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HR & Recruiting · head to head

Homebase vs Telegram

Homebase logo

Homebase

HR & Recruiting

Scheduling, time tracking and HR for hourly teams

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Homebase free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location; Telegram end-to-end encryption applies only to Secret Chats; private and group Cloud Chats use server-client encryption, so Telegram holds the data

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Homebase and Telegram actually diverge.

Attributes where Homebase and Telegram differ
AttributeHomebaseTelegram
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android
CategoryHR & RecruitingAll industries
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Homebase

Nothing recorded that Telegram does not also cover.

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

What people use each for

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

Homebase

No use cases recorded yet. See the Homebase review.

Telegram

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

Where each one falls short

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

Homebase

  • Free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location
  • Paid plans are billed per location per month ($30, $70 or $120), so a multi-location business pays the rate again for each site
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $39 per month plus $6 per month per employee paid
  • Tip Manager and Task Manager are further add-ons billed per location per month on top of the base plan

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

Homebase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Homebase review.

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 Homebase if

  • You want to start without paying.
Homebase 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 Homebase or Telegram better?
Neither clearly leads. Homebase starts at Free and Telegram at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Homebase or Telegram?
Homebase starts at Free and Telegram at Free.
Does Homebase or Telegram run on more platforms?
Homebase runs on Web. Telegram runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
Can I use Homebase for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Homebase do that Telegram cannot?
Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging, End-to-end encryption, Self-destructing messages, Large group chats.
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Related pages

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