Independent category guide
The best AI assistants for Telegram in 2026
Pally is the best AI assistant for Telegram if you want a full personal assistant there: message @PallyAI_bot and you get the same memory, connected apps, and approved actions as texting Pally. Poke is a lower-cost assistant on Telegram, and Perplexity's official @askplexbot is the best free pick for web answers.
Many Telegram bots use the ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini names, but we found no official Telegram bot from OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google. This list covers assistants that run their own Telegram presence, ranked on memory, connected accounts, real actions, and price.
Pally
Best full personal assistant on Telegram
Pally runs its own Telegram bot, @PallyAI_bot, with the same memory and connected apps as texting Pally over iMessage or RCS. Behind the chat it connects email, calendar, Slack, and your own WhatsApp as an inbox, sends a daily brief and reminders, and completes approved bookings, purchases, and calls to businesses.
Pros
- Official bot with the same memory as texting Pally
- Daily brief, reminders, and alerts from connected apps
- Works in Telegram groups as well as one-to-one chats
Tradeoffs
- Calls and a Pally phone number need a linked phone
- The Free plan limits you to three connected apps
Pricing: Free $0, Pro $25/mo (or $250/yr - 2 months free), Max $100/mo (or $1,000/yr - 2 months free). See plan details
Poke
Best lower-cost assistant on Telegram
Poke is a messaging-native assistant you can reach on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Apple Messages. It connects email, calendar, and more than 30 apps and runs scheduled Recipes, which makes it the lower-cost pick for an automated assistant in Telegram.
Pros
- Telegram, WhatsApp, and Apple Messages access
- Scheduled Recipes and background automations
- Permanent free plan and a $19 monthly Pro tier
Tradeoffs
- Does not make phone calls or complete checkout
- Does not manage your own WhatsApp inbox
Pricing: Poke has a free plan, Pro at $19 a month, and Ultra at $199 a month. Check latest pricing
Perplexity
Best free bot for web answers in Telegram
Perplexity runs a verified Telegram bot, @askplexbot, that answers questions with web search in one-to-one chats and in group chats when you tag it. It is the best free pick when you want sourced answers inside Telegram rather than an assistant that manages your accounts.
Pros
- Verified bot run by Perplexity
- Answers in group chats when tagged
- Free to use
Tradeoffs
- Does not connect to your email or calendar
- No reminders, tasks, or actions outside the chat
Folk
Best for Telegram plus Discord and money alerts
Folk is an assistant you can message on Telegram, iMessage, WhatsApp, or Discord, with Gmail, calendar, and read-only bank connections. Its free base plan covers one-shot reminders, while recurring check-ins, morning briefings, and urgent-inbox texts start on Pro.
Pros
- Reachable from four chat apps
- Charge alerts and budgets through a read-only bank link
- Free base plan
Tradeoffs
- Recurring reminders and briefings need Pro
- Does not phone businesses for you
Pricing: Folk is free forever on its base plan. Pro is $20 a month, or $150 a year. Max is $100 a month, or $800 a year. Paid plans start with a seven-day free trial. Check latest pricing
OpenClaw
Best self-hosted option for technical users
OpenClaw is free, open-source software that runs an assistant on your own machine and connects it to Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, and more. It suits technical users who want full control and accept that hosting, security, and model costs are their job.
Pros
- Free, MIT-licensed open source
- Telegram is one of many supported channels
- Full control over models and data
Tradeoffs
- You host it and pay your own model API costs
- Approvals and safety depend on how you set it up
Pricing: OpenClaw is free, MIT-licensed open source. You supply the machine it runs on and your own model API keys, so the real cost is your hosting, your token bills, and your time. Third-party hosted wrappers exist, but they aren't the project. Check latest pricing
Bottom line
How to choose.
Pick Pally when you want a personal assistant in Telegram that also knows your email, calendar, and WhatsApp and can finish approved work. Pick Poke for a cheaper Pro tier and visible Recipes, and Folk if you also want Discord access or money alerts.
Do not pick Pally if you only want answers to questions; Perplexity's free bot does that well. OpenClaw is the right choice only if you want to run and secure the assistant yourself.
Questions
The best AI assistants for Telegram in 2026 FAQ.
Does ChatGPT have an official Telegram bot?+
We found no official OpenAI bot on Telegram as of September 27, 2026. Bots that offer ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini on Telegram are run by third parties, so read their privacy terms before you share personal information.
Is Pally on Telegram the same as texting Pally?+
Yes. Message @PallyAI_bot and you get the same Pally, the same memory, and the same connected apps as texting its number. You never give Pally a phone number on Telegram; you can link one later if you want calls or a Pally number.
Can I add an AI assistant to a Telegram group?+
Yes. Pally joins Telegram groups and speaks when someone says its name or replies to it, with each member's personal asks kept on their own accounts. Perplexity's @askplexbot answers when you tag it in a group.
Is there a free AI assistant on Telegram?+
Yes. Pally, Poke, and Folk have permanent free plans, Perplexity's Telegram bot is free to use, and OpenClaw is free software that you host yourself.