Updated April 3, 2023
Introduction to WhatsApp vs Telegram
Messaging apps have been growing like anything else. Ever since their arrival, messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Thread, Signal, and others have been going head-to-head. More recently, WhatsApp has modified its terms and conditions, which primarily cover user information. The update started a discussion over whether to pick WhatsApp or Telegram.
The updated terms of service of the Facebook-owned WhatsApp messaging app have made it compulsory for all users to agree to it or remove their accounts. WhatsApp collects user data including Device ID, Location, Phone Number, Email, Contacts, Advertising Data, Purchase History, Payment Info, etc. This does not give users any options if they choose to continue to use the service. Telegram only collects User ID Contact info, Phone number. If anyone wants to move to another platform such as Telegram, here is a comparison of those messaging apps.
Head to Head Comparison between WhatsApp vs Telegram (Infographics)
Below are the top 16 differences between WhatsApp vs Telegram:
Key Differences between WhatsApp and Telegram
- On WhatsApp users can create a group for Upto 256 participants where Group conversations on Telegram can have Up to 200 participants and users can create supergroups up to 100,000 participants.
- On WhatsApp, Users can share Files and media up to 16 MB whereas, On Telegram, Users can share Files and media up to 1.5GB.
- WhatsApp allows Users can update status for 24 Hours, on TelegramUsers can update status as a Bio
- WhatsApp provides End-to-End encryption for chats while on Telegram End-to-End encryption is provided On request for secret chats
- On WhatsApp, There is no Message editing feature however Users can delete Messages within 51 Minutes. Also “disappearing messages” feature is introduced recently. Telegram allows Users can edit messages within 48 hours and delete Messages within 48 hours.
- On WhatsApp, There is no in-app browser whereas Telegram has an in-app browser available.
- There is no Passcode feature provided by WhatsApp but users can use third-party software to set a password. Also, Fingerprint authentication is coming soon. Telegram allows Users can set a passcode for an app.
- On WhatsApp, There is no Channel service. Where On Telegram, Educational groups or businesses can create channels to share information. Users can join or leave these channels whenever they want.
- On WhatsApp, users can have Phone and video calls. On the other hand On Telegram, Users can only have phone calls
- On WhatsApp, Simultaneous access is not available. Users can access WhatsApp and Telegram from their PC. But Telegram has an advanced feature, multi-device support. Simultaneous access is provided so users can use it on 2 or more devices at the same time even if there is an internet connection on mobile. Also, Chats are stored on the cloud server hence chats are portable. On the contrary, on WhatsApp, Chats, or conversations Can’t be transmitted to other numbers or devices.
- On WhatsApp, Users can not set different usernames. Whereas Users can set different usernames on Telegram.
- Recently WhatsApp has introduced a payment feature named WhatsApp Pay which is based on the UPI payments platform. Where Telegram doesn’t have any payments feature.
Comparison Table of between WhatsApp and Telegram
| Telegram | ||
| On WhatsApp users can create a group for Upto 256 participants | Group conversations can have Up to 200 participants and users can create supergroups of up to 100,000 participants | |
| Users can share files and media up to 16 MB | Users can share files and media up to 1.5GB | |
| Chatbot feature is announced in 2018, however, it is efficient than Telegram or Facebook Messenger. | Chatbot feature is reliable and user-friendly. | |
| Users can use Stickers with third-party applications | Users can use inbuilt Stickers | |
| Users can update status for 24 Hours | Users can update status as a Bio | |
| End-to-End encryption is provided for chats | End-to-End encryption is provided On request for secret chats | |
| There is no Message editing feature | Users can edit messages within 48 hours | |
| Users can delete Messages within 51 Minutes. | Users can delete Messages within 48 hours | |
| There is no in-app browser. | There is an in-app browser available. | |
| There is no Passcode feature provided by WhatsApp but users can use third-party software to set a password. Also, Fingerprint authentication is coming soon. | Users can set a passcode for the app. | |
| There is no Channel service. | Educational groups or businesses can create channels to share information. Users can join or leave these channels whenever they want. | |
| On WhatsApp, users can have Phone and video calls | Users can only have phone calls | |
| Simultaneous access is not available. | Simultaneous access is provided so users can use Telegram on 2 or more devices at the same time. | |
| Chats or conversations Can’t be transmitted to other numbers or devices. | Chats are stored on the cloud server hence chats are portable. | |
| Users can not set different usernames. | Users can set a different username | |
| It has a Payment feature named WhatsApp Pay. | Telegram doesn’t have any payments feature. |
Conclusion
In this article, we have seen a detailed comparison between WhatsApp and Telegram based on all features. You can choose any of them based on your requirements and privacy preferences. We hope you will find this article helpful.
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