Messaging and email · MCP server
Telegram MCP (chigwell): MCP server, setup and security
Telegram MCP (chigwell) is an open-source MCP server that lets an AI agent manage Telegram conversations, send messages and handle message read status. Its repository has 1,892 stars and its last commit is from October 24, 2026 and it is licensed under Apache-2.0.
What Telegram MCP (chigwell) does
According to its repository: “Telegram API integration: access user data, manage dialogs (chats, channels, groups), retrieve and send messages, and handle read status.”
An MCP server gives an AI agent extra tools it calls during the conversation: the agent reads their description, decides to use them and gets the result back. Telegram MCP (chigwell) is listed under Messaging and email, a category of 107 servers in the directory, where it ranks #5 by stars.
Topics declared by the repository: admin, api, chat-management, contacts, groups, media.
Installing and connecting Telegram MCP (chigwell)
No package or remote server is declared in the official MCP registry: you install it from source, following the repository README.
Like any MCP server, you declare it in your client's configuration (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex…): a name, the command that starts it or its URL, and any environment variables. The client then starts it and lists its tools. Project language: Python.
Security: what to check
An MCP server runs code with the rights you give it, and the model reads its tool descriptions: a malicious or compromised server can hijack the agent. Read the code, or pick a maintained and widely used server, before connecting it.
None of the risk signals we track (system access, secrets, missing licence, abandonment) applies to Telegram MCP (chigwell). That does not replace reading the code.
Good practice: grant only the rights needed (least privilege), require human approval for irreversible actions, and run the AI agent security check.
Project activity and maintenance
Created on March 20, 2025, the chigwell/telegram-mcp repository has 1,892 stars and 477 forks, with 10 open issues. It has more stars than 95% of the servers in the directory. It received changes this month.
Stars measure attention, not quality: a recent, heavily promoted project can collect them fast, while a useful but niche server will have few.
Verdict
Telegram MCP (chigwell) is one of the most solid servers in its category: followed, maintained and well framed.
Strengths
- Active project: recent commit
- Widely followed: 1.9K stars
- Permissive licence (Apache-2.0)
Limitations
- Install from source
Alternatives
- Emailmd1.4K ★
- Vexa2.9K ★
- CometChat Docs129 ★
- Inbox Zero12.8K ★
- Microsoft 365 MCP Server1.1K ★
- Discourse MCP77 ★
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
How do I install Telegram MCP (chigwell)?
No package is declared in the MCP registry: clone the chigwell/telegram-mcp repository, follow its README, then declare the start command in your client's MCP configuration.
Is Telegram MCP (chigwell) free?
The code is published under the Apache-2.0 licence and can be used free of charge.
Is Telegram MCP (chigwell) safe?
No risk signal found (system access, secrets, licence, abandonment). As with any MCP server, keep rights minimal and read the code before sensitive use.
Is it an official server?
Nothing says so: it is a project published by chigwell on GitHub. Check who maintains it before giving it access.
What are the alternatives to Telegram MCP (chigwell)?
In the same category: Emailmd, Vexa, CometChat Docs, and Inbox Zero.
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Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score