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Learn MoreTwitch badges are small icons that appear next to a username in chat. They signal a viewer’s relationship to the channel and platform—subscriber tier, moderator status, cheer activity, community standing, and subscription streak. This guide covers every badge type, how to earn each one, and what they tell you about the person behind the username.
TL;DR
- Badges appear to the left of a viewer’s username in Twitch chat
- Sub badges reflect subscription tier and streak length—customized per channel by the streamer
- Moderator, VIP, and Staff badges are assigned by the streamer or Twitch directly
- Cheer badges (Bits badges) are earned by cheering—different tiers from 1 to 1,000,000 bits
- Twitch Turbo, Prime Gaming sub, and legacy Twitch Prime badges are platform-wide (not channel-specific)
How Twitch badges work
Every badge in Twitch chat is an icon displayed immediately to the left of the username. Multiple badges can stack—a subscriber who is also a moderator shows both. Badge stacking order: channel-specific badges (sub tier) first, then platform badges (Turbo, Prime), then role badges (mod, VIP).
Badges are visible to all viewers in that channel’s chat. They do not affect stream quality, permissions (except mod/VIP which affect chat commands), or monetization.
Subscriber badges (sub badges)
Subscriber badges are the most visible chat badges and the primary custom element streamers create for their channel.
How they work: When a viewer subscribes at Tier 1, 2, or 3, they receive a channel-specific badge. The badge design is created by the streamer (or their artist) and uploaded for each subscription milestone.
Standard sub badge milestones (Twitch system):
- New subscriber (0 months): base subscriber badge
- 3 months: 3-month badge
- 6 months: 6-month badge
- 12 months (1 year): 1-year badge
- 2 years, 3 years, up to 6 years (for Partners) with additional milestone slots
Tier vs streak:
- Tier 1 ($4.99) subscribers get the standard sub badges
- Tier 2 ($9.99) and Tier 3 ($24.99) subscribers get enhanced versions of the same badge set, typically with a glow or outline treatment
- The streak milestone unlocks increasingly detailed or embellished versions of the badge per the streamer’s design
Streamer note: sub badge slots are available to Affiliates (1 badge + 3 streak badges) and Partners (full badge set with more milestone slots). The Twitch sub badges design guide covers creating and uploading these.
Moderator badge
The green sword/shield icon. Assigned by the streamer via /mod [username] in chat or through the Creator Dashboard → Community → Roles. Moderators get elevated chat privileges: removing messages, timing out users, banning users, managing channel point redemptions.
The moderator badge is channel-specific—a mod on one channel has no mod status anywhere else.
VIP badge
A diamond icon (pink/purple). Assigned by streamers to loyal community members who do not have moderator duties but deserve recognition and chat privileges. VIPs bypass chat slowmode, emote-only mode, and follower-only mode requirements.
Streamers unlock VIP slot access after reaching Twitch’s Active Viewer milestone (requires sustained viewership metrics, typically available to growing Affiliates and Partners). The badge design is a fixed Twitch default—streamers cannot customize its appearance.
Bits (Cheer) badges
Cheer badges replace the subscriber badge area for viewers who have cheered bits in the channel. They are cumulative—cheering 500 bits across multiple cheers eventually unlocks the 500-bit badge.
Tier thresholds (default bit badges):
| Bits cheered | Badge name | Badge appearance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gray Cheer | Gray bits gem |
| 100 | Purple Cheer | Purple bits gem |
| 1,000 | Green Cheer | Green bits gem |
| 5,000 | Blue Cheer | Blue bits gem |
| 10,000 | Red Cheer | Red bits gem |
| 25,000 | Gold Cheer | Gold bits gem |
| 50,000 | Diamond Cheer | Diamond bits gem |
| 75,000 | Legendary Cheer | Animated diamond |
| 100,000 | Mythic Cheer | Animated flame gem |
| 1,000,000 | Archon Cheer | Animated crown gem |
Streamers can customize cheer badge art (Partners get full customization; Affiliates get limited slots). When custom cheer badges are set, they replace the default Twitch gem icons.
Founder badge
A specific badge for the first 10 subscribers of a Twitch Affiliate channel. These 10 viewers receive a permanent “Founder” badge that persists regardless of subscription tier or streak. The badge is a diamond with a number indicating their founding position (Founder #1 through #10 visible in community lists).
Once the 10 founder slots are filled, no new viewers can earn the Founder badge on that channel.
Hype Train badges
Viewers who participate in a Hype Train (high-activity donation/subscription bursts) earn temporary Hype Train conductor badges for a set period after the event. Levels 1–5+ produce different badge variations. These expire—unlike sub or cheer badges, they are not permanent.
Platform-level badges (across all of Twitch)
These are not channel-specific. They appear in all Twitch chats where the viewer participates.
Twitch Turbo badge: A purple crown. Identifies subscribers to Twitch Turbo ($11.99/month platform subscription for ad-free viewing).
Prime Gaming sub badge: A purple gaming controller. Appears when a viewer has used their free Amazon Prime Gaming channel sub in that specific channel.
Twitch Partner badge: A purple verified checkmark (distinct from the blue verified badge in usernames). Appears in all chats when a Twitch Partner types.
Twitch Staff badge: A wrench icon. Twitch employees show this badge when participating in any chat.
Twitch Admin badge: An axe icon. Twitch Admins (trust & safety, partner managers) show this badge.
Twitch Global Moderator badge: Sword badge in red. Twitch’s volunteer global mod team members.
Sub gift badges
When a viewer gifts subscriptions to the channel, they earn cumulative gift badges:
- 1 gift: gift badge tier 1
- 5 gifts: tier 2
- 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 gifts: escalating tiers
Gift badges are channel-specific. A viewer who gifts 100 subs in one channel shows the 100-gift badge there, but not in other channels unless they’ve also gifted there.
How to earn different badges as a viewer
Subscriber badge: Subscribe to the channel (monthly subscription, Prime sub, or gifted sub). Streak badges accumulate automatically with each consecutive month.
Cheer badge: Type Cheer[number] in that channel’s chat (requires purchased bits). Bits accumulate toward the next badge tier.
Founder badge: Be among the first 10 subscribers of an Affiliate channel. Timing-dependent—you must subscribe before slots fill.
VIP badge: Earn it through community recognition—the streamer assigns it manually. No fixed criteria; streamers choose who receives VIP.
Moderator badge: Assigned by the streamer. Not earned by viewers independently.
Turbo badge: Subscribe to Twitch Turbo ($11.99/month) at twitch.tv/turbo.
Designing sub badges as a streamer
Twitch sub badge specifications (required for upload):
| Version | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| 1× | 18×18 pixels |
| 2× | 36×36 pixels |
| 4× | 72×72 pixels |
All three sizes are required per badge slot. PNG format, transparent background. At 18×18 pixels, fine detail is lost—effective badge designs are bold, simple, high-contrast, and recognizable at small size.
Design approaches that work at small scale:
- Single object with clean edges (a crown, a lightning bolt, a skull)
- Letter or number on a colored circle
- Channel logo simplified to its most distinctive element
Approaches that fail at 18×18:
- Detailed illustrations with thin lines
- Text with more than 3 characters
- Low-contrast color combinations (light gray on white)
The Twitch sub badges size and design guide covers the upload process and common design errors.
FAQ
Why does a viewer’s badge change after a few months?
Sub streak badges unlock at 3, 6, 12 months, and longer intervals. As viewers maintain their subscription, they automatically advance to the next streak tier badge. The longer they stay subscribed, the more elaborate their badge typically becomes.
Can a viewer display multiple badges at once?
Twitch shows each viewer’s most prominent badge. If a viewer is both a subscriber and a moderator, only the moderator badge is shown (role badges take display priority). The viewer’s sub streak is still tracked and visible in subscriber lists.
What happens to a sub badge if a viewer cancels and resubscribes?
The sub streak resets to 0. They start back at the new subscriber badge. The badge associated with their previous streak is no longer shown.
Can streamers create custom cheer badges?
Partners can fully customize cheer badge art. Affiliates have limited custom cheer badge slots. Both upload through Creator Dashboard → Subscriptions → Bits and Cheers → Manage Cheer Badges.
What is the rarest Twitch badge?
Subjectively, the highest-tier cheer badges (100,000+ bits) and the Archon badge (1,000,000 bits, approximately $7,000 spent on bits) are the rarest by usage. The original Twitch Prime badge (before the Prime Gaming rebrand) has historical rarity. Hype Train Level 5 badges are rare because they require significant coordinated viewer activity.
Do badges carry over to a new Twitch username?
Subscription streaks, cheer totals, and their associated badges are tied to the Twitch account, not the username. A username change preserves all badge progress on the same account.
Conclusion
Twitch badges are the fastest-readable signal in chat—subscriber tier, loyalty streak, moderator status, and platform affiliation visible at a glance. For viewers, subscriber and cheer badges are the primary earnable badges, accumulated through continued support. For streamers, designing compelling sub badge artwork that looks crisp at 18×18 pixels is the craft challenge.
Growing a channel means growing a badge-wearing community. Clips shared to TikTok and YouTube Shorts bring in new viewers who convert to subscribers and earn their first badge. Eklipse processes your Twitch VODs after every session and surfaces the clips worth sharing.
Start auto-clipping your streams to build a badge-wearing subscriber base →
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