Lark
Telegram
| Feature | Lark | Telegram |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $12/mo | Free / from $4.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, asian-market-teams, small-businesses, cross-functional-teams | communities, developers, crypto-projects, international-teams |
| Founded | 2019 | 2013 |
| Messaging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Conferencing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Documents | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spreadsheets | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Approval Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Groups | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bots Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Voice Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Stories | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Lark Pros
- All-in-one suite (chat, docs, video, tasks)
- Very generous free tier
- Fast and responsive
- Built-in approval workflows
✗ Lark Cons
- ByteDance ownership raises data concerns
- Less popular in Western markets
- Some features feel overwhelming
✓ 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
Lark is built for startups and asian market teams, with a focus on messaging and video-conferencing. 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 $12/mo for Lark. That $7.01/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Telegram offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Lark 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.