Kick pays streamers 95% of every sub and tip, while Twitch pays 50% of net sub revenue by default and 70% at best. On $1,000 in subs that is $950 on Kick against $500 at most on Twitch. Twitch wins back ground only on audience. If your viewers already watch there, moving can cost you more than the better split gains.
How much do Twitch and Kick take?
Kick keeps 5% of subs and KICKs tips. Twitch keeps 50% of net sub revenue on its standard split, 40% at Plus Program Level 1 and 30% at Level 2, as of October 2026, and it deducts taxes and payment costs before splitting without publishing them.
| As of October 2026 | Twitch | Kick |
|---|---|---|
| Sub price | $5.99 for US Tier 1, lower in many countries | $5 flat in every supported country |
| Streamer share of subs | 50%, 60% or 70% of net | 95% |
| Most a streamer gets per US sub | About $3.00, $3.59 or $4.19 | $4.75 |
| Tips | 1 cent per Bit cheered | 95% of KICKs sent |
| Ads | 55% of net ad revenue at 3+ ad minutes an hour | Nothing directly |
| Per-stream pay | None | Kick Partner Program, rate not published |
| Currency conversion | Up to 2.5%, paid by the streamer | Stripe’s 1.5%, absorbed by Kick |
What do 100 subs a month pay?
The table below is arithmetic on published prices and revenue shares, not reported earnings. It assumes 100 US subs at each platform’s base price, and the Twitch figures are ceilings because Twitch takes out taxes and processing first.
| Platform and split | Fans pay | Streamer gets |
|---|---|---|
| Twitch, standard 50% | $599 | Up to $299.50 |
| Twitch, Plus Level 1, 60% | $599 | Up to $359.40 |
| Twitch, Plus Level 2, 70% | $599 | Up to $419.30 |
| Kick, 95% | $500 | $475 |
Kick’s fans pay $99 less and the streamer still gets $55.70 more than Twitch’s best tier. Kick also charges $5 everywhere, so a subscriber in Brazil pays you as much as one in the US, while Twitch’s lower local prices shrink what each foreign sub is worth.
Twitch has one money stream Kick lacks. Ads pay 55% of net ad revenue to Affiliates and Partners who run at least 3 ad minutes an hour. Kick runs platform ads you cannot opt out of and pays nothing for them directly, saying Partner pay covers it. Kick bases that Partner pay on your average audience over recent streams, adjusted for language and region, and keeps the formula private, so no one can do the arithmetic in advance.
What do you need to start earning on Twitch and Kick?
Kick’s bar is lower. Subs turn on after 5 hours of streaming in total, while Twitch pays cash only once you reach Affiliate with 25 followers, 4 hours streamed, 4 streaming days and an average of 3 concurrent viewers on 4 days, all within 30 days.
| Step | Twitch | Kick |
|---|---|---|
| Accept subs and tips | Any onboarded streamer since May 13, 2026, held as Spendable Balance until Affiliate | 5 hours streamed in total, plus Stripe identity checks |
| Withdraw cash | Affiliate, see above, plus two-factor authentication | Same as above |
| Middle tier | Partner, by application, with 6+ streams averaging 75 viewers in each of the two 30-day periods before you apply | Verified, with 15 hours streamed, 50 average viewers, 100 unique chatters and 10 active subs in 30 days |
| Top tier | Plus Program, 100 or 300 Plus Points in each of 3 straight months | Kick Partner Program, by application, with 75 average viewers, 30 hours, 25 active subs, 250 unique chatters, 3 VODs and 250 followers |
Twitch’s better split takes sustained paying support. Plus Points come only from recurring paid subs, at 1 point for Tier 1, 2 for Tier 2 and 6 for Tier 3, and gift and Prime subs earn none. Level 1 means roughly 100 recurring Tier 1 subs every month for three months.
Kick has no such ladder for the split, because the first sub already pays 95%. Its Fast Track skips the Partner metrics for creators with an audience elsewhere, naming Twitch Partners, YouTubers with 50,000 subscribers and creators with 250,000 Instagram or TikTok followers. Kick’s own help pages call the first step both Affiliate and Partner, so go by the requirements rather than the label.
How do Twitch and Kick payouts compare?
Kick pays more often and charges less to get paid. We score Kick 6 and Twitch 4 on payouts.
Twitch pays monthly on a Net-15 schedule, from the 15th of the month after you earn, once you have $50, or $100 for a wire. Affiliates pay $0.25 per US ACH payout, $0.50 for PayPal, $3.00 for a check and $11.00 for a wire, and Twitch covers those fees for Partners.
Kick pays only through Stripe, monthly by default and weekly for verified streamers who ask support. US streamers can take instant payouts to a debit card, capped at $9,000 per payout. Kick publishes no minimum of its own, but if Stripe does not operate in your country, Kick cannot pay you at all.
Which helps you grow an audience?
Twitch does, by a small margin. We score Twitch 5 and Kick 4 on discovery, and Twitch’s raids, emotes, badges, Bits and Channel Points give a new streamer more ways to turn passing viewers into regulars.
Kick favors creators who arrive with an audience. Fast Track exists for exactly that case, and Kick Partners who multistream to Twitch or YouTube with the toggle on lose half their Partner pay for that session. That makes testing Kick while keeping a Twitch stream running a costly experiment for a Partner.
Neither platform lets you export subscriber emails, and both score 2 on ownership. A membership page on Patreon next to either stream gives you a list you keep if you move.
What features actually differ?
The splits get the headlines, but sponsorships, ads and perks also differ.
| Feature | Twitch | Kick |
|---|---|---|
| Brand deals | Sponsorship Portal, open to Affiliates since August 20, 2026 after a certification course | Bounties that pay in gifted subs or Kick Shop gift cards |
| Ad control | Ads Manager sets your schedule, and 3 minutes an hour turns off pre-rolls | Platform ads you cannot turn off, hidden from subscribers |
| Higher-tier perks | Partners get priority support, 60 days of VOD storage, custom Cheermotes and free payouts | Partners get per-stream pay |
Twitch has not published what share, if any, it keeps from Sponsorship Portal deals. Kick pays no Partner money for streams in the Slots and Casino category.
Which should you choose?
Kick is the better deal for any streamer who can bring viewers, because 95% beats Twitch’s best split by 25 points. Twitch is the right home when your audience and community habits already live there. Our list of the best platforms for streamers ranks YouTube and the rest alongside both.
- Pick Twitch if your viewers already watch on Twitch and raids, emotes and Bits hold your community together.
- Pick Twitch if you want ad revenue at a published 55% share.
- Pick Twitch if Stripe does not pay out in your country, since Twitch also pays by PayPal, check and wire.
- Pick Twitch if you want brand deals through a platform sponsorship portal.
- Pick Kick if you can bring an audience and want to keep 95% of every sub and tip.
- Pick Kick if you qualify for Fast Track and want per-stream Partner pay on top of subs.
- Pick Kick if much of your audience lives outside the US, where Kick’s flat $5 sub is worth more than Twitch’s local prices.
- Pick Kick if you want to earn after 5 hours of streaming instead of waiting on follower and viewer targets.