Encryption, cloud sync, phone numbers, groups, bots, file sizes and business model: what really sets Telegram apart from WhatsApp, and which one to pick.
Telegram and WhatsApp both let you chat, call and share files, so it is easy to assume they are more or less the same app. Under the hood, though, they follow two very different philosophies. WhatsApp puts end-to-end encryption on every private conversation and treats your phone as the main device. Telegram is built around the cloud, instant sync across devices and large communities, and keeps end-to-end encryption for a dedicated type of chat. This comparison walks through the differences that actually matter, without taking sides, so you can decide which app suits which use. Both services change often, so the figures below reflect the official information available at the time of writing.
Encryption: on by default or on request
WhatsApp: end-to-end for private conversations
On WhatsApp, your personal messages, calls and status updates are end-to-end encrypted by default, whether you are talking to one person or to a group. There is nothing to switch on, and no setting to turn it off. Only the participants’ devices hold the keys. There are a few exceptions: WhatsApp channels, which are designed to reach a wide audience, are not end-to-end encrypted, and some conversations with businesses are handled by third-party services that fall outside that protection.
Telegram: client-server encryption, end-to-end on request
On Telegram, regular conversations are “cloud chats”. They are encrypted between your device and Telegram’s servers, then stored in encrypted form on Telegram’s infrastructure. The company says it splits the decryption keys across several jurisdictions and never keeps them alongside the data. That is still not end-to-end encryption: technically, the service controls those keys. To get end-to-end encryption, you need to open a secret chat, which only works one-to-one and only on the device where you created it. Telegram’s voice and video calls, on the other hand, are end-to-end encrypted.
Cloud, backups and multiple devices
With Telegram, your history lives in the cloud. Install the app on a new phone, a tablet or a computer, sign in, and all your cloud chats show up right away, on as many devices as you like. There are no backups to manage, and that convenience is exactly why Telegram has not made end-to-end encryption the default: it makes restoring your history on a new device very hard.
With WhatsApp, your phone remains the primary device. You can link up to four other devices, which keep working even when the phone is off, as long as you open WhatsApp on that phone from time to time. WhatsApp does not keep your chat history in readable form, so moving to a new phone relies on a backup in Google Drive or iCloud. That backup can also be end-to-end encrypted, but only if you turn the option on yourself.
Phone numbers and usernames
Both services require a phone number to sign up. What differs is how much other people get to see.
- Telegram has offered optional usernames, such as @nickname, for years. Someone who reaches you that way does not see your number, and your privacy settings let you hide your number from everyone, including other members of your groups.
- WhatsApp relied entirely on phone numbers for a long time. It is now introducing optional usernames so you can chat without revealing your number. The rollout is recent, so availability may depend on your app version and your country.
Groups, channels, bots and files
Group and channel size
A WhatsApp group can hold up to 1,024 members, which is a good fit for family, friends, a team or a club. A Telegram group can hold up to 200,000 members, and a Telegram channel has no subscriber limit at all. Both apps now offer one-way broadcast channels, but Telegram’s have been around much longer and sit at the heart of its public content ecosystem.
Bots and automation
Telegram opens its bot platform to everyone. Anyone who can code can create a bot through the official @BotFather account, with no phone number needed, and add it to groups or channels. Bots are used to moderate, publish automatically, sell digital goods or launch mini apps. On WhatsApp, automation is mainly aimed at businesses, through the service’s professional tools.
File size
WhatsApp lets you send documents of up to 2 GB. Telegram accepts files of up to 2 GB on a free account and up to 4 GB with a Premium subscription.
Business model and where the data lives
WhatsApp is owned by Meta. The app is free for individuals. Its revenue comes largely from businesses that talk to their customers on the platform and, more recently, from ads, promoted channels and paid channel subscriptions, all kept in the Updates tab and away from your personal chats.
Telegram was funded by its founder, Pavel Durov, for most of its history. In 2021 it introduced sponsored messages in large public channels, followed in 2022 by a Premium subscription that unlocks extra features. Its development team is based in Dubai. Cloud chat data is spread across several data centers around the world; according to its privacy policy, if you signed up from the UK or the European Economic Area, your data is stored in the Netherlands.
Which one should you choose?
Neither app is better across the board. It all comes down to what you need.
- WhatsApp makes sense if you want every private conversation end-to-end encrypted without thinking about it, and if the people you talk to already use it.
- Telegram makes sense if you switch between devices a lot, want to follow topic-based channels or run a large community, or plan to use bots.
- Using both is often the most realistic answer: WhatsApp for your inner circle, Telegram for news and communities, with a secret chat for sensitive one-to-one conversations.
If Telegram’s channels and public groups are what draw you in, start with sources you can trust: the Top Telegram directory lists channels and groups checked by hand, each with its exact @username and language.
Frequently asked questions
Is Telegram end-to-end encrypted?
Not by default. Cloud chats, groups and channels use encryption between your device and Telegram’s servers. Only one-to-one secret chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted.
Can you use Telegram or WhatsApp without a phone number?
Not to sign up: both services ask for a phone number to create your account. After that, a username lets you talk to people without handing over your number, something Telegram has offered for years and WhatsApp has only recently started to roll out.
Are my WhatsApp chats backed up to the cloud?
Only if you turn backups on, in which case they are stored in Google Drive or iCloud. By default, that backup is not end-to-end encrypted: you have to enable the dedicated option and protect it with a password or an encryption key.