Comparison

Pigeon for Telegram vs Pinglo

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

Pinglo

Organize contacts and schedule follow-ups to nurture important relationships. Capture introductions, add notes, and set smart reminders to turn connections into opportunities. Enjoy a privacy-first design with secure sync and offline access.

Highlights
  • Contact organization
  • Follow-up scheduling
  • Smart reminders
  • Timeline notes
  • Secure cloud sync
  • Offline mode
  • Import/export contacts
Read full description

Keep the people who matter close. Bring clarity to your relationships with a simple, secure contacts and follow‑up app. Capture introductions, schedule follow‑ups, and sync across devices. Smart reminders, tags, and timeline notes help you turn connections into opportunities — for work and life. Built with privacy-first design: optional contact access, end-to-end thoughtful handling, and clear controls. Key features Save and organize contacts, notes, and meeting history Smart reminders, tags, and search Secure sign-in (Email, Google, Apple) and cloud sync Easy imports/exports, offline mode, and backups Waitlist/demo for premium features and subscription controls Join a calmer, more intentional way to manage relationships. Get started in minutes. (Terms of Use) EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pinglo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pinglo at 5.0 against Pigeon for Telegram's 4.1. Pigeon for Telegram's advantage is ratings volume (19 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Pigeon for Telegram sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Pinglo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pinglo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pigeon for Telegram has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Pigeon for Telegram versus Pinglo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPigeon for TelegramPinglo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (19 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings19 — better1
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVincent NeoLuke Johnson

Customer experience

Pigeon for Telegram

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

Pinglo

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
3 purchases

Pinglo

Subscriptions3
  • Unlimited access$7.991 Month
  • Unlimited access7 Days trial$47.901 Year
  • Unlimited access7 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Pigeon for Telegram free?
Pigeon for Telegram is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pinglo free?
Pinglo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pigeon for Telegram or Pinglo?
Pinglo is rated higher. Pigeon for Telegram averages 4.1 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Pinglo averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Pigeon for Telegram or Pinglo have ads?
Neither Pigeon for Telegram nor Pinglo shows ads.

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