Best approach for building a scalable one-on-one chat app?

I’m planning to create a messaging app that pairs users randomly for one-on-one chats. It needs to work on both iOS and Android, though I might start with iOS first. The app should handle at least 100 users smoothly but be ready for future growth.

I’ve been looking into XMPP and Node.js for the backend. I know Tinder uses Node.js, which is interesting. For user data, I’m thinking about MySQL and PHP. I also considered making it a web app with HTML5 and putting it in a webview for iOS.

What’s the smartest way to build this? I want it to be efficient and easy to scale up later. Any tips on the tech stack or architecture would be really helpful.

Key points:

  • Random pairing for chats
  • Scalable design
  • Cross-platform potential
  • No group chats or contact lists needed

yo, i built smthin similar. go with firebase for backend - it handles real-time stuff like a boss. use react native for cross-platform dev, saves time big time. for scalability, look into cloud functions. they auto-scale as ur userbase grows. good luck with ur project man!

hey there! have u thought about usin socket.io? it’s awsum for real-time chat. and maybe try MongoDB? it’s super flexible for user data. what about goin serverless with AWS Lambda? it’d make scaling a breeze! any thoughts on how you’ll match users randomly? sounds like a fun project!

Having built a similar chat application, I can share some insights from my experience. For scalability and cross-platform compatibility, I’d recommend using WebSockets with a Node.js backend. This combination provides real-time communication and excellent performance.

For the database, consider using MongoDB instead of MySQL. Its document-based structure is well-suited for chat applications and scales horizontally with ease. Redis can be implemented for caching and improving response times.

To handle user pairing efficiently, you could use a queue system like RabbitMQ. This would manage the random pairing process smoothly, even with a large user base.

For the frontend, React Native is an excellent choice. It allows you to develop for both iOS and Android simultaneously, saving time and resources. This approach also maintains a native feel on both platforms.

Lastly, consider implementing a microservices architecture. It will make your app more modular and easier to scale specific components as needed. This structure will serve you well as your user base grows.