YouTube pays creators a bigger share of fan money than Twitch, and it reaches far more people who have never seen you. YouTube pays 70% of net channel membership revenue, while Twitch pays 50% of net sub revenue on its standard split. Twitch wins on speed. Its Affiliate bar fits inside one 30-day window, and YouTube’s fan funding waits for 500 subscribers plus 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views.
How much do YouTube and Twitch take?
YouTube keeps 30% of memberships and Supers, and Twitch keeps 50% of subs on its standard split, or 40% and 30% for Plus Program members. On ads the two match at 55% of net ad revenue, on YouTube’s long-form watch pages and on Twitch channels running 3 ad minutes an hour.
| Revenue stream | YouTube creator share | Twitch creator share |
|---|---|---|
| Fan subscriptions | 70% of net membership revenue | 50% of net, 60% or 70% with Plus |
| Paid chat and tips | 70% of Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks | 1 cent per Bit cheered |
| Ads | 55% of net long-form ad revenue | 55% of net ad revenue at 3 or more ad minutes an hour |
| US bank payout fee | None listed | $0.25 per ACH payout for Affiliates |
The word net means different things. YouTube splits revenue after sales tax, VAT and GST, and its help center lists no separate card fee for creators. Twitch first deducts sales taxes, payment processing, bank fees and currency conversion, and it does not publish those costs. Twitch’s percentages are therefore ceilings.
Twitch also sets the price. A US Tier 1 sub costs $5.99, streamers cannot change it, and as arithmetic on published numbers it is worth at most about $3.00 to a streamer at 50/50 and about $4.19 at 70/30. A YouTube member paying the same $5.99 on the web would be worth about $4.19.
What do you keep at $500, $1,000 and $5,000 a month?
The figures below are arithmetic on published splits, not payout records. YouTube’s assume every member joins on the web, because YouTube calculates its split after Apple’s fee on iOS sign-ups. Twitch’s are ceilings, since Twitch deducts unpublished costs before splitting.
| Monthly fan subscription revenue | YouTube memberships | Twitch standard, 50% | Twitch Plus Level 1, 60% | Twitch Plus Level 2, 70% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $350 | at most $250 | at most $300 | at most $350 |
| $1,000 | $700 | at most $500 | at most $600 | at most $700 |
| $5,000 | $3,500 | at most $2,500 | at most $3,000 | at most $3,500 |
Twitch’s best split only ties YouTube’s 70%, and only before Twitch’s own deductions, so there is no revenue level where Twitch pulls ahead on web sign-ups. On the standard split the gap is at least $200 per $1,000.
Plus Level 2 is hard to reach. It takes 300 Plus Points in each of three consecutive months, and points come only from recurring paid subs, 1 for a Tier 1 renewal, 2 for Tier 2 and 6 for Tier 3. Gift subs and Prime subs earn none. Level 1 at 100 points means roughly 100 recurring Tier 1 subs every month for three months running.
What do you need to start earning on YouTube and Twitch?
Twitch lets you cash out sooner. Its Affiliate bar fits inside a single 30-day window, while YouTube’s fan funding needs an audience that has already watched thousands of hours.
| Requirement, as of October 2026 | YouTube | Twitch |
|---|---|---|
| Fan payments | 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days, and 3,000 watch hours in 365 days or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days | Affiliate, with 25 followers, 4 hours streamed, streams on 4 days and 3 average viewers on 4 days, all within 30 days |
| Ad revenue | 1,000 subscribers, and 4,000 long-form watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days | Affiliate, plus Ads Manager set to 3 ad minutes an hour |
| Before you qualify | Live streaming needs a verified channel, age 16 and no streaming restrictions in 90 days | Subs and Bits open to all onboarded streamers since May 13, 2026, but cash out only at Affiliate |
Twitch’s open door has a catch. Streamers below Affiliate can receive subs and Bits, but the money sits in a Spendable Balance that buys only gift subs, Bits and similar items on Twitch.
YouTube’s bar rises on February 1, 2027. New applicants for ad revenue will need 8,000 watch hours in 365 days or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days, though fan funding stays at 500 subscribers. Our guide to the YouTube Partner Program requirements explains the steps.
Which grows an audience faster, YouTube or Twitch?
YouTube, by a wide margin. We score YouTube 9 and Twitch 5 for discovery, and on our scale a 9 means an algorithm that puts you in front of very large numbers of people who do not follow you. Videos that answer searches benefit most.
Twitch’s growth tools are social. Raids send one streamer’s viewers to another, and emotes, badges and Channel Points reward regulars. In our view those tools keep a community together better than they find new viewers.
Neither platform gives you an audience you can take elsewhere. Both score 2 out of 10 for ownership in our reviews, and Twitch has no subscriber email export at all. A membership page next to your channel fixes that, and our best membership platforms list compares the options.
What features actually differ?
YouTube pays from more sources, and Twitch has more tools built for live chat.
| Feature | YouTube | Twitch |
|---|---|---|
| Other income | Shorts at 45% of a pooled allocation, YouTube Premium and Shopping | Bits and gift subs |
| Brand deals | YouTube Creator Partnerships from 500 subscribers | Sponsorship Portal, open to Affiliates since August 20, 2026 |
| Payouts | Monthly, 21st to 26th, $100 minimum | Monthly Net-15, $50 minimum, $100 by wire |
Payouts are slow on both, and we score each 4 out of 10. Twitch’s $50 minimum gets small channels paid sooner. Twitch Partners, who need about 75 average viewers to apply, also get free payouts, 60 days of VOD storage and custom Cheermotes. YouTube mails a PIN once you reach $10, and pauses monetization if you do not enter it within 4 months.
Twitch has not published what share, if any, it keeps from Sponsorship Portal deals. YouTube currently passes 100% of merchant commissions to creators in Shopping launch markets as a temporary incentive, with 30 days’ notice before that ends.
Which should you choose?
Choose YouTube if you can wait for the thresholds, because its splits are higher and its discovery is far stronger. Choose Twitch if live streaming is the whole plan and you want to earn this month. You can also do both, streaming on Twitch and posting edited videos to YouTube. Our best platforms for streamers ranks more options, Twitch vs Kick covers the 95% alternative, and how much Twitch streamers make puts the splits in context.
- Pick YouTube if you make long-form video that answers what people search for.
- Pick YouTube if you want the larger share of fan money, 70% on web memberships against Twitch’s default 50%.
- Pick YouTube if you sit near 4,000 watch hours, and apply before February 1, 2027.
- Pick Twitch if you stream live and want cash-out status within your first month.
- Pick Twitch if your viewers already watch on Twitch and use emotes, Bits and raids.
- Pick Twitch if you can hold 300 Plus Points for three months, which lifts subs to 70% before deductions.