Is Telegram Stars worth it in 2026?
We asked real creators about their experience. Here's what they said — the good, the bad, and the honest truth.
If you're researching Telegram Stars, you've probably seen the hype. "Sell content directly in chat!" "No payment links needed!" But is it actually worth your time?
We reached out to creators who've been using Telegram Stars for anywhere from 2 weeks to 8 months. What you'll find below isn't a sales pitch — it's real feedback from people actually doing this.
What creators are saying
Real feedback from creators using Telegram Stars — unfiltered.
"Made $2,400 in my first month. Zero platform fees is insane — I keep 100% of what fans pay. The conversion rate is way higher than link-based payments because fans don't leave the chat. Nothing else comes close."
"Honestly, it took 3 weeks before I got my first sale. The learning curve is real. But once I figured out pricing and how to tease content properly, things clicked. Now doing about $800/month on the side."
"It's good, but not magic. You still need to put in work engaging with fans. The Stars system just removes the payment friction — it doesn't build your audience for you. That said, I'm not going back to external payment links."
"From an agency perspective, the dashboard situation was rough until we found proper tooling. Raw Telegram isn't built for scale. But the Stars payment itself? Best conversion we've seen. Period."
"Didn't work for me. I only had about 200 followers, and most weren't really engaged. Made maybe $30 total. I think you need a bigger base to make this viable. Not saying it's bad — just wasn't right for my situation."
The honest breakdown
When Telegram Stars works
- •You have 500+ engaged followers who actually interact
- •Your content is exclusive — not available elsewhere for free
- •You're consistent with posting and engaging in DMs
- •You understand how to tease and price content
- •You're willing to learn and iterate on what works
When it probably won't
- •Small audience with low engagement
- •Generic content that's available elsewhere
- •No time or interest in chatting with fans
- •Expecting passive income without effort
- •Looking for quick money with no existing base
Frequently asked questions
Our take (after helping 500+ creators)
Telegram Stars won't make you rich overnight. But for creators with an engaged audience and exclusive content, it's one of the lowest-friction monetization paths available today.
The real question isn't "is Telegram Stars worth it?" — it's "do I have what it takes to make it work?" If you have 500+ followers who actually care about your content, the answer is probably yes.
If you want to automate the sales process and manage everything from one dashboard, Telestars can help. But even without tools, Telegram Stars is worth testing if you're serious about monetizing your audience.