In evaluating where to cultivate your online community, Telegram stands out for its steady growth and features that few other platforms offer in a single product. It’s not just “another messaging app”: it has become a versatile hub where you can build groups, broadcast content, sell services, and even verify your users’ identities.
Since early 2024, Telegram has maintained a consistent adoption rate, growing from around 950 million monthly active users to over 1 billion by March 2025, with roughly 2.5 million new sign-ups each day (DemandSage; Wikipedia). In comparison, WhatsApp—despite nearly 3 billion users—now grows by just over 5% annually and is hampered by saturated markets (DemandSage), while Discord hovers around 200 million monthly users, with more volatile growth cycles tied largely to gaming trends (Backlinko).
This numerical strength becomes meaningful when you consider community structure: Telegram introduced “Communities” divided into thematic threads, with granular permissions for moderators, breaking the single-chat model that limits WhatsApp. Discord, by contrast, requires familiarity with a gamer-style interface that can unsettle newcomers. In practice, you can create dedicated sections (announcements, support, feedback) without moving users to different platforms.
On the interactivity front, Telegram’s built-in Mini Apps—potentially monetizable with native payments in TON or via credit card (Google/Apple Pay)—turn any chat into a small marketplace or a gamification workshop. No generalist competitor offers this “out of the box”: on Discord or Slack, integrating payment systems requires external bots and links to third-party sites, interrupting user flow (Financial Times).
If your community thrives on events and live broadcasts, Telegram lets you launch live streams and voice chats with unlimited attendees in a single tap, with no viewer caps. Although it lacks the advanced analytics of YouTube Live or Zoom (watch time, drop-off rates), its ease of access and absence of extra costs make Telegram unbeatable for AMAs, quick webinars, or informal presentations.
Finally, for projects requiring identity verification or KYC, Telegram Passport is an integrated resource: each user uploads their passport, driver’s license, or proof of address once—end-to-end encrypted—and shares it securely with third-party services without leaving the app. External solutions (Onfido, Jumio) offer more complex dashboards, but they fragment the user experience between app and browser.
In conclusion, Telegram is the all-in-one platform that continues to grow steadily and offers—in one environment—thematic threads, Mini App interactions, unlimited streaming, and native KYC. If you want to build a solid, international community ready to evolve with you, there’s no more complete choice today.