Which Telegram Bot Library Should You Use? (Beginner-Friendly Guide)
Telegram bots are everywhere now—automation, e-commerce, customer support, and even AI assistants. But new developers often struggle to pick between:
- Raw Telegram Bot API
python-telegram-bot-
telebot(PyTelegramBotAPI)
Here’s a simple, beginner-friendly breakdown based on real experience.
If You Are a Beginner → Use Telebot
Telebot is the easiest and fastest way to start.
Why it's perfect for beginners:
- Zero setup
- Readable decorators
- Simple message handlers
- Worked by millions of developers
Example:
import telebot
bot = telebot.TeleBot("TOKEN")
@bot.message_handler(commands=['start'])
def start(message):
bot.reply_to(message, "Hello!")
bot.infinity_polling()
Done. Your bot works.
If You Want Power → Use **python-telegram-bot
This is the most advanced library.
Why it's great:
- Async support
- Best for production
- Large modular architecture
- Cleaner webhook support
Example:
from telegram.ext import ApplicationBuilder, CommandHandler
async def start(update, context):
await update.message.reply_text("Hello!")
app = ApplicationBuilder().token("TOKEN").build()
app.add_handler(CommandHandler("start", start))
app.run_polling()
If You Want Full Control → Use Raw Telegram API
Use when:
- Building custom frameworks
- Integrating with unusual infrastructure
Example:
import requests
requests.post(
f"https://api.telegram.org/botTOKEN/sendMessage",
json={"chat_id": "ID", "text": "Hello!"}
)
Summary — Which Should You Choose?
| Goal | Best Choice |
|---|---|
| Learn quickly | Telebot |
| Build production bot | python-telegram-bot |
| Build custom system | Raw API |
Final Advice
If you're new to Telegram bots:
✔ Start with Telebot
✔ Move to python-telegram-bot when you're ready
✔ Use Raw API only when necessary
Source Code + Extra Examples
All sample code and detailed comparison tables are available on GitHub:
👉 GitHub Repository:
https://github.com/ibrahimpelumi6142/telegram-bot-api-vs-telebot
About the Author
Lasisi Ibrahim Pelumi
Full-stack Engineer • Automation Developer • Bot Specialist
Building AI-driven automation tools using WhatsApp, Telegram, Node.js, Python, and FastAPI.
Top comments (10)
This guide is super practical. I appreciate the real world advice on when to choose simplicity over features.
This post demystified a topic I was struggling with. Your points on community support and learning curve really stood out to me.
Thanks for this! Your clarity and examples made everything much easier to understand. Subscribed for more posts.
As someone new to bot development, this article gave me exactly the guidance I needed. Thanks for writing this in such an accessible way.
This is a fantastic beginner friendly guide! The way you break down the different Telegram bot libraries makes choosing one so much clearer.
Great breakdown! You made the decision process feel much less overwhelming. Looking forward to more guides like this
Well written and informative. I learned a lot about the trade offs between libraries I hadn’t considered before. Useful for beginners and beyond.
Really enjoyed the structure of this article. It’s concise, yet packed with useful information. Perfect for anyone starting with Telegram bots.
Awesome guide! Very friendly for developers of all levels. I feel more confident choosing a library after reading this.
Really helpful comparison. I especially liked how you highlighted the strengths and ideal use cases for each library. Great work!