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Telegram for macOS vs Telegram Desktop: catalog facts
Telegram for macOS	Telegram Desktop
Free Free to download and use; the client source is under GPL v2.	Freemium Free to use. Telegram Premium is an optional subscription for larger uploads, faster…
macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Native macOS app rather than a cross-platform port Open source client under the GPL v2	Official client with published source and build instructions Cloud chats sync instantly across every device you sign in on
Messages are stored on Telegram's servers macOS only; other platforms use different clients	Ordinary chats are not end-to-end encrypted and Telegram holds the keys Secret chats are not available in the desktop client
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

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