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Even though WhatsApp has been around longer, Telegram has quickly built a loyal and growing user base. Today, both apps serve billions of users, but businesses need to look beyond popularity. Which one is better suited for building relationships, driving engagement, and supporting long-term growth?
In this article, we’ll compare WhatsApp and Telegram not just as chat apps, but as business tools, and what their differences mean for companies choosing where to invest time and resources.
- The Current State of WhatsApp and Telegram
- Features Face-off: Telegram vs. WhatsApp
- Privacy & Security Comparison
- Business Tools Overview
- Marketing & Advertising
- User Sentiment & Adoption Trends
- Telegram vs. WhatsApp: Comparison Table
- The Future Outlook
- Wrapping Up
The Current State of WhatsApp and Telegram
Before diving into functionalities and business tools, it’s important to understand where the apps stand today.
WhatsApp is the world’s most widely used messaging platform. Currently, it has over 3 billion people using it every month.
WhatsApp MAU Worldwide
India leads the world in WhatsApp usage with 853.8 million monthly active users. Below is a table showing the top ten countries where the app holds the strongest presence:
WhatsApp audience by country
Telegram
Telegram now has over 1 billion monthly active users, and half of them — 450 million — use the messenger daily.
Telegram MAU Growth
This growth has positioned Telegram as the third most widely used chat app in the world. Although the platform has a global presence, it’s especially popular across Asia, Latin America, and the MENA region.
Telegram app downloads worldwide (in millions)
Even though WhatsApp is still the world’s top app for communication and video calling, Telegram’s rapid rise past 1 billion users makes it a platform businesses can’t ignore.
Features Face-off: Telegram vs. WhatsApp
If you’re considering where to build a stronger presence, it helps to look closely at the feature set. Here’s how the two platforms compare in terms of channels and groups, file sharing, and voice & video calls.
Channels & Groups
WhatsApp groups support up to 1,024 members and are used for addressing client queries, coordinating with teams, running promotions, and streamlining operations. Communities feature allows admins to bring together up to 50 sub-groups under one umbrella, creating networks of up to 51,200 members. This structure is useful for organizations that want to manage multiple chat conversations in a single space.
A WhatsApp community
In 2023, WhatsApp rolled out Channels for one-way updates. Businesses can broadcast messages to an unlimited number of people. It works a lot like Telegram’s channels and is an effective way to share company news, product launches, or promotions.
Telegram
Groups on Telegram can scale up to 200,000 members, which is far beyond what WhatsApp allows. This makes it a strong tool for building large communities, whether it’s a global fan base, a professional network, or an open discussion space for customers. Groups also come with advanced admin tools, polls, and moderation features that help keep even huge chat conversations manageable.
Telegram channels can have an unlimited number of subscribers, and only admins can post. Many global brands and media outlets already use Telegram channels as an alternative to email newsletters or social feeds, since posts can reach millions instantly and stay visible longer.
Blum’s Telegram Channel
File Sharing
WhatsApp stores media locally on devices, which can quickly exhaust user storage.
Telegram
Telegram, on the other hand, is fully cloud-based, with unlimited storage and a single-file upload limit of 2 GB for all accounts and up to 4 GB for Premium subscribers.
Voice & Video Calls
WhatsApp supports one-on-one and group voice and video calls, with capacity for up to 32 participants. This makes it a practical and reliable option for businesses that need to conduct team check-ins or client meetings directly within their chat ecosystem.
Telegram
Telegram allows private and group voice and video calls with up to 200 participants, which is significantly higher than WhatsApp’s 32-participant limit. What sets the platform apart is the flexibility and scale of its live features. Businesses and communities can host interactive sessions, webinars, or virtual events directly within the chat app. This is especially useful for brands that want to engage large audiences in real time.
Privacy & Security Comparison
WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption by default on all personal messages, calls, media, and video, which means that only the sender and recipient can access the content. However, WhatsApp still collects metadata — such as IP addresses and phone numbers — and this has raised concerns, especially since this data is shared with Meta for advertising purposes.
Telegram
Telegram takes a different approach. By default, a regular chat is stored on Telegram’s servers and is not end-to-end encrypted, so it can be accessed seamlessly across devices.
For sensitive conversations, Telegram offers Secret Chats with end-to-end encryption, self-destructing messages, and forwarding protection. The platform also promotes its stance of not selling user data or using it for advertising, though it still collects some metadata to operate cloud services. That promise of not monetizing personal data resonates with many users who care about privacy and want more control over their information.
Business Tools Overview
WhatsApp provides a dedicated business app that makes it easy for companies to manage profiles and stay connected with their customers. More than 200 million people actively use WhatsApp Business monthly.
WhatsApp Business
With the app, you can add key details of your company to your profile, showcase products for a smoother shopping journey, and use automated replies so customers feel cared for even outside operating hours.
Another option is WhatsApp Business Platform, which is used by medium- to large-sized businesses to handle customer communication at scale. It supports high-volume messaging, streamlines automated workflows, and connects seamlessly with tools like CRM systems and marketing automation platforms.
Telegram
Telegram offers businesses a range of tools to build a presence, automate workflows, and create interactive experiences:
- Telegram Business — A dedicated toolset that allows companies to showcase their operating hours and location, set up quick replies, create greeting messages, and more to keep communication organized and efficient.
- Telegram bots — Brands can build customized bots to automate tasks like customer support, order processing, and lead generation. These tools extend the chat experience into full workflows.
- Telegram mini apps — Interactive, app-like experiences built directly inside Telegram. You can use them to handle everything from bookings and shopping to payments and personalized customer dashboards. This makes the customer journey smoother since interactions happen seamlessly within the platform where users are already active.
With these tools, Telegram isn’t just a chat app. It’s an ecosystem that encourages long-term engagement and opens up creative ways for companies to connect with their audiences.
Marketing & Advertising
Until recently, WhatsApp had no built-in advertising options. The only way to connect potential customers with businesses on the app was through click-to-message ads on Facebook and Instagram, which directed people to start a chat. That changed in 2025, when Meta introduced ads in the “Updates” tab (in Status and Channels). Targeting is limited to factors like basic account information, general location, language, channel interests, and activity on Meta’s other apps.
WhatsApp Ads
Telegram
On Telegram, businesses can promote their products and services in different ways:
- Telegram Ads. Sponsored messages that appear within the platform’s private or public channels, bots, and in Telegram Search results. This is a more cost-effective option compared to traditional social media advertising — the minimum CPM starts at 0.1 TON (~ €0.28).
- Telegram Mini App Ads. Banners, videos, and tasks that users engage with while playing games, trading cryptocurrencies, etc.
- Telegram influencer marketing. Collaboration with channel owners to publish posts that feel like part of the regular content stream. This format feels less like advertising and more like trusted recommendations, which is why it works so well: nearly 70% of people are more likely to act on suggestions from influencers, friends, or family than from brands themselves.
WhatsApp’s ad platform is still in its early stages, but Telegram’s advertising tools are already delivering value for businesses. One of the examples is Tonhub, where we helped drive visibility, increase trust, and foster more meaningful engagement within their community.
User Sentiment & Adoption Trends
Shifts in user sentiment have played a major role in Telegram’s rapid growth. Many people started looking to it as an alternative after WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update sparked global backlash over its data-sharing with Meta. This led to a record surge in sign-ups: Telegram added 25 million new users within just 72 hours following the backlash. Now, about 2.5 million people join the platform daily.
Another defining trend is the nature of Telegram’s audience. The platform attracts a highly engaged, tech-savvy user base — about 21% work in IT and internet-related industries, 12% in marketing and PR, and 4% in finance. These users are quick to adopt new technologies and actively participate in niche communities focused on crypto, SaaS, fintech, gaming, and other digital-first industries, which makes them a particularly valuable demographic for businesses.
Telegram vs. WhatsApp: Comparison Table
The table below compares the key criteria side by side:
The Future Outlook
In 2024, Telegram generated $1.4 billion in revenue, up from just $343 million the year before. The company is pouring resources into mini apps, payments, and AI services, and its recent $300 million partnership with Elon Musk’s xAI to integrate the Grok chatbot shows just how ambitious its vision is. Telegram is no longer positioning itself as a simple messenger; it aims to become a super-app where people can chat, shop, access services, and manage workflows in one place.
What makes Telegram’s audience different is their community-driven mindset. Instead of treating the app as just another messenger, they see it as a place to join interest-based communities and interact with brands directly. This is why more businesses are launching channels, bots, and mini apps on the platform. The result is a deeper, two-way relationship where people feel part of a community rather than just customers, and this translates into higher loyalty, stronger engagement, and more organic word-of-mouth growth.
WhatsApp, however, continues to hold the upper hand in reach. It remains the go-to messenger in most countries. Network effects drive this dominance — the fact that almost everyone already uses this app makes it difficult for competitors to replace.
To sum up, WhatsApp may still lead in overall scale, but Telegram’s steady growth and focus on new features show that it is becoming an increasingly important platform for both users and businesses.
Wrapping Up
Will Telegram Replace WhatsApp? Not just yet — WhatsApp’s reach is still unmatched. But Telegram is quickly becoming the go-to choice for communities and industries like crypto, SaaS, and fintech, where people value security, innovation, and authentic communication with the brands they trust.
