Telegram Alternatives With Channels, Big Groups and Bots

Telegram has not gone anywhere. The official site still lists groups of up to 200,000 members, and the FAQ describes channels for unlimited audiences and an open Bot API. A July 14, 2026 update added Communities, which tie several groups, channels and bots together. One thing has not changed: cloud chats are encrypted between you and Telegram's servers, and only Secret Chats are end-to-end encrypted.

Some readers arrive looking for a feature that is gone. Pavel Durov said on September 6, 2024 that People Nearby would be removed because of bots and scammers, and replaced with a businesses nearby list. Two apps from older lists are gone too. Microsoft retired Skype on May 5, 2025 and pointed users to Teams, and Google Hangouts closed on November 1, 2022 in favour of Google Chat.

The seven picks below cover the community side of Telegram: channels, large groups and bots. For one-to-one privacy, see our Signal alternatives. For username-based chat with strangers, see the Kik alternatives page. Prices are from each vendor's page or app store as of November 6, 2026.

Our method is on How we review tools.

Quick comparison

Discord

Discord is the nearest match if your Telegram life is one big group, a few topic threads and a moderation bot. A server holds many text and voice channels, each with separate permissions. On the developer platform, people build bots, commands and in-server Activities. The download page covers Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, plus PlayStation, Xbox and Meta Quest.

Files are tighter than on Telegram. Free accounts were held to 10MB per file until August 13, 2026, when Discord doubled the cap to 20MB. The Nitro page lists 50MB uploads on Nitro Basic and 1GB on Nitro. Voice and video calls gained end-to-end encryption through the DAVE protocol in September 2024.

Best for: Gaming, creator and hobby communities that run on channels, roles and bots.

Pricing:

• Free
• Nitro Basic: $2.99 per month, 50MB uploads
• Nitro: $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year on the US App Store, 1GB uploads

Watch out for:

• Every account now starts with teen settings. Discord's February 2026 announcement says adults may need a video selfie or an ID to open age-restricted channels or switch off content filters, and the global rollout of that check was moved to the second half of 2026.
• Text messages are not end-to-end encrypted. The DAVE post says they stay under Discord's content moderation.

Official site: Discord.

WhatsApp

If your audience is already on WhatsApp, Channels cover most of what a Telegram channel does. The feature launched in June 2023 as a one-way broadcast that followers read in the Updates tab, and following a channel does not show your phone number to the admin or other followers. Communities put related groups under one roof, and each group holds up to 1,024 members.

Since June 2025 the Updates tab also carries ads, promoted channels and paid channel subscriptions. WhatsApp's announcement says personal chats, calls and groups stay ad-free and end-to-end encrypted. Usernames are coming: reservations opened in June 2026, with the full launch planned for later this year. Apps cover Android, iOS, Windows and Mac, plus WhatsApp Web. More options sit on our WhatsApp alternatives page.

Best for: Following channels and running community groups with friends, family or customers who already use WhatsApp.

Pricing:

• Free
• Channel admins can charge followers a monthly subscription; the announcement gives no price

Watch out for:

• Channels are not end-to-end encrypted by default, and WhatsApp keeps channel history on its servers for up to 30 days, per the Channels launch post.
• There is no open bot API like Telegram's. Bots go through the WhatsApp Business Platform, and since January 15, 2026 its terms bar general-purpose AI assistants such as ChatGPT.

Official site: WhatsApp. Our listing: WhatsApp.

Viber

Viber splits Telegram's group tools into three formats, and its help centre comparison lays them out. Groups stop at 250 people. Communities have no stated cap, show past messages to new members, and let superadmins limit posting to admins. Channels are admin-only broadcasts. Bots can join Communities and Channels, but not plain groups.

Talking to strangers is handled with more care than Telegram's old nearby list. The security page describes Hidden-Number Chats for messaging people you meet in a community without swapping numbers. It also says one-on-one and group chats are end-to-end encrypted by default. Viber runs on Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, macOS and Linux, and the desktop app needs an active account on your phone. See our Viber alternatives for the other side of the comparison.

Best for: Public communities where members chat freely and admins add bots, next to admin-only channels.

Pricing:

• Free app
• Viber Plus removes ads and adds invisible mode. The help page says the price shows in the app and the plan exists only in some countries; the US App Store lists a Viber Plus purchase at $3.79

Watch out for:

• The security page promises end-to-end encryption for personal chats and groups, but says nothing about Communities or Channels. Do not assume those are end-to-end encrypted.
• The free app shows ads. The App Store listing notes that it contains advertising, and only Viber Plus removes them.

Official site: Viber. Our listing: Viber.

Element

Element is the main app for Matrix, an open network where anyone can run a server and rooms span servers. The Community edition is free, AGPL-licensed and self-hosted, per Element's pricing page. The Matrix bridges list includes connectors to Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal and Discord, so a group can keep one foot in Telegram while it moves.

Element X is the newer app for iPhone and Android, and the download page still offers the classic mobile app. Desktop builds cover Windows, macOS and Linux, and there is a web client. Organisations pay per seat per month on Enterprise, but Element publishes no rate.

Best for: Open source projects and clubs that want their own server, or a bridge to Telegram during a move.

Pricing:

• Free app for personal use
• Community, self-hosted: free, AGPL
• Enterprise: priced per seat per month, no public price
• Sovereign (air-gapped): priced per deployment, contact sales

Watch out for:

• Free accounts on the matrix.org server are capped at 10MB per attachment and 100MB of uploads a day, per its pricing page. Premium raises that to 100MB per file, but the price is not set yet.
• Hosted bridges come and go. The Matrix.org Foundation removed its Slack bridge on January 13, 2026 and listed only IRC and XMPP bridges as staying on matrix.org. Plan to run a Telegram bridge yourself or through a hosting provider.

Official site: Element.

Stoat

Stoat is the open source Discord look-alike that used to be called Revolt. It took the new name on October 1, 2025 after a trademark complaint, and servers, messages and friends lists carried over. The homepage lists servers, channels, voice chat, a public bot API and optional self-hosting, with apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and the web.

Custom emoji, 20MB uploads and animated avatars need no subscription, and the code is AGPLv3. Engadget's June 2026 comparison says Stoat feels more familiar to Discord users than Element, and that screen sharing began rolling out earlier in the year.

Best for: Groups that want Discord-style servers and bots with no paid tier and the option to self-host.

Pricing:

• Free; stoat.chat lists no paid plan
• Self-hosting is free

Watch out for:

• Capacity is thin. When Discord users arrived in February 2026, Stoat's status page warned of slowdowns because there were "simply too many people".
• The homepage makes no end-to-end encryption claim, so keep sensitive conversations elsewhere.

Official site: Stoat.

Signal

Signal fixes Telegram's privacy gap rather than copying its feature list. Its group help page allows private groups of up to 1,000 members, with invite links, QR codes, join approval and admin-only posting. That page lists no broadcast channels and no bots.

Usernames arrived in February 2024, so you can share a handle instead of a number. Signal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with apps for Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, macOS and Linux. Optional secure backups launched in September 2025. More private messengers are on our Signal alternatives page.

Best for: Private group chats of up to 1,000 people where encryption matters more than public reach.

Pricing:

• Free, funded by donations
• Secure backups: text plus the last 45 days of media free; $1.99 per month for full media up to 100GB

Watch out for:

• You still need a phone number to register, even with a username, per the Signal blog.
• The desktop app works only after Signal is installed on your phone, per the download page.

Official site: Signal. Our listing: Signal.

SimpleX Chat

SimpleX Chat goes further than Signal on identity. Its homepage says the app works without any user IDs, not even random ones. Version 6.5, announced on April 30, 2026, added SimpleX Channels as a beta. People who join a channel by link see the posts, but not who else is reading, and each channel runs over several relays so no single relay can block it.

Apps cover iOS, Android and desktop, and the project also ships a bot API and a terminal client. The code is AGPLv3 on GitHub. It is free to download on the App Store, and version 7.1.2 came out on November 7, 2026.

Best for: Publishing a channel or running a group without phone numbers or account IDs.

Pricing:

• Free on the App Store
• No paid plan listed; the homepage points to equity crowdfunding

Watch out for:

• Channels are still a beta, and the launch post says only one preset relay operator was available at first. Relay operators can see the content of the channels they carry.
• Expect rough edges. October 2026 beta notes on GitHub fix large messages lost in groups and channels, and missing iOS notifications for channel posts.

Official site: SimpleX Chat.

How to choose

When to stay with Telegram

Keep Telegram if your group has more than a few thousand members or depends on custom bots and mini apps. No pick here combines 200,000-member groups, unlimited channels and an open Bot API in one app. Telegram is also still shipping admin tools, such as welcome messages and buttons in messages in its August 25, 2026 update. If privacy is the worry, use Secret Chats for sensitive talks or move those to Signal, and leave the channel where it is.

Frequently asked questions