Zoho Arattai vs WhatsApp: Can India's Homegrown Messenger Challenge the Global Giant?

As of October 2025, Arattai has surged in popularity, reportedly topping app charts in India and attracting users seeking local innovation over foreign dominance. This news article explores the key features, specifications, and differences between Zoho Arattai and WhatsApp, helping you decide which app suits your needs in this SEO-optimized comparison.

Arattai was born from Zoho's decade-long expertise in enterprise communication tools, emphasizing simplicity, security, and Indian roots. It's free, cross-platform, and optimized for low-bandwidth networks, making it ideal for rural India where connectivity can be spotty. Unlike WhatsApp, owned by US-based Meta, Arattai's data is stored in Indian data centers, aligning with national data sovereignty pushes. This "Made in India" tag isn't just marketing—it's a commitment to privacy without third-party data sharing, no ads, and no AI integrations that could compromise user experience.

Let's dive into the specifications. Arattai supports end-to-end encryption for both messages and calls, ensuring secure communication. It allows group chats with up to 1,000 members, surpassing WhatsApp's 1,024 limit for standard groups (though WhatsApp's Communities can scale larger). File sharing on Arattai caps at 1GB per file, including images, videos, documents, and media, optimized for slower networks to reduce data usage. WhatsApp, in contrast, permits up to 2GB file transfers, with seamless compression for photos and videos.

Feature-wise, Arattai shines with unique tools like "Pocket," a private, encrypted space for saving notes, reminders, images, and videos—similar to WhatsApp's self-chat but more organized. It includes "Meetings" for scheduling video calls akin to Zoom, supporting instant joins and history tracking. Arattai's interface features four tabs: Stories (for temporary updates), Meetings, Chats, and Calls. Users can broadcast via Channels for one-way communication, perfect for creators or businesses. Multi-device support extends to five devices (smartphones, tablets, desktops), with seamless syncing of messages, contacts, and settings. Other perks include custom animated stickers, reactions, mentions (to track references like in Slack), and easy WhatsApp chat imports for smooth migration.

 WhatsApp, the global leader with over 2 billion users, counters with robust features like Communities for large-scale organization, Updates (combining Status and Channels), and integrated payments via WhatsApp Pay in India. It offers end-to-end encryption across messages, calls, and backups (if enabled). Group video calls support up to eight participants, while Arattai's Meetings can handle more in conference mode. WhatsApp's voice transcription, AI-powered image editing, and business API tools give it an edge for professionals. However, privacy scandals, like Meta's data-sharing practices, have driven some users to Arattai.

Performance-wise, Arattai runs smoothly on low-end phones, consuming less data— a boon for India's diverse user base. WhatsApp, while efficient, can be resource-heavy on older devices. Both apps are available on Android, iOS, and web/desktop, but Arattai's no-AI, ad-free approach appeals to minimalists.

In conclusion, while WhatsApp dominates with its ecosystem and global reach, Zoho Arattai offers a compelling "Made in India" option for privacy-focused Indians. With features tailored to local needs, it could reshape the messaging landscape. If you're prioritizing sovereignty and simplicity, give Arattai a try—download it from arattai.in or app stores today.