The high-stakes confrontation between the two premier streaming platforms, Twitch vs Kick.com, is currently experiencing unprecedented intensity. Twitch consistently enforces bans on streamers in order to uphold its guidelines, whereas Kick.com has been successful in recruiting discontented streamers back to its platform. Until now, Kick.com has displayed admirable resilience and adherence to its commitments. Over the previous quarter, many streamers have migrated to Kick.com in the pursuit of a more favorable profit share.
Nonetheless, it would only require a handful of streamers to topple the Amazon-owned colossus that has dominated the streaming scene for a decade since its inception, while Kick.com is relatively new, with just a few months of operation under its belt.
Having set the stage, it’s time to delve into each platform’s unique strengths in the grand scheme of Twitch vs Kick.com. In this discussion, we will explore some of the critical details that set apart these two competitors in the streaming platform arena.
Twitch vs Kick.com: Which one is better?
Kick.com has pledged to establish itself as a creator-friendly streaming service, offering its streamers a higher proportion of earnings relative to its rivals. Kick.com boasts a 95-5 revenue split, far more appealing than Twitch’s 50-50 arrangement, along with a 100% share from Kicks, the platform’s donation feature. Kick.com also streamlines revenue collection by enabling same-day payouts, so streamers don’t have to wait until the month’s end to access their earnings.
Kick.com provides streamers with an earlier opportunity to gain affiliate status compared to Twitch. To earn Twitch’s affiliate status, streamers must fulfill the following criteria:
- A total of at least 500 minutes broadcast in the past 30 days.
- At least 7 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days.
- Average of 3 or more concurrent viewers over the past 30 days.
- A minimum of 50 followers.
To become a Kick.com affiliate, the requirements are as follows:
- Attain 75 followers.
- Accumulate a total of 5 hours of streaming.
Twitch vs Kick.com: Gambling
Twitch enforces strict prohibitions on sharing links or affiliate codes to gambling sites, including slots, roulette, and dice games, and forbids streamers from showing sites that aren’t legally recognized in their jurisdictions. Conversely, Kick.com adopts a more liberal stance on streaming gambling content. Although gambling between users is prohibited, streaming activities such as online poker and blackjack are permissible, contingent on the regulations of the streamer’s country.
Twitch vs Kick.com: Tools and features
Since its launch in 2011, Twitch has integrated a multitude of features into its platform and has had ample time to rectify any bugs. On the other hand, as Kick.com is in beta, it doesn’t yet offer the breadth of features and tools that Twitch provides to its streamers.
Although Kick.com is still in its infancy, it has already succeeded in attracting popular streamers such as Destiny and Adin Ross. Whether it can siphon off a significant portion of the streamer and viewer base from Twitch, however, is yet to be determined, particularly considering previous streaming platforms like Mixer have attempted but ultimately failed to maintain their initial momentum.
Twitch vs Kick.com: Final verdict
Twitch diligently maintains a steady profit stream and has been successful in accumulating significant revenue to comfortably navigate the streaming business terrain. This business model has fueled the streaming industry for the past decade. Rather than focusing predominantly on profit splits with streamers, Twitch seems more intent on refining its platform and emphasizing a feature-rich environment to attract more content creators.
The Amazon-owned platform cleverly leverages its extensive user base, implementing guidelines as needed. One unique feature Twitch boasts is paying streamers for running ads during their broadcasts. This approach provides creators with a predetermined payment for a set number of ad hours. However, it’s worth noting that Kick.com has garnered considerable praise for its streamer-friendly ethos.
Kick.com’s Creator-Centric Profit Split Surpasses Twitch’s 70/30 Ratio Earlier this year, in March, Kick.com’s co-owner, Trainwreacktv, revealed a surprising 95-5 percent profit split, a move that generated substantial buzz and skepticism. Yet, the skeptics were silenced when Kick.com delivered on its promise. In contrast, Twitch operates differently.
Twitch does have exclusive contracts with some streamers who enjoy better deals given the views they bring to the platform. However, this arrangement results in many streamers receiving a relatively small profit share, an arrangement that could be seen as unfair. In terms of profit-split ratios, Kick.com clearly takes the top spot.
Audience Engagement on Both Platforms In a head-to-head comparison of viewer numbers accumulated over time, Twitch emerges as the clear victor. Having been around for more than a decade, Twitch’s growth has exceeded even its creators’ wildest expectations.
Kick.com, being relatively new and attracting controversial figures, causes some uncertainty about potential long-term issues. This is an aspect worth further scrutiny, as it could impact the platform’s longevity.
Twitch, a long-standing giant in the industry, has gone unchallenged for years, becoming the default choice for many streamers. Conversely, Kick.com has seen a fair share of community guideline violations, with some streamers showcasing explicit content. Such incidents could potentially tarnish Kick.com’s image during its crucial growth phase.
Upon Kick.com’s initial announcement, it was revealed that Trainwreacktv was backed and sponsored by Stake.com, a gambling site that uses cryptocurrency as its primary currency to support its business model. This association, along with a partnership with the Australia-based startup Easygo, raised some eyebrows about Kick.com’s operational engagements. Stake.com’s vested interest in online gambling, an activity with very strict rules on Twitch, led to streamers like Roshtein, known for streaming online gambling, shifting to Kick.com.
Questions also hover over Kick.com’s legitimacy, given its nascent stage of development. Conversely, Twitch has the advantage of being owned by Amazon, a globally recognized brand, which makes any immediate competition a challenging proposition. Nonetheless, Kick.com is garnering widespread support, which also influences its potential impact. You can check out and learn how to get ads on Twitch, here!
Is Twitch dying?
Streaming industry is fierce, and many other platforms such as YouTube Gaming, Facebook Gaming, and newcomers like Kick.com are working hard to challenge Twitch’s market share. Factors such as changes in content policy, shifts in the platform’s monetization model, or the departure of popular streamers could impact Twitch’s standing over time.
Back in 2017, Twitch made waves by permanently banning prominent streamer DrDisrespect. Since then, Twitch has been infamously strict about enforcing community guidelines by penalizing streamers with bans.
This hard-line stance adversely affected Twitch’s popularity, inadvertently paving the way for Kick.com, the emerging star in the streaming platform arena. Kick.com embodies what many streamers initially desired – a seamless experience and more relaxed guidelines, enabling content creators to connect with a broader audience.
Indeed, this approach appears to be working wonders for the budding streaming platform. Since its launch in early 2023, Kick.com’s growth has been significant, with high-profile streamers like Adin Ross, xQc, and Amouranth joining its ranks, further bolstering its popularity. Therefore, when considering the growing popularity of streaming platforms, Kick.com seems to take the lead.
Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that, at present, the competition is neck and neck in this rapidly evolving streaming industry. As time unfolds, it will be intriguing to observe which platform proves more resilient. It may still be a while before we witness one platform definitively outperform the other in the Twitch vs Kick.com contest.
Featured image credit: Kick.com
