Third-Party Telegram Clients: What to Use and What to Avoid
Conclusion first: there are a lot of third-party Telegram clients, quality varies wildly, and you should avoid the closed-source ones as a rule. Since 2021, Telegram has required first-time registration to receive its verification code on the official mobile client — desktop and third-party clients can’t register directly. That’s already a signal.
This post is a curated list. The source is a roundup post by Telegram’s @LCGFX; I’ve reorganized it by platform and added open-source status and risk judgments.
✅ means open source; ❌ means closed source.
Android
Android is the most active platform for third-party clients, because Telegram’s official Android app is itself open source (GPL v2), so the barrier to forking is low.
Open-Source Clients (Relatively Safe)
| Client | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Telegram X | @tgx_log | Official product, not third-party, no risk |
| Nekogram | @NekoUpdates | Long-standing third-party option, feature-rich, actively maintained |
| NekogramX | @NekogramX | The X fork of Nekogram |
| Nagram | @nagram_channel | A secondary modification based on Nekogram |
| Nnngram | @Nnngram | Same family |
| Nullgram | @NullgramClient | Removes some official restrictions |
| AyuGram | @ayugram1338 | Focused on customization and privacy options |
| Cherrygram | @Cherry_gram | UI-focused polish |
| exteraGram | @exteraGram | Material Design style |
| Forkgram | @forkgram | A simple fork, minor changes |
| Telegraher | @telegraher | The name is a pun |
| OctoGram | @OctoGramApp | Feature-oriented |
| Mercurygram | @Mercurygram | — |
| moeGramX | @moeGramX | Anime-flavored |
Closed-Source Clients (Use with Caution)
| Client | Channel | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Plus | @plusmsgr | Closed source, cannot be audited |
| Turrit | @TurritTips | Closed source |
| MDGram | @MDGramUpdates | Closed source |
| Ninjagram | @tele_ninja | Closed source |
| BGram | @BGramChannel | Closed source |
| iMe | @ime_en | Closed source, ships a built-in wallet and more |
| GraphMessenger | @graphmessenger | Closed source |
| Nicegram | @nicegramapp | Closed source, also on iOS |
| RitMGram | @RitMGram | Closed source |
| HuIugram | @hulugramupdate | Closed source |
| Aka | @aka_messenger | Closed source |
Closed source means there’s no way to confirm it isn’t doing something extra in the background. Telegram’s account system is bound to your phone number, so a client that does something it shouldn’t has far more serious consequences than an ordinary app.
iOS
iOS has far fewer third-party clients. Telegram’s iOS app is open source too, but iOS code signing makes distribution outside the App Store a hassle.
| Client | Channel | Open source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiftgram | @swiftgram | ✅ | One of the few open-source options on iOS |
| Nicegram | @nicegramapp | ❌ | Same as the Android version |
| iMe | @ime_en | ❌ | Same as the Android version |
| Revgram | @RevgramApp | ❌ | — |
| Turrit | @TurritTips | ❌ | Same as the Android version |
| Aka | @aka_messenger | ❌ | Same as the Android version |
If you must use a third-party client on iOS, Swiftgram is the only open-source option; I can’t recommend the rest.
Windows / macOS / Linux Desktop
| Client | Platform | Channel | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64Gram | Win / macOS | @tg_x64 | ✅ |
| Unigram | Win | @unigram | ✅ |
| AyuGram | Win | @ayugram1338 | ✅ |
| Forkgram | Win | @forkgram | ✅ |
| Kotatogram | Win / macOS | @kotatogram | ✅ |
| materialgram | Win / macOS / Linux | @materialgram | ✅ |
| iMe | Win | @ime_en | ❌ |
Desktop is in much better shape — everything except iMe is open source. 64Gram and materialgram are the mainstream picks.
WearOS
| Client | Source | Open source |
|---|---|---|
| HandyGram | @handygram_client | ✅ |
| Telewatch | GitHub | ✅ |
Options on WearOS are thin; both are open source, with HandyGram somewhat more active.
How to Choose
A few simple principles:
- If an open-source option exists, don’t touch the closed-source one. Auditable code is the most basic security guarantee.
- Check maintenance cadence. A client that hasn’t updated in six months — even open source — may carry unfixed security issues. Check the last update time on its GitHub or channel.
- Telegram X is the official alternative, not third-party. On Android, if you just want a different experience from the official client, Telegram X is the safest choice.
- Don’t lust after features. Some third-party clients advertise things like faking read receipts or hiding online status — these features may themselves violate the Telegram ToS, and your account risks being restricted.
The original roundup is from @LCGFX; if you’re interested, check the comments on the original post for updates.
