Telegram is one of the most popular instant messengers in the world. It is used for both personal and business communications. However, despite its widespread use, its mass character and focus on the end user do not always meet the requirements of the corporate environment, especially in Russia, where the course towards digital sovereignty and secure IT solutions is strengthening.
eXpress is a Russian corporate platform for communication, video calls and business process management. Unlike Telegram, eXpress is focused on the security and efficiency of internal communications within a particular company.
We invite you to compare Telegram with eXpress to understand how these two services differ in functionality, approach to security and convenience for business.
Goals and objectives of messengers
Telegram was created as a mass messenger — convenient, fast, free. Its main goal is to provide users around the world with an easy way to communicate. And it copes with this perfectly: channels, chats, calls, stickers, the ability to create your own mini-ecosystem through bots and mini-applications. This is a messenger "for everyone": from schoolchildren to programmers, from bloggers to small businesses.
eXpress was developed for the corporate segment. Its goal is to ensure effective management of internal communications, secure exchange and storage of information, structured communication across departments and projects, and integration into the company's IT infrastructure.
Where the data is stored
Despite the fact that Telegram was created by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, the messenger's servers are located outside of Russia. Where exactly the correspondence is stored, who has access to it, how the protection is arranged - we can only guess. Let us recall that after the story with the arrest of the entrepreneur, some Russian departments were officially banned from using Telegram for work purposes, citing the risk of leaking official information. In 2020, and then in 2023, Telegram was included in the list of banned messengers, however, without physical restrictions on access. Instead, civil servants were advised to switch to domestic platforms that provide control over important official correspondence.
A company that switches to eXpress can place its data in a corporate environment or in a secure cloud on Russian servers - all in accordance with the requirements of Federal Law No. 152 and other regulations. The platform is included in the register of Russian software and has a FSTEC security certificate No. 4232.
How chats, groups and channels work
Both messengers have personal chats, open/closed groups, and channels. However, their capabilities differ. Let's figure it out.
Telegram channels and groups have basic permissions settings, you can pin messages, create polls, use reactions, stickers, and connect bots. However, the service does not provide the ability to differentiate rights by roles, as in eXpress. Authors of channels and groups can only prohibit all users from saving photos and videos, forwarding messages, and taking screenshots at once.
eXpress has all of the above functions, but the platform has a different approach - chats, groups, and channels are built into the company's architecture and operate as part of business processes. Therefore, chats are linked to departments, roles, projects, and are managed through the admin panel.
The main difference from Telegram in the context of business benefits is centralized control:
- access to channels and groups is tied to the organization's structure;
- there is a flexible role model that can be configured depending on the company's security policies. For example, one group of users can restrict access to downloading files, another - to viewing;
- guarantee that the data will remain within the company.
Also among the functions of eXpress it is worth highlighting:
- threads (comments on messages) within channels and groups;
- tags that each user can assign to chats, contacts, groups to structure their work;
- message reminders; user statuses.
Calls and videoconferencing
Telegram has 1-on-1 and group video calls. This may be enough for everyday communication, but for meetings with a large number of participants, the connection can be unstable. Also, the messenger does not have calendar integration, reactions, or a conference timer.
Video communication is one of the key functions in eXpress. VKS has all the necessary features for effective team meetings:
- call recording;
- background blur;
- reactions;
- the ability to invite external participants via a link;
- screen sharing;
- integration with calendars;
- conference chat with the ability to conduct polls.
Safety
Data encryption
End-to-end encryption in Telegram only works in "secret chats". Such chats are not available on the computer, do not support group discussions and channels. Personal chats are encrypted, but the keys are stored on Telegram servers, which means that third parties can access them.
eXpress provides secure data transfer by default. All messages, files, video calls and other forms of interaction go through secure communication channels that comply with the requirements of Russian legislation. Includes secure on-premise servers for corporate customers, TLS, end-to-end encryption, push notifications, GOST encryption and a crypto container on a mobile device for encrypted data storage.
Also supported are centralized activity logging, flexible configuration of security policies, limiting or completely disabling interaction with external users, if the company needs it.
Authorization and login
Telegram requires the use of a personal phone number for registration and login, which makes the user an access carrier to corporate information. If the phone is lost, deleting correspondence from devices or administering user data is impossible.
eXpress solves this problem with the following features:
- In the corporate version, registration is possible only by email, without linking a phone number.
- When an employee is fired, his account is promptly deactivated by the administrator. The user is removed from all workgroups, channels and chats, and also loses access to the correspondence history and files. All data (correspondence and files) remains in the system.
- If the device is lost or the SIM card is compromised, access to eXpress can be immediately revoked, and sessions can be terminated remotely. There is no threat of correspondence or file leakage, since all data is stored centrally, and cannot be obtained without authorization.
In addition, the corporate platform supports three-factor authentication: access can be protected through 3 independent channels (for example, login/password + one-time code + corporate certificate).
If you need increased protection, there is integration with DLP and SIEM systems.
The Federation protocol is worth mentioning separately - this is a feature of eXpress that allows you to combine several organizations or legal entities into one system with common chats, video conferencing and channels, while each organization retains its security settings and administrative control. The solution is suitable for holdings and large companies with a branch structure.
Bots and integrations
Both messengers have chatbots for automating almost any task. However, in practice, bots in Telergam are more suitable for small teams and B2C solutions - for example, mailings, notifications or customer support. For corporate use, especially in companies with 1000+ employees, this carries the risk of data leakage, does not comply with most information security requirements and the requirements of current Russian legislation.
eXpress has a catalog of ready-made chatbots: HR bots for automating applications, onboarding and adaptation of employees, bots for working with tasks and for project management, as well as a built-in AI assistant and others. At the same time, you can create bots for unique tasks using your own company resources — there is documentation, ready-made instructions, and support from eXpress for this.
The corporate platform also supports more than 70 integrations with various systems and services, such as 1C, CRM, corporate mail, HelpDesk systems, accounting services, and others.
Download a detailed comparison of Telegram and eXpress with an analysis of functions and scenarios. The website also offers a free version of eXpress — you can download it to try out the basic features and evaluate the interface. If you are considering implementing the platform in your company, contact our expert to get advice and recommendations on switching to eXpress, taking into account your IT infrastructure and tasks.
