Telegram bot vs dedicated app

Vibe Walk is clever — it turns Telegram into a Claude Code interface. But a chat app wasn't designed for coding. Claudaway was.

Chat interface vs coding interface

Telegram is great for messaging. But code output, file diffs, and multi-session management need more than a chat bubble.

Feature Claudaway Vibe Walk
Interface Dedicated iOS app Telegram bot chat
Terminal output Real terminal with formatting Chat messages (truncated)
File browser Visual file explorer Not available
Multi-session Multiple agents, one tap to switch Single session
Accept/Reject One-tap buttons Text commands in chat
Voice input Native dictation Telegram voice messages (limited)
Code formatting Syntax-aware terminal Telegram markdown (basic)
Third-party dependency None — standalone app Requires Telegram account
Privacy E2E encrypted, direct to Mac Routed through Telegram servers
Long output Scrollable terminal Message length limits

Why a dedicated app matters

Piggybacking on Telegram is clever. But it comes with real trade-offs.

Real terminal output

Claude Code produces rich terminal output — colors, progress bars, file diffs. Telegram flattens everything into plain chat messages. Claudaway renders it properly.

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See your files

Browse your project, open files, see what Claude changed. A visual file explorer beats asking a Telegram bot to list directory contents.

Run parallel agents

Work on multiple things at once. Frontend in one session, backend in another. Switch with one tap. A Telegram chat is inherently single-threaded.

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Your code stays private

Vibe Walk routes your prompts and Claude's responses through Telegram's servers. Claudaway uses direct E2E encryption between your iPhone and Mac. Your code never touches a third party.

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No message limits

Telegram has message length limits. Long Claude output gets truncated or split across messages. Claudaway shows full terminal output in a scrollable view.

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No dependency

You don't need a Telegram account. You don't need Telegram installed. Claudaway is a standalone app that connects directly to your Mac.

Vibe Walk is a creative solution

Using Telegram as a Claude Code interface is genuinely clever. It works cross-platform, it's free, and it's fast to set up. If you already live in Telegram and just want quick access to send prompts — it does the job. Claudaway is for people who want the full Claude Code experience on mobile, without compromises.

Common questions

Yes. Vibe Walk uses the Telegram Bot API, so your prompts and Claude's responses pass through Telegram's infrastructure. With Claudaway, everything is E2E encrypted between your iPhone and Mac. Nothing goes through any third-party server in readable form.

Telegram renders basic markdown, but it can't show proper terminal-formatted diffs, colored output, or progress indicators. Claudaway displays the full terminal output as Claude Code intended it.

You need internet to reach your Mac. But the app launches instantly, maintains connection state, and reconnects automatically. Telegram also needs internet — but additionally needs Telegram's servers to be up.

Vibe Walk is open source and free. Claudaway offers a 3-day free trial with full access, then $3.99/mo, $44.99/yr, or $49.99 lifetime for unlimited sessions, voice input, file browsing, and multi-agent support.

If Telegram's servers have issues, Vibe Walk stops working. Claudaway connects directly to your Mac through an encrypted tunnel — no dependency on any third-party messaging platform.

Claude Code deserves its own app

Not a chat bot. Not a Telegram hack. A native iOS app built from the ground up for mobile coding.