Real-time chat applications have transformed how we collaborate, engage with customers, and connect with loved ones. However, for developers, the journey of building such an application begins with a crucial first step: selecting the technology that forms its core.
WebSockets and Socket.IO are two prominent contenders in this arena, offering the foundation for building robust, real-time messaging.
This blog delves into the intricacies of WebSockets and Socket.IO, providing a clear comparison of their functionalities, advantages, and potential drawbacks. It also explains why choosing a WebSockets-based infrastructure for your chat application will not scale well and could hurt you in the long run.
WebSockets Overview
WebSockets are the core protocol that defines the basic rules for real-time, two-way communication between a web browser and a server. Unlike traditional HTTP requests, which are one-way interactions, WebSockets establish a persistent connection, allowing for bi-directional (full-duplex) data exchange. This enables low-latency communication, ideal for applications where instant updates are crucial.
WebSockets are used for
Broadcast real time event data, such as live scores and traffic updates.
Building real-time chat applications.
Deliver notifications and alerts.
Facilitate multiplayer collaboration.
Key characteristics of Websockets
01.
Real time, bidirectional communication
WebSockets establish a persistent connection that allows for two-way data exchange at any time. This is ideal for applications where instant updates and interaction are crucial.
02.
Low latency
WebSockets use a lightweight protocol for data exchange, minimising delays in communication. This is essential for applications where immediate updates are critical.
03.
Persistent connection
Once established, the WebSocket connection remains open until either party closes it. This eliminates the need for repeated connection setups, improving efficiency.
Socket.io Overview
While WebSockets offer a powerful core for real-time communication, Socket.IO takes things a step further. It's a library built on top of WebSockets, to overcome the limitations of WebSockets by adding additional features like long polling and automatic reconnection. It means it will constantly check for any new messages, making sure none were missed and automatically try to re-establish the connections in the event of server issues, network downtime.
Like Websockets, Socket.io is also used for
Low-level chat Applications
Live streaming and broadcasting
Real-time notifications
Real-time analytics
Key characteristics of Socket.io
01.
Fallback mechanism
Automatic falls back to alternative transports (like HTTP long-polling) if WebSockets are not available or fail.
02.
Automatic reconnection
If a connection is lost, Socket.IO will automatically attempt to reconnect, providing a seamless experience for users.
03.
Increased browser compatibility
Socket.IO ensures compatibility across different browsers and devices. It handles browser inconsistencies and provides a consistent API for developers to work with.
Why are Socket.io and WebSockets not an ideal choice for building chat?
While WebSockets and Socket.io provide the foundation for real-time communication, they primarily handle only the low-level message delivery aspect. This can be sufficient for simple chat applications with a limited user base.
But, building a robust, feature-rich chat application at scale requires more than just message delivery. Here's why relying solely on WebSockets or Socket.io might not be ideal:
1. Complex development cycle
Message delivery is just one piece of the puzzle. Building a full-fledged chat platform requires integrating various functionalities like user authentication, load balancing, presence management, and more. Each of these elements is a complex task in itself, and managing their interactions further increases development overhead.
In addition, troubleshooting any issues that you encounter in the build process can be time-consuming and complex, especially as your application scales.
2. Scalability challenges
As the number of users and chat traffic increases, WebSockets can become resource-intensive on your server. This is because each WebSocket connection requires the server to maintain an open connection, leading to potential performance bottlenecks.
3. Costly infrastructure maintenance
Maintaining a WebSocket-based infrastructure requires a team with expertise in server management, network protocols, and security. This can be expensive, especially for startups or teams with limited resources.
Continuous monitoring and scaling your server infrastructure to handle growing user bases and traffic, also, becomes a time-consuming and resource-intensive burden.
CometChat: A better alternative to WebSockets and Socket.io
Instead of building everything yourself, consider using dedicated chat SDKs and APIs like CometChat. They offer a pre-built solution with a higher level of abstraction, significantly reducing development time and complexity.
Simplified integration: CometChat provides well-documented SDKs, APIs, UI kits and other tools for easy integration into your existing application framework.
Out-of-the-box features: You get access to a plethora of features like user authentication, presence management, message delivery guarantees, and more. This saves you from having to build these functionalities from scratch.
Scalability and reliability: Chat SDKs are built to handle high volumes of messages and users efficiently. Their infrastructure is designed to scale with your application's growth.
Security: Built-in security features like ensure secure communication within your chat application.
Reduced development time: By leveraging pre-built features and streamlined integration, you can significantly accelerate the development process for your chat functionality.
Focus on core functionality: Free yourself from the complexities of low-level communication protocols and focus on building the core features and user experience of your chat application.
Direct comparison of Socket.io, WebSockets and CometChat
| Features | Socket.io / WebSockets | CometChat |
|---|---|---|
Development effort
| Higher development effort needed to build a full-fledged chat app from scratch. Requires implementing server, client, real-time logic, etc.
| Minimal effort to integrate chat features with SDKs and UI kits.
|
Core chat features
| No built-in features
| Out-of-the box support for one-on-one chat, groups, typing indicators, read receipts, online presence, etc. Easier integration with UI kits.
|
Moderation
| No built-in moderation features. Developers need to build it separately.
| Offers both basic and advanced moderation features like profanity filter, message history, block/ban users, etc. Uses AI for moderation
|
Notifications
| No built-in notification system. Developers need to build it separately.
| Supports push, sms and email notifications.
|
Analytics and insights
| No built-in analytics. Developers need to implement tracking and analytics separately.
| AI powered analytics to track chat usage and insights.
|
Pricing
| Open source, no direct costs. Hosting and infrastructure costs.
| Free build plan for up to 25 MAUs. Paid plans start at $119/month.
Voice calling is charged at $0.001 /user minute
Video calling is charged at $0.003 /user minute.
|
AI features
| No native AI capabilities. Developers need to build it separately.
| AI-powered features like sentiment analysis, intent detection, smart replies, etc.
|
Aarathy Sundaresan
Content Marketer , CometChat