Real-Time Web Group Chat

I need a lightweight, fast-loading messaging application focused on internal business communication, accessible entirely through a web browser. The single must-have feature is real-time group chat: multiple colleagues should be able to join a shared room and see new messages appear instantly without refreshing the page.

A clean, responsive interface and a straightforward deployment process are important to me. You’re welcome to choose the stack—React, Vue, Angular, or vanilla JS on the front end; Node.js, Python, Go, or similar on the back end—so long as you achieve sub-second message delivery (WebSockets, Socket.io, or an equivalent real-time layer is acceptable).

Deliverables
• Live demo link or staging server where I can test the app
• Complete source code in a Git repository, including a README with setup and deployment steps
• Short walkthrough (video or text) demonstrating the group chat in action

Acceptance Criteria
• Users join a room, send a message, and every participant sees it in under one second
• Chat history persists on reload
• UI works smoothly on desktop and mobile browsers

If you have questions about specific tech choices or hosting, let me know so we can move quickly.