Mattermost
Telegram
| Feature | Mattermost | Telegram |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | Free / from $4.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | devops-teams, security-conscious-orgs, government, enterprise | communities, developers, crypto-projects, international-teams |
| Founded | 2015 | 2013 |
| Messaging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Channels | ✓ | ✓ |
| Playbooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Compliance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Groups | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bots Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Voice Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Stories | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Mattermost Pros
- Self-hostable
- Open source
- DevOps integrations
- Secure
✗ Mattermost Cons
- Smaller ecosystem
- Fewer integrations than Slack
- Self-hosting complexity
✓ 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
Mattermost is built for devops teams and security conscious orgs, with a focus on messaging and channels. 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 $10/mo for Mattermost. That $5.01/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 Mattermost takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Telegram has a slight overall edge — but if self-hostable matters most to you, Mattermost may still be the right call.