Comparison

Pigeon for Telegram vs Chroncord

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pigeon for Telegram

This app is a feature-rich messaging client designed exclusively for Apple Watch. It allows you to send and receive Telegram messages directly from your wrist, supporting various media types and message formatting. It operates independently of an iPhone, offering privacy-focused communication.

Highlights
  • Standalone Apple Watch operation
  • Supports formatted messages
  • Handles various media types (GIFs, photos, documents)
  • Privacy-focused with official API
  • Dynamic Type scaling
  • Siri and Shortcuts integration
  • Folder and topic support
Features
Read full description

Before the telegraph, Pigeons ruled the messaging industry. Today, a little pigeon lives on your watch, bringing your messages across Telegram. That little pigeon, is none other than this app! Pigeon is a Telegram messaging client, built just for the Apple Watch platform. WORKS BY ITSELF Pigeon runs directly on your Watch, without a companion iPhone app, so that if you have a cellular plan, you can chat anytime, anywhere, with just the watch alone. PRIVACY FOCUSED Messages are communicated and received via Telegram’s official API, TDLib, to ensure the same level of secure communications, expected of the Telegram platform. None of your personal information is collected, so that you can chat with confidence. FORMATTED MESSAGES Pigeon receives not just plain old text messages. Formatted messages such as those with bolded, italics, underlined or strikethrough are presented as your friend had intended. SUPPORTED MESSAGE TYPES Pigeon also shows you the GIFs, stickers, photos, videos, contacts, location, voice and video notes, as well as documents* that your friend or channel had sent, while also allowing you to send* text, GIF, stickers, voice, photo^ and location^ messages to your friends too! You can even zoom in on the photos, and interact with the polls and quizzes! Currently supported document types includes png, jpeg, pdf, mp4, txt, rtf, md, gpx^ and more. DYNAMIC TYPE The interface scales according to your Dynamic Type settings, to better fit your needs! SIMPLE SIGN IN Signing in, is just 2 or 3 simple steps. 1. Using the official Telegram app, scan the QR code displayed on the watch. 2. If you have enabled Two-Step Verification, you will have to enter your password. Otherwise, you’re in! Alternatively, you may also sign in via your phone number, if it isn’t convenient for you to scan a QR code. TOPICS^ Pigeon supports topics in group chats, for better chat organisation. REACTIONS, REPLIES AND DELETE You can also send* reactions, reply to, forward messages, or even delete them, directly in the app! You can also edit your messages. Long-press on any message to view these options. CHANNEL COMMENTS^ View and interact with other commentators in a channel WEB LINK PREVIEWS Did your friend send you a link? View it in app. NOTIFICATIONS Receive notifications with image, sticker or voice attachments^*, and reply* directly, without the need of your iPhone nearby! You can also mute chats directly in the app! FOLDER SUPPORT If you prefer to arrange your chats on the official Telegram app via folders, Pigeon can sync and filter accordingly too! START NEW CHATS^ You can start new chat conversations from your synced contacts, directly from Pigeon. SIRI AND SHORTCUTS^ Send Telegram messages using your voice via Siri. SEARCH Search for contacts and public groups and channels directly in app. PARENTAL CONTROLS^ Restrict certain functionality if deemed unsuitable for the user. CALLS* Pigeon supports one-to-one Telegram voice calls, without companion phone apps. RICH TEXT SUPPORT* Implemented with a focus for AI agent support, Pigeon can display rich text content. MORE FEATURES FOR THE FUTURE Pigeon is in active development, with more features to come, in future. — *Some features requires an active subscription. With a subscription, you would be able to go to the next page of the chat list, view older messages, send messages, reactions and replies, future feature updates, as well as to support the development efforts to keep Pigeon going! ^Feature requires watchOS 10 and above. — Pigeon is not affiliated, associated, endorsed by, or in any way connected to Telegram Messenger. Note: In order to use the app without an iPhone in close proximity, an active and direct cellular or Wi-Fi connection is required for the Apple Watch. Privacy Policy: https://pigeonwatch.app/privacy Terms (Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Documentation: https://support.pigeonwatch.app/notes

About

Chroncord

Access your Discord servers and messages directly from your wrist. Manage DMs, channels, and participate in voice chats with a range of messaging and customization features. This app offers a convenient way to stay connected on the go.

Highlights
  • Access DMs, servers, and channels
  • Send, edit, and reply to messages
  • View embeds, images, and pinned messages
  • Use custom emojis and reactions
  • Participate in voice channel chats
  • Real-time message indicators
  • Markdown support for formatting
Features
Read full description

Use Discord¹ on your wrist! FEATURES: • One-time purchase—no subscriptions, ever. • Login with Discord credentials or QR Code. • Access all your DMs, servers, channels, and messages. • Browse threads and forum posts with ease. • View embeds, pinned messages, and full-sized images. • Send, delete, edit, and reply to messages. • Enjoy custom emojis and add new reactions. • Open web links directly within the app. • Check full user profiles, including roles and statuses. • Real-time message indicators and ping counters. • Change and sync your own status across devices. • Adjust settings to customize your experience. • Markdown support for formatting. • Open and participate in voice channel chats. • Use the FlickType Keyboard for easy typing. COMING SOON: • Widgets and complications. • Server member lists. • Polls and slash commands. • Custom status text. • Full video and GIF support. • Seamless account switching. • Localization for global use. [1] Chroncord is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Discord Inc. All trademarks, service marks, and logos pertaining to Discord are the exclusive property of Discord Inc.

Screenshots

Chroncord4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pigeon for Telegram at Free against Chroncord's $2.99. Chroncord's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Pigeon for Telegram is free to download; Chroncord costs $2.99 up front. Pigeon for Telegram sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Chroncord asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chroncord holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 57 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Pigeon for Telegram's written reviews are positive against 82% of Chroncord's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pigeon for Telegram ships an update monthly, Chroncord every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Pigeon for Telegram versus Chroncord: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPigeon for TelegramChroncord
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.1 (19 ratings)4.6 (57 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews82.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1957 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#15 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB25 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperVincent NeoTyler Smith

Customer experience

Pigeon for Telegram

All ratings19 ratings
Positive73.7%
Neutral5.3%
Negative21.1%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral8.9%
Negative31.1%

Chroncord

All ratings54 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral7.4%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive82.4%
Neutral9.8%
Negative7.8%

Bugs and requests

Pigeon for Telegram

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Chroncord

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Servers not showing up
  • Discord flags app as potential hack
  • Cannot zoom/open images in messages
  • Cannot play attached audio files
  • QR signup failed
Show 6 more
  • App refuses to load/connect
  • Links to comments, gifs, stickers, photos do not work
  • Bot commands not supported
  • Randomly switches message recipient
  • Notifications not received
  • DMs work terribly, switches recipient randomly

Requested features

15 requests
  • Ability to check servers remotely (not just DMs)
  • Ability to zoom in/open images in messages
  • Ability to play attached audio files
  • Support for Family Setup on Apple Watch
  • Section to view friends and initiate messages/group messages
Show 10 more
  • Plus symbol in messages area to create new messages with friend selection
  • Voice messaging capability
  • VC (Voice Chat) support
  • Ability to alert to notifications
  • Pinning favorite chats and channels
  • Ability to attach images
  • Ability to control bots (/ command)
  • Direct access shortcut on watch face
  • Support for adding a custom status
  • Support for channel folders/groups

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Pigeon for Telegram

Subscriptions2
  • Full Access (1 Month)7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Full Access (1 Year)7 Days trial$12.991 Year
None

Chroncord

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pigeon for Telegram free?
Pigeon for Telegram is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chroncord free?
Chroncord costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pigeon for Telegram or Chroncord?
Chroncord is rated higher. Pigeon for Telegram averages 4.1 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Chroncord averages 4.6 from 57 ratings.
Do Pigeon for Telegram or Chroncord have ads?
Neither Pigeon for Telegram nor Chroncord shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pigeon for Telegram or Chroncord?
Pigeon for Telegram ships an update monthly, and Chroncord every 3 days. Most recently, Pigeon for Telegram was updated on November 3, 2026 and Chroncord on November 4, 2026.

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