TikTok vs YouTube Shorts: Which Pays More?

In the battle for short-form video dominance, TikTok and YouTube Shorts have emerged as two of the biggest platforms for creators. Both offer opportunities to monetize content, but the way they handle payments and revenue differs significantly. Understanding these differences can help creators decide where to focus their efforts to maximize earnings.

Monetization on TikTok: TikTok’s primary monetization strategy is the Creator Fund. This fund pays creators based on the performance of their videos, including views, engagement, and the overall quality of the content. To be eligible, creators must meet certain criteria, such as having at least 100,000 followers and 100,000 video views in the past 30 days. Payments from the Creator Fund can vary widely, but on average, creators earn between 2 to 4 cents per 1,000 views.

Monetization on YouTube Shorts: YouTube Shorts also offers a monetization route, but it differs from TikTok’s approach. YouTube pays creators through its Partner Program, which requires at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months. Unlike TikTok’s Creator Fund, YouTube Shorts ad revenue is shared with creators based on their content’s performance and overall channel metrics. On average, creators can earn between 10 to 20 cents per 1,000 views from Shorts.

Comparing Earnings: To provide a clearer comparison, let’s look at a simplified table showing potential earnings for 1 million views on both platforms:

Platform	Average Earnings per 1 Million Views
TikTok	$20 - $40
YouTube Shorts	$100 - $200

This table illustrates that, generally, YouTube Shorts provides a higher revenue per view compared to TikTok. This disparity is due to YouTube’s ad revenue model, which tends to be more lucrative than TikTok’s Creator Fund.

Additional Factors: Beyond raw earnings, other factors influence a creator's choice between TikTok and YouTube Shorts. For instance, YouTube offers more robust analytics and a longer history of monetization success, which can be attractive to creators looking for stability. On the other hand, TikTok’s algorithm is known for giving new creators a chance to go viral, which can quickly boost earnings if a video performs exceptionally well.

Conclusion: While both TikTok and YouTube Shorts offer opportunities for creators to earn money, YouTube Shorts generally provides higher revenue per view. However, the choice between the two platforms should also consider factors like audience engagement, content type, and overall platform fit.