# Telegram Messenger vs WA Business

The clearest difference is rating: Telegram Messenger at 4.0 against WA Business's 2.9. Telegram Messenger also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and review sentiment (34% vs 6%). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 and WA Business sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Telegram Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Telegram Messenger has 285K ratings behind it against 746, 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 6% of WA Business's.

Telegram Messenger ships an update every 2 weeks, WA Business every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Telegram Messenger | WA Business |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (285K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/telegram-messenger/id686449807/reviews)** | [2.9 (746 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wa-business/id1557469430/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **285K** | 746 |
| Positive reviews | **34.1% of reviews** | 6.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 232 MB | 107 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Telegram FZ-LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/686450210) | [Baris Gungor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455480825) |

## What reviewers say

### Telegram Messenger

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

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #6 Top Free · Social Networking, #35 Top Grossing, #37 Top Free (US App Store)

A fast, secure, and feature-rich instant messaging application that syncs across all your devices. It offers unlimited media and file sharing, robust security features, and tools for managing large communities.

**Highlights:** Fast and secure instant messaging, Cross-device synchronization, Unlimited media and file sharing, Large group chats (up to 200,000 members), Customizable themes and animated stickers, Secret chats with self-destructing messages, Bots for task automation

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


### WA Business

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wa-business/id1557469430)

Access WhatsApp and Telegram via a web browser interface on your device. Manage multiple messaging accounts without needing separate phones. Offers daily quotes and status messages.

**Highlights:** Access WhatsApp Web, Access Telegram Web, Manage multiple accounts, Daily quotes, Daily status messages, QR code scanning

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Membership Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Membership Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Membership Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Membership Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Membership Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Membership Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Membership Yearly | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Useful for second WhatsApp
- 🚀 Open second WhatsApp without number
- 🚀 Beautiful UI and good WhatsApp solution

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires subscription to use
- 💰 Expensive at $6 per week
- 🐛 Unable to find downloaded files
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Issues with downloading and finding files

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Better support for voice messages
- Ability to create new WhatsApp account within the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Telegram Messenger free?

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

### Is WA Business free?

WA Business is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Telegram Messenger or WA Business?

Telegram Messenger is rated higher. Telegram Messenger averages 4.0 out of 5 from 285K ratings, while WA Business averages 2.9 from 746 ratings.

### Do Telegram Messenger or WA Business have ads?

Neither Telegram Messenger nor WA Business shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Telegram Messenger or WA Business?

Telegram Messenger ships an update every 2 weeks, and WA Business every 2 months. Most recently, Telegram Messenger was updated on November 1, 2026 and WA Business on October 29, 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.*