Telegram Messenger vs FaceTime
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Telegram Messenger
A fast, secure, and powerful instant messaging app synced across all devices. It offers unlimited media and file sharing, robust encryption, and extensive group chat capabilities. Enjoy a simple, private, and customizable communication experience.
- Cross-device synchronization
- Unlimited file and media sharing
- End-to-end encrypted secret chats
- Large group chats (up to 200,000 members)
- Customizable themes and stickers
- Bots for task automation
- Photo and video editing tools
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Pure instant messaging — simple, fast, secure, and synced across all your devices. One of the top 5 most downloaded apps in the world with over 1 billion active users. FAST: Telegram is the fastest messaging app on the market, connecting people via a unique, distributed network of data centers around the globe. SYNCED: You can access your messages from all your phones, tablets and computers at once. Telegram apps are standalone, so you don’t need to keep your phone connected. Start typing on one device and finish the message from another. Never lose your data again. UNLIMITED: You can send media and files, without any limits on their type and size. Your entire chat history will require no disk space on your device, and will be securely stored in the Telegram cloud for as long as you need it. SECURE: We made it our mission to provide the best security combined with ease of use. Everything on Telegram, including chats, groups, media, etc. is encrypted using a combination of 256-bit symmetric AES encryption, 2048-bit RSA encryption, and Diffie–Hellman secure key exchange. 100% FREE & OPEN: Telegram has a fully documented and free API for developers, open source apps and verifiable builds to prove the app you download is built from the exact same source code that is published. POWERFUL: You can create group chats with up to 200,000 members, share large videos, documents of any type (.DOCX, .MP3, .ZIP, etc.) up to 2 GB each, and even set up bots for specific tasks. Telegram is the perfect tool for hosting online communities and coordinating teamwork. RELIABLE: Built to deliver your messages using as little data as possible, Telegram is the most reliable messaging system ever made. It works even on the weakest mobile connections. FUN: Telegram has powerful photo and video editing tools, animated stickers and emoji, fully customizable themes to change the appearance of your app, and an open sticker/GIF platform to cater to all your expressive needs. SIMPLE: While providing an unprecedented array of features, we take great care to keep the interface clean. Telegram is so simple you already know how to use it. PRIVATE: We take your privacy seriously and will never give any third parties access to your data. You can delete any message you ever sent or received for both sides, at any time and without a trace. Telegram will never use your data to show you ads. For those interested in maximum privacy, Telegram offers Secret Chats. Secret Chat messages can be programmed to self-destruct automatically from both participating devices. This way you can send all types of disappearing content — messages, photos, videos, and even files. Secret Chats use End-to-End Encryption to ensure that a message can only be read by its intended recipient. We keep expanding the boundaries of what you can do with a messaging app. Don’t wait years for older messengers to catch up with Telegram — join the revolution today. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
FaceTime
Connect with loved ones through high-quality audio and video calls. Share experiences like watching videos or listening to music together, collaborate on projects, and enhance your calls with fun effects and improved audio quality. Easily invite anyone to join, regardless of their device.
- Video and audio messaging
- SharePlay for synced media
- Screen sharing with remote control
- Real-time document collaboration
- Web link invitations for non-Apple users
- Advanced mic modes and video effects
- Seamless call handoff between devices
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Connect with family and friends around the world with FaceTime audio and video calls. FaceTime Messages When someone doesn’t pick up your FaceTime call, leave them a video or audio message to capture exactly what you want to say. SharePlay Watch videos and listen to music together with SharePlay. Synced playback and shared controls keep everyone on the same beat, and smart volume makes it easy to keep the conversation going over FaceTime while enjoying a video or song you love. Screen sharing Share your iPhone, iPad or Mac screen to bring your favorite apps into FaceTime. When someone is screen sharing, you can tap and draw on your screen to point out what they should do on theirs. If you need to assist more directly, you can ask for permission to remotely control their device. Collaboration Work on documents, presentations and more with the people on your call. Unknown Callers list Screened calls from unknown numbers are placed in a new area of your call list and out of your way. FaceTime links Invite your friends into a FaceTime call using a web link you can share anywhere. Even friends who don’t have an Apple device can join the call from their browser instantly — no login necessary. Mic Modes Automatic Mic Mode picks the right Mic Mode for you. Voice Isolation blocks out ambient noise and spotlights your voice. Wide Spectrum will leave ambient noises unfiltered, allowing your voice and all the sounds around you to be heard. Portrait mode & Studio Light Portrait mode blurs your background, while Studio Light dims the background and brightens your face. Reactions & gestures Layer screen effects directly into your camera feed, like balloons, confetti, stormy rain, fireworks, or laser beams. Double tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the reaction buttons, or trigger reactions using hand gestures. Contact Posters Create a customized poster to represent yourself when you give people a FaceTime Audio call. Choose from various treatments for photos, Memoji and your name. Spatial audio With spatial audio, your friends’ voices are spread out to sound like they’re coming from the direction in which they’re positioned on the call. Grid view Grid view lets you see people in your Group FaceTime calls in the same-size tiles, and highlights the current speaker so it’s easy to know who’s talking. Center Stage Center Stage uses machine learning to adjust the front-facing Ultra Wide camera during FaceTime video calls to help keep you and anyone else with you in the frame. Handoff in FaceTime Move FaceTime calls seamlessly from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad, and vice versa. When you hand off a call, your connected Bluetooth headset transitions to the new device simultaneously. Handoff to FaceTime on Apple TV 4K Connect with family and friends around the world from the comfort of your couch. Launch the FaceTime app on Apple TV to initiate a call or start on iPhone and handoff to Apple TV. Get everyone together Enjoy Group FaceTime calls with up to 32 people at once. Live Captions in FaceTime See automatically transcribed dialogue integrated into your FaceTime video calls. With speaker attribution, it's easy to follow along with group conversations. Flexible calling Reach contacts using their phone number or Apple Account. FaceTime works over Wi-Fi and cellular. Dual Capture on FaceTime Stream your front and rear cameras at the same time during one-on-one FaceTime calls—great for sharing what you’re looking at while staying face to face. (Available on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 models)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FaceTime at none against Telegram Messenger's 22. FaceTime also leads on rating (4.2 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Telegram Messenger's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (282K vs 27K). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Telegram Messenger sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. FaceTime asks for nothing beyond the download.
FaceTime holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Telegram Messenger has 282K ratings behind it against 27K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of Telegram Messenger's written reviews are positive against 40% of FaceTime's.
Telegram Messenger ships an update fortnightly, FaceTime every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.
| Parameter | Telegram Messenger | FaceTime |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (282K ratings) | 4.2 (27K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.3% of reviews | 40.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 282K — better | 27K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #4 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 244 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Telegram FZ-LLC | Apple Distribution International |
Customer experience
Telegram Messenger
FaceTime
User reviews
Telegram Messenger
From 282K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Customizable and user-friendly
- 💡 Innovative features like channels and bots
- 🌟 Great overall messaging experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable at times
- 🔋 Battery life issues
- 🚫 Lack of video calling feature
- 📂 Issues with media uploads and downloads
- 🔍 Inadequate search functionality
FaceTime
From 27K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💕 Seamless and reliable video calling
- 🔍 Excellent audio and video quality
- 🤝 Great for staying connected with friends and family
- 🎨 Fun features like Animoji and Memoji
- 🌐 Compatibility with non-Apple devices
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent call drops and connection issues
- 🔇 Audio cutting out or not working
- 🔍 Blurry or low-quality video
- 🤯 Confusing UI changes and button placements
- 🔋 Phone overheating during calls
Bugs and requests
Telegram Messenger
Reported bugs
5 issues- Keyboard issues and cursor placement problems
- Frequent app crashes, especially in large group chats
- Inaccurate 'last seen' timestamps
- Notification issues and duplicate messages
- Problems with media auto-save and download
Requested features
5 requests- Add video calling feature
- Improve search capabilities
- Implement a story/status feature
- Allow more customization options
- Segregate channels, bots, and individual chats
FaceTime
Reported bugs
5 issues- Calls not connecting or dropping unexpectedly
- Inability to mute or unmute during calls
- Duplicate participants in group calls
- Screen sharing not working as expected
- Automatic call receiving with speaker on
Requested features
5 requests- Add filters and fun effects
- Improve screen sharing functionality
- Implement a video voicemail feature
- Allow mirroring of asymmetric faces
- Provide an option to permanently display the camera button
In-app purchases
Telegram Messenger
- Telegram Premium$4.991 Month
- Telegram Premium Annual$35.991 Year
- 50 Telegram Stars$0.99
- 1x Telegram Premium (One Week)$1.19
- 100 Telegram Stars$1.99
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- 250 Telegram Stars$5.09
- 500 Telegram Stars$9.99
- Telegram Premium (3 Months)$14.99
- 750 Telegram Stars$14.99
- Telegram Premium (6 Months)$19.99
- 1x Premium (6 Months)$19.99
- 1000 Telegram Stars$19.99
- 1500 Telegram Stars$29.99
- Telegram Premium (1 Year)$35.99
- 1x Premium (1 Year)$35.99
- 2500 Telegram Stars$50.90
- 5x Premium (3 Months Each)$74.99
- 10x Premium (3 Months Each)$149.99
- 5x Premium (1 Year Each)$179.99
FaceTime
No in-app purchases








