Telegram vs Viber

Telegram is the better choice if you want to run or follow channels, use bots and mini apps, share large files and use your account on many devices at once. Viber is the better choice if you want end-to-end encryption on every chat by default, cheap calls to ordinary phone numbers, and to reach friends and family who already use it. For most people the deciding factor is simply which app their contacts use, and many keep both.

This guide compares the two honestly, feature by feature, explains the trade-offs behind each difference, and ends with practical advice for switching or using both.

The short version

• Encryption: Viber encrypts chats end-to-end by default, according to the company. Telegram encrypts normal chats between your device and its servers, and offers end-to-end encryption in secret chats.
• Multiple devices: Telegram's cloud-based design syncs everything across phones, tablets, desktops and the web. Viber stores chats mainly on your devices and relies on backups.
• Big audiences: Telegram channels have no subscriber limit and groups hold up to 200,000 members, with mature admin tools. Viber has Communities and Channels too, but Telegram's broadcasting ecosystem is larger and more developed for creators.
• Calls: both offer free voice and video calls between users. Viber also sells calls to regular phone numbers through a paid service.
• Bots and apps: Telegram has an open bot platform and mini apps used for everything from tools to shops. Viber offers bots mainly for businesses.
• Who uses it: each is the default messenger in different countries and communities. Check what your contacts use.

Who makes each app and how they earn money

Viber is owned by Rakuten, a large Japanese technology company. Its business includes advertising inside the app, paid calls to ordinary phone numbers, paid sticker packs and business messaging services, plus optional paid features.

Telegram is run by Telegram's own company. It earns through Telegram Premium subscriptions, Telegram Ads in large public channels, and its Stars ecosystem and related services. Ordinary private chats do not show ads. For more on what Premium adds, see Telegram Premium vs free.

The business model matters because it shapes what each app encourages. Viber's in-app ads and paid calls support a classic messenger. Telegram's model leans on large public channels, creators and add-ons, which is why its broadcasting and monetisation tools are more developed.

Privacy and encryption

This is the area where people most often get the comparison wrong, so it is worth being precise.

Viber: Viber states that its one-to-one and group chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default. That means only the participants' devices can read the content. Viber also offers features such as hidden chats protected by a PIN and disappearing messages. Because content is end-to-end encrypted and stored on devices, Viber's backups go to your own cloud storage account on your phone platform, and you control whether they exist.

Telegram: Telegram has two kinds of chats:

• Cloud chats (all normal chats, groups and channels) are encrypted between your device and Telegram's servers, and stored in Telegram's cloud so they sync across devices. They are not end-to-end encrypted.
• Secret chats are end-to-end encrypted, one-to-one only, and tied to the device where they were started. They do not sync to other devices.

Telegram's one-to-one voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted. For a full explanation, read is Telegram end-to-end encrypted and Telegram secret chats explained.

What this means in practice

• If your priority is that the provider cannot read any of your chats, Viber's default is stronger than Telegram's default. On Telegram you get the same property only in secret chats.
• If your priority is having your full history on every device, Telegram's cloud model is the one that delivers it, and that convenience is exactly why most Telegram chats are not end-to-end encrypted.
• Neither app is a complete privacy solution on its own. Your phone's security, who you talk to and what they do with your messages matter as much as the encryption type.

If privacy is your main concern, our comparison of Telegram vs Signal is also worth reading, because it covers the trade-offs in more depth.

Phone numbers and profile privacy

Both apps register you with a phone number and can show you which of your contacts use the app.

On Telegram, you can set a public username so people can contact you without your number, and you can hide your number from everyone in the privacy settings. Group members and channel subscribers do not see your number unless your settings allow it. See how to hide your phone number on Telegram.

On Viber, your phone number is more central to how people find and contact you. In large Communities, Viber has offered options that limit who can see your number, but contact by username is not the core of the app in the way it is on Telegram.

If you join large public groups or run a public channel, Telegram's username-first approach makes it easier to keep your number private.

Using the app on several devices

Telegram: Telegram works the same way on phone, tablet, desktop app and web, all at once, with your full history on each. You can log in on a new device with a code or by scanning a QR code. Losing your phone does not lose your chats, because they live in the cloud; secret chats are the exception. See how to use Telegram on desktop and web.

Viber: Viber's primary account lives on your phone. The desktop app and additional devices are linked to it. Because chats are stored on devices, moving to a new phone relies on restoring a backup, and some history may not appear on a newly linked device.

In practice: People who work at a computer all day and switch devices often usually find Telegram more convenient. People who use mainly one phone may not notice the difference, apart from needing to keep Viber backups turned on.

Groups and communities

Telegram groups

Telegram groups hold up to 200,000 members, with admins, granular permissions, slow mode, topics for organising large groups into threads, polls, quizzes, voice chats and a wide range of moderation bots. Our guides to moderating a large Telegram group and topics in Telegram groups show what is possible.

Viber groups and Communities

Viber has ordinary group chats for friends and family, and Communities for larger audiences, with admin roles and the ability to hide members' numbers. Communities suit large discussion spaces, and Viber has been building them up over the years. Check Viber's current help pages for their exact limits and admin options.

In practice: For a family or friends group, both work well; use whichever app everyone already has. For a large, active public community with moderation needs, Telegram's toolset and its range of third-party bots give admins more control.

Channels and broadcasting

This is where the two apps differ most.

Telegram channels

Telegram channels are one-to-many broadcasts with unlimited subscribers. They support long posts, rich formatting, media, polls, comments through a linked discussion group, reactions, scheduled posts, statistics for larger channels, boosts and several monetisation options: paid posts, paid reactions, subscriptions in Stars, Telegram Ads revenue sharing where eligible, and sponsored posts sold directly. Channels can be found through Telegram's own search, through links and through directories. For the basics, see how to create a Telegram channel, and for income options, how to make money on Telegram.

Viber channels

Viber also offers Channels for broadcasting, used by media outlets, brands and public figures. They work for one-way updates, but the ecosystem around them, including creator monetisation, analytics tools and third-party services, is smaller.

In practice: If you want to build an audience, publish regularly and potentially earn from it, Telegram is the stronger platform. If your audience is entirely on Viber already, a Viber channel can reach them where they are, but expect fewer tools.

On TGDirectory you can browse Telegram channels by topic in our categories and see measured figures such as subscribers, average views and posting frequency on each listing.

Stickers, customisation and extras

Both apps are known for stickers, and both let you personalise the experience, but in different ways.

Telegram lets anyone create sticker packs and custom emoji and share them freely, and offers chat themes, folders for organising chats, scheduled and silent messages, polls and quizzes, and stories. Premium adds more customisation. If you like organising a busy chat list, folders alone can be a reason to prefer Telegram; see how to use Telegram folders.

Viber offers a large sticker market, including paid packs, plus chat backgrounds, disappearing messages and other fun features. Its extras are aimed more at personal chats than at managing many communities.

Calls

Both apps offer free voice and video calls to other users over the internet, including group calls.

Viber also sells calls to ordinary landline and mobile numbers through a paid service, which is useful for calling people who are not on any messaging app, especially internationally. This is one of Viber's distinctive features.

Telegram does not offer calls to ordinary phone numbers. It does offer voice chats and live streams in groups and channels, which suit communities, talks and events. See Telegram voice chats and live streams.

If you regularly call relatives abroad who use a landline, Viber's paid calling can be a real reason to keep it. Check Viber's current rates for the destinations you call before relying on it, because prices vary by country and type of number.

Bots, mini apps and integrations

Telegram: Telegram's bot platform is open to anyone. You create a bot through @BotFather, connect it to code or a no-code tool, and it can do almost anything: moderation, reminders, shops, games, payments, customer support. Mini apps run full web apps inside Telegram. This openness is a major reason businesses and communities choose Telegram. Start with what are Telegram bots and Telegram mini apps explained.

Viber: Viber offers bots and business messaging, aimed mainly at companies that want to talk to customers, send notifications or provide support. The ecosystem of community-built bots is much smaller.

In practice: If you want to automate anything, build a tool, or run a community with bots for moderation and welcome messages, Telegram is far more flexible.

Media and files

Telegram handles large files and keeps them in the cloud, so you can reach them later from any device. It is common to use Telegram as a file transfer tool between your own devices through Saved Messages. Check Telegram's own information for current file size limits; our guide on Telegram file size limits explains the details.

Viber handles photos, videos and files for everyday sharing. Because content is stored on devices, large media takes up space on your phone, and access from another device depends on what has synced or been backed up.

Ads and clutter

Viber shows ads in some parts of the app, which pays for the free service. Some features can be unlocked with paid options.

Telegram shows no ads in private chats and groups. Telegram Ads can appear in large public channels, as short labelled sponsored messages. Premium subscribers can turn some of them off. See Telegram Ads platform explained.

Business use

Viber offers business messaging for companies to reach customers on Viber, including notifications and support, through its business offerings.

Telegram offers business features for individual accounts, such as opening hours, a location, quick replies, greeting and away messages and the ability to connect a bot to answer chats, as part of Telegram Business, plus channels, groups and bots for marketing. See Telegram Business features explained.

For a small shop or creator, Telegram's combination of channel, group and bot often covers marketing, community and support in one place. For a company whose customers are mostly on Viber, Viber's business tools put messages where those customers already are.

Safety and spam

Both apps have spam and scam problems in large public spaces, as any popular messenger does. Practical habits are the same on both: never share a login or verification code, be wary of unexpected links, check who is really behind an account claiming to be support, and use the privacy settings to limit who can add you to groups.

On Telegram, set up two-step verification and read how to spot Telegram scams. On Viber, use its PIN and security options and be equally careful with codes.

Storage on your phone

The two designs also feel different in how they use your phone's storage.

Telegram keeps media in the cloud and stores a local cache of what you have viewed. You can set how long cached media is kept and clear it at any time without losing anything, because the originals stay in the cloud. If Telegram takes up a lot of space, see how to clear Telegram cache.

Viber stores your chats and media on the device. Deleting media frees space but removes it from that device, and getting it back depends on your backup. This is the natural consequence of keeping content end-to-end encrypted on devices rather than in a provider's cloud.

Neither approach is wrong. Telegram's model makes storage easy to manage; Viber's model keeps content off the provider's servers.

Account security

Both apps protect accounts with a code sent to your phone number at registration, and both offer extra protection you should switch on.

Telegram offers two-step verification, an additional password required when logging in on a new device, plus a recovery email. You can see every logged-in device in the active sessions list and end any of them remotely, and set a passcode lock on the app. Our guide to setting up Telegram two-step verification takes a few minutes and is the single most useful step.

Viber offers its own security options, such as a PIN for account protection and hidden chats behind a PIN. Check Viber's settings and help pages for what is currently available on your device.

On both, the biggest risk is the same: someone tricking you into sharing the code sent to your phone. No genuine support team asks for it.

Finding public content

How you discover new channels and communities differs too.

Telegram has a global search that finds public channels, groups, bots and usernames, plus recommendations of similar channels. Links to public channels can be opened by anyone, even without an account, as a web preview. Directories such as TGDirectory add another layer, letting you browse by topic and compare measured figures like subscribers, average views and posting frequency before you join. See how to find Telegram channels.

Viber lets you find channels and Communities through links shared by their owners and through what Viber shows in the app. The public catalogue is smaller, so most people join through a link from a brand or organisation they already follow.

If you follow news, hobbies or professional topics through public channels, Telegram gives you a much larger selection.

Running a community on both apps

Some organisations, especially local ones, have members split between the two apps. A practical approach:

1. Choose one home. Decide which app holds the main discussion and announcements, based on where most members are and which tools you need.
2. Mirror announcements, not discussions. Post important announcements in both places, but keep conversation in one, or it will split and both spaces will feel quiet.
3. Give the same rules in both. Our guide to writing Telegram group rules works for either app.
4. Assign an admin per app. Someone should own each space, even the secondary one.
5. Review after a few months. If one space is clearly where members talk, gently move the other's announcements to point there.

Deleting your account

Telegram deletes an account automatically after a period of inactivity that you can choose in the settings, and you can delete it manually at any time. Deleting removes your messages and contacts from Telegram's side, though people you chatted with keep their copies of conversations. See what happens when you delete your Telegram account.

Viber lets you deactivate your account from its settings. Because chats are stored on devices, deactivating affects your data on your devices and Viber's records; check Viber's help pages for exactly what is removed.

Before deleting either, export or back up anything you want to keep, and if you own a Telegram channel or group, transfer ownership first.

Which should you use?

Telegram suits you if

• You want to follow or run channels and large communities.
• You use several devices and want full history everywhere.
• You want bots, mini apps or automation.
• You share large files or use the app as a personal cloud.
• You want to contact people by username without sharing your number.

Viber suits you if

• You want end-to-end encryption on all chats without thinking about it.
• Your family and friends already use Viber.
• You call ordinary phone numbers abroad and want a cheap option.
• You use mainly one phone and do not need full history on many devices.

Both suit you if

• Your personal contacts are on Viber, but the communities and channels you care about are on Telegram. Many people use Viber for family and Telegram for everything else.

Scenarios

Example 1 (illustrative only): Elena's parents and relatives use Viber, and she calls an aunt's landline abroad. She keeps Viber for family and calls. She also follows several news and hobby channels and joins a professional community, all of which are on Telegram. She uses both and loses nothing.

Example 2 (illustrative only): A local sports club wants one place for announcements and member chat. They create a Telegram channel for announcements, link a discussion group for comments, and add a bot to welcome new members. Members who prefer Viber still receive a link they can open in Telegram.

Example 3 (illustrative only): Karim values privacy above everything and does not need channels. He chooses an app with end-to-end encryption by default for all chats, and uses Telegram only to follow a few public channels, without private conversations there.

What feels different for a Viber user trying Telegram

People coming from Viber often trip over the same few differences in their first week:

• Channels and groups are separate things. A channel is a broadcast where only admins post; a group is a conversation. If you cannot write in something you joined, it is probably a channel. See Telegram channel vs group.
• Secret chats do not appear on your other devices. That is by design, because they are end-to-end encrypted and tied to the device where they started.
• Your chats appear on a new phone immediately. No backup to restore, because normal chats live in Telegram's cloud.
• People can find you by username. If you set one, anyone who knows it can message you, so choose your privacy settings for messages and group invitations.
• Large public groups are noisier. Mute the busy ones and use folders to keep personal chats separate.
• Strangers may message you about offers or "support". Treat every unexpected message about money, crypto or your account as suspicious.

Most of these feel strange for a few days and then become reasons people stay.

Before you switch: a checklist

Whichever direction you are moving, check these first:

• Who you need to reach. List the people and groups you talk to most and which app each uses.
• What history you need. Export or back up anything you would miss; neither app imports the other's history.
• What you run. If you admin a group or channel, decide its future before you leave, and hand over ownership rather than abandoning it.
• Your phone number's exposure. On Telegram, set a username and privacy settings before joining large public groups.
• Security. Turn on every account protection the new app offers on day one, before contacts start messaging you there.

Switching from Viber to Telegram

1. Install Telegram and register with your phone number.
2. Set a username so people can find you without your number, and adjust your privacy settings.
3. Tell your contacts. Telegram shows which of your contacts already use it; share your username or a link with others.
4. Recreate groups. Create a Telegram group and share an invite link in the old Viber group. See Telegram invite links guide.
5. Keep Viber for a while. Many contacts move slowly. Mute Viber groups that have moved, rather than leaving at once.
6. Old messages stay on Viber. There is no general tool to move your full Viber history into Telegram. Keep a Viber backup if you want access to old chats.

Switching from Telegram to Viber

1. Install Viber and register with your phone number.
2. Export anything you want from Telegram. Telegram Desktop can export chats and media. See export Telegram chat history.
3. Tell your contacts you are moving and how to reach you.
4. If you run a channel or group, think carefully before leaving: your audience is on Telegram, and asking them to switch apps loses many of them. Transfer ownership to someone you trust rather than deleting it.

Common mistakes

• Assuming both apps encrypt the same way. Viber encrypts chats end-to-end by default; Telegram does so only in secret chats.
• Assuming Telegram's cloud chats are private from the provider. They are encrypted, but not end-to-end.
• Forgetting Viber backups. Without one, a lost phone can mean lost history.
• Choosing an app your contacts do not use. The best messenger is the one your people are on.
• Moving a channel audience to another app. Many subscribers will not follow.
• Sharing your phone number in large public groups. Use Telegram's username and privacy settings.
• Sharing verification codes on either app. It is the most common way accounts are stolen.

FAQ

Is Viber more private than Telegram?

By default, yes in one specific sense: Viber says its chats are end-to-end encrypted by default, while Telegram's normal chats are not. Telegram offers end-to-end encryption in secret chats. Other privacy factors, such as hiding your number, differ in Telegram's favour.

Can I use Telegram and Viber at the same time?

Yes. They are independent apps and you can register both with the same phone number.

Which is better for a business?

It depends on where your customers are. Telegram offers more tools for channels, communities and bots. Viber puts your messages where Viber-using customers already are.

Can I move my Viber chats to Telegram?

There is no general way to transfer full chat history between the two apps. Keep a Viber backup if you want to keep old conversations.

Does Telegram have calls to landlines like Viber?

No. Telegram offers free calls between users and voice chats in groups and channels, but not calls to ordinary phone numbers.

Which is better for following news and hobbies?

Telegram, for most people. Its public channels cover a very wide range of topics, are searchable inside the app, can be previewed on the web before joining, and can be browsed by topic in directories that show measured figures such as subscribers and average views. Viber channels exist but form a smaller catalogue.

Summary

Telegram and Viber both handle everyday messaging and calls well, but they are built around different priorities. Viber encrypts all chats end-to-end by default, sells calls to ordinary phone numbers, and is the default messenger for many families and countries. Telegram syncs everything through its cloud, runs on all your devices at once, lets you hide your number behind a username, and offers channels, large groups, bots, mini apps and creator monetisation that Viber does not match. Choose by what you need and, above all, by where your contacts are. Many people use Viber for family and Telegram for communities, channels and work.