How to create a paid Telegram channel or group

Telegram is one of the fastest-growing messaging platforms in the world — and for good reason. It’s lightning-fast, privacy-focused, and available on both desktop and mobile.

Launched in 2013 by two brothers, Telegram has grown into one of the top 5 most-used social media apps globally, with over 1 billion users.

At its core, Telegram lets you create groups and channels to chat, share content, or even automate tasks with bots. While many use it just to stay in touch with friends, there's a thriving side of Telegram that’s all about paid communities.

In fact, Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov shared that there are over 10 million active channels, with more than 100,000 new groups created every single day. A huge number of these are subscription-based groups where members pay to get access to exclusive content, services, or insights — whether it’s for trading tips, digital products, or niche communities.

And the best part? You can easily turn your own Telegram group into a money-making machine with Whop.

Telegram vs. Discord

Both Telegram and Discord are solid choices for running a paid, gated community — but they serve different needs.

• If speed and privacy are top priorities, Telegram is your go-to.
• If you need more structure, like multiple channels for different topics, Discord shines.

Telegram supports groups up to 200,000 members, while Discord servers can host tens of millions — with the biggest server (Midjourney) sitting at 20.8 million members as of August 2024.

Still not sure? Here's a quick breakdown of each platform’s pros and cons to help you choose the right one for your community.

No matter which platform you choose, you can build a thriving, engaged community — and monetize it seamlessly with Whop.

Leaning toward Discord? We’ve got you covered — check out our guide: How to create a paid Discord server.

Why not Skip the middleman and create your own community directly on Whop? You’ll get full control, built-in payments, and everything you need to grow.

Telegram groups vs. Telegram channels: Which one should you choose?

Telegram gives you two main ways to run a community: groups and channels — and each serves a different purpose.

• Groups are built for conversation. Everyone can chat, share media, and respond freely. They’re ideal for smaller, tight-knit communities like coaching groups or F&F (friends & family) circles.
• Channels are for broadcasting. Only admins can post, while members can react and reply in threads. Channels are perfect if you want to deliver updates or alerts — like stock picks, sports betting tips, changelogs, or announcements.

Use a group for community. Use a channel for content delivery.

Selling access to Telegram with Whop (Whop Telegram integration)

Integrating Whop with your Telegram group or channel is super simple — and only takes a few steps.

First, you’ll need a whop. It’s your all-in-one digital platform where you can sell products, run communities, and gate access to external platforms — like Discord and Telegram.

Each whop is powered by apps, and to link your Telegram, you’ll use the Telegram app inside Whop. This gives you full control over who joins your group or channel and how they get in.

You can set up subscriptions or one-time payments, and Whop will automatically handle access for you — no manual invites, no stress.

Once everything’s connected, you’re ready to run a paid Telegram community with Whop doing all the heavy lifting in the background.

Adding the Telegram app to your whop

First, you have to have a whop. If you don't already have one, we suggest you take a look at our How to create your own whop guide.

If you got your whop ready to go, let's see how you can add the Telegram app to it:

1. Click the Add app button under the Admin area of your whop. This is going to take you to the Whop App Store.
2. In the App Store, search for the Telegram app and click on its add button. This is going to add the app to your whop and take you to it.

Now that you've added the app to your whop, let's take a look at how you can connect your Telegram channel or group to your whop.

Using the Telegram app on Whop

To be able to connect the app to your Telegram, you should head to its configure tab first. You can do this by clicking on the Configure Telegram button at the top of the app.

In the configure tab, you're going to be prompted to connect your Telegram, which you can do so by clicking the Connect Telegram button. This is going to take you to the setup of the app.

In the connection page, there are two steps to connecting the Whop Telegram bot to a channel/group. Whichever one you choose, the second step stays the same.

• If you want to connect a Telegram group to Whop, you have to add the Whop Bot to it as a member.
• If you want to connect a channel, again, you have to add the Whop Bot but this time, make it an admin.

After you're done with the first step, you're expected to send the verification code that you can see under the second step to the channel/group. Doing this will list the channel/group as an "available channel."

Once you've connected your channel/group, you'll see two different sections: Channels included in 'Telegram' and Available channels.

The channel/group you've connected will be listed under the Available channels section with an Add Channel button. Clicking the Add Channel button will "include" the channel/group to the app.

"Including a channel/group to the app" means that when a user claims access in the Telegram app, they will be added to the "included" channels/groups.

After you add a channel/group to the app, you can use the Add Channel/Group button at the top right of your screen to add more or use the Remove button next to the included channels to remove them from the app.

What’s next?

Now that your Telegram community is live and connected to Whop, you're just one step away from getting paid.

Before anything else, set up your pricing. Whop supports Stripe (for card payments), Crypto, and PayPal, so you can start collecting payments however you prefer. Just link your payment method — it only takes a minute.

Once that’s done, your whop is officially ready. Make sure your store page looks sharp and clearly explains what your community offers. The better it looks, the easier it is to convert visitors into paying members.

Now it’s time to promote your community. The best strategy depends on your niche, but don’t be afraid to experiment. Try a few different channels — social media, influencers, SEO, forums — and see what works.

Time to take the next step

Creating a paid Telegram community with Whop is as easy as pressing a few buttons. Your group or channel is set up, payments are ready to roll, and now it’s time to get out there and start selling.

It only takes a couple of minutes to sign up — and it might just be the start of your next big win. Let’s make it happen.