Compare Creator Platforms
Every head-to-head we publish, plus a single table showing how the platforms actually stack up on the three things creators ask about: what they pay per view, what brands pay for a post, and how much of your audience actually engages.
The short version: long-form YouTube is the only platform that pays real money per view, and it is not close. But per-view income only matters once you are large, and below that the platform that pays best is whichever one your audience actually engages with, because sponsorship rates track engagement far more closely than they track which app you posted to.
How the Platforms Compare
| Platform | Pays per view | Sponsorship base | Avg engagement |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube (long-form) | $1.65–$25 per 1K | $35 / 1K followers | 3.5–5.5% of views |
| YouTube Shorts | $0.02–$0.12 per 1K | $35 / 1K followers | 3.5–5.5% of views |
| TikTok | $0.40–$1.00 per 1K qualified | $10 / 1K followers | 4.25% of followers |
| No public per-view payout | $17.5 / 1K followers | 0.98% of followers | |
| Not modelled | $10 / 1K followers | 0.15% of followers | |
| X (Twitter) | Not modelled | $14 / 1K followers | 0.1% of followers |
- YouTube engagement is measured against views rather than subscribers, so its percentage is not directly comparable to the follower-based rates on the other platforms.
- "Not modelled" means we do not publish a per-view rate for that platform, not that it pays nothing. Facebook and X both run creator payout programs, but they are restructured often enough that we would rather show nothing than a figure we cannot stand behind. For X specifically, the monetization eligibility checker covers what the current requirements actually are.
This is the compressed version. For niche-by-niche pay rates, sponsorship pricing at every follower tier, and year-over-year engagement trends with sources, see the Creator Economy Benchmarks report.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Each one runs the same numbers against a specific matchup, because "which pays more" almost always depends on follower count, format, and niche rather than having one answer.
Compare Your Own Numbers
Averages are a starting point, not an answer. These run the same models against your actual following and engagement across every platform at once.