Softwr

All industries · head to head

Telegram vs Whereby

Telegram logo

Telegram

All industries

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Whereby logo

Whereby

Telecommunications

No downloads, no logins - just video meetings that work

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Telegram end-to-end encryption applies only to Secret Chats; private and group Cloud Chats use server-client encryption, so Telegram holds the data; Whereby no breakout rooms, polls, or whiteboard tools
  • They diverge on capability: Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging, Whereby covers Browser-based meetings.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Telegram and Whereby actually diverge.

Attributes where Telegram and Whereby differ
AttributeTelegramWhereby
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryAll industriesTelecommunications

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2013).

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 Telegram

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

Only in Whereby

  • Browser-based meetings
  • No downloads required
  • Personal room URLs
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • Slack

Both cover

  • End-to-end encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Telegram

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

Whereby

  • Client meetingsnot Telegram
  • Remote consultationsnot Telegram
  • Team standupsnot Telegram
  • Webinarsnot Telegram

Where each one falls short

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

Whereby

  • No breakout rooms, polls, or whiteboard tools
  • Hard cap of 200 participants and performance drops with groups of 12+
  • No phone dial-in option for participants without internet
  • Occasional connectivity issues and laggy screen sharing reported

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Whereby

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 meeting room
    • 100 participants
    • Screen sharing
  • Pro$6.99/month
    • 3 meeting rooms
    • Custom branding
    • Recording
  • Business$11.99/month
    • Unlimited rooms
    • SSO
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

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 self-destructing messages.
Telegram review

Choose Whereby if

  • You need browser-based meetings.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want no downloads required.
Whereby review

Questions people ask

Is Telegram or Whereby better?
Neither clearly leads. Telegram starts at Free and Whereby at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Telegram or Whereby?
Telegram starts at Free and Whereby at Free.
Does Telegram or Whereby run on more platforms?
Telegram runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android. Whereby runs on Web.
Can I use Telegram for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Telegram best used for?
Telegram is most often used for group messaging and large channels with files of any type and size, private device-bound conversations with self-destructing messages, running bots and broadcast channels for an audience. Of those, group messaging and large channels with files of any type and size and private device-bound conversations with self-destructing messages are not what Whereby is typically brought in for.
What can Telegram do that Whereby cannot?
Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging, Self-destructing messages, Large group chats, Voice and video calls. Whereby covers Browser-based meetings, No downloads required, Personal room URLs, Screen sharing. Both handle End-to-end encryption, Cloud deployment, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Whereby: Does Whereby require software downloads?

No. Whereby is browser-based and requires no downloads or complex configuration. Participants join via a simple link without needing to install software.

Source
Whereby: What is Whereby's pricing model?

Whereby offers a free-forever plan and paid plans starting at $5.82/month when billed annually. Whereby does not offer a free trial.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Telegram

More on Whereby

Keep looking

Other head to heads