# ZeroCut vs StreamElements — Donations Without the Extras

> Compare ZeroCut and StreamElements. Both handle donations, but ZeroCut keeps it simple with 0% fees and lifetime pricing.

- Canonical page: https://zerocut.gg/compare/streamelements
- Markdown version: https://zerocut.gg/compare/streamelements.md

## StreamElements gives you everything. We give you the one thing that matters.

Sometimes less software is the answer.

StreamElements is a full production suite — alerts, overlays, chatbot, loyalty points, merch store. If you want all of that bundled together, it's solid. But if you just need donations to work without a platform taking a cut, ZeroCut is sharper and simpler. No ecosystem lock-in, no feature overload. And ZeroCut is the only donation platform that tracks three things at once: every session you stream, every dollar it earns, and every visitor who opened your tip page and never donated.

## Feature comparison

| Feature | ZeroCut | StreamElements |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Platform Fee | 0% | 0% on tips |
| Pricing Model | From $20 lifetime | Free + paid tiers |
| Donation Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Domains | Yes | No |
| Discord Integration | Yes | Limited |
| API & Webhooks | Yes | Yes |
| Chatbot | No | Yes |
| Loyalty Points | No | Yes |
| Merch Store | No | Yes |

## Pricing model

- **StreamElements: Free (with extras).** Base tools are free. Revenue comes from merch sales, sponsorships, and premium features.
- **ZeroCut: From $20 one-time.** Simple lifetime pricing. What you pay is what it costs — nothing hidden, nothing recurring.

Prices and competitor details can change. Verify current pricing and capabilities with each provider.

## Where ZeroCut differs

1. **No ecosystem lock-in.** Your data, your payment accounts, your donors. ZeroCut doesn't try to become your entire streaming stack.
2. **Professional custom domains.** Run donations from your own domain. donate.yourname.com looks a lot better than a generic platform URL.
3. **Analytics built around revenue, not engagement.** StreamElements tracks chat messages and loyalty points. ZeroCut tracks what pays your rent — every stream you go live, every dollar it made, and every visitor who left your tip page without donating. One dashboard. Three numbers that matter.

## Honest fit

### Use StreamElements when

- You want a full streaming toolkit — chatbot, loyalty, overlays, and more
- You need merch store integration built into your streaming platform
- You prefer a free tier and don't mind the trade-offs

### Use ZeroCut when

- You already have OBS and just need clean donation handling
- Custom branding and your own domain matter to you
- You want to know which stream actually makes money — and which visitors are walking away

## Learn more

- [ZeroCut features](https://zerocut.gg/docs/features.md)
- [ZeroCut pricing and product overview](https://zerocut.gg/index.md)
- [Create an account](https://zerocut.gg/sign-in.md)