TikTok vs YouTube RPM differs by as much as 30x depending on the content niche, with YouTube paying an average RPM of $5.00 to $12.00 per 1,000 views compared to TikTok's $0.02 to $0.05 through its Creator Rewards Program. However, when brand deals, TikTok Shop commissions, and live gifts are factored into the calculation, TikTok's effective RPM narrows to within 2x to 5x of YouTube's in most niches. This platform RPM comparison breaks down the numbers across 12 content categories so you can make informed decisions about where to invest your time.
Quick Comparison
The summary table below shows the median RPM for both platforms across major content niches. YouTube RPM includes AdSense revenue only, while TikTok RPM includes Creator Rewards Program payouts only. The "Effective RPM" columns add brand deal income averaged across all views.
| Niche | TikTok RPM (Rewards Only) | TikTok Effective RPM (All Revenue) | YouTube RPM (AdSense Only) | YouTube Effective RPM (All Revenue) | YouTube Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance / Investing | $0.05 | $3.50 | $12.00 | $18.00 | 5.1x (AdSense) / 5.1x (Effective) |
| Technology | $0.04 | $2.80 | $8.50 | $13.00 | 4.6x (Effective) |
| Business / Marketing | $0.04 | $3.00 | $10.00 | $15.00 | 5.0x (Effective) |
| Beauty / Skincare | $0.03 | $2.50 | $4.50 | $8.00 | 3.2x (Effective) |
| Health / Fitness | $0.03 | $1.80 | $5.00 | $8.50 | 4.7x (Effective) |
| Food / Cooking | $0.03 | $1.50 | $4.00 | $6.50 | 4.3x (Effective) |
| Fashion / Style | $0.03 | $2.20 | $3.50 | $6.00 | 2.7x (Effective) |
| Travel | $0.03 | $1.60 | $5.50 | $8.00 | 5.0x (Effective) |
| Gaming | $0.02 | $1.20 | $3.00 | $5.00 | 4.2x (Effective) |
| Education | $0.04 | $2.00 | $7.00 | $10.00 | 5.0x (Effective) |
| Comedy / Entertainment | $0.02 | $0.80 | $2.50 | $3.50 | 4.4x (Effective) |
| Dance / Music | $0.02 | $0.50 | $1.50 | $2.00 | 4.0x (Effective) |
YouTube pays more per view in every single niche — that is not in dispute. The question is whether TikTok's viral reach and lower production costs compensate for the RPM gap. In many cases, especially for newer creators, they do.
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Per-Niche RPM Deep Dive
Each niche has a unique RPM dynamic shaped by advertiser demand, audience demographics, and content format expectations.
Finance and investing is the highest-paying niche on both platforms. YouTube finance creators earn $12.00 or more per 1,000 views from AdSense alone because financial advertisers (banks, trading platforms, insurance companies) bid aggressively for this audience. TikTok finance creators earn just $0.05 per 1K from the Rewards Program, but their brand deal rates are among the highest on the platform — $2,000 to $10,000 per sponsored video for creators with 100K+ followers. The effective RPM gap (5.1x) is the widest of any niche, making YouTube clearly superior for finance creators focused on ad revenue.
Beauty and skincare tells a different story. While YouTube's AdSense RPM ($4.50) is solid, TikTok beauty creators benefit enormously from TikTok Shop commissions. Product-linked videos drive direct sales, and creators earn 10% to 20% commissions. When Shop revenue is factored in, TikTok's effective beauty RPM rises to $2.50, narrowing the YouTube advantage to 3.2x. For beauty creators who are strong at product promotion, TikTok can match or exceed YouTube's total revenue per view.
Gaming sits in the middle. YouTube gaming RPM ($3.00 AdSense) is modest by YouTube standards but still vastly exceeds TikTok's $0.02. However, TikTok gaming clips frequently go viral, generating millions of views that create funnel traffic to YouTube channels, Twitch streams, or merchandise stores. Many gaming creators treat TikTok as a discovery platform rather than a primary revenue source.
Comedy and entertainment has the lowest RPMs on both platforms. Advertisers pay less to reach broad entertainment audiences than niche professional audiences. YouTube comedy RPM ($2.50) is low but still 125x TikTok's $0.02. The effective RPM gap narrows to 4.4x when brand deals are included, but this remains one of the hardest niches to monetize on either platform.
Education and how-to content earns premium RPMs on YouTube ($7.00) because educational content aligns well with high-value advertisers in software, online courses, and professional services. TikTok educational creators earn a middling $0.04 Rewards RPM but command strong brand deal rates ($1,500 to $5,000 per sponsored video) because their audiences are engaged and action-oriented.
Long-Term Income Deep Dive
RPM is a snapshot metric. Long-term income depends on how RPM compounds with content volume, audience growth, and catalogue value over months and years.
YouTube's evergreen advantage. YouTube videos continue generating views and revenue for months or years after publication. A well-optimized YouTube video can earn 3x to 10x its first-month revenue over its lifetime. TikTok videos, by contrast, have a much shorter shelf life — most TikTok views come within the first 48 to 72 hours, with minimal long-tail traffic. This means YouTube's effective lifetime RPM is even higher than the per-view figures suggest.
TikTok's volume advantage. TikTok creators can produce and publish content at 3x to 5x the rate of YouTube creators because TikTok videos require less production time. A TikTok creator posting daily can accumulate 5 to 10 million views per month, while a YouTube creator posting weekly might accumulate 500K to 2M views. Even at a lower RPM, the higher view volume can compensate.
| Metric | TikTok Creator (Daily Posting) | YouTube Creator (Weekly Posting) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Views | 5,000,000 | 800,000 |
| Platform RPM | $0.03 | $6.00 |
| Monthly Platform Revenue | $150 | $4,800 |
| Monthly Brand Deal Revenue | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| Monthly Total | $3,150 | $6,800 |
| Annual Total | $37,800 | $81,600 |
| Cumulative (3 Years) | $113,400 | $325,000+ |
The three-year gap widens dramatically because YouTube's back catalogue keeps earning. After three years, a YouTube creator with 150 published videos may earn $5,000+ per month in passive ad revenue alone, while a TikTok creator's catalogue generates almost nothing passively.
For creators evaluating which platform to prioritize, the answer depends on time horizon. TikTok delivers faster initial growth and faster first income. YouTube delivers higher lifetime revenue and more passive income. The ideal strategy for most creators is to use TikTok for audience discovery and YouTube for revenue maximization — a pattern we analyze further in our multi-platform earnings calculator.
Side-by-Side Analysis
Beyond RPM, several qualitative factors influence which platform delivers better income outcomes.
Production costs. TikTok videos cost less to produce. A smartphone, ring light, and basic editing app are sufficient. YouTube often requires better cameras, microphones, lighting, and editing software. Higher production costs reduce YouTube's effective margin per dollar of revenue.
Monetization threshold. TikTok's Creator Rewards Program requires 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the last 30 days. YouTube's Partner Program requires 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours (or 10 million Shorts views). TikTok's threshold is easier to reach, meaning new creators can start earning sooner.
Brand deal accessibility. Brands are increasingly allocating budget to TikTok campaigns, and micro-creators (10K to 100K followers) often receive more brand deal inquiries on TikTok than on YouTube at equivalent audience sizes. Our brand deal rate calculator can estimate what you should charge on each platform.
Revenue stability. YouTube revenue is more stable month-to-month because it is tied to consistent catalogue views. TikTok revenue fluctuates based on viral hits — a single video can generate 80% of a month's revenue, making income unpredictable. Refer to our seasonal TikTok earnings data for more on this volatility.
Audience ownership. YouTube offers stronger tools for building an owned audience (email lists, community posts, channel memberships). TikTok's algorithm-driven distribution means creators are more dependent on the platform's whims, which introduces long-term risk.
Which Platform Pays Better
The answer depends entirely on your niche, content style, and goals.
Choose YouTube if: You create long-form or mid-form content in a high-CPM niche (finance, tech, education, business). You value passive income and long-term catalogue value. You are willing to invest in higher production quality and can commit to a weekly publishing schedule for 12+ months.
Choose TikTok if: You create short-form content with high entertainment or viral potential. You are in a niche where TikTok Shop commissions can supplement RPM (beauty, fashion, home goods). You want fast audience growth and are comfortable with income volatility.
Choose both if: You want maximum total income. Data from our earnings data hub consistently shows that cross-platform creators earn 2x to 3x more than single-platform creators at equivalent audience sizes. The optimal workflow is to create longer content for YouTube and repurpose clips for TikTok, capturing high RPM on YouTube and high reach on TikTok.
For creators currently earning under $1,000 per month, TikTok is often the faster path to your first meaningful income because of lower production barriers and faster viral discovery. For creators already earning $1,000+ per month, adding YouTube (if you have not already) is the highest-leverage move for growing your total creator income.
Use the Calculator to Compare
Numbers in a table are helpful, but your specific situation may differ significantly from the median. Use our RPM Calculator to input your actual view counts, engagement rates, and niche to see a personalized RPM comparison between TikTok and YouTube.
The calculator uses the same dataset that powers this article, updated quarterly with fresh survey data and platform rate changes. It accounts for your audience geography, niche CPM premiums, and estimated brand deal rates to generate a realistic side-by-side projection.
If you are already active on both platforms, try running your real numbers through the multi-platform earnings calculator to see your combined revenue potential and identify which platform deserves more of your production time.
For TikTok-specific earnings modeling, our TikTok Money Calculator breaks down your projected income by monetization stream — Creator Rewards, brand deals, live gifts, and Shop — so you can see exactly where your TikTok revenue comes from and where the growth opportunities are.
Start with your real data, not averages. The gap between your actual RPM and the niche benchmarks in this article reveals exactly how much room you have to optimize.