10 Best Telegram Alternatives to Chat With

As a famous messaging app, Telegram is known for its speed and ability to support large groups and channels. However, many users seek Telegram alternatives that have innovative and AI-powered features. If you are among those seeking this app’s substitute, know that there are plenty of options. To simplify your quest, we’ll uncover the 10 best Telegram equivalents to enjoy a better messaging experience.

What is Telegram?

Telegram is a communication platform that allows users to communicate messages via its innovative features and fastest delivery. Using this platform, one can even create a group that can easily accommodate 200,000 members. Furthermore, the best part is that you can customize your messenger to make communication engaging and fun.

Before you seek apps like Telegram, know that its messages are highly encrypted and can self-destruct. It also ensures that your messages are safe from hackers to prevent sensitive data from breaching. When it comes to file sharing, luckily, this platform poses no limit on file size and media. Hence, using this platform allows one to easily communicate and collaborate without compatibility issues.

Why You Should Find Apps Like Telegram?

There are numerous reasons one might consider apps similar to Telegram for communication and collaboration. Therefore, here we have explored 5 leading causes in detail, explaining why you should seek Telegram alternatives.

• Enhanced Privacy and Security: Some apps feature the latest encryption and privacy features, such as end-to-end encryption or two-factor verification. Using these tools, you won’t have to worry about personal information being exposed to others.
• Better Group Management Features: Though Telegram offers the facility to accommodate a large number of group members, some apps offer better tools. For instance, custom permission and moderating tools can make group management much easier.
• Unique Features for Specific Needs: Unlike other advanced tools, Telegram has the same features as any other basic instant messaging app. As it’s 2024, various platforms are now offering tools like anonymous chatting to make communication seamless.
• Support for Multimedia and File Sharing: According to the statistics, Telegram has a limit of 2 GB per file during data sharing. Therefore, there are alternatives to Telegram that offer better file-sharing tools that can support any media and offer more storage.
• Better Support for Business and Collaboration: Telegram is a basic communication app that can be used for day-to-day communication. Hence, apps like Slack include tools like project management, making it an ideal platform for business collaboration.

What Features Should You Look for in a Telegram Alternative?

When considering Telegram alternatives, choosing an application that offers innovative and AI-powered features that meet various needs is essential. However, if you need to know what features to look for, dive into the following details for better understanding. After reviewing them, you will be able to pick better Telegram substitutes to elevate your messaging experience.

1. Group Chats and Community Management

Starting with group features, look for an app that allows you to accommodate many people in groups and comes with smart group management tools. For that, seek one that can assign roles, set permissions, and poll or announcement tools. Using these features, one can easily manage group tasks, eliminating the need for manual effort.

2. Customization Options

When you use a communication app frequently, the ability to personalize the messages can significantly help. Hence, some platforms offer tools like changing the theme, adjusting fonts, and personalizing notification sounds. Not only that, but features such as custom stickers, messages display, and modifying chat interface can also make messaging fun.

3. Bot and Automation Support

The Telegram bot system is known for its ability to automate tasks, manage groups, and send updates. However, if automation is your main concern, pick apps like Telegram that come with bot integration or feature automation tools. For that, platforms like Slack or Discord offer various third-party bots that can be integrated to automate tasks and send reminders.

4. Offline Access

Most of the time, you don’t have an internet connection, which makes data access or communication daunting. Therefore, consider a communication application that leverages offline mode, letting you view received messages or draft responses. Once you regain access to the internet, the app will automatically sync the messages so you don’t miss any important details.

5. Cross-Group and Cross-App Communication

In addition to communication, collaboration is the main concern of many users, especially those who work in teams. Thus, choose a tool that comes with cross-group communication support or is integrated with the other tools. For instance, Slack can link with tools like Google Drive or Trello to make collaboration easier without switching between apps.

10 Best Telegram Alternatives

If you are looking for alternatives to Telegram, whether for better group features or unique capabilities, there are numerous options to consider. Hence, we have listed the 10 best Telegram alternatives below with detailed information to make decision-making easier. Once you go through the details, choosing the right alternative for communication and collaboration will be seamless.

1. TeamSpeak (Android | iOS)

Being a voice-over-internet protocol application, TeamSpeak offers cutting-edge security features like military-grade encryption and permission controls. Using these, one can safeguard their communication and data by blocking others from seeing or viewing the activity. One of the unique aspects of this alternative to Telegram is its in-game overlay that allows you to access the notifications where you need them most.

Additionally, it features innovative codecs, which can control the quality and compression of voice chats. It also has Gamepad and Joystick Hotkey support to control voice settings, such as muting or pushing to talk.

Key Features

• Other than communication, its SDKs allow developers to use various communication tools in their games or apps like Telegram.
• It also has unlimited sub-channels to create and organize more than one voice channel for flexible communication in large groups.
• Users can fully customize the interface of this app to let them enjoy a personalized and intuitive messaging experience.
• With TeamSpeak, you can also host your own private server to fully control channel organization and permission, mainly for groups.

2. Rakuten Viber Messenger (Android | iOS)

Using this communication app, users can express themselves perfectly by creating their own stickers and GIFs. Once you generate fun GIFs or stickers, you can easily insert them in video messages to make communication engaging. Besides creation, one can also delete and edit the seen messages to recover what they did not mean to send.

For some reason, if storage is your main concern or you don’t want to keep additional data, it features disappearing messages, too. Using this alternative to Telegram, you can eliminate old conversations, whether to make space on the device or for privacy reasons.

Key Features

• Besides creating groups, you can join public networks or communities to connect with like-minded people.
• Users can set the disappearing time of individual messages, ensuring they automatically vanish after a specific period.
• While making group calls, you can add up to 59 users to let others join the conversation and share insights.
• For messaging, one can either type the text or record short voice notes or video messages to convey messages easily.

3. Discord (Android | iOS)

Whether you desire to build a community or play games with friends, Discord is a fantastic app similar to Telegram. Unlike Telegram, which is only used for communication, it allows you to stream, making it a versatile app for communication and sharing media. Additionally, users can access online or offline statuses, through which you can easily determine who is available to chat.

Moreover, if you want to see reels or YouTube videos with friends, use its group chat tool for enhanced communication. Using this tool, you can also share your screen, letting others view the content that is displayed on your screen.

Key Features

• While sharing the screen, users can also chat via its text chat feature within the call if someone doesn’t prefer verbal communication.
• With Discord, switching between devices to use communication tools and manage group chats with people is seamless.
• You can set the custom avatar or personalize the profile status to reflect your mood, interests, or personality.
• While streaming, users can send virtual gifts to the streamers as a way to show appreciation and support.

4. Snapchat (Android | iOS)

We all are familiar with the name and the tremendous features it offers to make communication easier, fun, and engaging. One of the best aspects of this platform is that it features AI, allowing you to get immediate suggestions. Through this app, users can avail of its pre-designed templates to make fun and creative reels.

Additionally, a green screen tool lets you add a personalized background to your snaps. Besides sending snaps and creating reels, you can watch training reels to know the latest trends.

Key Features

• By setting the location, users can view the live location of their friends to know where they are right now.
• A dual-camera tool lets you simultaneously record from both the front and back cameras.
• To make snaps visually appealing, users can access its selfie setting feature to boost their appearance.
• You can create a shortcut to send snaps to multiple users at once.

5. Flock: Team Communication App (Android | iOS)

With this communication alternative to Telegram, you get the ability to set a reminder on each message to never forget follow-ups. To avoid traffic in this app, you can create separate channels to discuss essential details individually. Most of all, there are integrated search tools that enable you to locate specific details just by typing the keyword.

Furthermore, if you use this app for business collaboration, assign the roles to each team member in real time to know who’s who. Once roles are assigned, you can set permission for certain people to access the data when needed.

Key Features

• Flock ensures everything is under control by offering admin controls, letting you seamlessly manage teams.
• With block domains, users can verify that no outsider can access the data without the team admin’s approval.
• Besides blocking, this tool also lets you restrict access based on the specific networks and ID addresses.
• Admins can also set a personalized data retention policy to delete the data after a specific time automatically.

6. Chanty – Team Collaboration (Android | iOS)

As one of the best Telegram alternatives, Chanty is another amazing communication app that comes with the Teambook tool to manage and organize tasks conveniently. You can pin, mute, rename, or leave the chat, whether it’s Teamhub or any conversation. Additionally, whether it’s YouTube content, GIFs, or any other social media content, you can easily share it without switching apps.

If you can’t find a certain member in the notification, its mention tool allows you to highlight them in conversation. To ensure everyone performs tasks on time, there is a kanban board that lets you set the deadline for tasks.

Key Features

• Users can also manage who posts and views other members’ conversations by setting controls.
• To remove the effort of switching apps, integrate Chanty with third-party apps like OneDrive to automate the tasks.
• Regardless of the location, this platform can bring all the team members into one platform for seamless connectivity.
• To maintain the focus in dim lights, you can also change the chat appearance to high-contrast dark themes for better visibility.

7. Twitch: Live Streaming (Android | iOS)

Among many other apps like Telegram, the Twitch communication app offers you better ways to monetize your content. Using this, you can sell ads, sponsor, or get subscriptions on your streaming channels. Whether you want to stream live shows, music, or games, this platform offers you a direct way to communicate with the audience.

Furthermore, users can personalize their channel with overlays and alerts to create a unique identity. There are Twitch extensions, too, that one can use to grow the audience with tools like polls, leaderboards, or games.

Key Features

• Twitch lets you track performance and improve your streaming strategy by offering detailed analytics.
• Using this app, streamers can also set stream reminders and notifications for followers during streaming time.
• Additionally, users can create short clips and highlights besides streaming lengthy and time-consuming content.
• With tools like chat moderation, followers, and subscriptions, you can manage a strong community on Twitch.

8. Threema. The Secure Messenger (Android | iOS)

If you are concerned about data privacy, Threema offers you an end-to-end encryption tool to ensure only intended recipients can access the messages. If you are not an official Threema user, you can chat anonymously without sharing your details or phone number.

It just requires entering a random Threema ID for conversion that users can lock by setting the desired PIN. Moreover, the best part about this app is that it doesn’t collect the user’s data, giving peace of mind to privacy concerns. Whether a voice call, video, or group call, it doesn’t allow you to reveal your true identity.

Key Features

• It’s an open-source platform, which means that it offers you full transparency and control over your data.
• Using this app, users can make group calls with customized permissions, letting users create encrypted groups for communication.
• Furthermore, Threema features an intuitive interface and is entirely ad-free, offering a distortion-free experience to users.
• This app’s instant messaging features are entirely GDPR compliant, meaning it adheres to strict data protection and privacy regulations.

9. WhatsApp Messenger (Android | iOS)

WhatsApp is another app similar to Telegram, but its Meta AI makes this communication app distinctive. Using this, you can get personalized suggestions from the AI or ask it to create fun images, stickers, or GIFs. Once generated, users can save them in the app and share them easily during communication to make conversion fun and interactive.

As far as security is concerned, it comes with a two-factor verification tool to restrict unauthorized access. Additionally, there are disappearing or self-destruction features through which messages will disappear after a particular time.

Key Features

• Users can lock the chats to add a layer of privacy, limiting others from accessing specific contact messages.
• If you want to block unknown callers, its silent unknown callers feature offers a distortion-free experience.
• You can also see the WhatsApp Pay feature to send or receive money directly to your bank account.
• To restrict others from saving shared media, a view once feature allows recipients to view the media only once.

10. Geneva (Android | iOS)

Geneva is a powerful Telegram alternative designed to create private, secure communication spaces. It combines messaging, voice and video calls, and collaboration tools, making it perfect for groups and communities. Geneva offers features like topic-based channels and customizable roles, providing users with a more organized way to interact.

What sets Geneva apart is its focus on privacy. Unlike Telegram, which uses cloud storage, Geneva provides end-to-end encryption for all messages and media, ensuring higher security. Whether you need a safer alternative to Telegram or a platform designed for group management, Geneva is a reliable option.

Key Features

• Geneva features a ping tool within the app to alert others of essential messages and details in real-time.
• While communicating, users can react to messages and let others know about their point of view.
• Moreover, for media sharing, one can take pictures directly with an accessible camera tool.
• You can host up to 16 people in video rooms to initiate face-to-face conversations or collaborative meetings.

How to Build a Messaging App Like Telegram

To create Telegram alternatives, ZEGOCLOUD offers 20+ pre-built UIKits that allow you to create engaging apps in real-time. Without starting from scratch, use its video call SDK and insert a virtual background feature in your app. Through this, users will be able to add virtual or blurred backgrounds during the calls. Moreover, the cloud recording SDK will let users record the video sessions to save the data.

Furthermore, its AI noise reduction feature can be used for voice calls to remove unnecessary noises and offer a smooth experience. Alongside that, if you use intelligent voice processing, one can automatically adjust the speaker’s volume after sound detection. To improve non-verbal communication, ZEGOCLOUD also has the most advanced in-app chat API to make your Telegram alternative app stand out.

Using its message history feature, users can store the message on the server, letting them retrieve the oldest conversion easily. Plus, by embedding the offline messages feature in the app, users can access messages even if the sender is offline. Besides all that, it offers a streaming facility to users and features like virtual gifting and battles to make communication fun.

Conclusion

To sum up, Telegram is the fastest and most reliable communication app, but users still seek Telegram alternatives to get better features. Therefore, this article has thoroughly explored the 10 best substitutes for this messaging app. As a developer, if you desire to create apps like Telegram, use ZEGOCLOUD, as it offers smart APIs and SDKs. Using these, you can create a better app than Telegram that could facilitate cutting-edge communication features.

Read more:

• Best 10 Chat API & Messaging API Platforms
• How to Build a Chat or Messaging App

FAQ

Q1: Which is the best alternative for Telegram?

Signal is often considered one of the best alternatives to Telegram. It offers end-to-end encryption, a focus on privacy, and is open-source. WhatsApp is also a popular choice for many, though it is owned by Facebook and has faced privacy concerns.

Q2: Which Telegram app is better?

If you’re referring to alternatives to the official Telegram app, Telegram X is often seen as an improved version. It’s faster, more responsive, and includes features like smoother animations and less battery consumption. However, the core functionality remains the same.

Q3: What’s safer than Telegram?

Signal is widely regarded as safer than Telegram. Signal uses end-to-end encryption by default for all messages and calls, and it collects minimal metadata, offering a higher level of privacy. Telegram, while offering encryption, does not use end-to-end encryption for all types of messages by default.

Q4: Is Signal better than Telegram?

Signal is better for privacy and security due to its strict end-to-end encryption. Telegram offers more features but doesn’t use end-to-end encryption for all messages by default. If privacy is your priority, Signal is the better choice.