Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced yesterday that the app will start introducing paid services in 2021 to cover the cost of its increasing number of users.
Messaging features on Telegram will still be free
Fret not, the messaging features that Telegram users are enjoying right now will remain free permanently. Durov stated in his Telegram channel that the company will be adding new features for business teams or power users — these are the new features that will require payment.
Telegram will have its own Ad Platform in addition to paid services
In addition to that, Durov promises ad-free chats because “displaying ads in private 1-to-1 chats or group chats is a bad idea”. Instead, Telegram will have its own Ad Platform that can be used in one-to-many channels so it can help cover the expenses spent on servers and traffic. It will also be less intrusive as compared to the third-party ad platforms that are being used in channels now.
Telegram also promises to benefit its community — for example, artists who make premium stickers may earn some profit and those who pay for ads via the Ad Platform will get free traffic depending on the size of their channel.
There are currently almost 500 million active users on Telegram as of today, making it one of the largest messaging apps in the world.
