Telegram bots are the cheapest way to launch a SaaS in 2026. No app store fees, no marketing pages, instant viral distribution through chat. The catch: writing one used to mean Python + BotFather + VPS + cron. AI app builders cut that to 10 minutes. Here is the actual flow.
What you can build
Subscription bots — pay monthly via Telegram Stars or Stripe, unlock content. Examples: signal channels, trading alerts, course access, AI assistant access.
Service bots — book appointments, order food, request quotes. The bot handles the conversation, pushes orders to your CRM, charges the card.
Tool bots — convert files, generate images, summarise documents. One-shot utilities monetised per use.
Community bots — moderation, welcome messages, polls, leaderboards. Free, but they grow your channel.
Step 1 — Get a bot token
Open @BotFather in Telegram. /newbot. Pick a name and a @username. BotFather hands you a token string. Save it — you will paste it into Shaker in step 3.
That is the only Telegram-side setup. Everything else lives in your Shaker dashboard.
Step 2 — Describe your bot
In Shaker, pick the "Telegram Bot" template. Prompt example: "A subscription bot for crypto signals. $19/month. Users get daily morning signals at 9am UTC. Free trial 7 days. Admin panel to add signals. Russian and English."
Be specific about commands, pricing model, language, and integrations. The AI uses this to scaffold handlers, payment flow, and admin UI.
Step 3 — Paste the bot token + Stripe keys
In settings, paste the BotFather token and your Stripe publishable + secret keys. Shaker handles the wiring.
For Telegram Stars (native Telegram payments, lower friction in some regions), enable the toggle. No additional account needed.
Step 4 — Test in Telegram
Open your bot in Telegram. /start. Walk through subscription flow, admin commands, content delivery. Find what is off, fix in the visual builder, redeploy.
Shaker auto-deploys to a managed runtime. No VPS to provision. No webhook URL to configure. It just works.
Step 5 — Launch
Share your bot link. Promote it in relevant Telegram channels (negotiate cross-promotion or paid posts). Add it to your website. Push it on X/Twitter.
A well-positioned signal bot or AI tool bot can do $1K-10K MRR within a few months with no app store gatekeeping.
What it costs
Generation: free tier covers a single bot. Paid is $19/month for unlimited bots + projects.
Stripe takes ~2.9% + $0.30. Telegram Stars takes ~5%. No platform fees from Shaker beyond the monthly plan.
Try it
Start at https://shakerapp.ai/templates/telegram-bot. The Telegram Bot template is one click in.