EUR vs TON vs Stars — which Telegram Ads cabinet to pick
Side-by-side comparison of the three official Telegram Ads cabinets across billing, targeting, audience and use cases.
6 min · updated 2026-05-17
Telegram operates three official ad cabinets in parallel. They differ in billing currency, targeting model, creative format and the audience they reach. This article gives a side-by-side decision framework.
#Quick decision tree
- B2C app, geo-focused → **EUR cabinet**
- Crypto / web3 / token launch → **TON cabinet**
- Mini-app launch, Stars monetisation → **Stars Promotions**
- Mixed launch (web2 + web3) → run **all three** in parallel with cabinet-specific creative
#EUR cabinet
The mass-market cabinet. Inventory is the largest — sponsored messages show in every qualifying public channel (1K+ subscribers) across 70+ topics. Audience skews mainstream: news, lifestyle, business, regional content.
**Strengths:** predictable CPM (€0.5–3), wide inventory, mature moderation, geo targeting. **Weaknesses:** generic audience, no per-user signals, KYC barrier for entry. **Use for:** B2C launches, regional campaigns, mass-market apps, content publishers.
#TON cabinet
The crypto/web3 cabinet. Targeting is wallet-driven — Telegram knows which users hold tokens, interact with DEXes, hold NFTs. Inventory is narrower (only crypto-leaning channels and audiences) but the audience is high-intent.
**Strengths:** highest-quality crypto audience in the entire ad ecosystem, crypto / DeFi / NFT channel targeting, TON-native billing. **Weaknesses:** small inventory, $5–15 CPM (premium), only fits crypto/web3 brands. **Use for:** token launches, DEX/CEX promotions, NFT drops, DeFi tools, wallet apps.
#Stars Promotions
The cashier cabinet. Used inside the Telegram client (not via ads.telegram.org) for mini-app and Stars-denominated promotions. Billing is per-Star (≈$0.013 each). Surfaces include App Center category boosts, gift-receiver targeting, and Stars-paid promotional cards.
**Strengths:** direct mini-app install attribution, App Center surfacing, gift mechanic for viral spread. **Weaknesses:** only useful if you have a mini-app or Stars product, harder to A/B test. **Use for:** mini-app launches, Stars-monetised creators, paid-media offers, Premium giveaways.
#Side-by-side table
| Dimension | EUR | TON | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing | EUR fiat | TON crypto | Stars (XTR) |
| Minimum budget | €2 / campaign (resellers ~€1500–3000) | from 20 TON (≈$50–60) | per-Star (~$0.013) |
| CPM range | €0.5–3 (floor 0.1 TON ≈ $0.36) | $5–15 | per-CPI for mini-apps |
| Where shown | Public channels 1K+ subs | Crypto / DeFi / NFT channels | Mini-app App Center, gifts |
| Targeting | Topic + language + channel | Channel + topic + language | App Center categories |
| Best audience | Massmarket EU/MENA/CIS | Crypto-degen + DeFi users | Gaming / mini-app users |
| Onboarding | KYC 1–5 days | Instant after wallet | Instant |
| Creative type | Text + CTA + banner | Text + crypto-link CTA | Mini-app card + gift offer |
| Moderation strictness | High | Medium | Medium |
#Multi-cabinet strategy
For products with overlap (e.g. a crypto mini-app), running all three cabinets in parallel is the norm:
- TON cabinet acquires DeFi-native first cohort
- EUR cabinet expands to massmarket once messaging is validated
- Stars Promotions drives App Center ranking once you have organic install velocity
This is the standard playbook G.Media Agency uses for mini-app launches.
#What you cannot do
None of the three cabinets support per-user demographic targeting (age, gender, income). Telegram's privacy stance is foundational. If you need behavioural targeting at the individual level, you are on the wrong platform — Telegram Ads targets contexts (channels, topics, languages), not people directly.
#See also
Live CPM benchmarks per cabinet × niche × geo: tgmetrics.net. Compare actual creative volume per cabinet at tgadsspy.com/api/v1/stats.