WallyMates vs Telegram

Both are messengers with groups, channels, calls, and bots. The main difference is when end-to-end encryption (E2EE) actually turns on, and what the server can see as a result. This page compares specific, checkable facts — no ratings, no scores, no "which one is better" conclusion. For the full technical description of WallyMates' encryption, see the Security & Encryption page.

Comparison table

Only facts that can be checked against Telegram's official documentation or WallyMates' current code. Sources are listed below the table.

Telegram sources: Telegram FAQ, End-to-End Encryption, Secret Chats, E2E Group Calls

End-to-end encryption

In Telegram, end-to-end encryption is a separate, opt-in "Secret Chat" mode: regular ("cloud") chats are encrypted between client and server, and the server technically has access to their content (see Telegram's official FAQ for details). In WallyMates, private chats are end-to-end encrypted from the start, with no separate toggle — an in-house Static X3DH implementation with AES-256-GCM, with no Double Ratchet chain and no one-time pre-keys (full detail on the Security & Encryption page).

Message and data storage

Telegram's cloud chats are stored on the company's servers (per official sources, across multiple data centers, with decryption keys split apart); Secret Chats leave no trace on the server and are only accessible on the device where they were created. In WallyMates, private and group chats are stored as ciphertext the server cannot decrypt — with one exception: a short plaintext fragment (the first ~100 characters) for the reply preview, sent by the sending client itself, since the server can't generate one by decrypting the original.

Account and registration

Telegram requires a phone number to register. WallyMates allows registering with either an email address or a phone number.

Private chats

Telegram has two kinds of private chats: "cloud" (synced across all devices, not E2EE) and "secret" (E2EE, single device only, no sync). WallyMates has one kind of private chat — end-to-end encrypted by default and still synced across your own devices (each message is separately encrypted for each device — the server never sees the content at any point).

Groups

Telegram's group chats do not support end-to-end encryption. WallyMates groups are end-to-end encrypted via a Sender Key scheme: each member generates their own key for the group and distributes it to others over the same E2EE channel used for private messages.

Channels

No difference here: channels in both messengers are a broadcast-to-a-wide-audience mode, and in both cases end-to-end encryption does not apply to them.

Voice and video calls

Telegram's 1:1 calls are officially described as end-to-end encrypted, verified by comparing 4 emoji. WallyMates' 1:1 calls run over a direct connection between devices (WebRTC), verified by comparing a 96-emoji fingerprint computed from both parties' long-term identity keys — the Calls page itself doesn't use the term "E2EE" for this mode, so this page doesn't add that label beyond what's already claimed there either.

Group calls

Telegram's official documentation describes a separate end-to-end encrypted group call implementation — its availability depends on the client and configuration. WallyMates group calls run on LiveKit infrastructure; no end-to-end encryption is claimed for this mode.

Web version

Telegram Web shows the full history of "cloud" chats (which aren't E2EE anyway), but doesn't show Secret Chats at all — those are tied to the device they were created on. WallyMates' web version (web.worldmates.club) shows private chat history thanks to an additional re-encryption with a server-held Web Sync key (AES-128) — meaning for messages synced into the browser, the "the server can't read it" guarantee no longer holds the same way it does for the native apps. The web version itself is excluded from search engine indexing.

Android and Windows

Telegram has native apps for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux. WallyMates is currently available on Android and Windows (desktop client) — the same end-to-end encryption protocol (Static X3DH + AES-256-GCM) is wire-compatible between both platforms.

Bots and the Bot API

Telegram's Bot API is one of the largest and oldest in the industry (dating to 2015): commands, webhooks, inline mode, and a huge ecosystem of third-party bots. WallyMates has its own open Bot API with commands, webhooks, and inline mode — the ecosystem is considerably smaller and newer, which is worth stating honestly rather than downplaying.

Web Apps / mini-apps

Telegram calls this feature Mini Apps (formerly Web Apps) — a mature platform with its own API. In WallyMates, mini-apps are available within bots through the Bot API — functionally similar in concept, but a much less developed platform at this point.

Livestreams

Both messengers support channel livestreams. In WallyMates this runs on LiveKit infrastructure — you can stream from a phone, from Windows, or via OBS Studio.

Cross-device sync

Telegram's cloud chats sync instantly and fully across any number of devices (Secret Chats don't, by design). WallyMates syncs private E2EE chats across your own devices by separately encrypting each message for each device — without ever sending the encryption keys themselves through the server unencrypted.

Privacy and security architecture

The key structural difference: in Telegram, end-to-end encryption is a deliberate per-chat opt-in ("Secret Chat"), while the default ("cloud") mode stays server-accessible, which is exactly what gives it easy sync and web access. In WallyMates, end-to-end encryption for private and group chats is on by default rather than a separate option — with specifically documented exceptions (channels, the reply preview, web sync). Neither architecture is "more private" in an absolute sense — they trade off privacy, sync, and convenience differently. Full technical detail is on the Security & Encryption page.

Customization

Telegram has a large, long-established library of themes and stickers. WallyMates supports themes, animated backgrounds, stickers, and GIFs — the catalog is currently smaller, since the product is younger.

Which messenger fits which use case

No "which is better" conclusion — just facts about what each architecture is suited for:

• If the largest existing ecosystem of bots, stickers, and mini-apps matters most, it's currently bigger and more mature on Telegram.
• If you want end-to-end encryption for private and group chats on by default, with no separate "secret mode" toggle, that's WallyMates' current behavior.
• If uncompromising sync of secret/E2EE conversations across an unlimited number of devices at once is critical, it's worth knowing about WallyMates' Web Sync exception, and that Telegram's Secret Chats don't sync across devices at all.
• If you need native apps on iOS or macOS, that currently only exists on Telegram.

FAQ