WhatsApp vs Telegram
WhatsApp and Telegram are both free to use and tied to a mobile phone number. WhatsApp encrypts personal messages and calls end to end by default and caps groups at 512. Telegram encrypts cloud chats only between device and server, with end-to-end encryption in manually started secret chats, and allows groups of 200,000. WhatsApp wins on default privacy, Telegram on scale.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderVendors can pay for visibility on this site; it never changes what we say about a product. How that works.
Choose WhatsApp ifyou want personal chats and calls end-to-end encrypted without switching anything on, and your contacts already use it.
Choose Telegram ifyou run large groups or public channels, want client apps whose code is published, and accept that normal chats are not end-to-end encrypted.
WhatsApp and Telegram side by side
| Telegram | ||
|---|---|---|
| Our messaging apps rank | #12 of 12 | #6 of 12 |
| Established in | United States | United Arab Emirates |
| Pricing | Free to use; carrier data fees may apply; WhatsApp Business offered | Free to use; optional Premium subscription; sponsored messages in some channels |
| List price, 20 October 2026 | Free to use; data fees from your carrier may apply; WhatsApp Business offered | Free to use; optional Premium subscription; sponsored messages in some public channels |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | People whose contacts all use WhatsApp and who want free calls and large groups. | Public channels and very large communities where reach matters more than encryption. |
| Not for | Buyers who object to metadata collection or to Meta group processing. | Private business chats that must be end-to-end encrypted by default. |
Both are reviewed in full in our messaging apps ranking: WhatsApp and Telegram.
Where they differ
WhatsApp 2 · Telegram 2 · open 1- 01
Encryption by default
WhatsApp's homepage states that personal messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted, so only the people in the chat can read them. Telegram's FAQ says the opposite for normal chats: cloud chats are encrypted between device and server, and end-to-end encryption exists only in secret chats you start by hand from a profile. Secret chats are tied to one device.
Edge: WhatsApp
- 02
Group and channel size
WhatsApp announced groups of up to 512 members in a May 2022 post, rolling out gradually. Telegram's FAQ gives groups up to 200,000 members and channels with unlimited subscribers. A community, school or public broadcast fits Telegram. WhatsApp's cap suits clubs and teams, not audiences.
Edge: Telegram
- 03
File size
WhatsApp's 2022 post raised file sharing to 2 GB per file, up from 100 MB. Telegram allows 2 GB per file and 4 GB for Premium subscribers. For ordinary users the two are equal. The extra 2 GB on Telegram costs a paid subscription, and we read no WhatsApp equivalent.
Depends on the buyer
- 04
Who runs it and what it keeps
WhatsApp names its operators: WhatsApp Ireland Limited in the European Region and WhatsApp LLC elsewhere, with Meta companies as service providers. It lists the metadata it collects, such as IP address, device data and activity times. Telegram names Telegram Messenger Inc. as controller for EEA users but gives no headquarters address, and the FAQ places its team in Dubai.
Edge: WhatsApp
- 05
Group calls
WhatsApp's calling page states group calls of up to 32 people with unlimited duration, always end-to-end encrypted. Telegram's FAQ lists group calls of up to 200 participants. Telegram handles larger calls; WhatsApp encrypts them by default. Which counts depends on whether you host a webinar or a family call.
Edge: Telegram
When neither fits
If end-to-end encryption by default and no phone-number lock-in matter, other apps in our ranking fit better. Signal and Threema rank above both of these on our messaging apps list.
WhatsApp or Telegram: questions
4 answersIs Telegram end-to-end encrypted?
Only secret chats are. Telegram's FAQ says normal cloud chats are encrypted between device and server, and secret chats must be started manually, are tied to one device and are lost on log out. Voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted.
Do WhatsApp and Telegram need a phone number?
Yes, both. WhatsApp's privacy policy says a mobile phone number is required to create an account. Telegram's FAQ says an account needs a mobile number and landlines are not supported. Telegram usernames let people reach you without seeing the number.
Which one allows larger groups?
Telegram: groups up to 200,000 members and unlimited channel subscribers per its FAQ. WhatsApp announced groups of up to 512 in 2022.
Are WhatsApp chat backups encrypted?
Only if you choose it. The privacy policy says backups to a cloud service can be end-to-end encrypted with a key or password you create; without it the backup cannot be decrypted. Business chats may be visible to several people at the business.
Sources
Checked 20 October 2026- WhatsApp homepage: free messaging with data charges, personal messages and calls end-to-end encrypted, Business app.
- WhatsApp calling page: group calls up to 32, unlimited duration, always end-to-end encrypted.
- WhatsApp privacy policy (European Region): WhatsApp Ireland Limited, metadata, phone number required, backup encryption, business chat visibility, Meta companies as service providers.
- WhatsApp terms of service: WhatsApp LLC outside the European Region.
- WhatsApp blog, May 2022: groups up to 512, files up to 2 GB.
- Telegram FAQ: free, no ads in chats, Premium, sponsored messages, groups 200,000, 2 GB and 4 GB files, group calls 200, secret chats, mobile number, open client apps, team in Dubai.
- Telegram privacy policy: Telegram Messenger Inc. as controller for EEA users.
- Telegram terms of service: Premium subscription, EU users must be 18.