Telegram
Zoho Meeting
| Feature | Telegram | Zoho Meeting |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $4.99/mo | Free / from $1.5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | communities, developers, crypto-projects, international-teams | zoho-users, small-businesses, budget-conscious-teams, webinar-hosts |
| Founded | 2013 | 2009 |
| Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✓ | ✗ |
| Groups | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bots Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| File Sharing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Voice Calls | ✓ | ✗ |
| Stories | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Meetings | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webinars | ✗ | ✓ |
| Screen Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Recording | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Backgrounds | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Zoho Meeting Pros
- Very affordable pricing
- Zoho ecosystem integration
- No participant limit on free plan
- GDPR compliant
✗ Zoho Meeting Cons
- Fewer features than Zoom
- Limited third-party integrations
- Lower brand recognition
The Verdict
Telegram is built for communities and developers, with a focus on messaging and channels. Zoho Meeting targets zoho users and small businesses and leads with video-meetings and webinars.
Pricing is close: Zoho Meeting starts at $1.5/mo versus $4.99/mo for Telegram — not a deciding factor on its own.
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 Zoho Meeting takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Telegram has a slight overall edge — but if very affordable pricing matters most to you, Zoho Meeting may still be the right call.