Streaming bitrate calculator
Enter your connection, encoder, and platform to see the highest resolution and framerate you can hold without dropping to a BRB screen. This is the same anti-BRB engine that powers every build in the configurator, free to use on its own.
How many of that connection type you are bonding together (SRTLA, LRT, SpeedFusion).
Your connection budget caps you here. More bonded uplink unlocks the next tier without BRB drops.
Planning budget: ~5 Mbps uplink · recommended encode ~3,000 kbps on the wire.
Platform bitrate caps (July 2026)
| Platform | Max bitrate | Max resolution delivered |
|---|---|---|
| Twitch (standard) | 6,000 kbps | 1080p |
| Twitch Enhanced (HEVC) | 9,000 kbps | 1440p |
| YouTube | 24,000 kbps | 2160p |
| Kick | 8,000 kbps | 1080p |
| TikTok LIVE | 8,000 kbps | 1080p |
| Instagram Live | 6,000 kbps | 720p |
| X (Twitter) | 9,000 kbps | 1080p |
| Rumble | 8,000 kbps | 1080p |
| Facebook Live | 4,000 kbps | 1080p |
| Whatnot | 3,500 kbps | 1080p |
Caps are each platform's published specs as of July 2026 and can change; the calculator above stays current with this table.
FAQ
Why does the calculator only use 70% of my real uplink?
That headroom is what keeps you from dropping to a BRB screen. If you plan around 100% of your measured speed, any packet loss or a normal speed dip mid-stream pushes you over budget and the stream stalls. Planning around 70% leaves room to absorb that without a BRB.
Does H.265 (HEVC) really let me stream higher quality on the same connection?
Yes. H.265 encodes the same visual quality at roughly 70% of the bitrate H.264 needs, so it stretches a limited uplink further. Not every platform decodes it well for viewers though, so check your target platform before relying on it (Twitch Enhanced Broadcasting supports it; Twitch standard does not).
Why is my resolution capped even though my uplink can carry more?
Three things can cap you: your encoder (a phone or SBC only encodes up to a certain resolution/fps), your uplink budget, or the platform itself. Twitch standard caps around 6,000 kbps and 1080p regardless of how much bandwidth you have, which is why 1440p and 4K streamers move to YouTube, Kick, or Twitch Enhanced.
What counts as a bonded connection?
Bonding combines multiple uplinks (phone tethers, 4G/5G modems) into one larger pipe using SRTLA, LRT, or SpeedFusion, so your effective uplink is the sum of each connection. Enter how many connections of a type you are bonding and the calculator sums the budget for you.
Numbers here are planning estimates, not guarantees, since real mobile uplink varies by location and carrier load. Want the gear to hit a target tier? Browse build guides or open the configurator.