Twitch vs. Mixer (Pros And Cons, Features, Opinions)

With several Twitch megastars moving to Mixer you might be wondering should you move to Mixer as well.

The decision will be yours to make.

This article will focus on the differences between both platforms. You will learn what are each of the platform’s pros and cons, best features, both streamer and viewer opinions, and other valuable information that might help you to decide either to stay on Twitch or to move to Mixer?

And leave a comment if maybe you’re the one who is considering moving from Mixer to Twitch and not the other way around.

Either way, this will be a valuable reading if you’re in doubt about which live streaming platform to choose.

 

What Is The Difference Between Twitch And Mixer?

Of course, there are many differences between Twitch and Mixer. Both platforms have several different features and even more different reasons why streamers and viewers choose one platform over the other.

Nevertheless, lets take a look at a few of the biggest differences between Twitch and Mixer.

Here is a table of some features and other things to illustrate some of the differences between Twitch and Mixer.

Features	Twitch	Mixer
Better monetization	YES	NO
Free recurring subscription	YES	NO
More streamers	YES	NO
More viewers	YES	NO
Affiliate programm	YES	YES
Streaming from PS4	YES	YES
Streaming from Xbox One	YES	YES
Co-streaming	YES	YES
Free currency (Bits/Sparks)	YES	YES
FTL streaming protocol	NO	YES
Better moderation	NO	YES
Non-toxic	NO	YES
HypeZone	NO	YES

 

Content

Both platforms have pretty different ideas about what content and actions should be allowed on their platforms and what no.

The Mixer has strict guidelines for both streamers and their audiences. Mixer stream moderators are quick to warn and suspend users for various misbehavior. It leads to a feeling that the overall content quality on Mixer is higher compared to Twitch.

It’s a fact that Mixer is less toxic than Twitch.

The Mixer is more about gaming communities – the most popular games on Mixer are Fortnite, PUBG, and Minecraft.

What’s popular on Twitch? The most-watched content on Twitch is “Just Chatting” – a separate content category on Twitch.

 

The number of active users and broadcasters

Twitch is a beast compared to the rest of the live streaming platforms.

According to Influencer Marketing HUB, Twitch has more than 15 million daily active users and between 2.2 and 3.2 million monthly broadcasters. The Mixer has 30 million monthly active users versus Twitch 15 million daily active users.

In Q2, Twitch had 2.72 billion hours of watch time. Its closest rival was YouTube with 735.54 million hours, and Mixer had 112.29 million hours of watch time.

So If you’re here to choose the best platform to live stream your video games, Mixer might be a better choice than Twitch.

The competition among broadcasters on Twitch is exceptionally high, and it is challenging to get noticed. You will have come up with creative ways how to get seen. Think of DrDisrespect direction.

 

Streaming devices

For example, streaming on PS4 to Twitch is very simple. That’s because the PS4 has a built-in streaming capability, but to stream on the Xbox One, you will have to install the Twitch app on it.

Other than that, setting up a stream on both consoles is relatively easy, and the process is similar. This is how to do it on PS4:

• first, you have to link your Twitch or Youtube account to PS4;
• then you have to press the Share button on your PS4 controller;
• then click on the Broadcast Gameplay button and select Twitch as the streaming service;
• then finish setting up the stream (name the stream, etc.) and start broadcasting.

With Mixer, it is the other way around. It is not possible to stream from PS4 to Twitch through an app. There are two alternative ways of making streaming on PS4 to Mixer possible:

• the first option is by using a capture card;
• the second option is by getting the PS4 Remote Play app for the PC or Mac.

As for the streaming on Xbox One to Mixer, it takes only a few clicks to start the stream – once inside your Xbox account, access the menu and head to the Broadcast & capture section. Click the Broadcast button, adjust the settings, and start your broadcast.

 

FTL streaming protocol.

FTL stands for Faster Than Light, and it is Mixer’s streaming protocol that allows viewers to communicate with the broadcasters with no delays.

Okay, there is a slight delay, but usually, it is around 500ms.

Note that if you’re streaming from not from the Xbox, but an app, you will need to adjust its settings by turning on the “Optimize for minimal stream delay” option.

Mixer’s FTL is one of the biggest differences between both platforms.

Also, none of the other streaming platforms, similar to Mixer and Twitch, have technology like FTL available. All streaming platforms, except Mixer, have this 15 to 20-second delay.

While it might seem that a 15 to 20-second delay is no big deal, having no delay at all helps to improve user experience and overall engagement. Thus possibly leading to higher income for the broadcasters.

 

HypeZones

The name speaks for itself. Mixer’s HypeZones are streaming channels that automatically connect and broadcast the streams of players who are in the top 10 of a match in such games as Fortnite Battle Royale, PUBG, Rainbow 6 Siege, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Apex Legends.

Mixer’s HypeZones is an excellent opportunity for new streamers to be discovered.

It costs nothing to be featured in these channels. You just have to be good at your game and make the top 10.

For players who don’t want to be featured on HypeZones, there is an option to opt out.

A feature like this currently isn’t available nor on the Twitch, nor the other streaming platforms.

 

Co-streaming

If you’re already on Twitch, you might be familiar with its Squad Streaming feature.

It broadcasts gameplay of up to four people to a single channel. It allows viewers to watch several streamers in the same window.

The idea of co-streaming is fantastic, but unfortunately, on Twitch, it is available to Partners only.

Although on Mixer, co-streaming is available to everyone.

It is another way to get discovered and grow your audience on Mixer faster.

So both Twitch and Mixer have the co-streaming feature, but for now, on Twitch it’s available to Twitch Partners only.

 

Streaming from Xbox

Mixer is a product by Microsoft. As a result, Mixer is built into the Xbox interface. Thus those willing to stream on Mixer are only a few clicks away from being able to do it.

For streaming on Twitch, you will need to install an app on your Xbox.

The biggest difference is that Mixer supports any modern USB webcam, while for streaming on Twitch you will need to get Kinect. Great if you have one, but if not, you will have to spend an extra 150 USD to get one.

 

MixPlay

MixPlay allows broadcasters to create and add to their streams such custom values as chats, leaderboards, custom buttons, etc. You could even create a game that is played within the streaming platform itself.

Only limits are imagination.

 

Rewarding system

Of course, there are differences in Twitch and Mixer viewer rewarding systems, but overall the idea and the execution are similar.

As for the Twitch, it’s their Channel Points program, but for the Mixer its Channel Progression system.

Click those links to find out more about each of the rewarding systems on Twitch and Mixer.

 

Should You Start Streaming On Mixer Or Twitch?

Like I’ve already said, this article wasn’t written to push you to choose one platform over the other.

I honestly hope that now that you’ve learned about each of the platform’s pros and cons, it will be much easier for you to choose the right streaming platform for you.

Besides previously mentioned reasons why should one choose either one of the platforms, you should also know that when applying for the Twitch partnership program, you will be asked for exclusivity – something that is isn’t required on Mixer.

If you’re a Twitch Partner, you’re allowed only to stream on Twitch.

 

Can you stream on Twitch and Mixer at the same time?

Yes. That’s called multistreaming.

An app called Restream.io lets you to restream on Twitch, Mixer, Youtube, and over 30 other platforms.

Restream.io is a multistreaming cloud service, and you won’t need any additional hardware to stream on several platforms at the same time.

Use Restream.io to stream to Twitch and Mixer simultaneously – this approach will allow you to evaluate which of both platforms is better for you.

 

Can Mixer Compete With Twitch?

Well, Mixer is undoubtedly trying to compete with Twitch.

Their strategy is to sign exclusivity deals with streamers from Twitch and other streaming platforms.

Ninja was the first high-profile Twitch streamer who moved from Twitch to Mixer, followed by Shroud and others.

We will just have to wait to see if Mixer will ever become more popular than Twitch.

Why are streamers switching to Mixer?

Let’s talk about regular Twitch users – not the superstars.

The number one reason has to be the fact that Twitch is simply too overcrowded.

For new streamers, it close to impossible to get noticed. New streamers have to come up with something truly unique to start to gain at least some traction.

Yes, Twitch has rolled out several features to improve the discoverability of the new streamers, but it hasn’t been enough.

There are stories online of people streaming for years, but with no noticeable results. Of course, it has to with such factors as charisma, relevance, branding, and other factors as well, but still.

Anyway, moving to Mixer won’t guarantee results.

There will always be a risk of getting nothing in return after spending your energy, time, and finances towards building an audience on both Twitch and Mixer.

 

Twitch vs. Mixer. Which One To Choose?

Twitch has a larger audience, but on Mixer, it is easier to get noticed.

While it might easier to build an audience on Mixer, the Mixer might not be the next big thing.

On Twitch, there are countless ways to express yourself, but on Mixer, it is mostly about gaming.

On Mixer, there are no delays, but on Twitch you might have to wait for 30 seconds until your message appears on the broadcaster’s screen.

On Mixer, partnership program, you’re not asked for exclusivity, but on Twitch you are.

Many could go like this all day long.

My mission was to provide you information about both platforms so that you can decide on your own.

Read it through one more time if you need to, but don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know which platform did you chose.