Appwrite has started init with a major announcement: Messaging. This innovative messaging service facilitates interaction with users across numerous platforms, fulfilling a highly awaited demand among Appwrite developers. Originally conceived as a competitor to Firebase, the introduction of Messaging, in my view, positions Appwrite on par with Firebase’s capabilities.
If you’re reading this article and are wondering “What is init?” I’d highly suggest you to checkout my previous article detailing exactly what to expect from Appwrite’s init.
Overview
Appwrite’s messages feature delivers messages in real-time and can be utilized to serve multiple purposes such as such as alerts, promotions, reminders.
Messaging encompasses three communication mediums—email, SMS, and push notifications—through a single unified API within your Appwrite project. This integration facilitates seamless connection with numerous third-party providers to ensure the delivery of your messages.
Messages can either be sent programmatically or through Appwrite’s console. I haven’t read it (I might’ve missed it), but I would like to see messages be able to be triggered by different actions (just like functions). Though, I’m assuming you could implement this yourself using functions.
Providers
Appwrite allows integration with a number of different providers depending on the medium. The currently announced 3rd parties are as follows:
- Email: Mailgun, Sendgrid (yay!) and SMTP (Using your own mail server)
- SMS: Twilio, MSG91, Telesign and TextMagic
- Push Notifcations: APNS (Push notifications to Apple devices) and FCM (Firebase notifications to Android and Apple Devices)
If you’re unable to locate a provider you’re currently using, rest assured that Appwrite consistently listens to user feedback and frequently adds new integrations to their services in subsequent updates. Alternatively, consider contributing or suggesting an idea on their GitHub page.
Get Started
Unfortunately you’ll need to wait to get your hands on the messaging feature. It’s stated to be released sometime in march. However, if you’re eager, you can checkout Dennis Ivy’s product Tour (see below) to get yourself better prepared for the release.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as always, I’m certainly impressed with how Appwrite has kicked of init and it has just got me further excited to see what else is to come (2FA @eldadfux ;) ?) The hype and support surrounding Appwrite these last few days has been amazing!
I’d certainly love to hear what you’ve got in mind on how you’re going to implement messages into your projects. Personally, this announcement means I can finally get rid of a fair amount of Firebase code to replace push notifications and do this through Appwrite instead. Let me know over on Twitter/X or in the comments below.
As always, stay tuned as I will be releasing articles all week covering Appwrite’s announcements.
