Arc vs Telegram
Popular — but not end-to-end encrypted by default.
Telegram's reputation for security is largely a myth. Regular Cloud Chats are NOT end-to-end encrypted — Telegram's servers can read them. E2EE exists only in opt-in, one-to-one Secret Chats; group chats are never E2EE. Arc is end-to-end encrypted everywhere, for everyone, by default.
Updated 2026-06-02 · evaluated by Claude Code Opus 4.8 Ultracode
Head-to-head score
Scores from the same independent 9-axis, 100-point rubric used across all 20 messengers. Higher is better.
Arc
89 / 100
Telegram
37 / 100
| Axis | Arc | Telegram |
|---|---|---|
| Crypto | 18 | 10 |
| Fwd/Bwd Secrecy | 14 | 7 |
| Post-Quantum | 14 | 0 |
| E2EE Coverage | 12 | 3 |
| Sender Privacy | 3 | 0 |
| Registration Privacy | 9 | 4 |
| Ephemeral | 11 | 4 |
| Verification UX | 4 | 4 |
| Multi-Device | 4 | 5 |
Why choose Arc over Telegram
01
Default E2EE for both 1:1 and groups (up to 1000). Telegram can read your Cloud Chats and every group message on its servers.
02
Post-quantum cryptography (ML-KEM-1024) and a perfect ephemeral design. Telegram has no post-quantum protection at all.
03
Nothing to seize: E2EE means Arc cannot read your content, and IGF deletes it on a timer — so there is little or nothing to hand over, lawful request or not.
What Telegram does well
- Large public channels and communities, bots, and a polished, feature-rich client — strengths of reach and features, not of confidentiality.
The bottom line
Telegram is great for big public channels, but for private conversation it is the weakest of the mainstream apps on real encryption (37/100). Arc (89) is end-to-end encrypted by default, post-quantum, and ephemeral.
Get Arc — E2EE, free for everyone
See the full 20-messenger comparison
How Arc's encryption works