Telegram VS Whatsapp

Which one should you choose?

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

There are two kinds of people in the world; those who like to do things themselves and those who like things done for them. Whichever class you belong to (maybe even neither), it affects your choice of the tools you prefer. I have known Whatsapp for a while now. A lot of people have started using it around me before I did. I was desirous of the fact that the tool must solve a tangible problem for me so I don’t get carried away in its social trend. I eventually started using it when I had a project and I had to stay connected with my partner. I got introduced to Telegram because of the crypto wave. I kept seeing this ‘join our group chat on Telegram’, so I decided to leap in and see what it’s all about.

Both platforms are very useful. They are similar in some ways and different in other aspects. Generally, they look so similar and it might be quite hard to choose between them. The purpose of this information is to help you know which one to choose for what you want to do. This we will do by looking at different needs in the messaging world and the one best suited for the need.

1. Group chat

This is definitely a Telegram area. It significantly outperforms Whatsapp from the fact that you could have up to 100,000 people in the group. The only drawback is that you may not be able to keep track of the conversation. I have been in groups with 5k, even 23k people and it is just too rowdy. Maybe this is why Whatsapp has a much smaller limit to their group chat. However, some groups do require the large number which is why Telegram does the job. Whatsapp might keep their niche with the small group, but Telegram needs to work on the rowdiness of large groups, perhaps have a panel by the admin where important posts can be read (instead of just one pinned post). If you want a group chat for a large number of people, Telegram is your tool.

2. Expressions

Expressions are important to quite a number of people. Telegram has these things called stickers. They are more than the traditional emojis smartphone users are used to. Recently, Whatsapp has added this feature also. Telegram is still the boss when it comes to stickers for me. However, Telegram no longer wins this area, it is evened between the two platforms.

3. Status update

I had to think about what Whatsapp has that Telegram doesn’t. The beauty of Whatsapp status is that it is only seen by your contacts and not the whole world. So, in this way, Whatsapp looks a more likely tool to get along with social circles. Telegram, on the other hand, looks like a tool for serious business. For this social function, Whatsapp is in the lead.

4. Security

Telegram boasts of this a lot while people’s trust in Zuckerberg has waned in recent times. Just in case you don’t know, Facebook owns Whatsapp. They bought it some years ago. Facebook also owns Instagram. So you can understand why a senator was asking Zuckerberg if he thinks Facebook is a monopoly. The owner of Telegram recently declined to give the Russian government its encryption keys and that has won the hearts of a lot more users. For security, Telegram seems more solid.

5. Business model

The business model of a messaging app is so important. It tells what they will be able to bear with and what they will trade for money. It is still unclear what the business model of Whatsapp is. There are current indications that it will involve a cryptocurrency. However, if they bring the business model of Facebook to Whatsapp, I’m quitting it. Telegram is surely heading into the crypto ecosystem. They already had the pre-ICO although it was kept very private and among people with a lot of money. Plus, information about the token sale is kept quite secretly. Facebook uses the ad model, Instagram does too, I hope Whatsapp doesn’t. Meanwhile, I won’t mind owning (and trading) Telegram tokens.

6. Data usage

Some do care about this fact. I think both are quite similar in data usage though. Although the volume of things Telegram is useful for could make it a bit more data consuming. But this is dependent on the user. So here, it’s a draw.

7. Channels

Telegram has channels where a person can connect to information without being in a group chat. This function is not available on Whatsapp. This is a very important function that makes Telegram different and distinct. Channels just post information without any comments or analysis.

8. User interface

Whatsapp’s interface is quite neater and more organized than Telegram’s. For example, there is an option on Whatsapp to archive chat. Telegram’s interface looks good also but I think Whatsapp has a little edge here.

9. File sharing

There is a size limit on Whatsapp on what you can upload but this is almost inexistent on Telegram. Telegram allows heavy files to be transferred on their platform. This makes Telegram a good place for file sharing

10. Meeting new people

You are more likely to meet new people via Telegram than Whatsapp. Whatsapp focuses more on your contact while Telegram focuses on making you interact and integrate a much wider world. People have met in a group chat and then decide to start talking privately from there. You have a higher chance of meeting new people with Telegram because of the group chats. The group chats are unlike Whatsapp’s group chat because you can join in by just following a link.

In general, the one you decide to use among the two apps depends on what you want to do. I use both, but for different purposes. The advantages of Telegram are outstanding though. There are other things especially on Telegram that is not mentioned here, like bots, secret chats, etc. Telegram has more options but Whatsapp is still very useful too. There are other apps that are similar in function to these two, however, each one has its advantages and disadvantages.