The short answer
A simple Telegram bot with a menu, answers to common questions and a request form starts at $200 and takes 3–5 days. A business bot that takes orders or bookings and stores them in a database costs around $350. A bot with online payments and a web admin panel starts at about $600. A full Telegram Mini App — a complete interface inside Telegram — starts at $1,500.
After launch you pay only for a small server, usually $5–10 a month. Telegram itself charges nothing for bots. The final price is fixed in writing before any work starts, so the number you agree to is the number you pay.
Telegram bot prices by type
| Type | What it does | Typical example | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple bot | Menu, FAQ answers, request form, messages forwarded to you | A clinic answering “prices, address, hours” | from $200 | 3–5 days |
| Business bot | Orders or bookings, database, team notifications, Google Sheets export | A café taking delivery orders | from $350 | 5–8 days |
| Bot + admin panel | Online payments, web admin, Telegram and WhatsApp | A shop with a catalog and card payments | from $600 | 8–14 days |
| Mini App | A full web interface inside Telegram | A booking system or staff tool | from $1,500 | 4–8 weeks |
Most small businesses land in the first two rows. If you are not sure which one you need, the price calculator gives a range in a minute.
What drives the price
- Number of scenarios. Every branch of the dialogue — order, cancel, change, ask a question, talk to a human — has to be designed and tested separately. Five scenarios cost more than two.
- Data. A bot that only forwards messages needs no database. Orders, bookings, customer history and loyalty points do.
- Integrations. Google Sheets, a CRM, a payment provider, your website or an accounting system each add work — usually a day or two per connection if the other side has a good API.
- Admin panel. If your team should change products, prices and texts without a programmer, the bot needs an admin panel. A Google Sheet can do this job at first.
- Languages. Every language means translated texts, buttons and testing. Russian, Uzbek and English in one bot is common and affordable.
- AI. A bot that answers free-text questions with an AI model needs prompts, your documents as the source of truth and safeguards — and adds a small per-answer cost.
Three real-world examples
A café delivery bot. Menu with photos, cart, delivery address and phone, order sent to the kitchen's Telegram group, status messages back to the customer. That is a business bot — around $350.
A clinic booking bot. Choose a service and a doctor, pick a free time slot, get a reminder the day before. With its own schedule it costs $350–600; connecting to an existing booking system depends on that system's API, which I check before quoting.
A staff check-in tool. Check-in Med is a Telegram Mini App where clinic staff check in with a face scan and managers see attendance and a monthly rating. Projects of this size are priced individually, from the Mini App range.
Running costs after launch
Telegram charges nothing for bots, users or messages. What you pay for is the computer the bot runs on — a small cloud server for $5–10 a month handles thousands of users — plus any paid services the bot uses: an AI model, SMS or maps. Changes after launch cost $15 an hour, with no monthly retainer. The full breakdown is in how much a Telegram bot costs to run.
How the work goes
- You describe the task in a few sentences — in Telegram, WhatsApp or by email.
- I reply with questions that affect the price, then send a written scope with a fixed price and deadline.
- You pay 50% upfront; large projects are split into stages.
- You test the bot in your own Telegram while it is being built and see progress every few days.
- I launch it on your server, hand over the source code and every account, and you pay the remaining 50%.
How to spend less
- Start with the one scenario that saves the most time; add the rest when the bot proves itself.
- Let a Google Sheet be your first admin panel — it is free and your team already knows it.
- Write down the conversation you have with customers today. It becomes the bot's script and shortens the work.
- Collect your texts, prices and photos before work starts — waiting for content is the most common delay.
Bot builder or a custom bot?
For a menu and FAQ answers a bot builder can be enough, and it is cheap to start. You pay every month, though, and you are limited to what the builder can do. Once you need your own logic, a database or integrations, a custom bot usually costs less over a year or two than a builder subscription — and the code is yours. There is a step-by-step comparison in how to create a Telegram bot.
Questions
How much does it cost to create a Telegram bot?
From $200 for a simple bot with a menu and request form, around $350 for orders or bookings with a database, and about $600 with payments and an admin panel.
How much does it cost to host a Telegram bot?
Usually $5–10 a month for a small cloud server. Free hosting plans often put the bot to sleep, so customers wait for answers.
Is the Telegram Bot API free?
Yes. Creating a bot and sending or receiving messages is free, with no fees per user or message.
How long does it take to build a bot?
A simple bot takes 3–5 days, a business bot 5–8 days, and a bot with payments and an admin panel 8–14 days.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes: 50% before work starts and 50% after delivery. Large projects are split into stages that are agreed and paid separately.
Do I get the source code?
Yes. The code, the server and every account belong to you.