Telegram Ads Cost: What’s the Minimum Budget to Boost Your Reach & Revenue
Many entrepreneurs and marketers dream of using Telegram to promote their products or services. However, many are afraid to test the platform, believing that Telegram Ads are extremely expensive. But is that really the case?
In this article, we’ll break it down — what’s the minimum budget you actually need to successfully enter the platform and launch a full-fledged advertising campaign to Telegram’s audience, which in 2025 has already reached 1 billion people.
Minimum Cost of Advertising on Telegram
Let’s start by debunking the biggest myth that scares off advertisers:
The minimum budget to access the Telegram Ads platform is €2 million.
That’s not true. Or rather, not exactly true.
This large sum is the minimum budget required for direct access to the Euro-based Telegram Ads account.
However, direct access to the Euro account is far from the only way to launch an advertising campaign on Telegram Ads. Only the largest companies can afford to work directly with Telegram’s Euro accounts. For small and medium-sized businesses, there are several affordable ways to get started on the platform.
Let’s go over the minimum budget you actually need.
Advertising via the Telegram Ads Euro Account
The Euro Account in Telegram Ads allows advertisers to pay for ads in euros.
The Euro account offers maximum opportunities: advanced targeting, banner and video ads, search promotion, and more. However, it’s available only in certain countries. For example, you cannot launch ads targeting the USA via the Euro account.
You can access the Euro account through agency partners. Minimum budgets vary depending on the agency.
Some agencies offer a minimum budget starting from €250.
However, we do not recommend entering Telegram Ads with such a small budget, as it’s difficult to effectively test an advertising campaign in most niches with that amount.
At SMITLINK agency, our minimum budget for entering the Euro-based Telegram Ads account is $500 for most niches.
For the real estate sector, we’ve increased the minimum budget to €5,000. The reason is that lead costs in real estate are very high, and it’s almost impossible to properly test ad campaigns with a small budget. After all, it’s not realistic to test ad creatives for $500 when the cost per lead for a real estate purchase may exceed that amount.
How much does the advertising itself cost?
Ads are charged using the CPM (Cost-Per-Mille) model — you pay per 1,000 impressions.
The minimum CPM in the Politics niche is €0.75 per 1,000 impressions.
In all other niches and chatbot promotions — from €1 per 1,000 impressions.
It’s important to note that Telegram Ads work on an auction basis. In some channels, competition can push CPM prices up to €5, €10, or even higher per 1,000 impressions.
Summary:
Minimum possible budget to physically enter the Euro-based Telegram Ads account: $250.
Recommended starting budget: at least €500. This is usually sufficient for initial testing in most niches.
For high-ticket products: start from €1,000.
For real estate clients: start from €5,000.
Advertising via the Telegram Ads Ton Account
Telegram also supports ad payments via TON (The Open Network) — the platform’s native cryptocurrency. This is called the Ton account, and it’s available to all users regardless of location.
The Ton account’s functionality is more limited compared to the Euro account. For example, it has fewer precise targeting options and no video ad placements.
However, ad costs are significantly lower.
You don’t need partners or intermediaries to access the Ton account. You just need to register and fund your balance with cryptocurrency.
Minimum entry threshold: none. You can start with as little as 20 TON ($50-60).
Minimum CPM in the Ton account: 0.1 TON ($0.3 - 0.5) per 1,000 impressions.
In theory, you can launch a Telegram Ads campaign via the Ton account for the price of a can of Coke.
But obviously, such a small budget won’t let you effectively test ad creatives or run a proper campaign.
Realistically:
To properly test and launch campaigns via the Ton account, you’ll need roughly the same budget as in the Euro account.
For most products: $250-500 is the recommended minimum.
For high-ticket products: $1,000.
For real estate: $3,000-5,000.
What If Your Budget Isn’t Enough for Telegram Ads?
If €500 is too much for you, don’t worry. Telegram offers plenty of alternative advertising options that work even with minimal budgets. Here are three key alternatives:
1. Buying Ads Directly in Telegram Channels, Chats, and Chatbots
Directly purchasing ad posts in Telegram channels is one of the most popular and accessible ways to advertise. There’s no minimum budget — it all depends on the channel.
A post in a small niche channel can cost $5-50, while ads in large communities can cost hundreds of dollars.
This is the perfect option for those starting with a small budget.
Sometimes you can negotiate collaborations with bloggers without financial investment — offer them a percentage of sales via a referral program or exchange your product for ad space.
2. Advertising in Mini-Apps via Third-Party Platforms
Telegram Mini-Apps are interactive in-platform applications ranging from games to financial tools. They attract millions of users and happily display ads.
Currently, you can’t advertise in Mini-Apps directly via Telegram Ads. However, third-party ad networks allow you to easily buy targeted placements inside Mini-Apps.
Post in channel - Minimum recommended value: $2.00
Message in bot - Minimum recommended value: $0.09
Minimum deposits on these platforms usually start around $150.
Mini-App ads typically work well in niches like gaming, gambling, crypto, and digital education. However, we don’t recommend promoting high-ticket or B2B products through this method.
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s entirely possible to launch an effective Telegram advertising campaign with minimal investment. While we recommend starting with at least €500 for initial testing, you can technically start with even smaller amounts. Telegram Ads are affordable and highly effective.
Want us to review your project and help calculate the optimal budget for launching on Telegram Ads? Contact us for a free consultation. We’ll review your project and advise you on how to best leverage the platform to quickly and efficiently achieve your business goals.