and chat apps on WebRTC, mediasoup, and LiveKit: 1-on-1 and group calls, recording, screen share, and chat, on web, iOS, and Android. First working build in 6-8 weeks, from $6K. You own the code, with no per-minute platform bill.

WebRTCmediasoupLiveKitiOS + Android + Web250+ projects since 2005
200
participants per call in an app we built (iMind)
100K+
downloads on a video chat app we shipped (Alve.chat)
20+ yrs
building real-time video since 2005
You own it
code, design, and deployment, no lock-in
WHO THIS IS FOR

Built for teams putting live video inside a product

We build video chat and calling apps for founders launching a product, and for teams adding calls to an app that already has users. The hard parts, group calls, mobile, recording, and weak-network quality, are the ones we have shipped before, not learned on your budget.

Consumer video chat1-on-1 and group callingBusiness video conferencingTelehealth video visitsVirtual classroomsSocial and dating appsMarketplaces with live videoCreator and paid 1:1 appsAdd calling to an existing appMigrate off a CPaaSWhite-label conferencing
OPTIONS

A CPaaS SDK, a generalist agency, or a video app team

A CPaaS like Twilio or Agora ships a demo fast, then bills per minute and owns your media path. A generalist agency learns WebRTC on your budget. A team that has shipped video apps already knows the group-call, mobile, and recording traps, and hands you the code.

CPaaS SDK (DIY)Generalist agencyVideo app team (Fora)
Time to a working appFast demo, slow productRamp-up on your dimeWorking build in 6-8 weeks
Real-time depthYou wire the hard partsLearns on the job20 years, 250+ real-time builds
Group calls + mobileYour problem to scaleOften shakyShipped iOS, Android, and web group calls
Cost modelPer-minute, foreverMarkup, slowFrom $6K, then you own it
Media path + dataVendor holds itVariesYour cloud, your data
Recording, screen share, chatAdd-ons, meteredPatchyBuilt in, on your infra
When they leave / you growLock-in, rising billKnowledge walks outYou own the code, docs, and pipeline

Already have an app and users? We add calling to it. Starting from zero? We build the whole product. On a CPaaS and watching the bill climb? We migrate you off. Either way the code and the data are yours. New to the trade-offs? See WebRTC architecture for production systems.

HOW WE BUILD

How we build a video chat app

The first decision in a video app is not code, it is call shape: 1-on-1, small group, or large room. That choice sets the topology and the cost. Here is how we go from idea to a shipped app.

Capturecamera, micSignalingWebSocket, authTopologyP2P / SFU / MCUMediaTURN, simulcastClientsWeb, iOS, AndroidPICK THE TOPOLOGY FIRSTP2P1-on-1 callsNo media serverCheapest, will notscale to groupsSFUGroup callsmediasoup, LiveKit, Janusforward each streamThe common choiceMCUServer-mixedHeavy compositingand recording
Figure 1: From capture to clients. The topology choice (P2P, SFU, or MCU) drives quality, scale, and cost, so we pick it before writing app code.
1

Scope and call shape

We map your calls, group sizes, platforms, and any compliance, then pick the topology (P2P, SFU, or MCU) and whether to self-host an SFU or use a CPaaS, with no house bias.

WEEK 1
2

Call UX and signaling

We design the call experience (lobby, join, in-call controls, chat) and build signaling, rooms, and token auth, so joining a call is one tap, not a support ticket.

3

Build across platforms

Web, iOS, and Android on the chosen SDKs (mediasoup, LiveKit, react-native-webrtc), with screen share, recording, and the features your product needs.

4

Harden for weak networks

coturn (TURN/STUN), simulcast, and SVC so calls connect on hotel wifi and 4G and degrade gracefully instead of dropping. This is where most DIY apps fail.

5

Ship and scale

Store and CI/CD release, load tests to your concurrency target, recording storage, and dashboards. You get the code and the deployment.

The result holds sub-300 ms glass-to-glass on a real network, and the architecture matches your call sizes, not a vendor's upsell.

THE STACK

The video stack we build on

Layer
What we work with
Call topology
P2P for 1:1, SFU for group calls, MCU for server-mixed and recording, chosen per app
SFUs
mediasoup 3.20, LiveKit, Janus, Pion, Kurento, self-hosted or managed
CPaaS
Twilio, Agora, Vonage, Daily when managed is the right call, or to migrate off
Mobile
Swift, Kotlin, react-native-webrtc, Flutter WebRTC, native iOS and Android
Signaling
WebSocket / Socket.io, rooms, token auth, presence
NAT traversal
coturn (TURN/STUN), ICE tuning for restrictive wifi and mobile networks
Media features
Simulcast and SVC, screen share, in-call chat, recording, virtual backgrounds, noise suppression
Security and ops
AES-256 and E2EE, HIPAA and SOC 2 patterns, multi-region, Grafana/Prometheus
APPS WE HAVE SHIPPED

Video chat apps we have built

BUSINESS CONFERENCING

iMind

A business video conferencing app with up to 200 video participants per call (1,000 audio-only), AES-256 encryption, and face-recognition meeting entry, on web, iOS, Android, and PWA. Used by PwC and MTS; top-30 on G2.

CONFERENCING + E-SIGNING

ProVideoMeeting

A WebRTC and FreeSWITCH conferencing SaaS combining Zoom, Calendly, and DocuSign, with SIP/VoIP dial-in from a phone and Instasign in-call document signing.

OUR OWN APP

Tunnel

A peer-to-peer WebRTC video chat app we built and shipped to the App Store and Google Play: one-tap Apple or Google login, room-number join, mobile screen share, and an incognito mode.

AI SALES VIDEO

Meetric

A video platform (up to 20 on a call, 500 in a webinar) that analyzes calls in real time, with Google Meet, MS Teams, and Zoom integration. Raised SEK 21M (about $2.25M) in 2025.

SOCIAL PAID VIDEO

Alve Live

A streamer app with free group broadcasts and paid 1:1 video sessions billed per minute, plus in-app currency and gifting. 100K+ downloads on Google Play.

TELEHEALTH + CLASSROOMS

Same WebRTC core

The same WebRTC core powers HIPAA-ready telehealth visits and live virtual classrooms, with recording, waiting rooms, and screen share built in.

BUILD VS BUY

Buy an SDK, or build an app you own

A CPaaS SDK is the right call for a quick test or a feature you will never scale. Build a custom app when video is core to your product, when the per-minute bill stops making sense, or when the call has to look and behave like yours. Here is the honest split.

Control and product fitOwnership and unit economicsCPaaS SDKdemo fast, you scale itGeneralist agencylearns on your budgetCustom video appFora, you own it
Figure 2: The two axes a buyer actually cares about: control and product fit, and ownership and unit economics. A custom app wins the top-right at any size, with no scale break-even.
USE A CPAAS SDK WHEN
You need a working demo this week and will not customize the call UI
Video is a minor feature, not the product, and volume stays low
You are validating an idea before committing to a real build
BUILD A CUSTOM APP WHEN
Video is core to your product and the call should feel like yours, not a vendor's widget
The per-minute bill is climbing and you want predictable infrastructure you own
You need recording, compliance (HIPAA, AES-256), or data kept in your own cloud
You want the code, the design, and the deployment handed back, with no lock-in
At any size: owning your app pays off on your first thousand users, not only at scale
Right when video is part of what you sell and you want it built right the first time, with a working app in 6-8 weeks.
HOW WE WORK

Four ways to build with us

PRICING

Starting points, not size caps

Fixed-scope starting points for a custom build. Prefer a dedicated team, or adding video to an existing app? That is a monthly rate, scoped on the call.

APP MVP
from $6K
~1-2 weeks
  • 1-on-1 and small-group calls
  • One platform, web or mobile
  • Core call UX, real users can use it
Start an MVP
Most teams start here
PRODUCTION PLATFORM
from $12K
~3-4 weeks
  • Group calls on an SFU
  • Recording, screen share, chat
  • Accounts, dashboards, shipped to the stores
Scope a build
SCALE AND MULTI-REGION
from $24K
~4+ weeks
  • Multi-region SFU, load-tested
  • HIPAA and AES-256 patterns
  • Observability and a team through scale
Plan for scale

Adding video to an existing app and dedicated-team engagements are billed monthly per the team you need. Infrastructure (SFU hosting, TURN, recording storage) is billed at cost, with no markup from us.

FREE FOR QUALIFIED PROJECTS

Three ways to de-risk before you build

Before you commit a budget, we will help you pick the call architecture and catch the scaling and mobile traps early.

WHY FORA SOFT

Real-time video is the core of the business

We are not a generalist shop with a video service line. Live video and audio is what we have built since 2005, across consumer chat, business conferencing, telehealth, and classrooms. One of the apps on the App Store is ours.

Since 2005, 250+ projects

Two decades of real-time video, not a recent service offering.

Apps in the wild

iMind runs 200-party conferencing for PwC; our own Tunnel video chat app is on the App Store and Google Play; Alve.chat passed 100K+ downloads.

The hard parts, shipped

Group calls, TURN and NAT traversal, simulcast and SVC, mobile, and recording: the edge cases that sink first-timers.

Web and mobile in-house

One team for web, iOS, and Android, so the call behaves the same on every device.

Compliance ready

AES-256, HIPAA, and SOC 2 patterns in production, not slideware.

You own it

Code, design, and deployment are yours. We hand off cleanly or stay embedded, with no lock-in.

FAQ

Video chat app development questions

What is video chat app development?

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How long does it take to build a video chat app?

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How much does it cost to build a video calling app?

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Should I use WebRTC or a CPaaS like Twilio or Agora?

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Can you add video calling to my existing app?

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How do you support group video calls?

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Will the app work on iOS and Android?

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Can the app handle recording, screen share, and chat?

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Is a custom video app HIPAA compliant or end-to-end encrypted?

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Do we own the code and the app?

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FURTHER READING

Go deeper on real-time video

Have an idea for a video app, or users waiting for calls?

Tell us the call sizes, the platforms, and where it has to run. We will pick the topology, name the stack, and give you a build plan, a price, and a timeline, in one call. Building one-to-many broadcast instead? See scalable video streaming. Need a WebRTC engineering team for an existing build? See WebRTC development.

Specialist software house for video, real-time and AI products. Founded 2005. 50 in-house engineers.

+1 (914) 775-5855
New York · USA
© Fora Soft, 2005–2026
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