I built TgCloud: An open‑source image hosting & CDN powered by Telegram storage

Description and use

TgCloud is a free image hosting service that uses Telegram as a backend. It uploads images via API, URL, or UI, then proxies them from Telegram’s CDN, eliminating cloud storage costs.

Problem

Avoid costly AWS S3 bills and rate‑limited public APIs for basic image storage.

Outcome

TgCloud provides a zero‑cost, hotlink‑friendly image hosting service using Telegram’s unlimited storage, suitable for personal portfolios and small side projects.

Workflow

• Clone the TgCloud repo
• Create a .env file with BOT_TOKEN, CHAT_ID, and PORT
• Run the binary (go run main.go)
• Upload images via API, remote URL, or drag‑and‑drop UI
• TgCloud streams the image to a Telegram channel and receives a File ID
• TgCloud proxies the image from Telegram’s CDN to the requester via https://your‑vps.com/img/{id}

Evidence

I built TgCloud. It requires absolutely no database.

Source

Upload: You POST your image (file or remote URL) to the TgCloud binary.

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Stream & Store: TgCloud securely streams it to your private Telegram channel using the native Telegram Bot API.

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Proxy & Serve: When someone requests https://your-vps.com/img/{id}, TgCloud fetches the raw data from Telegram's CDN and proxies it directly back to the user.

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Rate Limits: Telegram limits Bot API traffic to roughly ~30 requests per minute.

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