How much does a Telegram bot cost
Short answer: a simple bot (menu, auto-replies, lead capture) is $150–600, a bot with integrations (CRM, payments, database) is $600–2500, and a complex AI bot starts at $2500. Telegram itself is free, but development and hosting are not. Here is what the price is made of.
Three bot tiers and their prices
- Simple bot – menu, auto-replies, lead capture forwarded to a chat/email. With a freelancer $150–600. Built in a few days.
- Bot with integrations – booking, reminders, CRM or Google Sheets connection, payments. $600–2500.
- Complex bot – AI replies (LLM), multilingual, user accounts, analytics, many flows. $2500+.
What drives the price
- Number of flows: one "request → chat" path or a dozen conditional branches.
- Integrations: CRM, payments (Telegram Payments, Stripe), database, external APIs – each is work.
- Admin panel: do you need to edit texts/products yourself, or is everything hard-coded.
- AI: wiring GPT/Claude for smart replies raises both development and API costs.
- Conversation design: a thought-out flow that actually drives to a request, not just "answers".
Ongoing costs – often left unsaid
- Telegram Bot API is free. You do not pay for the bot itself.
- Hosting: a bot needs a server running 24/7. A simple bot – a cheap VPS from ~$5–10/mo or free cloud tiers.
- AI tokens: if the bot uses GPT/Claude – pay per request (from cents to a few dollars a day depending on load).
- Maintenance: flow edits, updates – one-off or by agreement.
DIY or hire a developer
DIY via @BotFather + no-code (Manychat, SaleBot) is realistic for a simple bot if you are willing to learn. Downside: a monthly platform fee and a ceiling on logic/integrations.
A developer is worth it when the bot ties into your system (CRM, payments, database), must run reliably, and you want no platform subscription. The code is yours, with no builder limits. For a business that earns through the bot, this is usually cheaper over a year.
FAQ
How much does the simplest Telegram bot cost?
A bot with a menu and lead capture is $150–600 with a freelancer, built in a few days. With me – from $300.
Is there a subscription fee for a bot?
The Telegram Bot API itself is free. You only pay for hosting (from ~$5–10/mo) and, if AI is used, for tokens. There is no mandatory bot subscription.
How long does it take to build a bot?
Simple – 3–7 days, with integrations – 1–3 weeks, complex with AI – from 3 weeks.
Need a Telegram bot for your task?
Tell me what the bot should do – I will send a quote and timeline within one business day. Lead-capture bot from $300.