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Telegram Review

Depends

Should I use Telegram?

Fast. Secure. Powerful. - telegram.org

· 1 month ago

Use Telegram if you want a free, feature-rich consumer messenger for large groups, channels, and bots. Skip it if you need end-to-end encryption by default or a secure workplace communication tool.

Confidence

Medium. 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.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
PremiumVaries by platform/region
BusinessVaries

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

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Cloud chats aren't end-to-end encrypted; only Secret Chats are

high

Account hijacking via phishing is common; enable two-step verification

medium

Premium pricing varies by platform and region; app-store billing differs

low

Self-hosting bot integrations runs roughly $5–50/month

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Core messaging is completely free
  • 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

  • Not end-to-end encrypted by default
  • Critical 9.8-severity sticker vulnerability reported
  • Zero-day flaw reported in Telegram Desktop for Windows
  • Scams are widespread on the platform
  • Privacy communities openly question its trustworthiness

Sources & method

- 8 sources - Mixed: strong feature set and 2FA, but no default end-to-end encryption and multiple reported vulnerabilities.

official x2review x1security x4news x1
  • No default end-to-end encryption, Regular cloud chats are not end-to-end encrypted; only optional Secret Chats are.
  • Critical sticker vulnerability (9.8 severity), Reported flaw described as a single sticker being enough to hack a user.
  • Telegram Desktop Windows zero-day, A zero-day vulnerability in Telegram Desktop for Windows was reported.
  • Combolist credential data, May 2024: roughly 2B rows of credential combolists posted, per Have I Been Pwned.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Core is free; Premium optional
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Consumer-grade, mass-market apps
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Channels, bots, API, business tier
  • Support quality. No support evidence found
  • Security posture: 2/5. No default E2E; repeated CVEs
  • Free Starting price Core messaging costs nothing
  • 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)

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.

Full 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.

Feature-rich and free, but regular chats aren't end-to-end encrypted — fine for communities, not for sensitive work.

Methodology

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.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Telegram FAQtelegram.org
    official
  2. Telegram Premium FAQtelegram.org
    official
  3. Telegram Review 2026: Pros, Cons, and Test Resultscyberinsider.com
    review
  4. Is Telegram Safe from Hackers?mcafee.com
    security
  5. List of security issues associated with Telegramen.wikipedia.org
    security
  6. Telegram Combolists Breachhaveibeenpwned.com
    security
  7. Top 10 Telegram scams to watch out forkaspersky.com
    security
  8. Telegram raises $1 billion through bond salesreuters.com
    news

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