How to use the Twitch Revenue
- Enter your subscriber counts by tier.
- Enter monthly bits cheered and ad minutes run.
- Add direct donations, which bypass Twitch entirely.
- Read gross and post-split monthly income.
How the calculation works
The standard subscription split is 50/50, so a 4.99 tier-1 sub returns about 2.50; larger partners may negotiate 70/30 up to a revenue threshold. Bits pay one cent each to the streamer, and the viewer pays more than that — the margin is Twitch's. Ad revenue is quoted as a CPM against ad minutes run, and it is comparatively small unless you run frequent breaks that cost you retention.
Direct donations through third-party processors avoid the platform split entirely, keeping the full amount less payment fees, which is why most streamers promote them. Sponsorships typically exceed all platform revenue combined once a channel has a stable audience. Payouts are held until a 50 to 100 threshold and paid on a 15-day lag, and gifted subs count fully towards income even though the recipient pays nothing.
Income = subs × price × split + bits × 0.01 + (ad minutes / 1000) × CPM + donationsSource: Twitch Partner and Affiliate standard revenue share terms for subscriptions, bits and ads.
Worked example
180 tier-1 subs, 25 tier-2, 140,000 bits, 62,000 ad impressions at 3.50 CPM, 400 in donations.
- Tier 1 = 180 × 4.99 × 0.5 = 449.
- Tier 2 = 25 × 9.99 × 0.5 = 125.
- Bits = 140,000 × 0.01 = 1,400.
- Ads = 62 × 3.50 = 217; donations 400.
About 2,591 a month, with bits and subs providing nearly three quarters of it.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Twitch sub worth?+
About 2.50 on a standard 50/50 split of a 4.99 tier-1 subscription.
What is a bit worth?+
One cent to the streamer. Viewers pay more; the difference is Twitch's margin.
Are donations better than subs?+
Financially yes, since they avoid the platform split, but subs provide predictable recurring income.
When do I get paid?+
Once you pass the payout threshold, on roughly a 15-day lag after month end.
Last reviewed August 31, 2026. We review this page whenever the underlying formula, tax year, published rate or standard changes.