Most agencies answer this question with "it depends" and a contact form. It does depend — but the ranges are perfectly knowable, and you deserve to see them before you talk to anyone. Here are the numbers we actually quote clients, and exactly what moves a project from one tier to the next.
€150+
Simple notification bot
€500–2k
Bot with logic & database
€2,000+
Complex system
1–3 days
Fastest delivery tier
The three price tiers
| Tier | What it does | Typical price | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notification bot | Sends alerts from your system to Telegram: new orders, leads, errors, daily reports. One-way, no database of its own. | €150+ | 1–3 days |
| Interactive bot | Two-way conversations: menus, forms, bookings, order taking, FAQ answers. Stores data, connects to your CRM or spreadsheet. | €500–€2,000 | 1–3 weeks |
| Bot platform | Multi-role systems: customer side + admin side, payments, subscriptions, moderation queues, analytics dashboards. | €2,000+ | 3–8 weeks |
These are the same tiers listed on our automation services page — the price you see there is the price we quote. Most first projects land in the first two tiers, and the smartest ones start small: a notification bot that proves its value in a week makes the business case for the bigger build.
What actually drives the price
- Number of conversation flows. A bot that does one thing well (accept a booking) is dramatically cheaper than one juggling ten scenarios.
- Integrations. Each external system — CRM, payment provider, Google Sheets, your internal API — adds connection and testing work.
- A database of its own. If the bot must remember users, orders, and history, it needs proper storage, migrations, and backups.
- Admin features. "Can I see all bookings and export them?" turns a bot into a bot plus a mini back office.
- Payments. Card payments via Telegram or a provider like Stripe add compliance and edge-case handling.
What it costs to run
This is the part agencies rarely mention: the Telegram Bot API itself is free. There is no per-message fee, unlike SMS. Your only recurring costs are hosting — a small VPS at €5–20/month comfortably runs most bots — and optional maintenance if you want someone on call. Compare that with SMS campaigns where every single message costs money, and the economics become obvious. We break that comparison down in Telegram vs email vs SMS.
When does a bot pay for itself?
A worked example: a service business spends 1 hour a day answering "are you open, can I book for Friday" messages. At even €10/hour, that is roughly €200 a month of repetitive work. An €800 booking bot pays for itself in the first quarter — and then keeps working nights and weekends for the price of hosting. That maths is the whole argument of why businesses adopt Telegram bots.
How to keep the price down
Start with the narrowest useful version
One flow, done well. You can add scenarios later — the architecture does not need to be rebuilt.
Bring a clear description of the process
A one-page "customer writes X, bot should do Y" saves hours of discovery calls, and hours are what you pay for.
Reuse what you have
If your data already lives in Google Sheets or an existing CRM, the bot can talk to it — no need to build a new system around the bot.
Get a fixed quote in one day
Describe your process in a few sentences and we will reply with a fixed price and timeline — no calls required. Reach us via the contact block below or Telegram.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Telegram Bot API really free?+
Yes. Telegram does not charge for bot traffic — sending and receiving messages costs nothing. You only pay for the server the bot runs on (typically €5–20/month).
How long does development take?+
Notification bots: 1–3 days. Interactive bots with a database: 1–3 weeks. Larger platforms: 3–8 weeks depending on scope.
Do I need my own server?+
The bot needs to run somewhere, but a small €5/month VPS is enough for the vast majority of bots. We set this up as part of the project.
Can a Telegram bot accept payments?+
Yes — via payment providers connected to Telegram (e.g. Stripe) or by issuing invoice links from your existing payment system. This typically places a project in the €2,000+ tier.