Sendbird
Add chat, voice, and video to your app with Sendbird's APIs and SDKs—used by 300M+ users globally.
Free·Free tier · from $399/mo
About TalkJS
TalkJS provides a fully functional chat interface that you can embed in minutes—no backend build required. It handles WebSocket connections, message storage, push notifications, and moderation out of the box. You customize the look with CSS or pre-made themes, and control who can message whom via role-based access.
What problem does it solve?
Building in-app messaging from scratch is time-consuming and complex. TalkJS removes the overhead of WebSocket infrastructure, database design, and notification systems, letting you add private 1-on-1, group, or public chat with a single script tag.
Who is it for?
- Marketplaces needing buyer-seller messaging
- Freelance platforms connecting clients and providers
- Any SaaS adding user-to-user chat without dev overhead
- Product teams that want to integrate AI chatbots (private beta for Tori AI support)
Real use cases
- Enabling order-related conversations between buyers and sellers
- Running team or community group chats with moderation and spam control
- Adding AI agent support to handle common customer questions in real time
Key features
- Pre-built UI components — conversation list, message input, typing indicators, file uploads, voice messages, replies, threads
- Real-time messaging — WebSocket-based, syncs across devices and browsers
- Push notifications — email and browser push for offline users, plus reply-via-email
- Role-based access — control who can message whom (e.g., only buyers and sellers)
- Moderation & spam control — flag harmful messages, ban users, filter profanity
- Searchable message history — stored securely, searchable instantly, with full data export and retention controls
- Mentions, reactions & link previews — @mentions, emoji reactions, automatic link previews like modern chat apps
TalkJS Pricing
TalkJS pricing: from $279/mo. Billing model: Freemium.
Basic — $279/month
Includes 10,000 Monthly Active Users (MAU), group chats, 1 webhook, customizable UI, chatbot interface, email/SMS/push notifications, file transfers, voice messaging, unlimited conversations and messages, and unlimited message retention. Each additional MAU: $0.04. Free forever development mode included.
Growth — $569/month
Includes 25,000 MAU, 3 webhooks, priority chat & email support, custom email sender domain, in-conversation message search, real-time message translation, analytics/conversation monitoring, and mask contact information. Each additional MAU: $0.03.
Enterprise — Custom pricing
For large-scale or custom deployments. Includes SLA with uptime guarantees, guaranteed performance under high loads, guaranteed at-rest encryption, priority roadmap access, designated Solutions Engineer, on-premise/private cloud option, and dedicated server add-on. Contact sales for a quote.
All plans include a forever free development mode with full features for testing and building before going live.
Frequently asked questions
Is TalkJS free to use?
Yes. All plans include a forever free development mode where you can build and test with full features. To use in production, choose a paid plan starting at $279/month.
How much does TalkJS cost?
TalkJS pricing starts at $279/month for the Basic plan (10,000 MAU) and $569/month for the Growth plan (25,000 MAU). Enterprise pricing is custom. Development mode is always free.
Who is TalkJS best for?
TalkJS is best for marketplaces, freelance platforms, and any SaaS that needs user-to-user chat without building backend infrastructure. It is less suited for simple chatbot-only use cases or one-way notification systems.
Does TalkJS offer group chat?
Yes. TalkJS supports private 1-on-1 conversations, group chats, and large public channels, all with the same flexible API.
What is a Monthly Active User (MAU)?
A Monthly Active User (MAU) is a unique user ID that has one or more sessions in a given month. Each session connects to TalkJS servers via the SDKs or REST API. The number of sessions does not affect the count—one session or a million, it's still one MAU.
What are key alternatives to TalkJS?
Popular alternatives to TalkJS include Sendbird, Stream Chat, PubNub, and Firebase Realtime Database with custom UI. TalkJS differs by offering a drop-in UI that requires almost no frontend development.
