# Telegram Messenger vs Messages

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Messages at none against Telegram Messenger's 22. Messages also leads on review sentiment (45% vs 34%) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Telegram Messenger's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and chart position (#4 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Telegram Messenger sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Messages asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Telegram Messenger against 4.1 for Messages. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Telegram Messenger has 282K ratings behind it against 39K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 34% of Telegram Messenger's written reviews are positive against 45% of Messages's.

Telegram Messenger ships an update fortnightly, Messages every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Telegram Messenger | Messages |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (282K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/telegram-messenger/id686449807/reviews) | **[4.1 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messages/id1146560473/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **282K** | 39K |
| Positive reviews | 34.1% of reviews | **45.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 244 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Telegram FZ-LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/686450210) | [Apple Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Telegram Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/telegram-messenger/id686449807)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Free · Social Networking, #4 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #29 Top Free, #40 Top Grossing (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Telegram Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Telegram Premium Annual | $35.99 | per year |
| 50 Telegram Stars | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1x Telegram Premium (One Week) | $1.19 | one-time |
| 100 Telegram Stars | $1.99 | one-time |
| 250 Telegram Stars | $5.09 | one-time |
| 500 Telegram Stars | $9.99 | one-time |
| Telegram Premium (3 Months) | $14.99 | one-time |
| 750 Telegram Stars | $14.99 | one-time |
| Telegram Premium (6 Months) | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1x Premium (6 Months) | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Telegram Stars | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1500 Telegram Stars | $29.99 | one-time |
| Telegram Premium (1 Year) | $35.99 | one-time |
| 1x Premium (1 Year) | $35.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Telegram Stars | $50.90 | one-time |
| 5x Premium (3 Months Each) | $74.99 | one-time |
| 10x Premium (3 Months Each) | $149.99 | one-time |
| 5x Premium (1 Year Each) | $179.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Customizable and user-friendly
- 💡 Innovative features like channels and bots
- 🌟 Great overall messaging experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable at times
- 🔋 Battery life issues
- 🚫 Lack of video calling feature
- 📂 Issues with media uploads and downloads
- 🔍 Inadequate search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add video calling feature
- Improve search capabilities
- Implement a story/status feature
- Allow more customization options
- Segregate channels, bots, and individual chats


### Messages

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messages/id1146560473)

Communicate with contacts through unlimited texts, photos, videos, and documents. Supports iMessage for Apple devices and RCS, SMS, and MMS for others. Features include message editing, unsending, and scheduling.

**Highlights:** Send unlimited texts, photos, videos, and documents, iMessage, RCS, SMS, and MMS support, Edit and unsend messages, Schedule messages, Message effects and stickers, Group chat features, Messages in iCloud

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable messaging
- 🔒 End-to-end encryption
- 👍 Seamless integration with Apple devices
- 💡 Fun features like Memoji and stickers
- 🤝 Easy group chat management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 📤 Inability to delete messages for others
- 🔔 Lack of typing indicators in group chats
- 📱 Incompatibility with non-Apple devices

**Reported bugs**

- Messages not delivering consistently
- App crashing or freezing on launch
- Issues with iCloud sync and message history
- Problems with location sharing and privacy

**Requested features**

- Ability to schedule messages
- Option to lock specific conversations
- More customization options for Memoji
- Improved voice message functionality
- Expanded reaction/emoji options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Telegram Messenger free?

Telegram Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Messages free?

Messages is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Telegram Messenger or Messages?

Messages is rated higher. Telegram Messenger averages 4.0 out of 5 from 282K ratings, while Messages averages 4.1 from 39K ratings.

### Do Telegram Messenger or Messages have ads?

Neither Telegram Messenger nor Messages shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Telegram Messenger or Messages?

Telegram Messenger ships an update fortnightly, and Messages every 6 months. Most recently, Telegram Messenger was updated on October 20, 2026 and Messages on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*