Emote Sizes for Twitch, Kick and YouTube (2026)

In short: Twitch emotes are square PNGs with a transparent background: you either upload a single one between 112x112 and 4096x4096 px (Twitch scales it) or upload three sizes (28x28, 56x56 and 112x112). Kick emotes are PNG or GIF at 500x500 px and under 1 MB. On YouTube, member emoji range from 48x48 to 480x480 px. Below you’ll find each platform with its limits, checked on October 22, 2026, and how to design emotes that still make sense when they’re tiny.

Quick table

Platform	Format	Size	Max file size	How many
Twitch (static)	PNG, square, transparent background	112 to 4096 px (auto-resize) or 28, 56 and 112 px (manual)	1 MB (auto); under 100 KB per size (manual)	Depends on your channel level
Twitch (animated)	Square GIF	112 to 4096 px (auto) or 28, 56 and 112 px (manual)	1 MB (auto); 512 KB per size (manual)	Depends on your channel level
Kick	PNG or GIF	500x500 px	Under 1 MB	Up to 60 channel emotes and 24 subscriber emotes
YouTube (members)	JPEG, PNG or GIF (the GIF displays as static)	48x48 (recommended) to 480x480 px	Under 1 MB	4 to 54, depending on your members

Twitch

According to the official emote format guide, a static emote must meet this:

• PNG format.
• Square (same height and width) with a fully transparent background.
• Maximum size of 1 MB.
• Two ways to upload it: a single PNG between 112x112 and 4096x4096 px that Twitch converts into the other sizes (auto-resize mode), or three files at 28x28, 56x56 and 112x112 px (manual mode).

In manual mode, the subscriber emote guide clarifies that the three sizes must be the same image and that each must be under 100 KB. Manual mode gives you image-by-image control: it’s useful for strengthening lines or removing detail at the 28 px size.

Animated emotes on Twitch

• Square GIF format.
• In auto-resize: one GIF from 112 to 4096 px, up to 1 MB. In manual: three GIFs (28, 56 and 112 px) of up to 512 KB each.
• Maximum 60 frames.
• It must not blink or flash more than 3 times in 1 second.
• The thumbnail is the first frame, unless you upload a different static image that meets the requirements of a regular emote.

Review and instant upload

All emotes go through manual review before they can be used. Partners and Affiliates who meet certain criteria can skip that wait: for Affiliates, that means having streamed at least 60 unique days within a rolling year (days before becoming an Affiliate don’t count). Instant upload is lost if you receive a warning or a suspension.

Subscriber and Bits badges

The badges that appear next to your name in chat are separate from emotes. The subscriber badge guide asks for:

• PNG with a transparent background.
• Three sizes: 18x18, 36x36 and 72x72 px.
• A maximum of 25 KB per file.

Custom Bits badges are also uploaded at 18x18, 36x36 and 72x72 px, according to the Bits badge guide. Unlike emotes, subscriber badges don’t need manual approval.

Kick

The Kick help page on emotes lists a single upload format:

• PNG or GIF.
• 500x500 px.
• Under 1 MB.

Each channel can upload up to 60 emotes of its own, which work only in its chat. Affiliate and Verified channels can add up to 24 subscriber emotes, which their active subscribers use in all Kick chats. They’re uploaded from your Streamer dashboard, under Community.

YouTube

On YouTube we’re talking about member emoji, tied to the channel’s memberships. According to the YouTube help page on memberships:

• Member emoji range from 48x48 px (recommended) up to 480x480 px, in JPEG, PNG or GIF (a GIF displays as a static image), under 1 MB.
• They display at 24x24 points, and at 48x48 points or more on high-density screens.
• You start with 4 slots and unlock more as you gain members, up to 54 with 5,000 or more. YouTube doesn’t notify you when a new slot unlocks.
• There’s a “family” name of 3 to 10 characters, and each emoji has a name of 3 to 10 alphanumeric characters.
• Channel badges (the loyalty icon) support JPEG or PNG under 1 MB and at least 32x32 px; they display at 14x14 px in comments and at 16x16 px in live chat.

To offer memberships you must first meet YouTube’s monetization requirements; we go over that in the platform comparison.

How to design emotes that read well

An emote is almost always seen small. The smallest version Twitch asks for is 28 px (18 px for badges), and on YouTube badges display at 14-16 px. So:

1. Design big, check small. Shrink your art to 28 px and see if the expression still comes through.
2. Few shapes, thick outlines. Fine details, subtle gradients and long text disappear.
3. One emotion per emote. Laughter, surprise, sadness, hype, applause, heart: the ones your community really uses.
4. View the emote at 100% before uploading. Twitch recommends checking that the lines are sharp and, if there are letters, that they’re legible.
5. Test on light and dark backgrounds. The transparent background lets your emote show up on any chat theme.
6. Keep a single identity. If all your emotes share a palette and stroke style, your chat looks cohesive. We talk about that in the streamer branding guide.

Frequent mistakes

• Uploading a JPG with a white background instead of a transparent PNG.
• Using non-square images (they get cropped or rejected).
• Making 60-frame GIFs with complex colors and going over the file size.
• Pasting your whole logo with text: at 28 px it’s illegible.
• Using copyrighted material or third-party brands: Twitch badges and emotes must follow its content and intellectual property rules.

If you want emotes made for your channel

At Epik you can order an emote pack a la carte (10 emotes for $23) or sub badges per unit ($3). The Creator pack includes 8 emotes and 6 badges alongside a logo, overlays, panels, banner and OBS setup for one platform. You share your brief, pay in full through PayPal and we get started.