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Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Boulevard vs Telegram

Boulevard logo

Boulevard

Scheduling & Booking

Client experience platform for salons

From
$175/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Telegram logo

Telegram

All industries

Pure instant messaging — simple, fast, secure, and synced across all your devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Telegram has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Boulevard pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site; Telegram end-to-end encryption applies only to Secret Chats; private and group Cloud Chats use server-client encryption, so Telegram holds the data
  • They diverge on capability: Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling, Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Boulevard and Telegram actually diverge.

Attributes where Boulevard and Telegram differ
AttributeBoulevardTelegram
Starting price$175/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android
CategoryScheduling & BookingAll industries
Founded20162013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Boulevard

  • Intelligent scheduling
  • Client profiles
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff management
  • Gift cards & packages
  • Two-way messaging
  • Business analytics

Only in Telegram

  • Cloud-based messaging
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Self-destructing messages
  • Large group chats
  • Voice and video calls
  • Bot platform
  • Channels and broadcasts
  • Cross-platform sync

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Boulevard

  • Appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspasnot Telegram
  • Running point of sale and card payments alongside schedulingnot Telegram
  • Automated client messaging, intake forms and marketing campaignsnot Telegram

Telegram

  • Group messaging and large channels with files of any type and sizenot Boulevard
  • Private device-bound conversations with self-destructing messagesnot Boulevard
  • Running bots and broadcast channels for an audiencenot Boulevard

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Boulevard

  • Pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site
  • The Essentials plan caps the business at 5 professionals; unlimited professionals require the Premier plan
  • Text and email allowances are metered per plan, with email blasts charged at $0.01 each beyond the plan allocation
  • Forms cost from $65 per month per location unless you are on the top Prestige plan
  • QuickBooks integration is an add on at $45 per month per location
  • ePrescribe is $45 per prescriber on top of the plan
  • Enterprise pricing is by consultation with no published rate

Telegram

  • End-to-end encryption applies only to Secret Chats; private and group Cloud Chats use server-client encryption, so Telegram holds the data
  • Secret Chats are device-specific and are not part of the Telegram cloud, so they can only be read on the device they started on
  • Logging out destroys all of your Secret Chats
  • The Secret Chat self-destruct timer applies only to messages sent after the timer is set and has no effect on earlier messages
  • Telegram states screenshot detection cannot be guaranteed on some Android and Windows Phone devices, so screenshots of Secret Chats can be taken silently
  • Messages cannot be forwarded out of Secret Chats
  • The self-destruct timer in cloud chats covers media only, not text

Pricing, plan by plan

Boulevard

$175/month
  • Essential$175/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • Point of sale
  • Premier$325/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Advanced booking
    • Marketing tools
  • Prestige$undefined/month
    • Everything in Premier
    • Multi-location
    • API access

Telegram

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited messages
    • 2GB file sharing
    • Group chats up to 200K members
  • Telegram Premium$4.99/month
    • Everything in Free
    • 4GB file uploads
    • Faster downloads

Which should you pick?

Choose Boulevard if

  • You need intelligent scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client profiles.
Boulevard review

Choose Telegram if

  • You need cloud-based messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want end-to-end encryption.
Telegram review

Questions people ask

Is Boulevard or Telegram better?
Neither clearly leads. Boulevard starts at $175/month and Telegram at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Boulevard or Telegram?
Telegram has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $175/month for Boulevard and Free for Telegram.
Does Boulevard or Telegram run on more platforms?
Boulevard runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Telegram runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
Can I use Telegram for free?
Yes. Telegram has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Boulevard starts at $175/month.
What is Boulevard best used for?
Boulevard is most often used for appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspas, running point of sale and card payments alongside scheduling, automated client messaging, intake forms and marketing campaigns. Of those, appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspas and running point of sale and card payments alongside scheduling are not what Telegram is typically brought in for.
What can Boulevard do that Telegram cannot?
Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling, Client profiles, Point of sale, Inventory management. Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging, End-to-end encryption, Self-destructing messages, Large group chats. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.
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