Telegram
3 comparisons available
About Telegram
Telegram is a cloud-based messaging application founded by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai Durov in 2013 and headquartered in Dubai. Telegram has approximately 900 million monthly active users globally and is especially popular in Russia, Iran, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. Telegram differentiates itself through scale and features: groups of up to 200,000 members, channels (one-to-many broadcast to unlimited subscribers), bots, file sharing up to 4 GB, and a rich API for developers. Telegram offers free messaging, voice/video calls, and Stories. Telegram Premium ($4.99/month) adds larger uploads, exclusive stickers, and faster downloads. Telegram launched paid channels and monetization for creators in 2024. Privacy-wise, Telegram is not end-to-end encrypted by default — only its 'Secret Chats' are E2E encrypted; regular chats are encrypted server-to-client and stored on Telegram's servers. Pavel Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 related to content moderation issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Telegram safe?
Telegram is not as private as Signal or even WhatsApp. Regular chats are stored on Telegram's servers (encrypted, but Telegram can theoretically access them). Only 'Secret Chats' are end-to-end encrypted. Telegram has faced criticism for enabling extremist content and criminal activity on its platform, and founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France in 2024. For secure communications: use Signal. Telegram is better thought of as a feature-rich social messaging platform than a privacy tool.
Telegram vs WhatsApp: what's the difference?
WhatsApp: E2E encrypted by default, simpler, better for private 1:1 and small group conversations, 2B users. Telegram: not E2E encrypted by default, massive groups/channels, advanced features (bots, 4GB files), popular for communities and broadcasts. If privacy matters: WhatsApp is better. If you want feature-rich communities, channels, or large groups: Telegram wins. Both are free; Telegram has a premium tier for power users.