Best Twitch Alternatives in 2022 – Totally Worth it!

Right now, Twitch wears the crown among live streaming platforms. The ever-increasing population of live streamers continues to break new records. Not for long though.

The journey of being a gamer actively involved in live streaming to a professional game streamer, sadly, not meant for everybody.

Reaching the top echelon of streamers with over 9.8 million active streamers with 2.9 million concurrent viewers on Twitch can be daunting and it is. 

If you are a content creator and want to monetize your live streams, make sure you start off or concentrate on the right streaming platform. Obviously, Twitch should be your first choice.

But it’s not for faint-hearted to make their streaming debut to make it to the top streamers. There are literally thousands of streamers for every game and the live streaming section is highly competitive, to say the least. 

Don’t lose hope though If you can create viewer preferred content, making it to the top is just a matter of time.

On the other hand, you have the option of using alternative streaming platforms like Twitch, which would have lesser competition but just as much moolah given you stick to them.

Here are the best Twitch alternatives in 2022 you should consider getting into.

Best Twitch Alternatives in 2022

1. YouTube Gaming

YouTube being a Google product has a lot more to offer than other Twitch alternatives. Given the reputation of Google in doling out serious online services, it is a very convenient alternative to Twitch.

While YouTube Gaming was launched as a standalone application, currently this application has been converted into a separate segment.

Currently, the Gaming section on YouTube has 88 million users and an uncannily similar user interface barring some additional segments.

You get Promo channels on the top, followed by top live games, that is generated automatically. You also click on more to select a game of your choice.

Streamers are segregated as per the game and arranged in the order of most viewers. YouTube Gaming is arranged in 2 zones: your region and worldwide.

Since it is integrated into YouTube, you can start your live stream just by choosing the go-live option after clicking on the recorder option on the menu bar.

The user interface of this streaming service is top-notch, you get an entirely different section to control your stream with multiple options at your disposal. From choosing a time for streaming to selecting a webcam or different software.

You have everything at your disposal, which reduces the hassle of integrating streaming software.

Live streamers can make money through appreciation stickers and super chats sent by viewers, where they can attach a dollar amount that is highlighted to everybody on the chat.

Related Read: Twitch Vs Youtube: The Ultimate Faceoff

2. Facebook Gaming

After YouTube Gaming, the best alternative to Twitch is Facebook Gaming, which has grown significantly in 2021, and it is still going strong in 2022.

Facebook Gaming has grown in both active streamers and viewers. The best thing about Facebook Gaming is the invite feature through which you can ask all of your friends to like your channel. Being able to explore with the built-in audience can offer the starting fuel for your channel.

Once liked by viewing channels, they will be notified about your Facebook live video. In a way, this feature helps a lot in increasing the number without having to wait for people to visit your stream.

The monetization scheme of Facebook Gaming deducts a 30% commission from your support revenue, which is much better than Twitch (50%). On top of that, your streaming page is not limited to live video, you can also share similar content through your Facebook account.

The user interface is very intuitive and simple to wade through. Since it is integrated with your Facebook account, using the platform itself is easy. You would need to create a separate page or gain admin access from other pages to start streaming. It might take some time to fill in all the details and get ready though.

You even get access to multiple analytics tools including news feeds, ad centers, and insights, among others.

Clicking on Create Live will start your streaming in seconds via the camera and the stream key or the paired encoder.

Once your page is established, streaming takes only the time you need to feed stream details. Given its steady growth, Facebook Gaming is truly among the top alternatives to Twitch.

3. D Live

D Live is an American tech company that uses blockchain technology for its servers to offer a superior streaming experience. After its launch in September 2018, the service was acquired by file-sharing giant BitTorrent in 2019.

Since its acquisition, D Live has become the face of the alternative streaming platform from a parent company not engaged in direct internet services.

The reason behind the rise in prominence of D Live can be attributed to its lackluster speech enforcement allowing users to engage with more ‘freedom’ of the vernacular, not so on YouTube or Facebook Gaming.

Their revenue share model is among the best as it takes only 20% commission, and keeps another 5% for rewarding BTT stake. The streamers take home a bulky 75% subscription revenue.

You will have the option to either use their web-based streaming service or smartphone-based streaming.

From a viewer’s perspective, things are far more exciting from the monotonous Twitch transition and features. Streamers get to choose from a plethora of topics, from gaming to cryptocurrency and more.

From a streamer’s perspective too, things are relatively simpler and easier to set up. Enter some basic information about Offline banners, Bad word filters to filter out slang, and you are ready to stream. You can set up a Bit Torrent Token or Tron address to receive direct donations.

D Live offers great benefits in streaming, reaching subscribers, freely interacting about different topics, and earning 75% of the gift and subscription revenue.

It is among the best sites similar to Twitch for streaming, well recommended if you want to get deep into the heart of the game streaming crowd.

4. Steam

Steam does a lot more than just distribute digital game copies and allows you to play a lot of games.

You have the option to stream your gameplay to your friends by broadcasting. While starting a broadcast, you can set if friends can join directly or ask for access to showcase your gaming skills with your friends.

While the service is not as diverse as Twitch or Facebook Gaming, you can use this service to enjoy a good leisure time with just your Steam friends. This service is not for people intending to go for monetary benefits though.

Is there a Twitch Alternative better than Twitch?

We only wish there was one but no!

Twitch is at the heart of the game streaming industry and despite YouTube and Facebook trying their hand in it, Twitch will remain the major driving force in the foreseeable future.

But wait!

This does not necessarily mean that you should give up on your dreams of monetizing your gaming and content creation skills just because of the competition on Twitch.

True that Twitch is the platform for it even though YouTube and Facebook offer better shares. Simply, it offers more monetization options other than the fact that its audience is purely looking for a good stream, unlike on Facebook or YouTube.

Thing is, Twitch should be your end goal while YouTube and Facebook Gaming should be your preliminary steppingstones.

To lay it out simply, get a proper subscriber and follower count going on YouTube and Facebook Gaming, respectively. Use the in-built analytics available on both these platforms to check out if you’re managing to build up some stable numbers.

Once that’s done, monetize.

Invite your loyal followers over to Twitch.

Right now, Facebook Gaming and YouTube gaming are perfectly detailed out as the building blocks to the all-out streaming market on Twitch.

So, as far as Twitch alternatives are concerned, these platforms (and Steam) are alternatives only when –

1. You are a new gamer in the industry interested in making a name as a top streamer (and willing to work really hard for it!)
2. You want to monetize sufficiently on Twitch and translate your gaming skills into a serious profession!

Conclusion

Streaming for fun or leisure is quite simple as there are no expectations attached. But once you start considering streaming as a career option in gaming, it will become challenging. Tournament games and competitions are a good way to earn but doing the same from just live streaming can test your limits.

Apart from an already crowded Twitch, you have several services still trying to grow and compete with the authoritative position of Twitch. Try your hands at alternative sites like Twitch and build a name for yourself, a strong foundation, before moving on to Twitch.