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Messenger vs Telegram Desktop: catalog facts
Messenger	Telegram Desktop
Free Free to use with a Meta account.	Freemium Free to use. Telegram Premium is an optional subscription for larger uploads, faster…
Web	Windows, macOS, Linux
Reaches people who already use Facebook Messaging and video calls in one place	Official client with published source and build instructions Cloud chats sync instantly across every device you sign in on
Requires a Meta account Closed source and run by an advertising company	Ordinary chats are not end-to-end encrypted and Telegram holds the keys Secret chats are not available in the desktop client
Web application	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0
Account needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.