Upload Speed & Bitrate Checker
Type in your measured upload speed to see the highest bitrate you can safely stream, and which quality tiers it unlocks on Twitch, YouTube and Kick.
Step 1: measure your upload with a real speed test, run 2–3 times on the connection you'll stream from: Speedtest by Ookla · Cloudflare Speed Test · Fast.com (click "Show more info" to see upload).
How the bitrate checker works
Your stream's video bitrate is the amount of data OBS sends every second, and it can't be more than your connection reliably delivers. Fast home internet is often fast only in one direction. Download speeds of hundreds of megabits often come with an upload of 10–20 Mbps or less, and upload is the number that matters for streaming.
Each platform tells you how much margin to leave, and the checker uses those figures directly:
- Twitch: upload speed should equal your bitrate plus 30%. A 6,000 kbps stream needs about 8 Mbps.
- Kick: upload should be at least twice your bitrate, and the bitrate can't go above 8,000 kbps.
- YouTube: no margin is published, so we apply Twitch's 30% rule. That's our assumption, not YouTube's.
It then subtracts your audio bitrate (96 kbps for Twitch, 128 for YouTube, 160 for Kick) and anything else you said will be uploading at the same time. What's left is your safe video bitrate.
Reading the results
For each platform, every resolution and frame-rate tier is marked:
- Recommended: you can hit the platform's recommended bitrate.
- Lower bitrate: you're above the platform's minimum but below its recommendation.
- Not enough: your connection can't carry this tier.
Twitch publishes one figure per tier instead of a range, so its tiers are only ever "Recommended" or "Not enough". The tiers come straight from Twitch's Broadcasting Guidelines, YouTube's live encoder table and Kick's settings guide. YouTube's recommended bitrates are much higher than Twitch's. They make the best use of a fast connection, but YouTube also lists minimums, and plenty of good-looking streams run near them.
Getting an honest measurement
Speed tests pick a nearby server and report a best case. Before you test, close cloud sync and game launchers. Test at the time of day you usually go live, because evenings are often slower, and use the lowest of a few runs. If you're on Wi-Fi, try a cable. Kick's help center recommends wired Ethernet, and it usually removes the random spikes that drop frames.
When you know your number, the OBS settings generator turns it into a full set of OBS settings. If you're choosing between streaming tools, our StreamYard vs Restream vs OBS comparison explains how multistreaming affects your upload.
Frequently asked questions
How much upload speed do I need to stream?
Twitch says your upload should be your stream bitrate plus 30%, so a 6,000 kbps stream needs about 8 Mbps. Kick says upload should be at least twice your bitrate. For a 1080p 60 fps stream that works out to roughly 8 Mbps on Twitch and 12–16 Mbps on Kick.
Is Mbps the same as kbps?
No. 1 Mbps (megabits per second) equals 1,000 kbps (kilobits per second). Speed tests usually report Mbps, while OBS asks for bitrate in kbps. Neither is the same as MB/s (megabytes per second), which is eight times larger.
Why is the safe bitrate lower than my upload speed?
Your upload speed varies from minute to minute, and other devices and apps share it. Leaving headroom stops a brief dip from turning into dropped frames. The tool also subtracts your audio bitrate, because audio is sent over the same connection.
Should I test my speed on Wi-Fi or Ethernet?
Test on the same connection you will stream on, ideally several times at the hour you usually go live, and use the lowest result. Kick recommends a wired Ethernet connection for streaming because Wi-Fi is less stable.
Does this page run a speed test?
No. It links to real speed test services instead of faking one in the page. Run one of those and type your upload result into the box.