In today's hyperconnected world, messaging applications have become important to our interaction-either personally, on a business level, or for professional use. While today's market offers a wide range of various applications, two popular sites stand out among the rest: WhatsApp and Telegram.
At a glance, both WhatsApp and Telegram boast millions of active users around the world who enjoy several features available through these apps for their diverse needs. So, WhatsApp Messenger or Telegram-which is better? In this comprehensive guide, we go beyond just comparing the key features of these two services and dive into their security, privacy, personalization, and corporate capabilities as well, to facilitate making a judicious decision.
Both WhatsApp and Telegram are designed for communication, but each of them has other features that make them more attractive to one group or another. Let's start with the core functionality that makes these applications unique.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp is designed to be simple, it offers text messaging, voice calls, and video calls. But what differentiates WhatsApp and makes the service so popular is its default end-to-end encryption, meaning all communications that simple text to high-definition video calls are all private and secure. To a user interested in privacy, this encryption is a huge plus because it means only the sender and the recipient can access the message.
Telegram: Telegram is similar to WhatsApp in that it offers messaging and calls, but with one important difference, whereas the standard chats on WhatsApp are encrypted by default, in Telegram they are not. Users have to manually enable "Secret Chats" if they want end-to-end encryption. That said, all calls through Telegram are technically end-to-end encrypted by default.
Verdict: The highest amount of security by default, and without any extra steps is done by WhatsApp for those users, so it takes this round. Yes, Telegram does have secure messaging, but users do need to manually activate Secret Chats, which may be off-putting for the casual user.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp allows for up to 1,024 members on group chats, making sharing media, and documents, and initiating group calls seamless. The size of the groups is fair for small to medium-sized gatherings, but WhatsApp cannot manage large online communities.
Telegram: Telegram says it boasts of its Supergroups, capable of fitting up to 200,000 members. Consequently, this platform is the best for large communities, public figures, and organizations that need an audience in great numbers. It also has internal features within its groups, like polls, quizzes, and even threads for discussions, adding a layer of interactivity not found on WhatsApp.
Verdict: For large groups, communities, and even fan clubs that you are running, Telegram will be way better; it is fully capable of hosting big groups and offering interactive tools like polls, suitable for a large audience.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp has restricted file sharing. The maximum allowed file size is 100MB. This is enough to share your photos, short videos, and documents, but for users who need to share large media files, this is a bit restrictive.
Telegram: In Telegram, one can share files as large as 2GB, which makes it handy for users who need to transfer big-sized files. Be it high-definition videos, long PDFs, or even software packages, the high file-sharing limit in Telegram is a big plus.
Verdict: For those who have to send large files frequently, Telegram stands out as the clear winner. Its limit of 2GB is also in favor of both personal and professional usage.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp comes in with a basic line-up of stickers and GIFs. Though users can create or add custom sticker packs, the library remains scant in comparison to the competition that is Telegram.
Telegram: Telegram goes a step further with support for animated stickers, a far bigger sticker library, and of course GIFs. Of course, users can even create their stickers for use in conversations.
Verdict: For users who enjoy creative expression through stickers and GIFs, Telegram offers much more personalization and variety.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp's largest selling point is its end-to-end encryption, which by default is applied to every message, call, and media. It means no involvement from WhatsApp or any third-party entity; the communication will be exclusively viewable or accessible to the sender and the recipient.
Telegram: While Telegram does feature end-to-end encryption, it's only on Secret Chats. The user has to enable this feature manually, which is a hassle for people who want encrypted conversations out of the box. The normal chats on Telegram are stored in the cloud and only encrypted in transit, similar to the earlier insecure version of WhatsApp's cloud backup.
Verdict: WhatsApp wins this category because, out of the box, WhatsApp allows encryption for all conversations. Thus, making it more secure for the average Joe user.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp allows users to remove messages for everyone up to an hour from sending. Past that, one can only delete messages for themselves.
Telegram: You have way more options in terms of deleting messages on Telegram. You can delete messages for yourself and the recipient anytime, even when it has been read.
Verdict: The flexibility and control with no restriction on message deletion make Telegram a better option to care about your communication history
WhatsApp: While WhatsApp does support two-factor authentication, it should require another PIN when a user accesses WhatsApp through an unfamiliar device. This gives more security to the users.
Telegram: Just like WhatsApp, Telegram does support two-factor authentication, but it's more user-friendly. Telegram has clear instructions and prompts that walk users through enabling 2FA.
Verdict: With both offering two-factor authentication, Telegram is a tad ahead, simply because it is easier to set up.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp allows basic customization such as changing the background of chats and setting custom sticker packs. For an average user, these shall suffice, but they are not as in-depth compared to what Telegram offers.
Telegram: It gives users the capability to personalize nearly everything from animated chat backgrounds to even custom fonts and themes on the app. The open API of Telegram further allows integrations with third-party apps, making the platform far more flexible for power users.
Verdict: For those who love tailoring, Telegram is the better choice because its wide array of personalization options simply makes it far more versatile.
Both have enterprise-oriented features, but they appeal to different kinds of enterprises in general.
WhatsApp Business: WhatsApp Business aims to help small and medium-sized businesses manage conversations with their customers. It has a host of other features like Catalog. The business can showcase their products or services right there within the app.
Quick replies-automated responses for frequently asked questions and thus you help improve response efficiency in customer service. WhatsApp Business provides analytics over customer interactions, which helps businesses keep track of engagement.
Telegram: Telegram has more advanced tools for large enterprises like channels. These allow for one-way communication with the ability to mass broadcast messages. Therefore, they are ideal to be used by businesses or public figures that need to broadcast messages to thousands of followers.
Also, The bots on Telegram can automate tasks for customers and even handle transactions. That makes it ideal for tech-savvy businesses or organizations that need a little more complex functionality.
Verdict: WhatsApp Business is more straightforward for small businesses focused on direct communication. For bigger businesses and those in need of task automation, Telegram's bots and channels come with more power.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp's simplicity is its virtue. Its interface is clear, and new users can get the hang of how to send messages, make calls, and use simple features quite easily without any huge learning curve.
Telegram: Telegram has many features at its core, but all that makes it overwhelming for new joiners. The huge amount of customization options available, along with channels, bots, and supergroups, might be over-complicated for users seeking a simple messaging app.
Verdict: WhatsApp is simpler to use either for new users or for those who would enjoy a no-fuss experience. Telegram, on the other hand, is for users looking to get some advanced functionalities and greater powers related to the features and functions of an app.
When deciding between WhatsApp and Telegram, it all goes down to what you want most from your messaging application.
If ease of use is the only thing you want above everything else, then WhatsApp will be the one to go for. Here is what you will be expecting from that perspective:
An easy-to-use interface
Default end-to-end encryption
Full-featured and customizable customer communications toolset for smaller businesses
Richly featured and highly customizable
Larger group management
Fine-grained file sharing and message deletion
Both WhatsApp and Telegram are excellent platforms; each just has different targeting needs. Considering security and simplicity as the top priority, WhatsApp Messenger would be the better choice. On the other hand, if you want an app offering more flexibility and good customization with group management tools, then Telegram will be more suitable.
1. Is WhatsApp better for privacy than Telegram?
WhatsApp offers default end-to-end encryption for all messages, making it a better choice for privacy. Telegram’s Secret Chats offer similar protection, but regular chats are less secure.
2. Can I use Telegram on multiple devices?
Yes, Telegram allows users to log in and use their accounts on multiple devices simultaneously, with messages syncing across all platforms.
3. How large can Telegram groups be compared to WhatsApp?
Telegram’s Supergroups can accommodate up to 200,000 members, while WhatsApp groups are limited to 1,024 members.
4. Does WhatsApp have a business version?
Yes, WhatsApp Business is designed specifically for businesses, offering features like catalog creation, quick replies, and customer interaction tools.
5. Are there customization options available in WhatsApp?
WhatsApp has limited customization options, such as changing chat wallpapers, but Telegram offers more extensive customization, including themes, animated stickers, and chat backgrounds.