Compare · Creator

TikTok vs YouTube Revenue Calculator

Same views, two platforms. See what they're actually worth — ads plus sponsors, conservative to aggressive.

Your numbers

Use the same view count on both for a fair head-to-head.

$/1K

Realistic: $0.40–$1.20 in eligible markets. $0 elsewhere.

$/1K

Realistic: $3–$15 most niches. $15–$40 finance/B2B/tech.

$/1K

Realistic: $8–$20.

$/1K

Realistic: $18–$45 (dedicated integration).

TikTok monthly

$12,700

Ads $700 · Sponsors $12,000

YouTube monthly

$31,000

Ads $6,000 · Sponsors $25,000

Winner at this volume

YouTube · $18,300 more / month

YouTube earns 2.4× what TikTok earns at the same view count and sponsor cadence.

Range
Three honest scenarios, not one fake number.

Conservative

$7,620

Realistic

$31,000

Aggressive

$49,600

Bands swing on RPM volatility and sponsor consistency — not view count.

Biggest lever
The one variable that moves your result the most.
Sponsor CPM

Once you're running sponsorships, the CPM you charge moves your revenue more than any view-count gain you'll realistically ship next quarter.

Reality check
Realistic

Your assumptions sit in the realistic middle of public RPM disclosures.

The math
No black box. Here's exactly what we did.
  • TikTok ad revenue = (views / 1,000) × TikTok RPM
  • YouTube ad revenue = (views / 1,000) × YouTube RPM
  • Sponsor revenue = sponsors/mo × (views / 1,000) × sponsor CPM
  • Total per platform = ads + sponsors

Common questions

Why does YouTube usually pay more per view?

YouTube long-form ads run pre-, mid-, and post-roll on watch time that compounds over years. TikTok's Creator Rewards pool divides finite ad inventory across qualified views (60s+, original, search-friendly). Per-view, YouTube is typically 5–20× higher; per-hour-of-work, TikTok can still win for short-form creators.

What's a realistic TikTok Creator Rewards RPM?

Currently $0.40–$1.20 per 1,000 qualified views in the US/UK/CA/AU/DE/FR/JP markets where the pool exists. Outside that, you earn $0. Most creators settle in the $0.50–$0.80 band once the novelty bonus wears off.

What's a realistic YouTube long-form RPM?

$3–$15 for most niches. Finance/B2B/tech hit $15–$40. Gaming/kids sit at $1.50–$4. RPM is the after-Google-cut number that lands in your account, not advertiser CPM.

Which should I focus on?

If you can't commit to 8+ minute videos with strong retention, TikTok wins on speed-to-audience. If you can produce searchable long-form (tutorials, reviews, explainers), YouTube wins on revenue compounding. Most serious creators do both — but lead with one.

Does the comparison include sponsorships?

Yes — toggle in a sponsor CPM and an integration count per month. Sponsorships dwarf ad revenue at every size, but YouTube sponsor CPMs are typically 2–3× TikTok's because watch context is more controlled.