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Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

ON24 vs Telegram

ON24 logo

ON24

Webinar & Virtual Events

The digital engagement platform

From
$2000/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: ON24 the Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.; 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: ON24 covers Live webinars, Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ON24 and Telegram actually diverge.

Attributes where ON24 and Telegram differ
AttributeON24Telegram
Starting price$2000/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android
CategoryWebinar & Virtual EventsAll industries
Founded19982013

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 ON24

  • Live webinars
  • Virtual events
  • Engagement hub
  • AI-powered analytics
  • Content hubs
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo
  • Eloqua

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

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ON24

  • Event planningnot Telegram
  • Ticket salesnot Telegram
  • Attendee managementnot Telegram
  • Virtual eventsnot Telegram
  • Event marketingnot Telegram

Telegram

  • Group messaging and large channels with files of any type and sizenot ON24
  • Private device-bound conversations with self-destructing messagesnot ON24
  • Running bots and broadcast channels for an audiencenot ON24

Where each one falls short

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

ON24

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.

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

ON24

$2000/month
  • Core$2000/month
    • Webinars
    • Engagement tools
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$4000/month
    • Virtual events
    • Advanced analytics
    • Integrations
  • Enterprise$8000/month
    • Full platform
    • AI insights
    • Dedicated success manager

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 ON24 if

  • You need live webinars.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want virtual events.
ON24 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 ON24 or Telegram better?
Neither clearly leads. ON24 starts at $2000/month and Telegram at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ON24 or Telegram?
Telegram has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2000/month for ON24 and Free for Telegram.
Does ON24 or Telegram run on more platforms?
ON24 runs on Web, Ios, Android. 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. ON24 starts at $2000/month.
What is ON24 best used for?
ON24 is most often used for event planning, ticket sales, attendee management, virtual events. Of those, event planning and ticket sales are not what Telegram is typically brought in for.
What can ON24 do that Telegram cannot?
ON24 covers Live webinars, Virtual events, Engagement hub, AI-powered analytics. Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging, End-to-end encryption, Self-destructing messages, Large group chats. Both handle Web support.
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