At a glance
| WhatsApp (Business Platform) | Telegram (bot) | |
|---|---|---|
| People using it | More than 3 billion, by WhatsApp's own count | Over 1 billion a month, by its founder's 2025 count |
| Who starts the chat | The customer, or you with an approved template | Only the customer |
| Replying | Freely within 24 hours of their last message | Any time |
| Cost per message | Meta charges per message, by category and country | Free |
| Setting up | A Meta business account, a payment method, ideally verification | A token from @BotFather, in minutes |
| Voice calls with AI | Yes, through Meta's Calling API | No: bots don't take calls |
| Messaging many people | Approved templates to people who opted in | Only to people who started your bot |
WhatsApp: about · TASS: Telegram passes 1 billion monthly users · Telegram: bots
When WhatsApp is the better choice
- Your customers already message you on WhatsApp, or expect to.
- You need to reach customers first: a booking reminder, an order update or an offer, sent as an approved template to people who opted in.
- You want customers to call your business and have AI answer.
- You can live with the rules: free-text replies only within 24 hours of the customer's last message, and Meta's per-message charges. Meta: customer service windows
Since 1 October 2026 each WhatsApp number gets 1,000 free replies a month inside open chats, and Meta charges from the 1,001st; templates are charged by category and country. Meta: pricing Our WhatsApp API cost calculator works out a monthly figure.
When Telegram is the better choice
- Part of your customers already use Telegram, and they'd rather message you there.
- You want to answer at any time without a reply window, for example after a long repair or a slow refund.
- You want no per-message cost: Telegram's FAQ says bots can message their users at no cost.
- You want to be live in minutes: a bot needs only a name and a token from @BotFather.
The catch is reach: a Telegram bot can't start a conversation. A customer has to message it first, so you'll need to share its link or QR code where your customers will see it. Telegram: bot FAQ
How to decide
- Step 1
Look at where customers message you today
The app they already use is the one to start with; don't ask customers to switch.
- Step 2
Ask a few
A one-line question on your site or at the counter tells you more than any national statistic.
- Step 3
Count what you'll send first
If you need reminders, updates or offers to reach people who haven't written to you, that's WhatsApp's templates.
- Step 4
Work out the cost
Telegram is free to message; WhatsApp's cost depends on how many replies and templates you send.
Why not both
Running both is less work than it sounds when one AI agent answers on each. It answers from the same knowledge, books into the same calendar and hands chats to the same team inbox, so customers get the same answer whichever app they choose.
Different channels, one memory of the business: a price you change on your website reaches both the next time your agent reads it.
In HeyKiko
Every HeyKiko plan includes your website chat, WhatsApp and Telegram. Connect WhatsApp through Meta's sign-up inside HeyKiko, and Telegram by pasting your bot's token; Kiko answers on both from the same knowledge, and your team replies to both from the shared inbox. Campaigns and AI-answered calls are WhatsApp only.
See the WhatsApp AI chatbot and the Telegram AI bot, or try both free for 14 days.
Sources
Checked on 5 November 2026. We make HeyKiko, which this guide uses as its example.
