Mini App vs. a regular bot: what’s the difference?
A bot with buttons and a full app inside Telegram: how they differ in what they can do and what they cost.
In Telegram, a business has two routes: a regular bot and a Mini App. Many people mix them up, because both open from a bot. But inside they’re completely different things — and they cost different amounts too.
A regular bot is a conversation
A regular bot works through messages and buttons. You tap a button, the bot writes back. It all happens in the chat, just like texting a person. Simple, fast, and it works on almost any phone.
- Taking requests, surveys, sign-ups.
- Notifications: “your order is ready”, “you have an appointment tomorrow”.
- A small catalog of a few dozen products.
- Managing groups and channels.
A Mini App is a website inside Telegram
A Mini App is a full web app that opens from inside a bot. It has its own design, photo galleries, a cart, filters, a map. To the user it looks like a regular app, except there’s nothing to download. Telegram already knows who the user is, so there’s no need to sign up either.
- A shop with lots of products: categories, filters, a cart.
- Booking: a calendar, picking a time slot.
- A personal account: order history, bonuses.
- Complex multi-step forms.
When it comes to price
A regular bot is cheaper and faster to build — it has no custom design, Telegram provides the interface. A Mini App is really a website: design, frontend, backend. That’s why it costs more and takes longer.
The good news is that a Mini App can be added to an existing bot later. Start with a regular bot and add a Mini App when you need it — nothing gets thrown away, and your customers stay in the same bot.
If a customer gets the job done in two or three taps, a bot is enough. If they need to search, compare and choose — go with a Mini App.