Comparative overview of Arattai vs WhatsApp — their strengths, weaknesses, and where one may be preferable over the other

What is Arattai?

• Arattai is an Indian messaging app developed by Zoho Corporation. (Wikipedia)

• It aims to be a “Made in India”, privacy-focused alternative to WhatsApp. (The Times of India)

• Supports texting, voice notes, audio & video calls, media sharing (photos, documents), stories, groups, and channels. (Zoho)

• Cross-platform: available on Android, iOS, desktop, perhaps even TV apps. (Zoho)

• It has recently seen a surge in usage in India (100× growth in traffic, daily signups spiking) as users search for local alternatives. (The Times of India)

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WhatsApp — Overview (baseline)

• WhatsApp is a globally dominant messaging app owned by Meta.

• It offers end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default for messages and calls.

• Rich ecosystem: business accounts, payments integration (in many countries), wide user base (so many of your contacts are likely already on it).

• Mature and feature-rich (stickers, statuses, ephemeral messages, group controls, etc.).

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Feature & Capability Comparison

Feature / Aspect	Arattai	WhatsApp	Notes / Observations
Encryption / Security	Arattai claims to value privacy and “secure” messaging. (Zoho) However, some reports say it does not yet have default end-to-end encryption for all text chats. (mint)	WhatsApp has default end-to-end encryption across messages and calls.	This is a key differentiator: users concerned about privacy currently lean toward WhatsApp’s maturity in encryption.
User Base / Network Effect	Currently growing, but still much smaller than WhatsApp.	Very large — many users already on it, making adoption friction low.	Even if Arattai is powerful, if your contacts don't switch, utility is limited.
Group Chats / Group Calls	Arattai supports large groups (e.g. up to 1,000 participants quoted) (Indiatimes) — also supports features like “Meetings” (video meeting-style) (mint). Some reports say group calls up to 50 people. (The Statesman)	WhatsApp supports group chats (with upper limits) and group calls (recently raising limits)	Depending on group size needs, Arattai may offer more flexibility in some contexts.
Extra Features / Unique Features	- “Meetings” feature (more like videoconference) (mint) - Ability to use without sharing your phone number (via username?) is claimed in some media. (India TV) - Channels / broadcast-style features for reaching audiences. (Zoho) - “Pocket” & “Mentions” features are also cited. (mint)	- WhatsApp has payments (in regions where supported) - Business APIs - Status (Stories) - Disappearing messages, message reactions, etc.	Some features present in WhatsApp are still missing in Arattai (e.g. polls, payments, event invites) as per some reviews. (India TV News)
Localization / Indian Focus	Strong focus on Indian users: support for local languages, lightweight design for low-end phones or weaker networks, “Made in India” angle. (The Times of India)	WhatsApp is global, but has localization support in many languages including Indian ones.	For Indian users especially in less well-connected areas, Arattai’s local optimization might be advantageous.
Performance & Reliability	Because the recent surge is dramatic, there are challenges of scaling, server load, sync delays, etc. (Entrepreneur)	Very mature infrastructure; mostly stable, though periodic outages occur.	Arattai is newer, so more risk of growing pains.
Missing / Weak Areas in Arattai	As per reviewers: lacks polls, payments, events, disappearing messages, advanced chat security options (chat lock, disabling export) (India TV News) Some privacy critics raise concern over non-uniform encryption. (mint)	These features are already better matured or widely used.	Arattai is catching up but not yet feature-parity in many respects.

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Strengths & Weaknesses

Arattai — Strengths:

1. Homegrown / “Digital sovereignty” appeal in India: many users want to reduce dependence on foreign apps.

2. Localized performance — optimized for local networks, Indian languages, etc.

3. Growing innovation — some features (Meetings, large group support, channels) might expand its use cases beyond mere chat.

4. Potential for privacy by design — if encryption and security are fully implemented, it could give users more trust in data handling.

Arattai — Weaknesses / Risks:

1. Incomplete encryption or privacy guarantees (until fully matured) — for privacy-sensitive users, this is a dealbreaker.

2. Smaller user base / network effect — switching cost is high if your contacts remain on WhatsApp.

3. Maturing infrastructure — scaling issues, reliability, bugs more likely in early-stage apps.

4. Missing specialized features — e.g. payments, business integrations, advanced settings, feature maturity.

WhatsApp — Strengths:

• Mature, stable, globally used.

• Strong encryption and trust (for many users).

• Wide ecosystem: many contacts already on it, business tools, etc.

• Rich feature set, many customizations, wide support.

WhatsApp — Weaknesses / Concerns:

• Some users raise privacy concerns around metadata, data practices, or integration with Facebook / Meta.

• In regions with poor connectivity or lower-end devices, performance and data usage can be heavy.

• In some countries, certain features (payments, group limits) may be restricted.

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Which One to Prefer / Use Cases

• If most of your contacts already use WhatsApp, sticking with it is pragmatic for convenience.

• If you highly value privacy and want a homegrown alternative, Arattai is worth exploring, especially as it matures.

• For group or community usage (large groups, broadcasting, meetings), Arattai might offer more flexibility (if it scales well).

• If you need payments, business tools, etc., WhatsApp likely has the edge currently.

• As Arattai evolves, it can become more compelling — but at present it is more of an “emerging competitor” rather than a full replacement for everyone.