Mixer is rapidly gaining ground after Ninja left Twitch and moved to Mixer. While Twitch is a huge live streaming platform with 80% share of all streaming hours, the Microsoft-owned Mixer is leaving no stone un-turned to dethrone the giant. On paper, Mixer may look insignificant to Twitch, but you can’t deny that Mixer holds lots of promise with modern tech and unique features. That is why we bring you an extensive deep dive into the pros and cons of both the streaming platforms. If you are confused, whether to move or stay, then this article is going to help you make the decision. So without further delay, let’s start the battle royale of Twitch vs Mixer.
Here, we have categorized the sections into performance, audience, monetization, ease of use and unique features and issues. We have done thorough research on both the platforms and have brought light to many key factors which can help you decide your next live streaming platform. With that said, let’s begin with performance first.
Performance
Twitch is one of the oldest live streaming platforms so it has been leveraging tried and tested protocols which have resulted in stable performance. Twitch uses a decade-old RTMP (Real-time messaging protocol) protocol to send and receive audio, video, and data over the internet in real-time. However, Mixer uses the promising FTL (Faster than light) protocol which is touted to be one of the best protocols for streaming videos in real-time. FTL has something called sub-second latency which basically means there is almost no lag or jitter during the live stream. It also brings instant interaction between the streamer and the audience.
- Audience
In terms of audience, there is simply no competition between Twitch and Mixer. Twitch has been there for nearly a decade and has amassed more than 1.5 million streamers and has 140 million monthly active users. Compare that to Mixer and you have a measly 69,000 streamers and 10 million monthly active users. Simply put, Mixer is nowhere near Twitch and if you are a budding streamer, Twitch is a better platform to build your audience. Except things are changing for Mixer quite fast. Source: Streamlabs
Audience
Monetization
1. Twitch
Coming to the elephant in the room, monetization is a key factor for streamers to choose a platform. As Twitch is quite an old platform, it has a long list of sources from where streamers can earn revenue. To start with, Twitch has something called Partner Program which allows you to earn money from affiliates, channel subscriptions, ads, merchandise and user donations using Twitch’s virtual currency, Bits. But before you become a Twitch Partner, you will have to qualify certain criteria and build a sizeable audience.
These are the following criteria you must fulfill: you should at least stream for 25 hours and 12 unique days in a month and maintain at least 75 monthly average viewers. In case you have not fulfilled the criteria yet, there is another way you can earn money on Twitch. You can link your PayPal account to your dashboard and get user donations without having Twitch into the picture.
Now coming to how you can monetize on Mixer, you have a similar partnership program which lets you earn money from your streams. Just like Twitch, you have to fulfill certain requirements and then only you can become a partner. Here are the requirements: your account age must be 2+ months old; you should have 2000+ followers; you should stream for more than 12 unique days and 25 hours per month. It seems Mixer is quite strict with its partnership requirement than that of Twitch. For a new streaming platform, it would have been better if the criteria were a bit flexible for budding gamers.
- Ease of Use
In terms of ease of use, Twitch has an excellent user interface and dashboard. The platform is well optimized for all the major browsers and you can start streaming without much hassle. Twitch is known for its compatibility with third-party programs like OBS, XSplit, Streamlabs, etc. So as a streamer, you have a lot of options to choose from. Also, Twitch has something called Extensions which lets you bring interactive overlays on your display. Simply put, Extensions are one of the main strengths of Twitch and it lets you interact with your audience in never-imagined ways.
Ease of Use
All things considered, both the streaming platforms are great in their respective ways. Twitch’s dashboard is quite advanced which you won’t find anywhere else. But Mixer’s deep integration with Windows OS is a huge plus point. Anyway, it all depends on your preference. Which one would you choose?
Unique Features and Issues
When Mixer launched its platform two years back, it came with a co-streaming feature which no other streaming platform had, not even Twitch. The co-stream feature is built for multi-player gaming where streamers can play with multiple people and the audience can interact with all the streamers in one window. It’s an amazing tool for interactive gaming which helps the audience see everyone’s perspective and allows them to participate in the activity.
