If you run a community or a support desk, sooner or later you hit this wall: some people only use WhatsApp, some only use Telegram, and you want a group on each app to stay in sync — both directions, with the photos and voice notes intact, and ideally without writing code.
I went down this rabbit hole, so here's an honest rundown of the real options in 2026, from "just works" to "roll up your sleeves."
The four kinds of solutions
- Managed bridges — a hosted service mirrors one WhatsApp group and one Telegram group for you.
- Automation platforms — Zapier / Make / Pabbly, glued to a WhatsApp API provider.
- Self-hosted bridges — open-source projects you run on your own server.
- Manual export/import — a one-time snapshot (spoiler: it drops your media).
Quick comparison
| Tool | Type | Two-way | Keeps media | No code / no QR | Ban risk | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wa2tg | Managed bridge | Yes | Yes | Yes (runs on their number) | Low | Free 20/day, then $10-$20 one-time |
| WHAMetrics Bridge | Managed bridge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Low | Subscription |
| Zapier / Make / Pabbly | Automation platform | You build it | Fiddly | No (needs WhatsApp API) | Depends | Per-task, monthly |
| watgbridge / matterbridge | Self-hosted (OSS) | Yes | Yes | No (server + QR) | Higher (your number) | Free (you host) |
1. Managed bridges (the no-code route)
A managed bridge mirrors the two groups live, both ways, with media, on the provider's own infrastructure — no server, no QR on your phone. WHAMetrics is the established name here. wa2tg does the same job with a free plan (20 messages/day, no card) and one-time pricing ($10 or $20 for a month) instead of a subscription. Both keep photos, videos and voice notes, and neither runs a third-party client on your own WhatsApp.
2. Automation platforms (Zapier, Make, Pabbly)
Powerful, but they don't connect a WhatsApp group on their own — you add a WhatsApp API provider (Business API, WAHA, or Green API), build the flows, and add filters to stop infinite forwarding loops. Media needs extra mapping and per-task pricing adds up on busy groups. Great if you already live in these tools and want full control.
3. Self-hosted bridges (watgbridge, matterbridge)
Free and fully controllable, but you need a 24/7 server, a WhatsApp web session via a QR code that expires, and you carry the ban risk on your own number if automation limits are tripped. Fun for developers; a lot of maintenance for everyone else.
4. Manual export/import
WhatsApp's Export chat into Telegram's import is a one-time snapshot that usually replaces media with "media omitted" placeholders. Fine for a small text log; useless if the media is the point.
Which should you pick?
- Just want two groups in sync, no fuss: a managed bridge (wa2tg or WHAMetrics).
- Want to test free, no card, no subscription: wa2tg's free plan.
- Already build automations: Zapier / Make / Pabbly + a WhatsApp API.
- Developer who enjoys self-hosting: watgbridge / matterbridge.
Full comparison and setup steps: wa2tg.app. How do you keep your WhatsApp and Telegram groups in sync? Curious what has actually worked for you.
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