Telegram is one of the world's most popular messaging and broadcasting apps, with over 1 billion users. But it has some documented security issues, and it's missing the features most people need to build or monetize a community.

In this article, we'll walk you through 15 Telegram alternatives. Whether you're looking for a more secure messaging app, a better livestreaming platform, or a way to run a paid community, there's an option here for you.

We'll evaluate each platform on four criteria: messaging and chat capabilities, community and membership tools, monetization options, and privacy and security.

Telegram is a community chat app that brings together messaging and calling, with the ability to broadcast to large groups and organize channels. The chat app lets its 500 million daily users send and react to messages, add interactive stickers, build bots, and create groups around shared interests.

It also has some monetization options since Telegram lets you sell basic subscriptions and earn from ads.

There are two common reasons people look for a Telegram alternative: Telegram's security issues and feature limits. And while you can earn from Telegram, it's pretty limited for running a proper digital business.

• It had several security and privacy issues: spam bots; phishing; malware; and cyber criminality that led Forbes to call Telegram an "accessible dark web."

• End-to-end encryption isn't the default for regular chats: The company can read server-side messages, and privacy controls aren't on by default. Only "Secret Chats" aren't stored on Telegram's servers.

• It's for broadcasting, not community: Telegram is strong for channels, groups, and messaging, but it lacks some of the member discovery, structured content, courses, events, and community management tools found on dedicated community platforms.

• You can't really customize: Other than channel cover pages, you can't brand Telegram.

• Limited native monetization for community businesses: Telegram supports paid channel subscriptions, paid media, Stars, and ad revenue sharing. But it lacks native courses, paid events, bundles, and the broader membership management tools available on dedicated community platforms.

Best for free communities and streaming

Discord is an online forum builder with 200 million users and a mix of livestreaming tools built in. Created for gamers to share about the games they love plus show off their skills, Discord has some good features.

• Chat with other members, create channels, and grow a community.

• Customize member roles and members can have back and forth chats.

• An option for channel memberships (with a 10% revenue cut)

• Go live on livestreaming and/or voice channels.

• Share your screen for gameplay.

Discord works best for a free community, without monetization, and it's really good for what it was invented to do – bring gamers together.

Discord does allow memberships, but takes a 10% cut of subscription revenue, and lacks the courses, events, structured content, and branding options that dedicated community platforms offer.

Best for secure 1:1 and small group messaging

WhatsApp is another Telegram alternative that's effectively the default platform in many parts of the world. It's a chat app that lets you message 1:1, create group chats, and have video & voice calls.

• The calls use wifi or data instead of calling minutes, which can be great for people who need to call out of the country a lot.

• The messaging function is powerful, and you can send different types of messages like audio, images, documents, or videos.

• However, WhatsApp has no branding or organizational features, you can't create subgroups or customize the experience.

WhatsApp's other claim to fame is its security features, with end-to-end encryption. Encryption is on by default, a meaningful difference from Telegram, where end-to-end encryption must be manually enabled via Secret Chats.

WhatsApp has added a major feature to compete with Telegram, and this is Channels. This is a separate tab on WhatsApp where you can follow topics that are important to you (privately). You can even create your own Channel, and earn money with channel subscriptions. This adds the option to earn (like Telegram) and get subscriber only updates.

WhatsApp does a good job replicating Telegram's chat features, but isn't the best replacement for building groups of people who don't know each other or for livestreaming.

For the downsides, WhatsApp isn't great for building groups of people that don't know each other–it works with small groups and/or large broadcasts. It can handle paid subscriptions, but not an interactive paid community.

Best encryption for simple, secure messaging

Signal was built from the ground up around privacy, and it's run by a non-profit foundation with no corporate ownership or profit motive.

• End-to-end encryption is on by default across the platform for messages, calls, and profiles, and Signal doesn't store messages on its servers.

• 1:1 and group voice and video content are all encrypted.

• Groups are protected, with admin controls over who can join.

Signal is a great Telegram alternative for those worried about encrypting messages. And it even has a feature like Snapchat for disappearing messages. It's a fantastic messenger app.

However, Signal has no broadcasting features, no public group discovery, and no monetization tools. It works well for 1:1 and small group chat, but it's not built for growing or managing a larger community.

If privacy is the main reason for leaving Telegram, Signal is a great option.

Best free app for chat + calling

Viber is a chat app for 1:1 and group messaging, with a solid video call function. It works well as a group chat app, giving you a space to bring members together, organize conversations, and appoint admin.

Viber has:

• Great security and privacy features.

• User verification options plus end-to-end encryption.

• Cool tools, like setting messages to disappear after a certain time.

• A phone connection so you can call landlines and mobile numbers around the world (note that calling needs to be purchased by the minute).

Here are a few notable limitations of Viber. It's missing the comprehensive community features that a real community platform has.

And it's not made for monetization either, so if you want to earn from broadcasting or communities, you'd be better served by a different option.

Best coworking app

Workplace Messaging and Co-Working

Microsoft Teams is Microsoft's answer to workplace messaging, think Slack (see below), but with tighter integration with Outlook and the broader Microsoft Office suite.

Scheduling and hosting team meetings is straightforward, and it has a free "Home" tier for non-workplace use too.

Here are a few key features:

• A solid chat engine that lets you create individual and group chats – since it's primarily used for work, this is usually with people from your organization. Teams is a fantastic way to organize work at an office.

• Integrates with MS Office to add "one-click" event scheduling, giving you functionality for meetings and webinars.

• Good event interface, an in-meeting chat, and it's easy to join and invite others (although users either need to use Teams or a Microsoft Edge browser).

• MS Teams is also a really secure software with end-to-end encryption.

Teams is amazing for organizing work. You'll hit some limitations trying to build different kinds of communities there.

Large group discussions can get hard to manage quickly, and there's no way to catch up without scrolling through entire threads. That's because it's missing a true forum feature. It's also not built for earning from subscriptions or memberships.

Best workplace/community crossover

Slack is a workplace messaging app that a lot of workplaces rely on. It sits somewhere between a forum and a chat app, with a lot more discussion structure than MS Teams offers. This means:

• Good chat features for groups and 1:1 discussions with a solid UX.

• Organize discussions into different channels, tag people, add emojis or GIFs, and use threaded messaging.

• Member accounts, permissions and basic profiles, but note that it's best for people who already know each other.

• Create 1:1 video and audio meetings: "huddles".

• Great native app.

All this means that Slack works best for organizing work teams, but it could work for a free community – which is what some creators are using it for. But it's missing native video and long-form content, events that are more complex than huddles (it has no livestreaming). It's also missing ways to charge and earn money, making it best for co-working or free communities.

Best for chats with Google integrations

Google Chat is sort of like a cross between Facebook Messenger and Slack. You can create discussion Spaces or group chats. It's simple, but it has the option to integrate with Google Workspace tools.

• Create a discussion space or a group chat.

• Integration with Google Docs, Calendar and Google Meet invites, plus video, emojis, and GIFs.

• Free to use.

Like Slack, it would work really well for an office – especially if it's an office that uses Google Drive products.

As an alternative to Telegram, Google Chats has the chat function as well as the encryption. This makes it a great chat app. It's simple and free, and its popularity is growing.

But Google is limited in the same way other chat and work apps on this list are. There's no forum organization, no monetization, and it's not well suited for large groups. It also doesn't support monetization–there's no option to sell subscriptions or memberships.

Best for photo & video messaging

Snapchat is a messaging app that's another option for those looking for an alternative to Telegram. It's primarily for sharing video and photos, and you can add on different creative features to these like emojis, text, or filters. You can send these snaps as 1:1 Messages or share publicly as a story.

Here are a few key features:

• Snaps disappear after a set amount of time – in many cases they can only be viewed once, which is the platform's signature feature.

• Send snaps directly as 1:1 or small group messages, or share them publicly as a Story for a wider audience.

• Add creative overlays to snaps like filters, emojis, text, and drawing tools before sending.

• Find and add friends directly, or connect with people nearby using Snapchat's location-based discovery.

There are a few limitations of Snapchat as a replacement for Telegram. It's great for disappearing photos and videos, but doesn't have broadcasting, community building, or monetization.

Free discussion groups linked to Facebook accounts

Best for: Free groups with a familiar, accessible interface

Like Telegram, Facebook lets you cultivate large groups of people ("members") and curate content for them. You can broadcast to the group (either via posts or livestreaming). People can react and join the conversation.

Facebook's app is widely familiar, there's a good chance your audience already has it. Here are a few features of note:

• Easy to add members and upload posts and video.

• Running post lists with tagging.

• Excellent livestreaming and video hosting.

The biggest downside of Facebook Groups as an alternative to Telegram is that you can't monetize natively. Pages can have subscriptions, but not groups.

It's also not designed for large communities, with basically a running list of posts and no community-style organization. Facebook also shares two downsides unique to social media platforms: you have to fight the algorithm, and it has some of the same privacy concerns Telegram has.

Best local-meeting alternative to Telegram

Geneva is a Telegram alternative that focuses on hosting group video chats. It's got ways to organize chat rooms (video, text, and audio rooms) and forums that help organize larger conversations. Geneva is owned by Bumble, and positions itself as the digital home for local communities. It has shifted its focus toward connecting people around shared interests.

Here are a few key features:

• A core set of chat rooms across text, video, and audio, so members can choose how they want to connect.

• Forums to organize larger conversations that would otherwise get lost in a single chat thread.

• Create and schedule events, with automatic notifications sent to members when the event starts.

• A free platform, positioned as a digital home for local, interest-based communities.

Geneva is a free platform, but it's missing a way to monetize. So if you're looking for a Telegram competitor that you can build a business on, it's not the right choice.

Best for: Public livestreaming & audience building

Twitch is one of the best Telegram alternatives for mass streaming.

Like with Telegram, you can build a following on Twitch. And if you're a streamer looking for an audience, Twitch is probably a better place to grow.

It started as a gaming platform, but there are all sorts of streamers on there. You can talk about pretty much everything.

• Live streaming with real-time engagement: Twitch supports up to 2K (1440p) streaming for select partners/affiliates.

• Interactive features like Combos (viewers collectively trigger animated effects using Bits) and dual-format streaming, alongside chat and moderation tools.

• Monetization open globally with no Affiliate or Partner status required.

Twitch does monetization better than Telegram, giving you more ways to monetize: you can sell ads, sponsorships, or traditional subscriptions. It also has a bit more customization features than Telegram has.

There are a few limitations to note for Twitch. It's missing the chat and messaging features of Telegram, and it doesn't have the option to build an owned community. It's a great place to build an audience, not a great option for building a community.

Best Telegram alternative for ad revenue

Sticking with livestreaming options, YouTube has some great features as a Telegram alternative. Like Telegram, you can use it to stream out to an audience. The livestreaming tools are integrated really well with the platform, and viewers can add comments, questions, etc. It's also easy to connect to third-party livestreaming software like StreamYard.

If you're a video creator, YouTube also has the advantage of being the world's second largest search engine. This means that even if people miss your livestream, they can catch your content by searching for it (even for years to come). And if you snip the best parts of it into shorts, viewers can find you organically that way too.

Here are a few key features:

• Native livestreaming with integrated live chat, comments, and questions from viewers.

• Easy to connect third-party livestreaming software like StreamYard for more advanced production.

• Discoverable as the world's second largest search engine, so content (and clips of it) can be found long after it's posted, not just during the live moment.

• Multiple monetization tools once approved, including ads, Super Chats, Super Thanks, and Channel Memberships.

Monetizing on YouTube isn't accessible to everyone--you have to get to their threshold to get approved for ads: 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. But once you're monetized, it can pay pretty well.

YouTube is adding some more ways to make money, like Super Chats, Super Thanks, and Channel Memberships, but YouTube takes 30% of income from these. Because of this hefty cut and the difficulty getting approved for the AdSense program, many smaller creators might do better on a dedicated membership platform.

Best basic workplace option

Flock is a Telegram alternative that looks a lot like a basic Slack or Discord; it organizes group discussions as a forum. It also includes messaging and calling features: voice + video calling between either two people or groups.

Here are a few key features:

• Group discussions organized as a forum, similar to a basic Slack or Discord setup.

• Voice and video calling, available for either 1:1 or group conversations.

• Channels for sharing content, files, voice notes, and polls.

• A clean, simple interface, though it can't be branded or customized.

Unfortunately, Flock is missing the option to monetize communities or host complex discussions. It's basic and clean, but not robust, and it can't be branded either.

Best for all-in-one community management

Circle is a dedicated community platform with a mix of forum, course, and livestreaming features to build a community around a shared interest.

Circle lets you organize larger community conversations, with member profiles and chat and messaging. And it gives you some community branding features like light & dark mode and custom icons.

Circle has added an email and website-building function, giving it all-in-one functionality for community management. And it has simple gamification and AI agents for answering members' questions. You can also get a Circle community on a branded app with Circle Plus.

Here are a few key features:

• Organize larger community conversations with member profiles, chat, and messaging.

• Community branding options like light & dark mode and custom icons.

• Built-in email marketing and a website builder, adding all-in-one functionality beyond just community.

• Simple gamification and AI agents that can answer member questions.

• Option to get a fully branded app with Circle Plus.

Circle's strength is all-in-one focus, especially with admin tools, and it's missing some of the member-to-member engagement features the best community platforms have.

Circle's AI is focused on admin tools, while Mighty Networks uses AI to boost member connections and engagement. Circle's Space features are separate modules; it's course or community or events, which hurts UX.

Nevertheless, Circle is a strong Telegram alternative for dedicated communities.

Best for paid memberships and communities

Mighty Networks is G2's #1-ranked community platform, and a strong Telegram alternative for running paid communities and livestreams. With forum, livestreaming, and messaging features built in, Mighty can hold conversations together.

Here's what you can do with Mighty.

• Build & customize paid community Spaces. Sell memberships, livestreams, events, chat & messaging, or discussions.

• Sell & run virtual events with RSVP, reminders, and livestreams.

Mighty uses software designed to connect members to each other and form friendships. This means:

• Smart, AI-boosted member profiles with "show similarities" tool and conversation starters.

• Auto icebreakers to generate and schedule to prompt conversation when you're not there.

• Text improvements and prompts for conversations and posts.

• Auto re-engagement for lapsed members with one-click messaging and re-capturing.

• Instantly generate a community name, brand, landing and sales pages, and more.

• Gamification that focuses on collaboration over competition.

Mighty Networks is designed for member engagement but not marketing tools. It's missing the true all-in-one functionality of some competitors; for example, the option to build out complex websites or funnels. And Mighty doesn't have native email, it has a built-in Kit integration.

We hope this list has helped you figure out the right Telegram alternative for you. If you're building a paid community and want to try a dedicated community platform, try Mighty.

Telegram's encryption isn't as straightforward as people think. Regular messages on Telegram are stored on Telegram's servers. As such, they have basic encryption. But the company can still technically read messages stored on their servers: both 1:1 and group chats.

It is possible to turn on "secret chats" with Telegram. These will technically enable end-to-end encryption, since the chats are stored on your device.

Broadcasts are not encrypted. Also, Telegram is privately owned and funded–compared to Signal.

Telegram doesn't have any way to export channel subscribers. They are not visible and most subscriber information is hidden.

Similarly, if you have a Telegram Group you have a bit more control over member data, but there's still no native way to export this. There are some third-party approaches which promise to do this–but we can't speak to the effectiveness of these.

The most obvious way to get members off Telegram to another platform is to rely on voluntary migration. Follow this guide on moving your community for a step-by-step process.

Can you make money on Telegram? Technically, yes. But it's limited.

Telegram has a few different ways to earn:

• Ad Revenue: Eligible public channels with 1,000+ subscribers can receive 50% of the revenue from Telegram ads displayed in their channels.

• Paid subscriptions: Creators can charge a monthly fee in Telegram Stars for access to private channels or other subscriber content.

• Stars and paid content: Users can support creators through Star reactions, while creators can charge Stars to unlock paid photos, videos, and other digital content.

• Bots and digital services: Bots and Mini Apps can sell digital goods, services, and subscriptions within Telegram.

Limitations: As we mentioned above, Telegram's monetization has some serious limitations. There aren't really ways to sell/build a proper membership. You can't charge for events or teaching. And you'd need third-party integrations to collect money in any meaningful way.

You're eligible for Telegram ads if you're a channel owner, and if your channel has more than 1,000 subs. Telegram ads have a revenue split of 50/50 between the platform and channel owners.

Once they're active, ads look like regular channel posts. But they are marked as "Sponsored." They'll include a title, some text, and a button with a URL link. Ads are directed to other Telegram channels or to Telegram bots. You cannot advertise external websites on Telegram. Advertisers can set a total budget and CPM rate to coordinate their ad campaign.

For ad management, advertisers can see views, channel joins, and the ad status (ie. In Review, Declined). They can also preview an ad and create similar ads.

Running a digital business on Telegram isn't impossible, but it is challenging. The best way to monetize Telegram would be with paid channel memberships–similar to a membership site platform. It's tough to do this directly. Here are your options:

Private Channel + External Payments Since Telegram doesn't have a payment processor, some creators will use external platforms like Stripe or Paypal to collect payments. Then they can invite members into a private channel. In some cases, creators who take this road will use Bots to handle the onboarding, membership status, and renewal reminders.

Telegram Alternative If you want an easier workflow, you're probably better to choose one of the options above that lets you monetize natively.

AI Sticker Search: Search through millions of user generated custom stickers.

Grok AI: Under a partnership announced in May 2025, xAI's chatbot is integrated into Telegram. Grok can draft messages, summarize chats and documents, assist with group moderation, and generate stickers.