Short answer: Boosts and Telegram Ads do different jobs. Boosts raise your channel level and unlock features such as stories, custom reactions and appearance options, but they do not bring new people. Telegram Ads promote your channel with sponsored messages in other channels, which brings new visitors. Buying subscribers only raises the number. The right choice depends on your goal, and the best results usually come from combining them.
One question comes up constantly from channel admins: where should the budget go? Boosts, ads or buying subscribers outright? All three get filed under “growth”, but they produce completely different results. This guide compares what each one does, how it is priced, when each makes sense and how to combine them.
What Telegram boosts do
A boost is support that a Telegram Premium user gives to a channel. Once a channel collects enough boosts it levels up, and each level unlocks features: stories, more daily stories, custom emoji reactions, a channel colour, a cover logo, wallpapers and more. The number of boosts needed depends on your subscriber count. See channel levels and the boosts they need for the full breakdown.
The strength of boosts is that they improve your channel’s shop window. A channel that posts stories and has its own colours and reactions looks more alive and more trustworthy to a first-time visitor. The weakness is that boosts do not bring anyone new. Someone who has never heard of your channel will not find it just because your level went up.
What Telegram Ads do
Telegram Ads is Telegram’s own ad platform at ads.telegram.org. According to the official getting-started guide, ads appear as sponsored messages in public channels with 1,000 or more subscribers. Telegram’s promo page says ad text can be up to 160 characters and includes a Telegram link. The key rules:
- Links stay inside Telegram: an ad must point to a Telegram channel or bot. Links to external websites are not allowed.
- Channel-based targeting: the guide explains that you choose the channels where your ad will run by entering their links. Telegram says it does not use private chat content or contact lists for targeting.
- Review: ads are checked before they go live, and those that break the rules are declined and must be fixed.
- Paid in crypto: the guide sets a minimum CPM (cost per thousand impressions) for sponsored messages, and payment is made in cryptocurrency from Telegram’s ecosystem. Check the current currency and minimums in the ads dashboard.
- Premium users do not see them: official sponsored messages are hidden from Premium subscribers, so ads cannot reach the Premium part of your audience.
The strength of ads is reach: they put your channel in front of people who read related channels but have never heard of you. The weakness is that turning a visitor into a subscriber depends entirely on your channel’s first impression.
What buying subscribers does
The third option is buying members or subscribers directly. That raises the visible count and can stop a brand-new channel from looking empty. But bought members do not read your posts or interact, and your view and reaction rates can shift as a result. A higher subscriber count also raises your level threshold, so the same level will need more boosts as the channel grows. We cover the trade-offs between regular and Premium members honestly in buying Telegram members.
Side-by-side comparison
| Boosts | Telegram Ads | Buying subscribers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main result | Level and features | New visitors | A higher count |
| Brings new people? | Not directly | Yes | As a number yes, as readers no |
| Pricing | Depends on level and channel size | Per thousand impressions (CPM) | Per unit |
| Duration | Tied to Premium subscriptions, expires | Stops when the budget runs out | May drop over time |
| What you need | Channel link | Ads account, compliant ad text | Channel link |
| Main risk | Sellers asking for passwords | Declined ads, wasted budget | Lower engagement rates |
When to choose which
Start with boosts if…
- your channel already has an audience that reads it and you need stories, custom reactions or brand colours,
- you want a stronger first impression before running ads or a promotion campaign,
- you need to hold your current level because boosts are about to expire.
Choose Telegram Ads if…
- you know which channels your target audience reads and want to appear there,
- your channel posts regularly and well, because visitors from an ad look at your latest posts before deciding,
- you can pay in crypto and have time to measure and adjust the campaign.
Use bought subscribers carefully
A small amount can be considered for social proof in a new channel’s first days. It is not a growth strategy on its own and it does not replace content, promotion and community work.
Combining them
The most efficient approach is usually to use them in sequence:
- Prepare the shop window: tidy up the description, the pinned post and your last few posts. If needed, use boosts to unlock stories and custom reactions.
- Bring in traffic: reach a relevant audience with Telegram Ads or other ways to promote your channel.
- Measure: during the campaign, track new subscribers, views per subscriber and leavers. The simple log in our channel analytics guide works well here.
- Hold the level: as ads grow the channel, the level threshold rises. Check the Boosts screen and top up when needed. Our guide on how to check your channel level shows where to look.
One more note: Telegram also lets channel owners earn a share of the revenue from ads shown in their own channels. That is a separate topic from advertising and depends on whether your channel is eligible.
Example: an education channel with 3,000 subscribers
An education channel with 3,000 subscribers posts five times a week and wants to grow. Its level is low, so it cannot post stories and only has standard reactions.
- Week one: the admin sharpens the description, pins the three best posts and uses boosts to reach a level that allows stories. A short daily “tip of the day” story starts.
- Weeks two and three: the channel runs a small Telegram Ads campaign in a few public channels on the same topic. The ad text sells one concrete benefit.
- Week four: the admin compares new subscribers, views per subscriber and leavers with the weeks before. Because the channel grew, the Boosts screen shows a higher threshold, so the admin plans how to keep the level.
Boosts alone did not bring subscribers here, and ads alone did not keep them. What made the difference was using both in the right order. Your numbers will differ, so test the approach against your own data.
Common mistakes
- Expecting subscribers from boosts: boosts are for levels. If you want growth, you need a promotion plan.
- Advertising an empty channel: visitors who land on weak recent posts leave without subscribing, and the budget is wasted.
- Sharing your password: never give any seller your Telegram password, login code or QR session for boosts. Boosting only needs a channel link.
- Spending without measuring: if you do not note the numbers before and after a campaign, you will not know what worked.
If you need boosts to prepare your channel or hold its level, you can order them on our Telegram boost page with just your channel link and no password, then follow the order status in the panel. Not sure which route fits you? Message us at t.me/nexasupports.
Frequently asked questions
Do boosts bring new subscribers?
Not directly. Boosts raise your channel level and unlock features such as stories, custom reactions and colours. Those make the channel more engaging and more convincing to visitors, but new subscribers come from promotion and content.
Is there a minimum budget for Telegram Ads?
Telegram’s getting-started page sets a minimum CPM for sponsored messages, and payment is made in cryptocurrency. Budgets and currency details can change, so check the current figures on ads.telegram.org.
Can Telegram Ads send traffic to my website?
No. Telegram’s rules require ad links to point to a Telegram channel or bot. Links to external websites are not allowed.
Which is cheaper, boosts or ads?
They pay for different outcomes. Boosts are the cost of reaching a specific level, which depends on your channel size. With ads you pay per thousand impressions, and the result depends on targeting and your ad text.
Does it make sense to use both?
For most channels, yes. Use boosts to get the channel looking its best first, then use ads to bring in new visitors. People arriving from an ad are then more likely to subscribe.