Free Twitch emotes split into four buckets: ~30 Twitch global emotes (Kappa, PogChamp, LUL, etc.) every account uses without subbing, BetterTTV / FrankerFaceZ / 7TV third-party packs (browser extensions, free, ToS-compliant), channel sub-emote unlocks (subscribe to a channel to use their custom emotes everywhere), and free open-source emote artwork for streamers building their own emote sets.
Twitch global emotes — ~30 free for everyone
Twitch ships about 30 global emotes that every account can use in any channel without subbing or following. Kappa, PogChamp (the new one), LUL (Twitch\'s, not the BTTV OMEGALUL), 4Head, BibleThump, ResidentSleeper, FailFish, MingLee, and the rest of the classic set. These render in chat by typing the emote code (case-sensitive in some cases), or via the in-chat emote picker next to the input field.
The set rotates occasionally — Twitch added some, retired others (the original PogChamp was retired in 2021 and replaced with a community vote). The current live list is always visible in the chat-input emote picker.
BetterTTV, FrankerFaceZ, 7TV — the third-party emote ecosystem
Three browser extensions overlay additional free emotes on Twitch chat:
- BetterTTV (BTTV) — the oldest and most-installed. ~50 default global BTTV emotes (haHAA, OMEGALUL, KEKW, monkaS, PepeHands, etc.) plus per-channel custom emotes uploaded by streamers. Free; runs as a browser extension.
- FrankerFaceZ (FFZ) — community-driven, focuses on per-channel custom emote uploads. Free; some channels have hundreds of custom FFZ emotes.
- 7TV — modern, animated-WebP-first. The emote directory is well- organised and the upload pipeline supports ~100 KB animated WebPs that render cleanly. Free; has its own browser extension.
All three are within Twitch ToS — they don\'t modify Twitch\'s servers, they layer on top of chat in the viewer\'s browser. Channels enable per-channel custom emote sets via the extension dashboards; viewers install the extension to render them. The official Twitch mobile app doesn\'t support third-party emotes (the extensions only run on the Twitch web client), but desktop browser support is universal.
Channel sub-emotes — subscribe and use everywhere
Subscribing to an Affiliate / Partner channel unlocks their sub-emotes for use across all of Twitch — chat any other channel, your sub-emote unlocks render. The catch: sub-emotes need an active sub. Cancel the sub and the channel\'s emotes lock again (with a small grace period after expiry).
Channel sub-emote slot count scales with paid-sub count. Affiliates start at 1 slot (Tier 1) and unlock more as paid-sub count grows: 5 slots at 5 paid subs, 10 at 25, 15 at 50, 20 at 100. Tier 2 subs unlock additional Tier 2-tier slots; Tier 3 unlocks the full ladder. The full slot table lives in the Twitch creator dashboard.
Free emote artwork sources for streamers
Streamers building a sub-emote pack from scratch have free options:
- BetterTTV Shared Library (https://betterttv.com/emotes/shared) — thousands of community-uploaded emotes. Free to use as your channel sub-emotes as long as the original artist\'s licence permits. Always check.
- 7TV Public Directory (https://7tv.app/emotes) — modern animated WebP library, well-tagged.
- Open-source emote packs on GitHub / itch.io — many indie illustrators publish CC0 / CC-BY emote sets specifically for Twitch streamers.
- Commission a freelance illustrator — not free strictly, but for a brand-cohesive sub-emote set the $50-150 per emote investment is the cleanest copyright path.
For sizing the artwork, the free Twitch Emote Resizer generates all three Twitch sub-emote sizes (28×28 / 56×56 / 112×112) simultaneously from any source image, with a live preview against light / dark / transparent chat and a byte counter against Twitch\'s 1 MB cap.
Twitch emote review and approval
Every sub-emote upload goes through a Twitch staff review (typically 7-14 days). Restrictions are clear and consistent: no copyrighted material without permission (no Marvel / Disney / esports-org logos), no slurs or hate symbols, no pornographic content, no readable URLs or text instructing viewers to leave Twitch. Animated emotes face stricter review — frame count caps and motion content rules. Most clean submissions approve on the first review pass.
FAQ
What emotes are free on Twitch by default?
Twitch ships ~30 global emotes that every account can use in any channel without subbing — Kappa, PogChamp, LUL, OMEGALUL (no, that one's third-party), 4Head, BibleThump, etc. The full current list lives in the Twitch emote menu next to the chat input. These are universal across all channels and never require a sub or follow.
How do BetterTTV / FrankerFaceZ / 7TV emotes work?
BTTV (BetterTTV), FFZ (FrankerFaceZ), and 7TV are third-party browser extensions / mobile apps that overlay additional free emotes on top of Twitch chat. Channels enable them per-channel; viewers install the extension once and see the channel's third-party emote pack render in chat. The emotes are free to install and use — they're not a Twitch product, so they don't feed Twitch's sub-emote-slot system.
How does a channel get sub-emote slots?
Sub-emote slots unlock at the Affiliate / Partner level and scale with sub count. Affiliates start with 1 sub-emote slot (Tier 1) and add more as paid-sub count grows: 5 slots at 5 paid subs, 10 at 25, 15 at 50, 20 at 100, etc. Tier 2 subs unlock more slots; Tier 3 unlocks the full ladder. The emote-slot count is per-channel and per-tier — these are the emotes the channel's subscribers can use across all channels they follow.
Where can I download free emote artwork?
Three sources: (1) BetterTTV's public emote library (https://betterttv.com/emotes/shared) — thousands of community-uploaded emotes, free to use. (2) 7TV's emote directory (https://7tv.app/emotes) — modern animated WebP emote library. (3) Open-source emote packs on GitHub / itch.io — many indie illustrators publish CC0 / CC-BY emote sets. For making your own emote artwork, the free <NuxtLink to="/free-twitch-emote-resizer">Twitch Emote Resizer</NuxtLink> generates all three Twitch sub-emote sizes (28×28 / 56×56 / 112×112) from any source image.
Are FFZ / BTTV / 7TV against Twitch ToS?
No. Twitch officially supports the third-party emote ecosystem. The extensions don't modify Twitch's servers — they layer on top of chat in the viewer's browser. Channels enable the third-party emote sets via the extension dashboards; viewers install the browser extension to render them. Mobile official Twitch app doesn't render third-party emotes (Twitch desktop browser does), but the emotes themselves are within ToS.
Can I use any image as a Twitch sub-emote?
Twitch reviews every uploaded sub-emote against its content guidelines. Restrictions: no copyrighted material (Marvel / Disney / esports org logos without permission), no slurs or hate symbols, no pornographic content, no readable URLs / text instructing viewers to leave Twitch. Animated emotes need a stricter review (8 frames max, ~32 KB cap). Submission goes through a 7-14 day Twitch staff review.
What sizes do Twitch emotes need to be?
Three sizes per emote: 28×28, 56×56, 112×112 pixels. PNG or animated WebP. The 1 MB upload cap is generous for static emotes; animated WebP frame budgets fill the 1 MB faster. Use the free <NuxtLink to="/free-twitch-emote-resizer">Twitch Emote Resizer</NuxtLink> to generate all three sizes simultaneously and check the byte counter against the upload cap.
