# 2fans API vs Telegram Stars

Inside a bot or Mini App, Telegram requires Stars for digital goods, so there’s no choice there. Stars lose about 35% on iPhone, since 1,000 Stars cost about $20 in the App Store and pay out $13, and about 30% on Android, in our experience. A 2fans link sent in the chat takes 15% from the creator, and the buyer pays by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

| | 2fans API | Telegram Stars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cost | 15% of each sale; no monthly, setup or listing fee | About 35% on iPhone and about 30% on Android, in our experience |
| From about $20 spent | $15.44 comes back: an $18.17 list price, the 10% add-on, 85% to the creator | $13 comes back on iPhone: 1,000 Stars cost $19.99 in the US App Store and pay out $0.013 each |
| What the buyer pays | The list price plus a country add-on: 10% in most countries, the local rate in Europe | The price of the Stars, bought through Apple, Google or @PremiumBot |
| How the buyer pays | Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, with no account | Stars, inside Telegram |
| When the money is released | 14 days after each sale | Up to 21 days after each sale |
| Where it works | Telegram, WhatsApp, iMessage or SMS | Telegram only |
| Inside bots and Mini Apps | Not used there: send a link in the chat | Required for digital goods |

## Do you need your own processing contract?

**Adding pay-per-view for creators to your CRM: no.** Integrate the 2fans API and creators sell through 2fans links, on a checkout already set up for 18+ content. Providers advertise days or weeks for your own contract; in our experience it takes 6 to 12 months. Here you can be selling today, once the ID check and content are approved. Connecting other people's creators also takes an app review, usually a few business days.

**Selling your own products on your own checkout: yes.** 2fans can't take payments for those. Adult billers such as CCBill, Segpay and Verotel are the usual route.

**Want your own contract later?** Start here and you build real sales numbers first, with reports from the API. They aren't processing history on an account of your own, so each provider decides what they count for, but you'll apply knowing what sells.

## Where 2fans is the better fit

- You want more of each sale to come back.
- You want buyers to pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- You also sell in WhatsApp, iMessage or SMS.

## Where Telegram Stars is the better fit

- You sell inside a bot or Mini App, where Telegram requires Stars.
- You want the buyer to stay inside Telegram and pay in a tap.
- You sell small in-chat extras, where the two can sit side by side.

## Create a pay-per-view link

```bash
curl -X POST "https://www.dropfans.io/api/external/v1/drops" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DROPFANS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "name": "Beach set", "price": 15, "vaultItemIds": ["VAULT_ITEM_A", "VAULT_ITEM_B"] }'
```

Response:

```json
{ "productId": "…", "buyUrl": "https://www.dropfans.io/buy/…", "mediaCount": 2 }
```

2fans was called Dropfans until October 2026, so the API host is still www.dropfans.io and keys still start with dpfn_.

## Sources

- [Telegram developer terms](https://telegram.org/tos/bot-developers)
- [Telegram Stars docs](https://core.telegram.org/bots/payments-stars)
- [App Store prices for Stars (third-party tracker)](https://apppricinglab.com/iap/apple/686449807)

Competitor details change, so check them before you decide. Last checked 2026-11-03. All pages: https://2fans.dev/llms.txt.