Twitch vs Kick vs YouTube for New Streamers

In short: there’s no “best” platform for everyone. Kick lets you turn on subscriptions with just 5 hours streamed and pays out 95% of every subscription (with a 5% processing fee). Twitch asks for low Affiliate metrics (25 followers, 3 average viewers) and splits 50/50 by default, with improved tiers. YouTube requires more subscribers and hours to monetize with ads, but gives you live streams, long videos and Shorts under the same account. This comparison uses only figures from each platform’s official help pages, checked on October 22, 2026, because these numbers change often. Double-check them before deciding.

How to read this comparison

On audience and discovery (how many people will watch you) there are no comparable official figures, so we don’t give you any. What we can contrast with official sources is: what they ask of you to monetize, how much you keep per subscription, what quality they support and what clip tools they offer. The rest, like the vibe of each community, depends on your category and your style.

Requirements to start earning money

	Twitch	Kick	YouTube
First monetization tier	Affiliate: 25 followers, 4 hours streamed, 4 distinct days and an average of 3 viewers, all within 30 days, with 2FA on	Partner (subscriptions): 5 hours streamed in total	Fan funding (memberships, Supers, gifts): 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days and 3,000 public hours in 365 days or 3M Shorts views in 90 days
Higher tier	Partner: 75 average viewers across 6 streams on 6 different days, over two 30-day periods	Partner program (by application): verified channel, 250 followers, an average of 75 concurrent viewers, 30 hours streamed, 25 active subscriptions, 250 unique chatters and 3 VODs in 30 days	Full YPP, which adds ads and YouTube Premium: 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public hours in 365 days or 10M Shorts views in 90 days

Details worth knowing:

• Meeting the bar isn’t getting in. Twitch says completing the Partner achievement doesn’t guarantee an invitation. Kick states that meeting its metrics “makes you eligible to apply,” not that you’re guaranteed entry. YouTube reviews every channel that applies to the YPP.
• Kick uses Stripe. To enable subscriptions you set up a Stripe account, and if Stripe doesn’t operate in your country you can’t enable them.
• YouTube changes in 2027. Starting February 1, 2027, new creators will need 1,000 subscribers and 8,000 hours (365 days) or 20M Shorts views (90 days) for ads and Premium. The fan funding threshold (500 subscribers and 3,000 hours or 3M Shorts views) doesn’t change, and those already in the program aren’t affected.
• YouTube requires channel verification to stream. Phone verification can take up to 24 hours, you can’t have live streaming restrictions in the last 90 days and you must be 16 or older.

Sources: Twitch Affiliate, Twitch Partner, Kick Partner, Kick partner program, YouTube Partner Program and 2027 changes.

How much you keep per subscription

	Twitch	Kick	YouTube (memberships)
Split	Standard 50/50 for Affiliates, on net	95/5	70% for the creator, after taxes and fees
Upgrades	Plus Program: 60/40 with 100 Plus Points or 70/30 with 300, three months in a row	Not applicable	Not applicable
Subscription price	Three tiers (Tier 1, 2 and 3)	Flat 5 USD a month: 4.75 USD for you	You define up to 6 tiers with their perks

Three important caveats for an honest comparison:

1. The percentages aren’t calculated on the same thing. On Twitch, taxes, payment fees and other costs are deducted before the 50/50. On Kick, the 5% is described as a processing fee and the platform states it doesn’t take a percentage of its own. On YouTube, the 70% applies after taxes and fees and YouTube covers transaction costs.
2. The size of your community matters more than the percentage. 95% of a small community can be less than 50% of a large one. Don’t decide on the split alone.
3. Twitch’s Plus Program lasts 12 months from when you qualify and is assessed month by month with points that recurring paid subscriptions add up.

Sources: Twitch Affiliate FAQ, Plus Program, Kick’s revenue split and YouTube memberships.

Stream quality each one supports

	Twitch	Kick	YouTube
Resolution and FPS	Recommendations up to 1080p60	Up to 1920x1080 and 60 fps	Up to 4K and 60 fps
Bitrate	6,000 kbps for 1080p60	1,000 to 8,000 kbps	17 Mbps recommended for 1080p60 in H.264
Codecs	H.264	H.264 only	H.264, H.265 and AV1

YouTube supports much higher bitrates, so if your connection and hardware allow it, you can stream at higher quality. But if you’re just starting out, your OBS values will be almost the same on all three. You’ll find them in the OBS setup guide.

Clips and short-form video

Today part of growth comes from cutting moments out of your stream and posting them as short video:

• Twitch creates clips of up to 60 seconds and generates a vertical (9:16) version alongside the horizontal one. You can post them straight to YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
• YouTube supports Shorts of up to 3 minutes, square or vertical, under the same channel where you stream live.
• Kick has Bounties: short content that Kick or brands pay streamers for in clips. Amounts are set by each campaign.

We go into short-form in detail in the guide to clips for TikTok, Shorts and Reels.

Streaming to several platforms at once

It’s possible, but it has rules:

• Twitch allows streaming to other platforms at the same time (simulcasting), as long as you follow its guidelines: you can’t use your Twitch bio, panels, banners, title or chat commands to push your community to watch the stream somewhere else, and your stream quality on Twitch must not be worse than on the others.
• Kick asks you to turn on the multistreaming switch before streaming on other platforms, and while you multistream you earn 50% of your usual income on Kick.
• YouTube: there’s no equivalent rule we can cite from its official help, so check its current policies before streaming in parallel.

Sources: Twitch simulcast guidelines and Kick’s Partner program.

So, which one do I pick?

We won’t promise you a single answer, but we can give you a method:

1. If you want to start receiving subscriptions as soon as possible, Kick allows it with 5 hours streamed, provided you can use Stripe in your country.
2. If you want a monetization path with low entry requirements, Twitch asks for Affiliate metrics that are reachable with consistency: 25 followers and 3 average viewers.
3. If you already make videos or want your live stream and recorded content to live together, YouTube brings both into a single channel, though monetizing takes more from the start.
4. If you’re unsure, start on one and keep your visual identity portable. Your logo, your colors, your emotes and your panels work on any platform.

And is your look portable?

Whichever you choose, your channel’s design travels with you. At Epik, the Boost pack includes 1 banner for a single platform, the Creator pack includes OBS setup for a single platform, and the Epik pack includes multiplatform OBS setup. If you already know where you’ll stream, you can order OBS setup ($30) or a banner ($20) separately. Payment is in full and direct through PayPal.