DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TELEGRAM AND WHATSAPP

Read the original article in Spanish | Lee el artículo original en español

Updated: January 11, 2024

A friend told me that he thinks (not anymore) that Whatsapp is better than Telegram.... so I made this list especially for him, being as fair as I could to both apps.

Telegram already has all the functions and capabilities that WhatsApp has...

Except for:

1. Call links
2. WhatsApp Business
3. More users (WA: 2.900 million. TG: 800 million)
4. Secret code to hide chats
5. Keep messages in chats that have disappearing messages
6. Unlimited statuses
7. Links in statuses
8. Avatar stickers
9. AI stickers
10. Read text aloud
11. Any emoji reactions
12. Pause recording of voice messages
13. 140 characters available for "biography" (70 in Telegram)
14. Categories in the channel search
15. Whatsapp Plus (UNOFFICIAL)
    — Anti-delete statuses
    — Upload 5 minute statuses (exclusive)
    — Hide: ticks, blue microphone, writing..., recording...
    — Show ticks after replying
    — View deleted messages
    — Voice changer
    — Auto-reply
    — Emoji variants
    — Typographic fonts

Taking into account all the above, in total there would be: 25 things that Telegram does not have...

However, Telegram has (free too):

1. Message editing with 48-hour editing time limit (WA: 15-minute limit) Unlimited for channels and saved messages
2. Messages deleted without leaving a trace
3. Delete other person's messages (in groups only authorized by administrators)
4. UNLIMITED cloud-based storage
5. Download files even if they have been previously deleted from the device
6. Precise security and privacy settings
7. Multiple profile pictures
8. Profile videos
9. Reply to specific parts of messages (quotes)
10. Chat folders (with precise filters)
11. Groups with subgroups (topics)
12. Groups with 200,000 member limit (WA: 1024) after that, they become channels
13. Pinned messages
14. Quizzes with "hints", anonymous polls and multiple choice answers
15. Animated emojis
16. Emojis with mini games
17. Quick emoji finder
18. Sticker suggestions (via emojis)
19. Sticker creator implemented
20. Many multifunctional bots
21. Spoiler format (Hides text)
22. Quote format
23. Link format
24. Statistics for groups and channels
25. Programmable messages
26. Silent messages
27. Reminders
28. Customization of the entire app
29. Backgrounds for individual chats
30. Advanced photo and video editor (Focus, Contrast, Brightness, Shadows, Midtones, etc.)
31. Secret chats blocking screenshots and message forwarding
32. Message self-destruction from 1 second to 1 week in secret chats and from 1 day to 1 year in regular chats
33. Games
34. Music player
35. Advanced multimedia search engine (Filter for photos or videos and by date)
36. Message finder with date and/or person filter
37. Chat folder sharing links
38. Precise storage settings
39. The app can be moved to SD memory
40. Perfectly synchronized mobile, web and desktop version
41. Drafts perfectly synchronized
42. Usernames instead of phone numbers (optional)
43. Message translator button
44. Button to switch from light theme to dark theme quickly
45. Programmable or adaptive dark theme
46. Real-time location with proximity notification
47. Download management menu
48. Premium account giveaways creator
49. Similar channel finder
50. Live stream
51. Schedulable video calls with countdown
52. Specific message forwarding settings
53. Reorder and preview grouped media before sending to chat
54. Option to send multimedia simultaneously without grouping
55. New login alerts
56. Saved stories in profiles
57. Archived stories
58. Repost stories
59. Video messages in stories
60. Dual camera mode in stories (high-end only. Alternative: use video messages in stories)
61. Fast forward or rewind in stories
62. Location, music, reaction balloon and extra photos in stories
63. Detailed view statistics in stories
64. Story editing
65. Option to block screenshots in stories
66. Playback speed from x0.2 to x2.5 in audio, music and video messages
67. Power saving mode (with precise settings)
68. Aggressive anti-spam in groups (only with 200 or more members)
69. Categories of emojis, Stickers and gifs
70. Profile photo creator with emojis or stickers
71. Hide members in groups (with 100 or more members)
72. Signed messages in groups and channels (in groups for admins only)
73. Public and private profile pictures
74. Suggest profile pictures to other users
75. Replace profile pictures of other users (personal only)
76. QR codes for user and channel links
77. Preview chats (does not mark received messages as "viewed")
78. Picture-in-picture playback without needing to stay in the chat
79. Bot administrators
80. Forwarded messages including context
81. Navigate between recent chats
82. Message deletion by date
83. Comment section for channel posts (optional)
84. Expiring group invitation links (time or person limit)
85. Requests to join a group or channel
86. Video call recording (in groups and channels)
87. Screen sharing in video calls
88. Animated backgrounds
89. Telegraph (Blogposts with instant view option like this one)
90. Voice chat call reminders (in groups and channels)
91. Send multimedia as an archive
92. Imported messages to move from app to app
93. Partial message selection (copy specific sections of a message)
94. Automatically send messages when online (Notifies when the user is online as well)
95. Hidden archived chats
96. Timestamps on voice messages, music and videos
97. People nearby
98. Anonymous message forwarding (optional)
99. Change text size
100. Change roundness of message corners
101. Automatic and configurable cache deletion
102. Anonymous administrators (optional)
103. Slow mode in mass groups (optional)
104. Notification to all members by pinning a message
105. Save gifs
106. blurred Chat header (high-end devices only)
107. Public groups
108. Message search in list mode
109. Code highlighting and programming language detection 
110. Thanos Snap effect for self-deleting messages (iOS only)
111. Speech to text conversion (only twice a week or unlimited using @voicybot)
112. Precise settings for link previews
113. View counter on channel posts
114. Blur brush
115. Arrow brush
116. Neon brush
117. Highlight brush
118. Shape brush
119. Photo tilt
120. Precise brushes (zooming in on photos)
121. Raise hand in video calls
122. Self destruct for photos or videos
123. Crypto wallet (Ton)
124. 5-second countdown for deleting entire chats (in case you regret it)
125. Telegram does not collect as much personal information
     —Cell phone number
     —Profile name, photo and description
     —Email (to use two-step verification and account recovery)
     —Numbers of your contacts (those who use Telegram and those who don't).
     —Location via GPS (when using the location sharing features)
126. Ability to use Proxies
127. Hide videos and images with the spoiler format 
128. Interactive emojis
129. Auto-delete in all chats
130. Videos play before they finish downloading
131. Any sound to notification tone converter 
132. Custom mute duration
133. Picture-in-picture for videos from web sites (like Youtube)
134. Picture-in-picture resizing option
135. Phone number links
136. Option to share custom themes
137. Option to share posts as images (iOS only)
138. Quick reaction
139. Protected content in groups and channels
140. Calendar for media browsing
141. Change app icon
142. Option to anonymize group administrators
143. view "recent actions" of other administrators (in channels)
144. Set up to 5 chats on the main screen, and 10 in each folder
145. Create groups without adding anyone
146. Press and hold to fast forward videos bit by bit
147. Playback bar for video messages
148. Picture-in-picture video messages
149. Telescope (public video messages even outside the app)
150. Edit video messages before sending
151. Precise device search for sending files
152. Playback of videos without opening them
153. Option to log out from other devices automatically
154. Channels with movies, series, anime, manga, comics, and a wide variety of content. FREE AND AD-FREE
155. Links to easily add and share Sticker packs
156. Underline format
157. High quality official stickers
158. Option to archive sticker packs
159. Emoji suggestions by text
160. Specific reporting for groups and channels
161. Flash of different temperatures and intensity for front camera in stories
162. Dynamic order of packs (optional)
163. Indication of "Looking for sticker" and "playing" when the person is doing this actions
164. Descriptions and album covers for music
165. Option to change the list view of chats
166. Sensitive content filtering
167. Send voice messages by raising the phone
168. Editing of already sent photos and videos
169. Quick answers when hanging up a call
170. Transfer ownership of a group to a new administrator
171. Group history visible to new members
172. Specific permissions for members in groups
173. Hashtags to find messages quickly
174. Modify interface scaling (for desktop version)
175. View thread of replies to a specific message
176. Reply to emails with @gmailbot
177. Thumbnails of shared media content in the chat list
178. Search settings
179. Noise suppression in calls
180. Option to individually set volume for each member in group calls
181. accurate view of file sending and downloading progress
182. Suggested greeting stickers
183. Personalized GIFs
184. Private channels
185. Quick multiple message selection
186. Titles for group calls
187. Option to mute new participants in group calls (only administrators)
188. Invitations to a call in groups and channels
189. Calls in channels with unlimited participants
190. Links to group messages and channel postings
191. Possible to view channel posts without the need for the app
192. icon indicating whether a voice message has been listened to
193. Monospace format with quick copy (on cell phones)
194. Quick copy for card numbers
195. Telegram Direct offers fewer restrictions than the play store applies
196. Lock code with customizable autolock
197. Online contacts are displayed
198. Multifunctional button panels
199. Video splitting by chapters
200. Adjustable thickness of photo editor brushes
201. Disable notification previews in specific chats
202. Selection of "available reactions" for members of channels and groups
203. Override invitation links
204. @BajarVideosBot can download videos from a large number of websites in maximum quality, unlimited and even convert them to mp3 (except instagram, but there are more bots for that) it is in Spanish but with the translate button you will not have any problems
205. Camera visible from the "attach file" section.
206. Auto-destruct messages in channels
207. Reply to messages in channels
208. Polls in channels
209. Share location in channels
210. Send muted messages in channels
211. Schedule messages in channels
212. Replace previously sent multimedia
213. Copy message links (in groups and channels)
214. Emojis with sound
215. Group sticker pack
216. Autoplay gifs
217. Quick search of images on the web for sharing (through bots such as @bing or @Goglimgbot)
218. Quick search for YouTube videos to share (using bots such as @Vid)
219. Customized links for channels and public groups 
220. Phone numbers not displayed next to names in groups
221. Dust animation when deleting messages
222. Reposted channel posts in stories
223. Add additional images in photo editor
224. Removing image background when adding additional images in photo editor
225. Video messages that are watched only once

That would give Telegram: 200 more features and capabilities than WhatsApp.

And if that wasn't enough, in addition to this Telegram Premium offers:  

1. Backgrounds for both
2. Stories:
   — Priority order
   — Incognito mode
   — Permanent view history
   — Custom expiration times
   — Download stories
   — Longer descriptions
   — Links and formats
3. 4GB upload
4. Unlimited speech-to-text conversion
5. Faster download speed
6. Real-time translation
7. Animated emojis
8. Emoji statuses
9. Profile badge
10. Advanced chat management
11. No ads (although there are very few)
12. Infinite reactions
13. Animated profile pictures
14. Premium interactive stickers
15. Reply on behalf of a channel in groups

Channel features (depends on your level given by boosts):

1. Stories
2. Personalized reactions
3. Channel colors
4. Custom wallpaper

Features with different interface and/or name between WhatsApp and Telegram, but with similar purposes or capabilities:

1. Telegram (Groups with topics)
   Whatsapp (Communities)
2. Telegram (Saved messages and pinned messages).
   Whatsapp (Starred Messages)
   Whatsapp will soon do its thing (again) and copy Telegram's pinned messages
3. Telegram (private channels)
   Whatsapp (Broadcast messages)
4. Telegram (bot @stckrRobot)
   Whatsapp (Favorite Stickers)
   Note: In Telegram you can only save 5 favorite stickers, while in Whatsapp it is unlimited; however, the purpose of Telegram's favorite stickers is not for you to save ALL your stickers, but only for you to have at your fingertips the 5 stickers you like the most of all the ones you have.
   To be able to save stickers like in Whatsapp you just need to use @stckrRobot and you can even share the stickers you saved.

In addition, many of the features that WhatsApp has, copied them from Telegram.