For business Forum ✈ TG
Log in
Calculators · YouTube / Twitch recommendations

📡 What bitrate should you stream at?

Too low a bitrate turns motion into mush, too high causes buffering for viewers and rejection by the platform. We will pick a safe bitrate for your upload speed and stream settings, taking platform limits into account.

model estimate · data updated · methodology · Check my PC

Key figures

Unique FPSHQ metrics from this page's data

4
input parameters
open
formula
635
graphics cards with a hardware AV1 encoder
32% of the catalog
6 000kbps
recommended Twitch bitrate 1080p60 (max)
6 000–9 000kbps
YouTube 1080p60 (recommendation)
20 000–51 000kbps
YouTube 4K60

Recommended upload bitrate by resolution and frame rate (YouTube, H.264, SDR)

Upper values of YouTube recommendations for H.264 SDR (Google help). Twitch caps the incoming stream at 6,000 kbps; AV1/HEVC cut the bitrate needed by 30–50%.

012,75025,50038,25051,0004,000 kbps720p306,000 kbps720p606,000 kbps1080p309,000 kbps1080p6018,000 kbps1440p6051,000 kbps4K60720p30720p304,000 kbps720p60720p606,000 kbps1080p301080p306,000 kbps1080p601080p609,000 kbps1440p601440p6018,000 kbps4K604K6051,000 kbps

How the calculation works

What you enterresolution, FPS, codec, platform
What you getbitrate, kbps
BasisYouTube / Twitch recommendations
formulaopen — Bitrate = the lowest of three values: the recommendation for the resolution and FPS (H.264: 720p30 — 3000, 720p60 — 4500, 1080p30 — 4500, 1080p60 — 6000, 1440p60 — 9000, 4K60 — 18,000 kbps), the selected platform’s cap and 65% of your upload speed (headroom for connection swings).
In short

What bitrate should you stream at?

Too low a bitrate turns motion into mush, too high causes buffering for viewers and rejection by the platform. We will pick a safe bitrate for your upload speed and stream settings, taking platform limits into account.

graphics cards with a hardware AV1 encoder
635
recommended Twitch bitrate 1080p60 (max)
6 000 kbps
YouTube 1080p60 (recommendation)
6 000–9 000 kbps
YouTube 4K60
20 000–51 000 kbps
updated · source: FPSHQ graphics card catalog, YouTube: recommended bitrates, Twitch: broadcasting guidelines, FPSHQ model estimate

Frequently asked questions

What is Twitch’s maximum bitrate?
Twitch recommends up to 6000 kbps for partners and affiliates. Going above it often causes instability for viewers without transcoding. YouTube allows much higher values.
How much internet headroom do you need for streaming?
The stream bitrate should use no more than 60–70% of your actual upload speed to leave headroom for spikes and a stable connection.
How accurate are the FPSHQ calculators?
The calculators use open formulas with coefficients from the FPSHQ database (1,927 GPUs with measurements). The result is an estimate: real FPS depends on the CPU, settings and driver version. For an exact measurement use the FPSHQ app.
Do I need to sign up?
No. All calculations run in the browser. An account is only needed to save "My PC" and get personalised results across the site.
Which calculator should I use if a game stutters?
Start with "Target FPS" — it shows how far the GPU falls short; then "DLSS/FSR" — how much upscaling will give; if VRAM is short — "VRAM". For an upgrade — "Cost per frame".

Methodology and sources

This page uses the FPSHQ database: the GPU and CPU catalogue with synthetic benchmark scores, official game system requirements, FPS measurements from users of the FPSHQ app and the FPSHQ performance model. Calculated values are estimates, not a measurement of your exact configuration: the real result depends on drivers, settings and the rest of the hardware. More about the methodology →

Sources:
FPSHQ Team · Data updated