Gladly
Telegram
| Feature | Gladly | Telegram |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $180/mo | Free / from $4.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | ecommerce-brands, luxury-retail, enterprise-support, customer-obsessed-teams | communities, developers, crypto-projects, international-teams |
| Founded | 2014 | 2013 |
| Unified Conversation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Omnichannel Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Voice Support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Service | ✓ | ✗ |
| Customer Timeline | ✓ | ✗ |
| Task Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Groups | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bots Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Voice Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Stories | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Gladly Pros
- Single conversation thread per customer
- Excellent omnichannel support
- Built-in voice and messaging
- Customer-first approach
✗ Gladly Cons
- Very expensive per agent
- Enterprise-focused
- Smaller marketplace of integrations
✓ Telegram Pros
- Unlimited cloud storage for messages and files
- Powerful bot API for automation and services
- Groups up to 200,000 members
- Fast and lightweight across all platforms
✗ Telegram Cons
- End-to-end encryption only in Secret Chats (not default)
- Premium features fragmenting the experience
- Moderation challenges in large public groups
The Verdict
Gladly is built for ecommerce brands and luxury retail, with a focus on unified-conversation and omnichannel-inbox. Telegram targets communities and developers and leads with messaging and channels.
On pricing, Telegram is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4.99/mo compared to $180/mo for Gladly. That $175.01/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Telegram has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Gladly requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Telegram offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Gladly takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.