Sendbird’s APIs and SDKs provide two basic types of channels: open channel and group channel. Each type of channel is designed to support a wide variety of use cases that your business requires. This article will explain the differences and characteristics of the two types, along with their use cases and limitations.
Open Channel
An open channel is a chat room that is open to anyone within the application. It is ideal for short-lived live events, such as concerts and live streams, and news-feed type messaging to a huge audience, such as Twitter-style feed. It is also suitable for events that don’t require a permanent membership. Open channels can have millions of participants, and anyone within the application can access them. Ephemeral messaging, online presence, and operators are supported in open channels. However, the last message, delivery receipts, read receipts, and mention counts are not supported.
Group Channel
A group channel is a chat room that is private and can be accessed by invited users only if private or anyone if public. It is ideal for private 1-on-1 conversations, such as clinical consultations and Instagram-style Direct Messages, public 1-to-N conversations, such as small group discussions among students, and invitation-only chats with a handful of users. Group channels can have up to 100 members, and ephemeral messaging, online presence, last message, delivery receipts, read receipts, mention counts, and operators are supported. However, typing indicators are limited to up to three concurrent indicators, and smart throttling is not supported.
Comparison of Open Channel and Group Channel
The following table compares the differences between open channels and group channels:
| Feature | Open Channel | Group Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum number of participants | Up to millions | 100 |
| Accessible by | Anyone within the application | Invited users only if private or anyone if public |
| Ephemeral messaging | Supported | Supported |
| Online presence | Supported | Supported |
| Last message | Not supported | Supported |
| Operators | Supported | Supported |
| Ban users | Supported | Supported |
| Mute users | Supported | Supported |
| Freeze channels | Supported | Supported |
| Delivery receipts | Not supported | Supported |
| Read receipts | Not supported | Supported |
| Unread counts | Not supported | Supported (up to 100) |
| Typing indicators | Not supported | Supported (up to 3 concurrent indicators) |
| Mention others in message | Supported | Supported |
| Mention counts | Not supported | Supported |
| Reactions | Not supported | Supported |
| Spam flood protection | Supported | Supported |
| Chatbot interface | Supported | Supported |
| Smart throttling | Supported (Default: true) | Not supported |
| Push notifications | Only for announcements | For every message sent |
| Get a channel with its participant list or member list | Not supported | Supported (only ten members are retrieved as a preview) |
| Pagination for participant list or member list | Supported | Supported |
| Order of channel list | Chronological | Chronological - Latest last message - Channel name - Metadata value |
More detailed information can be found here: https://sendbird.com/docs/chat/v3/platform-api/channel/channel-overview#1-overview
Use cases for Open Channel
1.Public chat rooms for communities, forums, or interest-based groups.
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Broadcast-style messaging for announcements or news updates.
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Live events or Q&A sessions where participants can ask questions.
Use cases for Group Channel
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Private one-on-one conversations or small group chats.
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Collaboration and teamwork among project members.
3.Customer support or customer engagement where privacy is essential.
- In-app messaging for social or dating applications.
Summary
Open channels and group channels have different use cases and limitations. Open channels are suitable for short-lived live events and news-feed type messaging to a huge audience, while group channels are ideal for private and public conversations among a limited number of users. It is important to consider the duration of the chat and the number of users participating in it when choosing which channel type to use. By adjusting the maximum number of a channel depending on use cases, businesses can ensure that they are using the appropriate channel type for their needs.
