Telegram
Telegram is a messaging app with channels, massive groups, and an open bot API: for companies, it's a channel for community and automation.
Telegram is a cloud-based messenger with around one billion users, offering value to businesses through three key features: channels for reach, groups for communities, and an open Bot API for automation.
Companies use channels to send product news or offers to subscribers, completely free of algorithms; groups can accommodate up to 200,000 members. Bots handle support flows, orders, or mini-apps directly within the chat, without the approval process and fees associated with the WhatsApp API. Media brands and shops have long been using channels for daily updates to their subscribers.
WhatsApp has significantly wider adoption across all age groups in Germany; Telegram, on the other hand, tends to reach tech- and crypto-savvy target audiences. Additionally, there's a reputation and compliance issue: moderation and data protection are lax, and the servers are located outside the EU, making it unsuitable for sensitive customer data.
It's suitable for building communities, newsletter-style channels, and budget-free bot experiments. However, as a primary service channel for a broad customer base, WhatsApp is almost indispensable.
Functions
- Open, free Bot API with no approval process like WhatsApp
- Mini Apps: entire web applications run directly in the messenger
- Reach statistics for channel operators
- Topic groups and reply threads for community structure
- Monetization via Telegram Stars and ad revenue shares
Core Functions
- Channels with unlimited subscribers for broadcast messages
- Groups with up to 200,000 members, including moderation tools
- Bot API for support flows, payments, and in-chat mini-apps
- Cloud sync across all devices; desktop client works without smartphone pairing
- File transfers up to 2 GB per file, up to 4 GB with Premium
Links
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