Neither YouTube nor TikTok is the automatic better place to start getting paid, because each one pays on different terms. At Earn by Creating, we check every threshold against each platform’s own pages before it goes into a guide. YouTube’s help page sets ad revenue sharing at 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million qualified public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
YouTube’s help page also lists an earlier tier that opens fan funding at 500 subscribers. On TikTok, creator guides report that the Creator Rewards Program needs 10,000 followers, 100,000 video views in the last 30 days and original videos longer than one minute. Your best choice depends on how long your videos run, how often you can post, and whether you want viewers who search for a topic or viewers who scroll a feed.
YouTube vs TikTok Side by Side
YouTube and TikTok pay new creators through different programs with different entry bars, so the comparison comes down to what each bar counts and what kind of video you make. The table puts the two side by side on the points that change when your first payment can arrive.
| Factor | YouTube | TikTok |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest paid tier | Fan funding and Shopping at 500 subscribers (YouTube help page) | Creator Rewards at 10,000 followers (creator guides) |
| Ad revenue or rewards bar | 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days (YouTube help page) | 10,000 followers plus 100,000 video views in the last 30 days (creator guides) |
| What the bar counts | Qualified public watch hours or qualified public Shorts views (YouTube help page) | Followers and video views in a rolling 30-day window (creator guides) |
| Video length | Long-form for watch hours; Shorts count through Shorts views | Videos must be longer than one minute to earn rewards (creator guides) |
| Revenue share | 55% of ad revenue on long-form; 45% of the Shorts pool allocation (YouTube help page) | No fixed share published in the sources we checked |
| Other requirements | 2-Step Verification, one linked AdSense account, no active strikes, an eligible country (YouTube help page) | 18+, a personal account in good standing, an eligible country (creator guides) |
| AI disclosure | Disclose realistic altered or synthetic content with the “AI use” setting in YouTube Studio (YouTube help page) | Label realistic AI content; TikTok also labels AI-generated content |
| Brand deals and UGC route | Open without monetization | Open without monetization |
| United States (US) tax | Self-employment income | Self-employment income |
Both platforms gate their built-in payments behind an audience you build first. Sponsor work and UGC jobs sit outside those gates on either platform, which matters if you are starting from zero followers.
How YouTube Pays New Creators
YouTube pays through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which has two tiers with separate thresholds. YouTube’s help page lists both.
The Fan Funding Tier at 500 Subscribers
YouTube’s help page opens the expanded YPP tier at 500 subscribers, plus 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days. You also need either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, by the same page. This tier unlocks memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks and Shopping.
The Ad Revenue Tier at 1,000 Subscribers
Ad revenue sharing needs 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million qualified public Shorts views in the last 90 days, according to YouTube’s help page. The same page states that watch hours from the Shorts feed do not count toward the 4,000 hours. If you post only Shorts, your route to ads runs through the Shorts views count.
Once you share ad revenue, YouTube’s help page says long-form creators keep 55% of ad revenue on their videos. Shorts creators get 45% of their allocation from the Shorts creator pool, which is split by share of engaged views after music licensing costs. YouTube does not publish one rate per 1,000 views, because RPM varies by niche, audience country and format, and you see your own RPM in YouTube Analytics once monetized.
Review, Rejection and the 2027 Terms
YouTube’s help page says review typically takes about one month. After a first rejection, the same page lets you appeal within 21 days or reapply after 30 days, and after a repeat rejection you can reapply after 90 days. Updated YPP terms take effect February 1, 2027, and YouTube’s help page says creators must accept them in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027.
Some blogs claim the thresholds are going up. YouTube’s help page does not say so, so plan around the numbers it lists. Our guide to YouTube monetization requirements walks through each one.
How TikTok Pays New Creators
TikTok pays through the Creator Rewards Program, which replaced the Creator Fund. Creator guides report, and TikTok Studio shows, that the program needs you to be 18 or older with 10,000 or more followers. The same guides report 100,000 or more video views in the last 30 days, a personal account in good standing and an eligible country.
The video rule is the part that shapes your content. Creator guides report that videos must be original and longer than one minute to earn rewards. A creator who only posts 15-second clips would need to change format to earn from Creator Rewards.
TikTok does not publish a fixed revenue share or a rate per view in the sources we checked, so do not trust any single figure a course quotes. Check your own eligibility and status in TikTok Studio on TikTok. For growing to the follower count, see how to get followers on TikTok.
The 30-Day Window
TikTok’s views count runs over the last 30 days, by creator guides’ reports, while YouTube’s watch hours run over 12 months by its help page. Views from more than 30 days ago do not count toward TikTok’s window.
Which to Choose
The right platform depends on the videos you can make and the pace you can keep. Match your situation to one of the cases below.
You Can Make Longer Videos
Pick YouTube if you can make long-form videos. YouTube’s help page counts qualified public watch hours toward both tiers, and long-form creators keep 55% of ad revenue on their videos. Start with how to start a YouTube channel for beginners.
You Want Search Traffic
Your choice depends on whether you want search traffic or a feed. YouTube’s help page counts qualified public watch hours over a 12-month window.
You Want to Post Short Videos Daily
Both platforms can work, with different trade-offs. TikTok can work, but creator guides report it only pays on videos longer than one minute. YouTube Shorts counts qualified Shorts views toward its Shorts thresholds, with 3 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days opening fan funding by YouTube’s help page.
You Have No Camera Setup or Want to Stay Faceless
YouTube’s monetization policy does not ban faceless or AI-assisted videos. It does block mass-produced, repetitive, template-made videos under its inauthentic content policy, renamed in July 2025 from repetitious content. TikTok’s listed requirements ask for original videos and do not mention your face.
You Only Want Brand Deals
Pick the platform where the brands you want already run campaigns. Brand deals and UGC work do not require platform monetization, so the thresholds above do not apply to sponsor income. Our guide on how to become a UGC creator covers getting paid for videos with no audience at all.
Who Should Not Pick Either Yet
Skip platform monetization as a first goal if you need income within weeks. YouTube’s help page puts review at about one month after you qualify, and both platforms need an audience first. Start with UGC jobs, which do not require platform monetization, and build a channel alongside it.
What Would Change This Comparison
This comparison would shift if YouTube changed its thresholds in the terms that take effect February 1, 2027, or if TikTok dropped its one-minute video rule. It would also shift if TikTok published a fixed revenue share. Recheck YouTube’s help page and TikTok Studio before you commit.
Using YouTube and TikTok Together
You can post on both platforms, but reusing a video across them needs care. The care is about originality. TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program, by creator guides’ reports, pays only on original videos. YouTube’s inauthentic content policy blocks mass-produced, repetitive, template-made videos from monetizing.
Keep these points in mind if you run both:
- Edit for each platform. A clip cut under one minute will not earn TikTok rewards, by creator guides’ reports.
- Avoid templated batches. Pumping out near-identical videos from one template is what YouTube’s inauthentic content policy targets.
- Track each threshold separately. YouTube counts 12 months of watch hours or 90 days of Shorts views, and TikTok counts 30 days of views, so progress on one does not carry to the other.
TikTok vs YouTube Shorts
If you make short vertical videos, YouTube Shorts and TikTok are the direct comparison. YouTube’s help page says Shorts creators get 45% of their allocation from the Shorts creator pool, while TikTok does not publish a share in the sources we checked. Our YouTube Shorts monetization guide covers how the pool is split.
Rules to Follow on Both Platforms
The same legal and platform rules apply whichever site you pick.
- Disclose paid partnerships. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Endorsement Guides, revised in 2023, require a clear disclosure in the video and the caption, as the FTC disclosures page explains.
- Never buy followers or views. The FTC rule effective October 21, 2024 bans fake reviews and buying followers or views.
- Label realistic AI content. YouTube requires disclosure through the “AI use” setting in YouTube Studio, per its synthetic content help page, and TikTok requires creators to label realistic AI content.
- Set money aside for tax. Self-employment tax is 15.3% on net self-employment earnings once they reach $400, under US tax rules.
To act on your YouTube vs TikTok choice today, open the platform that matches your situation above, post your first original video, and read how to get monetized on YouTube or how to get followers on TikTok for your next step.