Telegram
Compared with other tools
Compare Telegram tools for personal accounts, bots, archives, search, MCP connections and file transfers.
Compare Telegram tools by their supported tasks, connection options and licences so you can choose the one that fits your needs.
Several open tools already connect a personal Telegram account to a terminal or an AI agent. This
page puts tg next to three of them, so you can see at a glance which tool does what and pick the
one that fits your job. The marks come from each project's own documentation; a tool may do more
than its documentation says.
The tools:
- tg — this tool: a command line and an MCP server for your account, with a local archive.
- tgcli — a command line with background sync and an MCP server.
- telegram-mcp — an MCP server that gives an agent a large set of Telegram actions.
- tdl — a fast downloader and uploader for files and media.
✅ yes · 🟡 partly · ❌ no · ➖ not in its documentation
Features
| Feature | tg | tgcli | telegram-mcp | tdl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your personal account | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| A bot through the Bot API | ✅ | ❌ | ➖ | ➖ |
| Read chats and history | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 🟡 |
| Send messages | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 🟡 |
| Files and media | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| A local archive kept current | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ | ➖ |
| Search the archive without connecting | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ | ➖ |
| Search on Telegram's server | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ |
| Search by meaning | ✅ | ➖ | ➖ | ➖ |
| MCP server | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ |
| Remote MCP with its own login | ✅ | 🟡 | 🟡 | ➖ |
| Skill for agents with a terminal | ✅ | ✅ | 🟡 | ➖ |
| JSON output | ✅ | ✅ | 🟡 | ✅ |
| Several accounts | ✅ | ➖ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Limits for an agent: read-only, allowed chats, hourly cap | ✅ | ➖ | 🟡 | ➖ |
| Run a group or channel | ✅ | 🟡 | ✅ | 🟡 |
| Scheduled messages | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ |
| Forum topics | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 🟡 |
| Contacts with private names and notes | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ |
| Background service | ✅ | ✅ | 🟡 | ➖ |
| Export chats | ✅ | ➖ | 🟡 | ✅ |
Install and licence
| Requirement | tg | tgcli | telegram-mcp | tdl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install | npm, pnpm, Bun | npm, Homebrew | git and uv, Docker, Claude Desktop extension | one binary, Homebrew, Scoop, AUR, Nix, Docker |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript | Python | Go |
| Licence | MIT | MIT | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
When another tool fits better
- tdl — you mostly move files: bulk downloads, uploads and forwarding at full speed, from one binary that most package managers can install.
- telegram-mcp — you want the widest set of agent actions in Claude Desktop, installed in one step, with a large community behind it.
- tgcli — you install with Homebrew, want the MCP server inside the sync service, send individual messages with protected content, or keep notes on chats.
If tg fits, start with installation; to connect an agent without a terminal,
see the MCP server.