What are Twitch Bits? (Definition + How They Work)

Twitch Bits are Twitch's virtual tipping currency. Viewers buy Bits and use them to "cheer" in stream chats, supporting their favorite creators while triggering visual effects in chat.

How Bits Work

Buying Bits (Viewer)

• Buy Bits via Twitch interface or Amazon Pay
• Pricing: roughly $1 for 100 Bits (varies by region/bundle)
• Bulk discounts at higher purchase tiers

Cheering with Bits (Viewer)

• Type bit-amount cheermote in chat (e.g., "Cheer100")
• Bits get sent to streamer
• Visual effect appears in chat
• Optional message attached

Earning Bits (Creator)

• Affiliates and Partners earn from cheers
• $0.01 per Bit cheered (1 Bit = $0.01)
• 100 Bits cheered = $1 to creator
• Twitch processing already factored in

Bits vs Subscriptions

Bits

• One-time tipping
• Variable amounts
• Visual chat effect
• Less predictable income

Subscriptions

• Monthly recurring
• Fixed tiers ($4.99 / $9.99 / $24.99)
• Sub badge in chat
• More predictable income

Most successful streamers earn from both.

Cheermotes

What Are Cheermotes

Cheermotes are animated emotes that appear when viewers cheer. They scale based on bit amount:

• Cheer1 = small effect
• Cheer100 = medium effect
• Cheer1000 = large effect
• Cheer10000 = huge effect

Custom Cheermotes

• Partners can create channel-specific cheermotes
• Affiliates use Twitch's default cheermote set
• Custom cheermotes drive more bit usage

Maximizing Bit Income

1. Encourage Cheering

• Bit goal alerts during stream
• Acknowledge cheerers by name
• "Bit-only" channel events (custom alerts at certain amounts)

2. Cheermote Strategy

• Custom cheermotes (Partner only) drive 2–3x more bits than defaults
• Themed cheermotes that fit your brand
• Tier escalation cheermotes for big amounts

3. Incentive Structure

• Bit-only commands or alerts
• "Hype train" multipliers
• Sub goals + bit goals combined

4. Match Cheers to Stream Energy

• High-energy moments drive more cheers
• Big plays = bit reactions
• Emotional moments = supportive cheers

Bit-Related TOS

Allowed

• All standard cheering activities
• Cheer trains and competitions
• Bit-only events and rewards

Not Allowed

• Buying your own bits to inflate income (against TOS)
• Coordinated bit-laundering schemes
• Selling bits outside Twitch's system

Bit Income Reality

For most streamers, bit income is supplementary:

Affiliate Streamer

• 100–500 bits per stream typical
• $1–5 per stream from bits
• $30–150/month bit income

Partner Streamer

• 500–5,000 bits per stream typical
• $5–50 per stream from bits
• $150–1,500/month bit income

Top Tier Streamer

• 10,000+ bits per stream
• $100+ per stream
• $3,000+/month bit income (significant career income)

Bit Strategy by Stream Size

Small Streamer (5–50 viewers)

• Don't expect significant bit income
• Build community first
• Bits will follow organically

Mid Streamer (50–500 viewers)

• Implement bit goals and alerts
• Custom cheermotes if Partner
• Active recognition of cheerers

Large Streamer (500+ viewers)

• Multiple bit-incentive systems
• Hype train coordination
• Bit-themed events and competitions

Final Thoughts

Twitch Bits are a meaningful supplementary income stream for established streamers. Combined with ViewRaid for audience growth, bit income compounds with viewer count.

Try ViewRaid free →