What Is Kick? The Streaming Platform Explained (2026)

Heard people talking about “Kick” and wondering what it is? Kick is a live-streaming website where people broadcast video in real time, a lot like Twitch or YouTube Live. Viewers watch for free, chat with the streamer, and can pay to support channels they like. What made Kick famous is simple: it gives streamers a much bigger cut of the money than its rivals do.

What Is Kick?

Kick, usually written as Kick.com, is a video live-streaming service. A streamer goes live, viewers watch in real time, and everyone talks together in a live chat. If you have ever watched someone play games live on Twitch, you already know how Kick works — it looks and feels very similar.

The platform launched in December 2022 and grew fast. It is smaller than Twitch, but it has become the best-known alternative to it. In 2025 alone, industry trackers put its total watch time at around 4.5 billion hours — still far behind Twitch, but a huge number for a platform that is only a few years old.

Who Started Kick?

Kick was founded by Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, the two men behind Stake, an online betting company. Popular streamer Tyler “Trainwreckstv” Niknam joined them early on as a co-founder and helped promote the platform.

The company behind Kick is Kick Streaming Pty Ltd, based in Australia. Its parent company is Easygo Entertainment Pty Ltd — the same group that owns Stake. This is why you will often see Kick described as being backed by Stake’s owners.

What Can You Watch on Kick?

Kick has the same kind of content you find on Twitch:

• Gaming — live gameplay, esports, speedruns
• Just Chatting — streamers talking to their audience, reacting to videos
• IRL (in real life) — vlogs and everyday-life streams
• Music and creative — live music, art, podcast-style shows
• Gambling streams — this is where Kick differs most

Kick allows gambling streams, which Twitch mostly bans. The rules were tightened up in 2025 so that gambling content is limited to sites that verify users’ IDs. Streams with adult content must be marked 18+, and Kick’s rules are generally looser than Twitch’s — which is both the appeal and the controversy.

The Big Difference: The 95/5 Revenue Split

This is the reason Kick exists. On most streaming platforms, the company takes a big cut of what viewers pay. Kick takes only 5% of subscription money and gives the streamer the other 95%.

Here is what that means on a standard $4.99 subscription:

• Kick: streamer keeps $4.74
• Twitch: streamer keeps about $2.50 (some partners get up to $3.50)
• YouTube Live: streamer keeps about $3.50

Kick also lets streamers keep 100% of donations from viewers, according to its own help pages. For a streamer with a loyal audience, the difference in pay between Kick and Twitch can add up to thousands of dollars a year. That is why big names like xQc, Adin Ross, Nickmercs, and Amouranth have streamed on Kick.

Kick vs Twitch: Quick Comparison

How to Watch Kick

Watching Kick is free. You can open kick.com in a browser or download the Kick app on iPhone or Android. You do not need an account just to watch, but you will need a free account if you want to chat, follow channels, or subscribe.

Browsing works like Twitch: you pick a category (gaming, just chatting, music, and so on) and click on a live stream that interests you. The homepage also shows featured and trending streams.

How to Start Streaming on Kick

Starting a channel on Kick is straightforward:

1. Sign up for a free Kick account and verify your email.
2. Set up your channel — add a profile picture, banner, and a short description.
3. Get streaming software — most streamers use OBS Studio, which is free, and connect it to Kick with a stream key from the creator dashboard.
4. Go live — pick a category, add a title, and start broadcasting.

One thing Kick does differently: you can switch on paid subscriptions after just 5 hours of total streaming. Twitch makes you reach Affiliate status first, which takes longer. Kick also has a Partner Program for bigger channels, which comes with stricter requirements like an average of 75 viewers.

Pros and Cons of Kick

Pros

• Better pay: the 95/5 split is the best in the industry.
• Easy to monetize: subscriptions unlock after 5 hours of streaming.
• Looser rules: creators like the extra freedom.
• Less competition: smaller audience, but also fewer streamers fighting for attention.

Cons

• Smaller audience: Twitch has far more viewers, so growth can be slower.
• Looser rules cut both ways: you will run into controversial content.
• Gambling ties: the Stake connection puts off some viewers and advertisers.
• Not for kids: adult content exists and must be avoided by young viewers.

Is Kick Safe?

Kick is a real, legal platform run by a registered company — it is not a scam. But it is not really made for kids. The minimum age is 13 (16 in the EU), and anyone under 18 needs a parent’s permission to use it. Some streams are marked 18+, and the looser moderation means you are more likely to see edgy or offensive content than on Twitch or YouTube. Parents should know that Kick allows content Twitch would remove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kick free to use?

Yes. Watching is free, and making an account is free. You only pay if you choose to subscribe to a streamer, which costs $4.99 a month.

Who owns Kick?

Kick is run by Kick Streaming Pty Ltd in Australia, owned by Easygo Entertainment. It was founded by Stake co-founders Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, with streamer Trainwreckstv involved as a co-founder.

Is Kick better than Twitch?

It depends on what you want. Kick pays streamers much more per subscriber, and its rules are looser. Twitch has a much bigger audience, better discovery, and stricter moderation. Many streamers use both.

What does the 95/5 split mean?

When a viewer pays $4.99 for a subscription, the streamer keeps 95% ($4.74) and Kick keeps 5%. On Twitch, the streamer usually keeps only 50%.

Can you make money on Kick as a small streamer?

Yes — that is one of Kick’s main selling points. Paid subscriptions unlock after 5 hours of streaming, which is much easier to reach than Twitch’s Affiliate requirements. You still need viewers willing to pay, though.