Rocket.Chat
Telegram
| Feature | Rocket.Chat | Telegram |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $4/mo | Free / from $4.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.1 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | security-conscious-organizations, government, self-hosters, enterprises | communities, developers, crypto-projects, international-teams |
| Founded | 2015 | 2013 |
| Channels | ✓ | ✓ |
| Direct Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Calls | ✓ | ✗ |
| Federation | ✓ | ✗ |
| E2e Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Marketplace | ✓ | ✗ |
| Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Groups | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bots Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Voice Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Stories | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Rocket.Chat Pros
- Fully open-source and self-hostable
- End-to-end encryption
- Federation support between instances
- Highly customizable
✗ Rocket.Chat Cons
- Self-hosted requires maintenance
- Mobile apps less polished than Slack
- Smaller app ecosystem
✓ 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
Rocket.Chat is built for security conscious organizations and government, with a focus on channels and direct-messaging. Telegram targets communities and developers and leads with messaging and channels.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($4/mo for Rocket.Chat, $4.99/mo for Telegram), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Telegram edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Telegram offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Rocket.Chat takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Telegram has a slight overall edge — but if fully open-source and self-hostable matters most to you, Rocket.Chat may still be the right call.