It’s the goal of any small creator to ultimately become one of the most subbed Twitch streamers on the planet. It’s an aspirational thing to aim for, and it stands to reason that the most subbed Twitch streamers are also the most popular and most successful creators in the world. With this guide, you can learn everything you need to know about the streamers with the most subscriptions on Twitch and what they did to earn them.

From record-length marathon streams called ‘subathons’ to simply being top-tier creators, there are a lot of things streamers do to earn subscriptions. It’s a hard thing to accomplish for a new streamer, but for a veteran, picking up a paid subscription from a user is as easy as clicking a mouse and going live. Read on to find out who the most subbed Twitch streamers are and to pick up some tips that will help you land subs of your own.

most subbed twitch streamers

What is a Twitch Subscription?

It’s a simple thing – a user signs up to Twitch, finds a streamer that they like the look of, and spends a little time in their stream. As the hours wear on, they start to build something of a bond with that streamer or they learn to enjoy and appreciate their content much more. They start to wonder how they can ‘pay back’ or support the creator in some way. After all, they’re going to a lot of effort to put out this content, so surely they can give something back?

The answer is a paid Twitch subscription.

With a paid sub, users quite literally pay a few pounds or dollars to the streamer every month in exchange for added benefits. The core of these benefits exists on the Twitch platform itself, but some of the best Twitch streamers will embellish the base offering with off-platform rewards. If you’re trying to learn how to become a streamer, understanding the benefits of a Twitch sub will allow you to better market yourself and hopefully secure some subscribed viewers.

In this guide that breaks down the most subbed Twitch streamers, we’re not talking about creators with one, ten, or even one hundred subs, though. We’re talking about creators that earned hundreds of thousands of paid subscriptions.

If you’re learning how to stream on Twitch, then read on – this is important stuff!

most subbed twitch streamers

xQc (famed for his GTA RP antics) is the most subbed Twitch streamer

 Most Subbed Twitch Streamers (in January 2023)

At the time of writing this breakdown, there’s a clear-cut leader in the list of the most subbed Twitch streamers. There are a few streamers on the platform that serve as the elite members of the community, putting out content that is appreciated by millions of viewers. It was years ago that these streamers learned how to grow on Twitch, and today, they’re reaping the rewards. Here’s a snapshot look at the most subbed Twitch streamers as of January 2023:

  1. xQc – 68,811 subs (inc. 88 Tier 3)
  2. Hasanabi – 63,514 subs (inc. 44 Tier 3)
  3. NICKMERCS – 49,844 subs (inc. 133 Tier 3)
  4. KaiCenat – 47,073 subs (inc. 9 Tier 3)
  5. Pestily – 47,065 subs (inc. 131 Tier 3)
  6. EliasN97 – 43,699 subs (inc. 21 Tier 3)
  7. IlloJuan – 42,030 subs (inc. 28 Tier 3)
  8. Tumblurr – 39,818 subs (inc. 17 tier 3)
  9. AdinRoss – 39,396 subs (inc. 8 Tier 3)
  10. Ibai – 38,481 subs (inc. 6 Tier 3)

This is where a streamer makes the majority of their money, bringing in around $2.50 per month per sub, assuming that sub is a Tier 1 subscription. It goes up to Tier 3, which is what we’ve recorded above, and that’s the ultimate level, costing the viewer $24.99 per month and netting the streamer around $12 per month. There’s an interesting trend that can be extracted by looking at that figure specifically.

For instance, last year, KaiCenat had the most Twitch subscriptions on the platform following a rapid period of growth. He now sits in fourth place because almost all of those Twitch subs were ‘gifted’. This is where a viewer donates a one-month subscription to random or targeted users on that streamer’s channel. Now that the one-month window has passed, tens of thousands of gifted subs have expired, throwing KaiCenat crashing down the rankings.

It also shows why he only has nine Tier 3 subscriptions – nobody gifts a Tier 3 to anyone, ever.

Who Has The Highest Peak Subscriber Count?

For the streamers that push out the longest Twitch streams – often known as subathons – huge success can be found in gathering a massive count of subscribers. In 2021, Ludwig went live with a marathon stream that lasted one month, and in that time, he secured around 270,000 subscriptions, boosting his total to just over 283,000. By today, he’s still the reigning champion when it comes to peak subscriber count.

Behind him sits Ninja, who also broadcasted a marathon-length subathon that ultimately netted the iconic streamer just short of 270,000 subscribers. That was in 2018, and by 2023, Ninja remains the most followed Twitch streamer on the entire platform. By comparison, KaiCenat, who flew rapidly up in popularity in 2022, sits in eight-place on the all-time table, boasting just 105,983 subscribers.

That’s a fact mostly derived from the reasoning that Ludwig and Ninja did something impressive to earn their subscriptions and their subathons were tied in with charity events. On the other hand, KaiCenat’s growth was little more than a viral trend pushed forward by social media hype – there was no depth to it, and it fizzled out quite quickly.

most subbed twitch streamers

Ludwig earned the most subscribers in a single stream ever in 2021

How to Become a Most Subbed Twitch Streamer

This is hardly a full guide to streaming, but we’ll give you a few pieces of advice that you can use to grow on the platform.

  • Be consistent in everything – your content, your schedule, and your appearance.
  • If you’re good at games, then flaunt it – viewers love watching a talented player.
  • Try to build the best streaming setup, equipping yourself with a camera and a microphone at the very least.
  • Make use of top live streaming software and free-to-use growth tools like StreamElements and social media platforms.
  • Engage your community and viewers in discussions and keep the conversation moving.
  • Try to be unique and do something original, don’t just be a cookie-cutter streamer.

We wish you the best of luck on your streaming journey!

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