What to compare in GramAds alternatives
Telegram bot ad networks look alike from the outside: an advertiser uploads a post and the network shows it to people using bots. The differences that decide what you pay for sit one level down. Seven points are worth comparing.
- Who sends the ad and how delivery is confirmed. The message can be sent by the network or by the publisher’s bot. That determines how the network knows an impression happened.
- Payment model. Per impression (CPM), per click, or a choice of both.
- Placements. Right after /start, after the bot has delivered its result, inside an AI bot’s answer, in a Mini App.
- Targeting. Topics, language, Premium audience, frequency per person, schedule, picking specific bots.
- Moderation. Whether posts and the bots themselves are reviewed before launch.
- Anti-fraud. What the network does with fake impressions and whether it refunds them.
- Payments and entry point. Currency, minimum top-up, payment methods and fees.
Who sends the ad and how delivery is confirmed
A message in a bot chat is sent through the Bot API with that bot’s token. That leaves two main setups: the network holds the token, or only the bot owner does.
The network sends the ad
The bot owner gives the network the token. The bot’s backend tells the network who should see an ad, and the network calls Telegram itself and gets the sending result back. This is how bots connect to GramAds, and how the token mode works on HiViews.
The bot sends the ad
No token is shared: the bot requests a ready post from the network and sends it on its own. AdsGram’s block integration, Adexium, Sidekick and the no-token mode on HiViews work this way. On HiViews, the sending of every impression without a token is confirmed by Telegram itself, and every link goes through the network’s tracking: a bot whose clicks do not match its impressions loses paid impressions.
A question for any network: how do you know an impression happened, and what happens to impressions found to be fake?
Telegram bot ad networks compared
The table uses only what the networks state in their own public documentation. Where it gives no direct answer, the cell says “see their docs” — we did not fill in gaps for other services. It compares mechanics and is not a ranking.
| Network | Who sends the ad | Payment model | Formats and placements | Also stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GramAds | The network, using the bot’s token; the bot’s backend makes one API call with the user’s chat id | Per impression; an advertiser API with per-impression statistics exists | See their docs | See their docs |
| AdsGram | The bot: it requests an ad and sends it (block integration, no token) | Bot publishers are paid per click; advertiser terms — see their docs | Ads in bots; the network is known for ads in Telegram Mini Apps | Bots pass moderation |
| Adexium | The bot: it requests an ad and sends it; no token is shared | Advertisers buy bot messages by CPM | Messages in bots; a widget for Mini Apps | At most one sponsored message per user per bot per 24 hours |
| Sidekick | The bot: it inserts the ad into its own reply; no token | See their docs | Native ads appended to the answers of AI chat bots | Publishers are onboarded manually |
| SocialJet | The network: the bot forwards its updates to it through an SDK | See their docs | Has a timed ad format with a skip button | See their docs |
| Telegram Ads | Telegram — it is the official platform | Per impression (CPM), auction | Sponsored messages in channels and bots; short text with strict limits | Its own moderation; the self-serve account runs on TON |
| HiViews | With a token — the network; without one — the bot, with sending confirmed by Telegram | Per impression or per click | Welcome impression (right after /start) and regular impression (after the bot’s result) | Campaign moderation, anti-fraud with reversals and refunds; payment in USDT, CryptoBot and by bank card |
Based on the networks’ public documentation as of October 2026. Terms change — check each network’s own documentation before you launch.
The official platform is covered separately in Bot ads vs. Telegram Ads, and other ways to buy placements in Where to buy Telegram ads.
AdsGram vs GramAds: how they differ
- GramAds. The bot is connected with its BotFather token. The bot’s backend makes one API call with the user’s chat id, and the network itself sends the ad. Billing is per impression, and there is an advertiser API with per-impression statistics.
- AdsGram. Known mainly for ads in Telegram Mini Apps. For bots it has a block integration without a token: the bot requests an ad and sends it itself. Bot publishers are paid per click, and bots pass moderation.
For an advertiser the practical question for each of them is what exactly counts as an impression. Prices and minimum budgets are in their documentation — we do not quote them here.
When each kind of network fits
- You want to pay per impression. Look at networks where an impression is counted when the message is actually sent: the network sends it itself, or Telegram confirms the sending.
- You want to pay for results. Networks with per-click billing fit: budget is spent only on people who tapped. More on the model in Pay-per-click ads in Telegram bots.
- Your product is for people who use AI assistants. There is a native format inside AI chat bot answers — that is how Sidekick works.
- You are after a Mini App audience. AdsGram and Adexium both have ad formats for Mini Apps.
What HiViews offers advertisers
Our terms, for comparison. The price is fixed and the same for every topic.
| Item | Advertiser price |
|---|---|
| Welcome impression (right after /start) | $6 per 1,000 impressions |
| Regular impression (after the bot’s result, the last message in the chat) | $3 per 1,000 impressions |
| Pay per click (welcome or regular placement) | $0.05 per click, impressions free |
| Telegram Premium only | ×2 |
| Betting and gambling ads | ×2 |
| Boost — the campaign is picked proportionally more often | ×1.25–×2 |
| HiViews Verified — only people with a real-looking profile | Free, delivery is slower |
Everything is billed in US dollars.
- Targeting: bot topics, languages, schedule by hours (Moscow time) and dates, the whole network, only chosen bots, or all except chosen ones. Projects in the 18+ topic receive only campaigns that picked that topic themselves.
- Moderation: every campaign is reviewed, usually within a day. Topics, boost and the impression limit can be changed while the campaign runs, with no new review.
- Clicks: tracking with CTR per bot. With per-click billing only the first click of an impression is charged, and a click within 0.5 seconds of delivery is not.
- Anti-fraud: viewer profiles are checked, suspicious bots are frozen, their impressions are reversed and the money goes back to your balance. Signs of fake traffic are covered in Fake traffic in Telegram bots.
- Payments: from $5. USDT TRC20 with no fee, CryptoBot with a 3% fee, or a bank card: roubles with a Russian card, or dollars with an international card (in the dashboard). The payment page is Tribute’s, there is no fee on our side, and the top-up is credited automatically, usually within a minute. Details are in the finance guide.
How to test a network with a small budget
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Use the same budget and the same post
Otherwise you are comparing posts, not networks. Example math for HiViews: $30 buys 30 ÷ 6 × 1,000 = 5,000 welcome impressions, or 30 ÷ 3 × 1,000 = 10,000 regular ones, or 30 ÷ 0.05 = 600 clicks with per-click billing.
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Tag your links
A separate UTM tag or bot start parameter for each network. The source then shows up in your own analytics, not only in the network’s report.
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Check the network’s report against your data
The click count in the network’s statistics should be close to the visits or bot starts under your tag.
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Work out the cost per conversion
Spend divided by subscriptions, sign-ups or purchases. That number tells you where to add budget.
Every campaign setting is described in the advertiser guide.
FAQ
What are the alternatives to GramAds?
Ads inside Telegram bots are also sold by AdsGram, Adexium, Sidekick, SocialJet and HiViews. The official Telegram Ads platform stands apart, with sponsored messages in channels and bots. The networks differ in who sends the ad, how delivery is confirmed and which payment model is offered.
AdsGram vs GramAds: what is the difference?
According to their documentation, a bot connects to GramAds with its BotFather token, the network sends the ad itself and billing is per impression. AdsGram is known for Mini App ads; for bots it has a block integration without a token, the bot sends the ad itself, and bot publishers are paid per click. Terms change, so check the networks’ own documentation.
Where can I buy Telegram bot ads with a small budget?
On HiViews top-ups start at $5: $6 per 1,000 welcome impressions, $3 per 1,000 regular impressions, or $0.05 per click with per-click billing. For other networks’ entry points, see their documentation.