TikRec vs Arkaiva on Telegram

Arkaiva and TikRec sit in the same lane: Telegram-native TikTok live recording. That's an unusual lane. Most TikTok recorders are mobile apps (GREC, LiveRec, Rewatch Live) or desktop tools (Olived). The two products that explicitly live inside Telegram are Arkaiva and TikRec.

So the question is sharper than usual: between two same-channel competitors, which workflow do you want?

This comparison uses public information available on May 4, 2026.

Short answer

Choose TikRec if:

• you want a public web archive of past lives (/creators/[username], /missed/[username])
• you want recordings delivered as albums (video + thumbnail) in one card
• you want a unlimited-watchlist free tier with no slot caps
• you want to forward recordings to friends or chats

Choose Arkaiva if:

• you have already used Arkaiva and the workflow is familiar
• you do not need a public web archive
• you are happy with a mini-app interface

The shared positioning

Both bots share the same core loop:

1. Add a TikTok creator
2. Wait for them to go live
3. Get a recording delivered to Telegram

This is materially the same product on the surface. The differentiation is in what each bot adds on top.

Where TikRec adds layers

Public archive

TikRec exposes the full archive of recordings on the web:

• tikrec.com/creators/[username] is the hub for every tracked creator
• tikrec.com/missed/[username] answers the "I missed [creator]'s live, can I watch it?" intent
• tikrec.com/live/[id] is the per-recording page
• tikrec.com/latest shows the most recent recordings across the whole archive

This means:

• a Google search for "[creator name] tiktok live recording" can land on TikRec
• a friend can share a link to a specific past live without needing a Telegram client open
• search engines and AI engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity) can index the archive and recommend TikRec

Arkaiva does not expose a web-side archive. The recordings live inside Telegram only.

Album delivery

TikRec sends each recording as a Telegram album: the original MP4 and a contact-sheet thumbnail in a single grouped message. One card, two media items, one tap to play. After the original Telegram Stars deprecation, the same album mechanic now applies to past-recording deliveries from the public archive.

Watchlist tiers

TikRec offers three tiers: Free (2 watched creators on new accounts (accounts created before 2026-05-21 keep 5), no card), Basic $2.99/mo (25), Pro $4.99/mo (100). The watchlist itself has no concurrency cap - if every watched creator goes live at the same minute, all of them are recorded in parallel.

Where Arkaiva might be a better fit

Arkaiva's marketing emphasizes its mini-app surface inside Telegram. If you specifically prefer the mini-app pattern (web view embedded in Telegram) over a classic command-driven bot, Arkaiva leans that way.

If you only ever consume content inside Telegram and never want a web-search-visible archive of your saved lives, the SEO surface of TikRec is unnecessary for you - in which case the products are roughly equivalent on the recording side.

Pricing

Both bots advertise a free entry point. Specifics:

• TikRec: Free tier (2 watched creators on new accounts (accounts created before 2026-05-21 keep 5), no card) covers small users. Basic $2.99/mo (25 creators), Pro $4.99/mo (100). Past archive lookups are free on every plan, including Free.
• Arkaiva: free product on Telegram; check the bot for any premium upsell at the time of use.

TikRec's competitive advantage here is not price - both have a free option that covers casual users - but the public web archive at /creators and /missed, which Arkaiva does not expose.

TikRec vs Arkaiva comparison

The decisive feature

For most users, the deciding factor is the public archive.

If you have ever:

• searched Google for "[creator name] tiktok live recording"
• wished you could send a friend a link to a specific past live
• wanted to browse a creator's history without scrolling Telegram

then TikRec's web layer matters. If you exclusively consume content inside Telegram and never share lives outside, both products are fine.

Open-source angle

The TikRec recording engine is open source: Michele0303/tiktok-live-recorder on GitHub, MIT license. You can self-host the same engine TikRec uses in production. Arkaiva does not publish source code.

For some buyers (security-conscious, audit-curious, indie devs) that matters. For most consumer users, it doesn't.

Verdict

Choose TikRec if you care about:

• a public archive of past lives that survives outside Telegram
• album delivery in a single card
• unlimited watchlist
• open-source provenance

Choose Arkaiva if you specifically prefer:

• a Telegram mini-app surface
• a Telegram-only workflow with no web layer

Start with the lower-friction option

The fastest test is TikRec:

1. Open @tikrec_live_bot
2. Send /watch username
3. Receive the next live as MP4 in Telegram

For other comparisons, read TikRec vs GREC, TikRec vs LiveRec, TikRec vs Olived, or TikRec vs Rewatch Live.

Is TikRec really free?

Yes. The Free tier records up to 2 watched creators on new accounts (accounts created before 2026-05-21 keep 5) with no credit card. Past archive lookups are free for every tier, including Free, with no limit. Paid tiers ($2.99/mo for 25 creators or $4.99/mo for 100) only raise the watchlist size and how many manual recordings can run at the same time.

What recording quality does TikRec deliver?

Source quality. TikRec captures what TikTok broadcasts (typically 540p or 720p H.264 with AAC audio) and remuxes to MP4 with no re-encoding, no watermark, and no compression. Same MP4 quality across every tier.

Where are TikRec recordings stored?

On Telegram, in your private chat with @tikrec_live_bot. Telegram has no expiration and no storage cap, so the MP4 stays as long as your account exists. TikRec does not store videos on its own infrastructure long-term.

How quickly does TikRec start recording after a creator goes live?

Detection latency is typically under 60 seconds. The watchlist polls TikTok every 60 seconds for all watched creators in parallel, and recording starts the moment a live is detected.

Does TikTok notify the creator that TikRec is recording?

No. TikRec records from the public live URL using the same approach a normal viewer's browser uses. No notification is sent to the creator and no account login is required.