If you are looking for other places to stream besides Twitch, then you may have come across DLive. But is DLive legit? And how do they compare to Twitch? Keep reading to find out.
Twitch Vs DLive: What’s The Difference?
Twitch and DLive are different in that DLive is built on blockchain technology which allows users to earn LINO points (their form of cryptocurrency) as they engage with the platform. Twitch is not built on a blockchain, but still offers other rewards for streamers and viewers.
Besides that, the platforms are actually fairly similar. Both offer a live streaming service which allows viewers to sub, gift subs, and subscribe to their favorite streamers.
Since DLive is not well-known, I will give a brief summary below of how the platform operates and what makes it unique compared to Twitch and others.
What Is DLive
DLive is a live streaming platform built on blockchain technology, specifically the Lino blockchain. Founded in 2017, it offers a decentralized alternative to traditional live streaming platforms like Twitch or YouTube.
One of the key features of DLive is its unique revenue-sharing model. Unlike other platforms that take a significant percentage of ad revenue and donations from creators, DLive aims to reward creators more fairly.
The platform distributes rewards to streamers and viewers in the form of LINO points, a cryptocurrency that can be traded, donated, or used to purchase in-app features.
Rewarding viewers for watching streams is something very unique that DLive offers. Now that you have a better understanding of what DLive is, let’s talk about Twitch and DLive’s pros / cons.
Twitch Pros & Cons
| Twitch Pros | Twitch Cons |
|---|---|
| Established brand | Poor sub splits |
| Backed by Amazon | Oversaturated with streamers |
| Lots of streaming tools for streamers and viewers | Inconsistent moderation |
| Tons of ads |
Twitch is one of the biggest names in the live streaming space. They have tons of tools and offer one of the best live streaming platforms of any available today.
However, over the years Twitch has become flooded with streamers making it difficult for newcomers to get noticed.
Their low sub-splits, inconsistent moderation, and excessive ads have also chased away a lot of streamers and viewers. But how does DLive compare to the behemoth that is Twitch?
DLive Pros & Cons
| DLive Pros | DLive Cons |
|---|---|
| 75% sub revenue to creators | Small userbase |
| Less competition | Less content moderation |
| No ads | |
| Viewers can earn LINO points |
DLive offers better sub-splits, less competition, and no ads. The fact that viewers can earn while they watch streams also makes them unique and different from other live streaming platforms.
However, even though DLive offers some incredible perks, they are still really small. The number of users they receive each month is far less than what Twitch receives. This makes it difficult to really grow on the platform.
Now let’s dive deeper into how Twitch and DLive compare in the most important categories for a live streaming platform: discoverability, growth, monetization, and stream quality / UI & UX
Discoverability
Twitch’s discoverability is better than DLive simply because Twitch has tons more users than DLive does. DLive has less users, and the same discovery tools as Twitch such as a browse category.
It will also be harder to drive people from other platforms over to DLive because it is a less-known platform. Users will feel more comfortable visiting and using a platform like Twitch since it is well established.
Growth
Since Twitch has far more users each month, your potential to grow on the platform is much higher. Given how small DLive is, you are really limited as to how big of an audience you have.
Unless you already have an established audience on another platform that will move with you over to DLive, it’s much better to grow your brand with Twitch.
Monetization
Twitch has better monetization options than DLive. Although DLive has higher sub splits (75% for streamers compared to Twitch’s 50%), they take more from tips (25%). Here is a table of the monetization options for each platform.
| Monetization Option | Twitch | DLive |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions | X | X |
| Gifted Subscriptions | X | X |
| Donations / Tips | X | X |
| Ads | X | |
| Sponsorships | X | X |
| Affiliate Offers | X | X |
Twitch does not take anything from streamers when viewers tip them with Twitch bits; however, Twitch does take a 30% cut from users when they purchase Twitch bits.
Twitch streamers can also earn from ad revenue, and even though this is usually a very small percentage of a streamers overall earnings on Twitch, it’s still something that DLive does not have.
So given the extra ad revenue, and the higher split when it comes to tips, I have to give Twitch the slight edge when it comes to monetization.
Stream Quality / UI & UX
Twitch has an advantage over DLive in stream quality, user interface (UI), and user experience (UX). With Twitch you can stream in 1080p at 60 fps. On DLive, you can only stream in 720p at 30 fps.
The UI and UX of both Twitch and DLive are similar, but I still give the slight edge to Twitch because it just looks cleaner and the sub and follow buttons are easier to find. Here are what the two look like.
As you can see, Twitch just has a better layout in my opinion. Things are easier to find and it looks nicer. DLive is not bad, it’s just not as good.
Should You Stream On Twitch Or DLive?
Choosing between Twitch and DLive will depend on your goals. If you want to grow your brand as a live streamer, then Twitch is the better option because they have a bigger reach.
However, if you just want to build a small niche community to hangout with, then DLive might be a better choice for you.
DLive is smaller than Twitch, making it more tight-knit, but this also limits how much you will be able to grow and earn on the platform.
Twitch is more established and will be easier to grow and earn on since people already know and understand the platform.
So establish your goals first, then decide where you want to stream. But if you are interested in DLive, here are some popular streamers you can check out on the platform.
Popular DLive Streamers
Is DLive Owned By Twitch?
DLive is not owned by Twitch. DLive was initially developed by a team led by Charles Wayn and Cole Chen, who are also the co-founders of the Lino Network, the blockchain technology that underpins DLive.
However, in April 2020, it was announced that DLive would be joining the BitTorrent ecosystem, which is owned by TRON Foundation, founded by Justin Sun.
As a result, DLive is now a part of the BitTorrent and TRON ecosystem, with the goal of creating a decentralized content sharing platform that leverages blockchain technology.
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Eric streams 3 days a week on Twitch and uploads weekly to Youtube under the moniker, StreamersPlaybook. He loves gaming, PCs, and anything else related to tech. He’s the founder of the website StreamersPlaybook and loves helping people answer their streaming, gaming, and PC questions.
