Practically ever since its launch back in 2011, Twitch has held the title of the most popular live streaming platform of the world, only being challenged by YouTube when they integrated their live streaming option in 2013, but we all know live streaming isn’t YouTube’s biggest strength.
However, a new streaming platform has risen this past year, giving Twitch what seems to be very strong competition at last. For those that may not be familiar with this new platform, its name is Kick. It was created by Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, who happen to be the co-owners of Stake.com (which is why this platform is so pro-gambling, but we will talk about that later), and it is coming strong for the #1 place in the list of best streaming platforms.
In just a few months of being live, Kick has invested millions and millions of dollars on bringing some of the most notorious names in the content-creating world to their platform (Roshtein, xQc, Adin Ross, and Trainwreckstv for example), not the mention all the publicity they’ve paid for.
And while, in essence, Twitch and Kick are platforms used for the exact same thing, each platform offers unique features and caters to different aspects of live streaming.
That is why in this article, we’ll dive into the differences between Twitch and Kick in order to help you make an informed choice about which platform best suits your streaming goals.
Revenue
One of the most important factors for streamers is how much money they can make from their content, and this is one of the main things these two platforms differ from each other. They both have their own revenue models that affect how streamers earn from subscriptions, tips, and ads, being Kick the one that offers the better deal to streamers.
Twitch has a 50-50 subscription revenue share for most content creators (bigger creators with years on the platform retain 70 percent), meaning that streamers get half of the $4.99 monthly fee that viewers pay to subscribe to their channel.
Kick, however, offers creators an impressive 95 percent share of their subscription revenue, in addition to retaining 100 percent of their tips. Moreover, this platform ensures swift payouts, enabling streamers to access their earnings on the same day they generate them, eliminating the need to wait until the month’s end. This is the main reason why they call themselves “a streamer-focused platform”.
Moderation
Another differentiating factor between Twitch and Kick lies in how they oversee their content and communities, a crucial aspect for maintaining a secure and respectful streaming environment.
Twitch operates under a set of Community Guidelines that explicitly delineate what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable on their platform. These guidelines encompass a broad range of subjects, including guidelines on hateful behavior, harassment, nudity, violence, cheating, and spam. To enforce these rules, Twitch maintains a dedicated Trust and Safety team responsible for taking action against violators.
Additionally, individual streamers possess tools to moderate their channels independently, including features like chat filters, bans, timeouts, and the appointment of moderators.
Conversely, Kick is currently in its beta phase, and as such, it lacks a comprehensive set of guidelines and a dedicated moderation team. On this platform, the responsibility for content moderation largely falls upon the streamers themselves, who are encouraged to report any issues to the support team.
This could certainly be some sort of a problem for big streamers with a very active chat (which usually invites trolls), but for new streamers, this shouldn’t be much of a headache.
Gambling
Another distinguishing factor between Twitch and Kick pertains to their approach to gambling content, a subject that has stirred controversy within the streaming community due to concerns about promoting unregulated or potentially fraudulent gambling sites to viewers.
Twitch implements stringent restrictions, disallowing users from sharing links or affiliate codes for platforms offering slots, roulette, or dice games. Just recently, Twitch took a proactive stance by banning access to four prominent gambling sites: stake.com, rollbit.com, duelbits.com, and roobet.com.
This is actually believed to be the main driver to the creation of Kick as many huge casino streamers that were partnered with these sites then needed a new platform where to broadcast their content.
Nevertheless, current Twitch streamers maintain the ability to broadcast content related to online poker, sports betting, and fantasy sports, as long as they adhere to the applicable laws and regulations governing their respective regions.
In contrast, Kick adopts a more permissive stance on streaming gambling content, mainly because, as we mentioned earlier, the founders of the platform are the co-founders of Stake.com themselves.
While interuser gambling is prohibited, streamers on the platform have the latitude to live stream online poker and blackjack, contingent upon compliance with their country’s regulations.
Additionally, Kick permits streamers to share links or affiliate codes to gambling websites, provided they transparently disclose their affiliation with the site and apprise viewers of the associated risks with gambling.
Advertising
Last but not least, another notable distinction between Twitch and Kick pertains to their approach to advertising, a significant source of revenue for both platforms and content creators, but also one that can impact the overall experience of users.
As you may have already noticed, Twitch features an advertising program that permits streamers to display ads on their channels and earn a portion of the generated revenue. While the platform also runs ads on non-affiliated channels, these streamers do not receive any revenue from these advertisements.
To circumvent ads, Twitch users have the option to subscribe to individual channels (which is usually the $4.99/month we mentioned earlier) or invest in Twitch Turbo, a premium service priced at $8.99 per month.
In contrast, Kick currently lacks an advertising program, sparing streamers and viewers from the intrusion of ads on the platform. While Kick has plans to introduce ads in the future, it assures streamers greater autonomy in determining when and how these advertisements are incorporated into their channels.
But from a viewer point of view, the fact that there are no intrusive ads during the streams is another huge point in favor of Kick.
Conclusion
Twitch and Kick stand as distinct streaming platforms, each tailored to accommodate the diverse needs and preferences of streamers and viewers.
Kick distinguishes itself with a more advantageous revenue distribution and adaptable policies for gambling content, while Twitch boasts an extensive array of features and firmly established guidelines.
While more and more people are choosing Kick mostly because it allows them to make more money, still many others streamers are choosing to either stay or start their journey on Twitch, at least for the moment, since it is the safest platform of the two and is the one with the largest pool of viewers, by far.
Nonetheless, the ultimate decision hinges on your priorities as a streamer or viewer: whether you prioritize financial gains, creative freedom, content quality, or platform security.