Mixer vs. Twitch

When trying to decide on the right streaming platform for your channel, it can be tricky because of the mixed reviews and experiences that many streamers report. However, both Mixer and Twitch are considered to be among the best options for a variety of reasons.

Here are some differences between these two popular platforms to help you make your decision before launching your channel.

Twitch Streaming Platform

Twitch is the live streaming platform that Amazon owns, and has existed since 2011, making it the largest and oldest platform around. Because of its age and popularity, it has over 10 million daily active users.

Easy to Use and Navigate

Twitch’s user-friendly UI makes it easy to navigate and discover new features.

The names of bigger streamers are featured at the top of the home page, and users can also find live streams based on the game, channel, and specific console. A search bar makes it even easier to find what you’re looking for.

The expansive community means that you have a great chance at finding a new channel or interest every day. It’s also compatible with the major consoles, allowing you to stream from PS4, Xbox One, and mobile.

More Competition, Higher Audience Potential

The only real downside to Twitch is that it can be a challenge to be seen as a new streamer, with so many constantly popping up. With so many small broadcasters competing to break out and get noticed - you'll need to work harder to build a sizeable following.

On the other hand, once you do manage to gain a following, it becomes easier to grow your audience and become one of the most popular streamers over time. The sheer size of the Twitch community means you have the potential to attract huge audiences, with many top streamers acquiring followers in the millions.

It can be difficult to start out on Twitch, but the potential for growth is huge. The fact that you have the ability to attract so many people makes this the ideal platform to use if you’re serious about making it big.

Mixer

Mixer, on the opposite spectrum of streaming platforms, is the youngest, having launched in 2016. Owned by Microsoft, this platform stands out from the rest by providing a great level of interactivity for viewers, and is ideal for use with Xbox and Windows 10 players due to their compatibility with Microsoft. It's also slowly becoming the preferred option for new streamers.

Harder to Find Older Content

While Mixer’s interface is very similar to Twitch’s, it’s considerably more difficult to find older previously broadcasted content.

Mixer also offers less varied content than Twitch, focusing mostly on livestream gaming content than anything else.

However, Microsoft is working toward making it easy to find what you’re looking for in terms of popular content. Because of its smaller size, the Mixer team has been able to roll out more frequent and creative platform improvements, in an effort to distinguish itself as more engagement and community-focused than its competitor.

Build a Solid Audience

Mixer also has a less impressive audience than Twitch because of its age, which means it can be harder to develop a large audience if your channel catches on. At the moment, top Mixer streamers are unlikely to see the viewer numbers of their Twitch counterparts.

On the bright side, the fact that Mixer is a bit quieter than Twitch means that you have a greater chance at building a more solid audience if you’re starting fresh. There's less competition among small streamers, so your ability to stand out, become a Partner, and build an engaged community is significantly easier.

Mixer is quietly carving out as an ideal option for new streamers, given the ease of use for Xbox / PC gamers and less competitive community. With Microsoft planning on developing this platform further, it could become one of the top Twitch competitors over time, but it still has a way to go.

Which is Best?

Ultimately, if you want to reach a wider audience and benefit from a user-friendly platform that allows you to easily find what you want, Twitch is the ideal platform. However, Mixer continues to develop and can allow new streamers to build a strong audience of consistent quality, with the ability to broadcast all over the world in any language.

Both platforms can give you good results, but for now, Twitch is still firmly in the lead. Whether Mixer can one day challenge the top dog of the streamer world remains to be seen, but the future is bright.