Whatsapp has more than 400 millions users and trust me that’s quite a huge number. Infact studies have shown that lot of people have started spending more time on Whatsapp than Facebook. This has made Facebook to really think about this situation and guess what happened – Facebook acquired Whatsapp for $19 billion (that’s more that GDP of so many countries).
However that said still lot of people are also not satisfied with what the Whatsapp application offers (mainly limited number of people in group chat etc) and keep on looking for a better alternative. Moreover with the acquisition of Whatsapp by Facebook, many people want to make a switch to something more secure and safe.
Anyhow turns out that Whatsapp is not the only good mobile messenger, one of the growing messaging application is “Telegram Messenger“. Though it is a relatively new messenging application, however the number of signup each day is quite high. This new Telegram messenger is being said to be as Whatsapp killer. Do you know that in one single day 5 million people joined Telegram (moved on from Whatsapp).
If you download the this new messenger you will find that Telegram app looks and feel almost same like Whatsapp messenger. So the question is why, why are people making a switch ?
Well turns out that the features offered by Telegram app are over and above Whatsapp application. So we though to highlight some of the differences between the two application. Below is a tabular comparison (one to one between Telegram Vs Whatsapp).
| Telegram Messenger | Whatsapp Messenger |
| Relatively faster | Relatively slower |
| Install the app on multiple devices and use it on any/all device | You can use it only in one device |
| Has an app for computer as well (mobile apps are offcourse present) | Does not have app for computer. Need to use android emulator (tedious task) to use Whatapp on PC |
| You can access your messages from several devices (including desktop!) | Not possible with Whatsapp. Since you are using it on only device – you can access message from one device only. |
| Telegram is also faster and way more secure (claimed by Telegram) | We don’t feel that there is any security issue |
| Free and will remain free – open source app | Paid for some devices and free for some. Message keeps on popping up (at times) that you will need to buy the app |
| Look and feel same as that of Whatsapp | Easy to use user interface and people are already familiar |
| Only a few friends use Telegram | Every one is using Whatsapp |
| Group Chat with 200 people | Group chat with 25/30 people possible |
| Send Pictures, Videos etc of upto 1GB of size | Can’t send big videos or images – it trims them down. |
| Option for Secret Chat – Message can get deleted automatically after a certain set duration (you can modify this duration) | No such option of secret chat – you will have to manually delete chats |
| Attachment can be any kind of file on your phone memory/sd card. It need not be only video files or JPEG files like in whatsapp. However for sharing contacts it will be difficult. |
Need to be audio/video files or images or location or contacts |
| Messages are double ticked only when the other party has actually read the msg | Double tick means that message has reached the phone but you are not sure whether it has been read it |
| In group chat, you can check how many (and which contacts) are currently online | It just lists participants count and names. Does not clearly show which contacts are online. You will have to manually go to each contact and see if that user is online or not. |
| You can change the notification settings (mute) and sound for each individual chat as well. Offcourse you can change sound for all chats. | It is possible only to mute selective chats. You can NOT change sound setting for individual chat. |
What do you say ?
If you are also using both the apps, then let us know how do compare the two apps. Which one do you prefer ?
Facebook
one more thing you forgot. Telegram not automatically save picture or video. User save it manually which image or video they want. This not fill up gallery with pictures or video that you don’t want. While in whatsapp you have to manually delete those in gallery, in telegram you just swipe finger from right to left on the picture or video and then it pop up menu for save / send / delete. selecting save, It will auto create telegram folder in gallery if it is the first one.