Telegram review

Telegram is the strongest option for communities that care about reach. Groups hold up to 200,000 members and channels can broadcast to an unlimited number of subscribers, and Telegram itself cites uses from families to large ICO communities. Voice chats let members drop in and out of a live room inside a group, and calls can grow to 200 participants. Admin tools are detailed: you can grant specific rights to each admin, put members in read-only mode, review recent admin actions and run moderation bots through the Bot API. Public groups get short t.me links and readable history, which helps discovery. Telegram does not copy Discord's model of one server with many channels, so a large community usually ends up as a set of linked groups and a channel. The app is free, and Telegram Premium adds doubled limits, 4 GB uploads and no ads, but the price depends on country and platform, so our USD check is pending.

Who it is for

Large public communities and announcement-driven groups that want members to join from an app they already have.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending); the app is free and Telegram Premium is optional.

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Groups of up to 200,000 members
• Channels with an unlimited number of subscribers
• Voice chats in groups that members can join any time
• Group calls for up to 200 participants with end-to-end encryption
• Admin roles, partial bans and moderation through the Bot API

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Most members can join without installing anything new
• Strength: Scales from a small group to 200,000 members
• Strength: Detailed admin rights and a mature bot platform
• Weakness: No server and channel tree like Discord; each group is its own chat
• Weakness: Admin work grows as a community spreads across several groups
• Weakness: Premium price varies by country and we could not confirm a USD price

Key facts

• Group size: Up to 200,000 members
• Channel size: Unlimited subscribers
• Group calls: Up to 200 participants
• Premium uploads: 4 GB files
• Price: Free app; Premium optional

Where it ranks

Telegram is No. 2 in our Best Discord Alternatives verdict.