compare - WireCatLabs/tg-cli GitHub Wiki
Compared with other tools
Several open tools already connect a personal Telegram account to a terminal or an AI agent. This
page puts tg next to three of them, so you can see at a glance which tool does what and pick the
one that fits your job. The marks come from each project's own documentation; a tool may do more
than its documentation says.
The tools:
- tg โ this tool: a command line and an MCP server for your account, with a local archive.
- tgcli โ a command line with background sync and an MCP server.
- telegram-mcp โ an MCP server that gives an agent a large set of Telegram actions.
- tdl โ a fast downloader and uploader for files and media.
โ yes ยท ๐ก partly ยท โ no ยท โ not in its documentation
Features
| Feature | tg | tgcli | telegram-mcp | tdl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your personal account | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| A bot through the Bot API | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Read chats and history | โ | โ | โ | ๐ก |
| Send messages | โ | โ | โ | ๐ก |
| Files and media | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| A local archive kept current | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Search the archive without connecting | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Search on Telegram's server | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Search by meaning | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| MCP server | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Remote MCP with its own login | โ | ๐ก | ๐ก | โ |
| Skill for agents with a terminal | โ | โ | ๐ก | โ |
| JSON output | โ | โ | ๐ก | โ |
| Several accounts | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Limits for an agent: read-only, allowed chats, hourly cap | โ | โ | ๐ก | โ |
| Run a group or channel | โ | ๐ก | โ | ๐ก |
| Scheduled messages | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Forum topics | โ | โ | โ | ๐ก |
| Contacts with private names and notes | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Background service | โ | โ | ๐ก | โ |
| Export chats | โ | โ | ๐ก | โ |
Install and licence
| tg | tgcli | telegram-mcp | tdl | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install | npm, pnpm, Bun | npm, Homebrew | git and uv, Docker, Claude Desktop extension | one binary, Homebrew, Scoop, AUR, Nix, Docker |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript | Python | Go |
| Licence | MIT | MIT | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
When another tool fits better
- tdl โ you mostly move files: bulk downloads, uploads and forwarding at full speed, from one binary that most package managers can install.
- telegram-mcp โ you want the widest set of agent actions in Claude Desktop, installed in one step, with a large community behind it.
- tgcli โ you install with Homebrew, want the MCP server inside the sync service, send individual messages with protected content, or keep notes on chats.
If tg fits, start with installation; to connect an agent without a terminal,
see the MCP server.