Kick Emote Size Guide: Dimensions, Formats & Upload Steps

Kick has been growing fast as a Twitch alternative, and one of its biggest draws for streamers is a simpler emote system. Unlike Twitch where you juggle three image sizes, Kick lets you upload one file and handles the rest. You also get 60 emote slots from day one — no grinding for subscriber milestones.

Here's everything you need to know about Kick emote sizes, formats, and how to get your emotes uploaded.

Quick Specs

Kick vs Twitch: Key Differences

If you're coming from Twitch, the emote system on Kick works differently in a few important ways. Here's a side-by-side comparison:

The biggest advantages on Kick: you skip the tedious multi-size export process, animated emotes are available to everyone, and you start with far more emote slots.

Emote Dimensions

Kick uses a single-upload system. You provide one square image up to 500x500 pixels, and Kick automatically generates the three display sizes used in chat:

Since Kick downscales from your upload, uploading at the maximum 500x500 gives Kick the most data to work with and generally produces the crispest results at smaller sizes. That said, 112x112 or 256x256 also works fine — the key is keeping it square.

If you upload a non-square image, Kick will automatically crop it to a square. To avoid unexpected cropping, always prepare your images at a 1:1 aspect ratio.

File Formats & Size Limits

Kick keeps it simple with just two supported formats:

• PNG — For static emotes. Supports transparency, which is essential for clean-looking emotes in chat.
• GIF — For animated emotes. Must stay under 1 MB, which limits frame count and complexity at larger dimensions.

JPEG, WEBP, and SVG are not accepted. If your source image is in another format, convert it to PNG before uploading.

Having trouble keeping your animated GIF under 1 MB? Try reducing the canvas size to 256x256 or lowering the frame count. Fewer frames with bold movements often look better than many frames with subtle animation at tiny display sizes.

Animated Emote Support

This is where Kick stands out. On Twitch, you need Affiliate or Partner status to upload animated emotes. On Kick, any streamer can upload animated GIF emotes from day one.

The main constraint is the 1 MB file size limit. At 500x500 pixels, a GIF with 60+ frames will likely exceed this. Practical tips for staying under the limit:

• Reduce dimensions: A 128x128 GIF can fit many more frames than a 500x500 one at the same file size
• Limit to 20–40 frames: Most chat emote animations are short loops
• Reduce colors: GIFs support up to 256 colors per frame — using fewer keeps file size down
• Use our GIF resizer: Our Kick Emote Resizer handles compression automatically

Emote Slots

Kick gives streamers significantly more emote slots than Twitch, and there's no tier system — you get everything upfront:

Channel emotes are free-to-use emotes visible in your channel's chat. Think of them as your channel's personality — anyone chatting can use them.

Subscriber emotes are the premium tier. Your active subscribers can use these across all Kick channels, not just yours. This is similar to how Twitch sub emotes work globally.

On Twitch, a new Affiliate starts with just 1 emote slot and slowly unlocks more. On Kick, you immediately get 60 channel emotes and 24 sub emotes as soon as you qualify.

Subscriber Badge Sizes

Subscriber badges are the small icons that appear next to a member's name in chat. They're different from emotes in both size and purpose.

You can create unique badge designs for each duration tier, rewarding long-term subscribers with progressively cooler badges. Kick also has a special Founders Badge that's automatically awarded to your first 100 subscribers.

How to Upload Emotes on Kick

1. Log in to kick.com and click your profile picture
2. Go to Settings
3. Expand the Community tab in the left sidebar
4. Click Emotes
5. Hit the + button at the top to open the upload dialog
6. Select your PNG or GIF file (up to 500x500, under 1 MB)
7. Enter a name for the emote (alphanumeric and underscores only)
8. Click Add — your emote goes live immediately

Unlike Twitch, Kick emotes don't go through a manual review queue. They're typically available in chat within minutes of uploading. Just make sure they comply with Kick's community guidelines.

Design Tips for Kick Emotes

Even though you can upload at 500x500, your emote will mostly be seen at 28x28 or 56x56 pixels. Keep these pointers in mind:

Keep It Bold

Thick lines, simple shapes, and saturated colors. If your emote has text, make the letters chunky. Thin fonts vanish at 28 pixels.

Use Transparent Backgrounds

PNG with transparency looks clean in chat regardless of the user's theme. A solid white or colored background sticks out awkwardly.

Test at 28x28

Before uploading, shrink your design to 28 pixels and see if it's still recognizable. If you squint and can't tell what it is, simplify.

Animate With Purpose

Just because Kick supports animation doesn't mean every emote needs it. Reserve animation for emotes where movement adds meaning — a bouncing hype emote, a waving hand, or a spinning celebration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

• Upload one square image up to 500x500 px — Kick generates 112x112, 56x56, and 28x28 automatically
• PNG for static, GIF for animated — under 1 MB
• Animated emotes work for everyone, no affiliate status required
• You get 60 channel emotes + 24 sub emotes immediately
• Badges are 36x36 px PNG

Need to resize your images for Kick?