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Communication · head to head

LINE WORKS vs Telegram

LINE WORKS logo

LINE WORKS

Communication

Business chat built on the LINE interface, aimed at Japanese firms whose staff and customers already use LINE

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Telegram logo

Telegram

Communication

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: LINE WORKS the external LINE bridge, which is the main reason to choose it, only matters where LINE has consumer penetration, so buyers outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand are paying for a feature they cannot use.; 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: LINE WORKS covers External LINE messaging, Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LINE WORKS and Telegram actually diverge.

Attributes where LINE WORKS and Telegram differ
AttributeLINE WORKSTelegram
Pricing modelPer user per monthfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Communication).

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 LINE WORKS

  • External LINE messaging
  • Chat and channels
  • Shared address book
  • Calendar and bulletin board
  • Drive
  • Business email
  • Admin controls

Only in Telegram

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

Both cover

  • Voice and video calls

What people use each for

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

LINE WORKS

  • A Japanese retail or service chain whose customers expect to book and enquire over LINE rather than emailnot Telegram
  • A clinic, dealership or estate agency that needs customer conversations on LINE but under corporate retention and auditnot Telegram
  • A Japanese SME under 30 staff that wants managed business chat at no licence cost on the free tiernot Telegram
  • The Japanese subsidiary of a foreign group that needs a local tool for front-line staff alongside the group standardnot Telegram

Telegram

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

Where each one falls short

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

LINE WORKS

  • The external LINE bridge, which is the main reason to choose it, only matters where LINE has consumer penetration, so buyers outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand are paying for a feature they cannot use.
  • The free tier caps total storage at 5GB across the whole organisation, not per user, so a team sharing photos or documents exhausts it within weeks and is pushed onto a paid plan.
  • Business email is only on the Advanced plan at 800 yen per user, so an organisation wanting both chat and mail pays nearly double the Standard rate for every seat including staff who only chat.
  • Developer documentation, support and the integration catalogue are strongest in Japanese, which makes it awkward to administer from a non-Japanese IT function.
  • It has no serious developer or engineering workflow story, so organisations that also run Slack or Teams for technical teams end up maintaining two chat systems and two directories.

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

LINE WORKS

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 30 users
    • 5GB total storage
    • Chat, calls, calendar and address book
  • Standard$450/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 1TB shared storage
    • Annual contract price, 540 yen monthly
  • Advanced$800/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Business email
    • 100TB shared storage

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 LINE WORKS if

  • You need external line messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want chat and channels.
LINE WORKS 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 LINE WORKS or Telegram better?
Neither clearly leads. LINE WORKS 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, LINE WORKS or Telegram?
LINE WORKS starts at Free and Telegram at Free.
Does LINE WORKS or Telegram run on more platforms?
LINE WORKS runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. Telegram runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
Can I use LINE WORKS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LINE WORKS best used for?
LINE WORKS is most often used for a japanese retail or service chain whose customers expect to book and enquire over line rather than email, a clinic, dealership or estate agency that needs customer conversations on line but under corporate retention and audit, a japanese sme under 30 staff that wants managed business chat at no licence cost on the free tier, the japanese subsidiary of a foreign group that needs a local tool for front-line staff alongside the group standard. Of those, a japanese retail or service chain whose customers expect to book and enquire over line rather than email and a clinic, dealership or estate agency that needs customer conversations on line but under corporate retention and audit are not what Telegram is typically brought in for.
What can LINE WORKS do that Telegram cannot?
LINE WORKS covers External LINE messaging, Chat and channels, Shared address book, Calendar and bulletin board. Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging, End-to-end encryption, Self-destructing messages, Large group chats. Both handle Voice and video calls.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LINE WORKS: Can LINE WORKS really message ordinary LINE users?

Yes. That is its core differentiator and the reason Japanese customer-facing businesses buy it.

Telegram: Does Telegram cost money?

Telegram is a completely free messaging application. There are no subscription plans, in-app purchases, or ads. The service is funded through cryptocurrency investments.

Source
LINE WORKS: Is there a free plan?

Yes, up to 30 users with 5GB of total organisation storage.

LINE WORKS: Does the Standard plan include email?

No. Business email is Advanced only, at 800 yen per user per month on an annual contract.

LINE WORKS: Is it worth buying outside Japan?

Generally no. Without the consumer LINE bridge it competes poorly against Slack, Teams or Lark on features and ecosystem.

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