Just two years ago, if someone had asked me about the best platform for live game streaming, I would have said Twitch without even thinking twice. It was the undisputed leader and the main destination for gamers, creators, and viewers. Today, things look different. Kick is a new streaming platform that launched in 2022, and many creators are now comparing Kick vs Twitch in 2025. Kick is growing fast and is becoming a major Twitch competitor. This raises an important question for many streamers in 2025. Which platform is better for growth, income, and streaming experience? In this blog, we will compare Kick and Twitch in depth and look at their features, pay models, audience reach, and even how you can live stream on both platforms at the same time.
Kick offers a 95/5 subscription split, while Twitch typically pays creators 50/50.
Twitch has a larger audience, but Kick has less competition for streamers.
Kick enables faster monetization, whereas Twitch requires Affiliate eligibility.
Twitch relies heavily on ads, while Kick currently runs with minimal ads.
Kick allows more content flexibility compared to Twitch’s stricter rules.
Streaming on both platforms combines reach and revenue potential.
Difference Between Kick and Twitch
Both Kick and Twitch are popular live-streaming platforms, but they differ in several important ways. Below are the key differences between Kick vs Twitch in 2025:
Audience Size & Reach
Twitch has a massive user base, with over 140 million monthly active users. Kick’s audience is much smaller, though growing fast, and it boasted about 57 million total registered users by early 2025. This means Twitch offers far more potential viewers, while Kick is still building its community.
Monetization & Revenue Split
If you wonder how much does Kick pay streamers, the great thing is that this model gives creators significantly more money per subscriber than Twitch. Kick provides creators with an industry-leading 95/5 revenue split on channel subscriptions, meaning streamers keep 95% of subscription revenue. In contrast, Twitch’s standard split for most streamers is 50/50, so Kick pays content creators significantly more per subscriber. Kick even introduced an hourly pay incentive program (around $16 per hour for eligible streamers) as a bonus to attract talent. Twitch’s monetization relies on subscriptions, Twitch Bits, and ads, with a comparatively smaller share of revenue going to the streamer.
Advertising Approach
Twitch runs traditional ads; for example, viewers often see pre-roll ads when joining a stream and mid-roll ads during longer streams. By comparison, Kick takes a very different approach, and this big difference is why many people ask, “Does Kick have ads or not?” The answer is that, as of 2025, Kick does not force viewers to sit through pre-roll or mid-stream ads.
This makes Kick more viewer-friendly with fewer ad interruptions. However, it also means Twitch offers more built-in advertising opportunities for brands, whereas Kick relies on direct sponsorships and streamer partnerships instead of standard ad slots.
Content Moderation & Rules
Twitch enforces stricter content moderation and has more rules on what can be streamed. For example, Twitch announced a ban on unlicensed online casino gambling streams in late 2022 and it has strict guidelines against hateful or sexually explicit content.
Kick, on the other hand, was founded with a focus on looser moderation and even allows gambling streams that Twitch and other platforms have banned. Kick’s policies are more permissive overall (within basic guidelines), which can attract creators who feel restricted on Twitch.
However, the lighter moderation on Kick also raises concerns, as it can lead to more controversial or “edgy” content and potential enforcement challenges.
Platform Features & Ecosystem
Twitch is an established platform with over a decade of features and community development. It offers things like raids (sending viewers to another channel), channel points for fan engagement, a proven recommendation system, and even real-world events like TwitchCon for its community.
Kick is much newer (launched in 2022), so its features and ecosystem are still catching up. Twitch benefits from years of refinement and a rich ecosystem of extensions and third-party tools, while Kick is rapidly adding new features and creator incentives, such as a generous Creator Program to compete. In short, Twitch has a more mature feature set and community infrastructure, whereas Kick is still in a growth phase of expanding its functionality and user base.
These differences show that Twitch remains the streaming leader in scale, while Kick focuses on creator-friendly policies and rapid growth. Twitch still dominated with about 54% of the live gaming streaming market share in Q2 2025, but Kick’s audience and watch time have surged over 1 billion hours watched in Q2 2025, roughly 11% market share.
Does Kick Pay More Than Twitch?
For most streamers, the answer is yes. Kick’s monetization is much more generous than Twitch’s. Kick streamers earn 95% of subscriber revenue. As we already discussed above that the Twitch streamers usually keep only 50% of each subscription.
On Twitch, a $5 sub gives the streamer about $2.50. On Kick, the streamer gets around $4.75. Kick also allows streamers to keep 100% of tips. The platform does not charge any fees on donations. On Twitch, donations through Bits involve a platform cut.
Kick has a Creator Incentive Program that pays streamers hourly. Eligible creators can earn ~$16 per hour of Kick streaming. Twitch has no comparable hourly pay program. In summary, Kick offers higher revenue potential per viewer. Twitch payouts are lower for most streamers. Only the biggest channels can negotiate higher splits on Twitch.
Kick or Twitch for New Streamers?
For new streamers, the best platform depends on your goals. Twitch offers a huge audience and built-in discoverability features. Viewers can browse streams by game or category on Twitch. A new streamer on Twitch can reach millions of viewers. However, Twitch has very high competition for newcomers. There are already many streamers in every game category.
If a new streamer is looking for a new streaming platform like Twitch but wants to start without facing huge competition, then Kick is a strong option. Kick is a newer, smaller platform. It has fewer total streamers than Twitch. There is also less competition in many categories on Kick.
This gives new streamers a better chance to get noticed. Kick also has a very streamer-friendly affiliate program. Kick lets you start earning with minimal requirements. You need about 75 followers to start monetizing on Kick. You also need to stream a few hours first. Twitch requires meeting its Affiliate criteria before you can earn. Twitch Affiliate needs ~50 followers and around 3 concurrent viewers.
Kick’s 95% split means small channels earn more per supporter. Even a small channel earns more per supporter on Kick. On Twitch, a small channel’s subscribers yield less income. However, Kick’s discoverability features are still developing. Kick’s platform is growing fast. If we talk about Kick monthly users, it saw about 153 million site visits in June 2025. Kick still has fewer viewers than Twitch in most categories. Kick streamers often promote their channel on social media. Growing on Kick requires using other platforms to attract viewers.
Kick offers quicker monetization and less competition for new streamers. Twitch offers a larger audience but also tougher competition. Some new creators start on Kick to build a community. Later they may expand to Twitch, or do the reverse.
Should I Stream on Kick or Twitch?
It depends on what you value as a streamer. If maximizing revenue is your priority, Kick is very appealing. You earn more per subscriber on Kick than on Twitch. Kick suits you if your content is restricted on Twitch. Kick allows gambling streams or other topics that Twitch bans. Small streamers often take longer to reach Twitch Affiliate. On Kick, they can start earning much sooner.
If you want the largest audience, Twitch remains the leader. Twitch’s community spans every genre. Its user base far exceeds Kick’s. Viewers are more accustomed to Twitch. Twitch also supports streaming directly from consoles (Xbox and PlayStation). It has many third-party tools and extensions.
Many experienced creators use both platforms. Some big-name Twitch streamers have also started streaming on Kick. Kick vs Twitch is not always an “either/or” choice. You can diversify and engage audiences on both platforms.
Which platform is better depends on your content and audience. Gaming-focused streamers might find more viewers on Twitch. A new creator who prioritizes revenue might prefer Kick. There is no single answer. It comes down to which platform aligns with your goals.
OneStream Live: Stream on Kick and Twitch Together
Why not stream on both Kick and Twitch? You can reach audiences on multiple platforms simultaneously. OneStream Live allows you to multistream to over 45 platforms. You can broadcast on Kick, Twitch, YouTube and more simultaneously. OneStream Live handles distributing your stream to each platform. This means you don’t need multiple devices or extra bandwidth.
You engage Twitch’s large audience and also grow on Kick. You can stream from your browser using OneStream’s web studio. You can also use your own encoder with OneStream Live. It also supports scheduling pre-recorded videos as live streams. You can broadcast on both platforms even when not live. It helps you maintain a presence on every platform.
Related: How Gamers Use OneStream Live to Stream on Twitch and YouTube at the Same Time
Conclusion: Which Platform is Best in 2025?
In the Kick vs Twitch comparison, the real question is which platform is best for you. Both platforms have clear strengths. Twitch streaming is best for reaching a huge audience. It has an established streaming ecosystem. Kick is best for maximizing earnings per viewer. It has more flexible content rules.
For those serious about streaming, examine where your audience is. Also consider what matters most to you. Do you prioritize audience size, revenue, or content freedom?
For many streamers, using both platforms works best. Start on one platform and later try the other. You can stream to both platforms at the same time. Use OneStream Live to do this. Using both Kick and Twitch could be the best choice in 2025. Understand the differences between these platforms. Have a strategy to get the most from each platform. Happy Multistreaming!
FAQs About Kick vs Twitch
On Kick, streamers keep a much larger share of subscription revenue than on Twitch.
Twitch has been around longer and supports a much larger active viewership than Kick.
Kick’s smaller ecosystem means less competition, making it easier to stand out when you’re starting.
Twitch offers more mature features, such as extensions, channel points, raids, and robust moderation tools, than Kick.
Twitch generally has stricter content guidelines and a stronger brand reputation, making it more appealing to traditional brand partnerships than Kick.
OneStream Live is a cloud-based live streaming solution to create, schedule, and multistream professional-looking live streams across 45+ social media platforms and the web simultaneously. For content-related queries and feedback, write to us at [email protected]. You’re also welcome to Write for Us!
