Free
Starting price
Core messaging costs nothing
Report
Should I Use Telegram?
Fast. Secure. Powerful.
Depends
DependsUse Telegram if you want a free, feature-rich consumer messenger for large groups, channels, and bots.
Feature-rich and free, but regular chats aren't end-to-end encrypted — fine for communities, not for sensitive work.
Confidence: Medium
Yes
Free tier
Premium is an optional add-on
Paid subscription
Premium
Price varies by platform and region
$1B bond sales
Funding
Raised March 2021 (Reuters)
Value for money
5
Core is free; Premium optional
Ease of use
4
Consumer-grade, mass-market apps
Feature depth
5
Channels, bots, API, business tier
Security posture
2
No default E2E; repeated CVEs
Pros
- Core messaging is completely free³
- Deep feature set: channels, bots, API, integrations
- Cloud-based, syncs across all your devices
- Secret Chats offer optional end-to-end encryption
- Two-factor authentication supported
Cons
Gotchas
- highCloud chats aren't end-to-end encrypted; only Secret Chats are⁴
- highAccount hijacking via phishing is common; enable two-step verification
- mediumPremium pricing varies by platform and region; app-store billing differs
- lowSelf-hosting bot integrations runs roughly $5–50/month
Best for
- Large groups and broadcast channels
- Bot and automation builders
- Cross-device cloud messaging
- Communities, not workplaces
Not for
- Anyone needing end-to-end encryption by default
- Regulated industries with compliance obligations
- Teams wanting Slack-style work collaboration
- Users expecting a minimal Signal-like secure messenger
Pricing
Free
$0
- Full messaging
- Groups and channels
- Bots and API
Premium
Varies by platform/region
- Optional subscription
- Extra limits and perks
Business
Varies
- Business features
- Separate terms of service
Security
Mixed: strong feature set and 2FA, but no default end-to-end encryption and multiple reported vulnerabilities.
- No default end-to-end encryptionRegular cloud chats are not end-to-end encrypted; only optional Secret Chats are.⁴
- Critical sticker vulnerability (9.8 severity)Reported flaw described as a single sticker being enough to hack a user.
- Telegram Desktop Windows zero-dayA zero-day vulnerability in Telegram Desktop for Windows was reported.
- Combolist credential dataMay 2024: roughly 2B rows of credential combolists posted, per Have I Been Pwned.⁶
What users say
Reddit users praise Telegram's speed and features but actively debate its privacy model and whether it's still worth using.
Alternatives
Compare Telegram with each alternative.
Signal
Default end-to-end encryption for privacy-first messaging
Telegram vs SignalWhere most contacts already are; E2E by default
Telegram vs WhatsAppDiscord
Better for persistent communities and voice chat
Slack
Purpose-built for workplace team communication instead
Telegram vs SlackFull analysis
Based on 20+ public sources: Reddit threads, security vendors (McAfee, ESET, Kaspersky), review sites, and Telegram's official pages. No aggregate app-store rating figures found in snippets.
Sources
- Telegram FAQtelegram.orgofficial
- Telegram Premium FAQtelegram.orgofficial
- Telegram Review 2026: Pros, Cons, and Test Resultscyberinsider.comreview
- Is Telegram Safe from Hackers?mcafee.comsecurity
- List of security issues associated with Telegramen.wikipedia.orgsecurity
- Telegram Combolists Breachhaveibeenpwned.comsecurity
- Top 10 Telegram scams to watch out forkaspersky.comsecurity
news
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