Telegram Pricing in 2026: Ads Budget, Premium Cost, and Stars Payout Rate
TL;DR: Telegram Premium costs $4.99/month in the US, or as low as 8.76 TON (around $12) for 3 months via Fragment. Running Telegram ads through an agency requires a $1,500 minimum budget. CPM on the official platform runs €0.5-€1 per 1,000 impressions. Telegram Stars pay developers approximately $0.013 per Star ($13 per 1,000), with mobile purchases subject to a roughly 32% fee. Here are all the 2026 numbers in one place.
Three different people are searching for Telegram pricing right now.
One is a channel owner deciding whether to run sponsored messages. One is a developer building a bot and wondering what Stars actually pay out. One is a user choosing between TON and a card for Premium.
All three need specific numbers, not overviews. The official documentation is scattered across multiple pages, and most guides are outdated or incomplete. This post pulls every current figure into one place.
What Does Telegram Premium Cost in 2026?
Telegram Premium costs $4.99 per month on a standard monthly plan in the US. Paying via TON on Fragment is cheaper: approximately 8.76 TON for 3 months, 11.68 TON for 6 months, and 21.19 TON for 12 months. At current exchange rates, the annual plan via TON works out to around $28-$30, compared to $35.99 billed through Apple, Google, or standard payment methods.
The TON route saves roughly 15-20% on an annual plan. It avoids app store payment processing, which is why the price is lower. You need a Fragment account and a TON wallet to use it.
Pricing also varies by region. Countries like Turkey and India have significantly lower local prices due to Telegram's regional pricing model. If you're buying for a team or scoping for a client, checking the official Telegram Premium FAQ for your region first saves time.
Quick reference:
- Monthly: $4.99 USD
- 3 months via TON: approx. 8.76 TON (~$12)
- 6 months via TON: approx. 11.68 TON (~$16)
- 12 months via TON: approx. 21.19 TON (~$29)
- 12 months standard billing: $35.99 USD
What Is the Minimum Budget for Telegram Ads in 2026?
The official Telegram Ads platform requires a minimum spend of €2 million for direct access. For everyone else, agency-managed campaigns accept budgets starting at $1,500. A third route — advertising inside Telegram Mini Apps through third-party platforms — brings the entry point down to $150. Which tier makes sense depends on your audience, format, and goal.
Most crypto projects land in the middle tier. Agency-managed Telegram campaigns at the $1,500 entry point give access to Telegram's Sponsored Messages format, which places native posts at the bottom of public channel feeds with 1,000+ subscribers.
The $150 Mini App tier is a different product. It runs display and push ads inside Telegram Mini Apps, not inside channels. The audience behavior differs: Mini App users are more app-native and less community-oriented than channel readers. It works well for top-of-funnel traffic but converts differently than in-channel placements.
For projects running Telegram Mini App marketing campaigns, the lower entry point makes testing viable before committing larger budgets.
Tier breakdown:
- Direct (Telegram official): €2,000,000 minimum
- Agency-managed Sponsored Messages: $1,500 minimum
- Mini App ad networks: $150 minimum deposit
CPM Rates: What Does Telegram Advertising Actually Cost?
The CPM you pay depends entirely on which format you run. There is no single Telegram ads price.
Official Sponsored Messages run at €0.5 to €1 per 1,000 impressions. Political and regulated categories sit at the lower end. High-competition niches push toward the top of the range and beyond.
In-channel post placements work differently. Channel owners set their own rates based on their audience size and niche. Pricing varies significantly: news and entertainment channels start around $1 CPM, while crypto, IT, and finance channels typically start at $10 CPM and go higher for engaged audiences.
Mini App ad formats operate on a click or impression model:
- Push-style ads: $0.015 per click
- Interstitial ads: $1.50 per 1,000 clicks
- Video and playable ads: $3+ CPM
- Bot ads: $3.80+ CPM
- Embedded banner ads: $0.40+ CPM
The recommended daily test budget for Mini App campaigns is $30 to $75. That gives enough data to assess performance before scaling.
For a full breakdown of ad setup, targeting, and policy requirements in crypto-adjacent categories, the Telegram advertising rates and policies guide covers what formats are allowed and what gets rejected.
What Is the Telegram Stars Developer Payout Rate in 2026?
Telegram pays developers approximately $0.013 per Star, which equals $13 per 1,000 Stars earned. Channel owners receive 100% of Stars from Star reactions, with near-zero commission when withdrawing to TON via Fragment. Mobile purchases are the exception: Apple and Google take 30% of every in-app purchase, leaving developers with roughly 68% of each mobile-acquired Star after conversion fees. The minimum withdrawal is 1,000 Stars, and newly earned Stars are subject to a 21-day hold before they become withdrawable.
The math matters when deciding whether Stars-based monetization makes sense for your product. If your audience buys Stars on desktop or Telegram Web, the payout stays close to the nominal $0.013 rate. If your audience is mobile-first, the effective rate drops to around $0.009 per Star after platform fees.
The official Telegram Stars API documentation covers the technical payment flow for bots accepting Stars. For channel owners, paid post unlocks and Star subscriptions both go through the same Fragment withdrawal pipeline.
If you're building a Telegram bot with Stars-based payments, the desktop-versus-mobile split is worth designing around. Wherever possible, push users toward desktop or web purchases to protect your effective payout rate.
Key Stars figures for 2026:
- Nominal payout rate: $0.013 per Star
- Mobile effective rate: approx. $0.009 (after Apple and Google fees)
- Minimum withdrawal: 1,000 Stars
- Hold period: 21 days
- Withdrawal currency: TON via Fragment
The 2026 Monetization Changes Every Channel Owner Needs to Know
Telegram made several structural changes to how channels earn money in late 2025 and into 2026. If you run a public channel, all of them affect you.
Ad revenue sharing. Channels with 1,000+ subscribers now receive 50% of revenue from Sponsored Messages displayed inside their channel. Telegram handles ad sales. You receive half. Payouts are in TON via Fragment.
Suggested Posts. Launched in July 2025, this format lets brands pay channel owners directly for promoted content using Stars or TON. It's a native in-feed sponsored post, separate from Telegram's own ad network. Channel owners set their own rates and approve each placement.
Paid post unlocks. Channel owners can lock individual posts behind a Star paywall. Readers pay Stars to unlock. The channel owner receives 100% of those Stars. This works well for research reports, signals, or exclusive analysis.
Star subscriptions. Bots and channels can now offer recurring Star subscriptions, charging a fixed monthly amount for exclusive content or features. Telegram handles billing and you receive Stars minus the applicable platform fee.
TON-denominated CPM bids. The ad platform shifted toward TON-based pricing, tying advertising costs more tightly to the TON ecosystem. This lowered the technical CPM floor but introduced exchange-rate variability for advertisers working in USD or EUR.
These changes reward channels that operate like publishers rather than broadcast feeds. For crypto projects managing active communities, pairing these tools with professional Telegram community management turns a passive audience into a revenue-generating channel rather than a cost center.
Is Telegram Advertising Worth It for Crypto Projects in 2026?
For crypto projects, Telegram advertising works best when the format matches your community stage. Official Sponsored Messages reach large public channels but require at least $1,500 to access via an agency. In-channel post placements remain the most cost-efficient route for direct community reach, with CPM starting as low as $1 in broad categories. Mini App ads work for top-of-funnel traffic at low CPM but convert differently because the audience intent is different.
The honest answer is that Telegram organic community building still outperforms paid placements for most projects at early stages. A well-moderated community with consistent content costs less per engaged member than an equivalent paid campaign. Paid ads work best as an amplifier once the community infrastructure is already in place.
At larger budgets, Telegram Sponsored Messages targeting is precise. You can reach the audience of specific public channels in your niche. That makes it genuinely useful for token launches or exchange listings where targeting quality justifies the spend.
If you're mapping out the right Telegram strategy for your project, the crypto marketing services page covers what works at each stage.
Every figure in this post reflects current 2026 data. Telegram updates pricing and policies regularly. Check Fragment and the official ad platform for live rates before committing a budget.
The short version: Premium is cheapest via TON on Fragment. Ads are accessible from $150 for Mini Apps or $1,500 for agency-managed Sponsored Messages. Stars pay $0.013 each on desktop, less on mobile. Revenue sharing pays 50% of ad income to eligible channel owners.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Telegram Premium cost per month in 2026?
Telegram Premium costs $4.99 per month in the US on a standard monthly plan. Annual billing runs $35.99 USD through standard payment methods. Paying via TON on Fragment reduces the annual cost to approximately $28-$30 at current exchange rates, making it the cheaper option for users comfortable with TON wallets.
What is the minimum budget to run Telegram ads in 2026?
The minimum budget depends on which tier you use. Direct access to the official Telegram Ads platform requires €2 million. Agency-managed campaigns with access to Sponsored Messages start at $1,500. Mini App advertising through third-party networks starts at a $150 deposit, with $30-$75 per day recommended as an initial test budget.
How much do Telegram Stars pay per star in 2026?
Telegram pays approximately $0.013 per Star, or $13 per 1,000 Stars. This is the rate for desktop and web purchases. Stars bought through mobile apps are subject to Apple's and Google's 30% platform fee, which reduces the effective developer payout to around $0.009 per Star. The minimum withdrawal is 1,000 Stars with a 21-day hold period before funds are withdrawable.
Can you buy Telegram Premium with TON in 2026?
Yes. Telegram Premium can be purchased with TON via Fragment, Telegram's official marketplace. The TON pricing is lower than standard billing: approximately 8.76 TON for 3 months, 11.68 TON for 6 months, and 21.19 TON for 12 months. You need a Fragment account and a TON wallet. Prices shift with the TON/USD exchange rate.
What percentage does Telegram take from Star payments?
Telegram charges near-zero commission on Stars withdrawn to TON via Fragment. The main fees come from where users buy Stars: Apple charges 30% on iOS purchases and Google charges 30% on Android purchases. When users buy Stars on Telegram Desktop or Web, these fees do not apply. Channel owners receive 100% of Stars earned from Star reactions on their posts.
