Built for the moment chat takes over
Make every sub hit harder.
A Twitch-connected subathon timer that turns support into a live, on-screen moment.
Time remaining
12:56:20
Subs
83
Time added
+4h 18m
Next goal
5 subs
The countdown is the show. Every event makes it move.
The format
What is a subathon timer?
A subathon timer is a countdown clock for a subathon, a marathon stream that runs as long as chat keeps supporting it. Every subscription, gifted sub, resub, or bits cheer adds time automatically, the clock displays on stream through an OBS overlay, and when nothing adds more time, the countdown reaches zero and the stream ends.
That turns support into an immediate on-screen action: chat sees the event, the clock grows, and everyone gets more stream. The same loop works for a 12-hour community stream or a multi-week event.
The live feedback loop
Viewer subs
Twitch verifies it
Clock grows
+1 minute
Stream continues
Chat sees why
Why it works
The countdown creates urgency and the increments make every sub visible. Viewers watch their own sub bump the clock, and that feedback loop drives more subs than any panel ever will.
The rules matter
Announce your increments before you start and do not change them mid-run. Chat is extending your stream with real money; the deal has to be clear and stay fixed.
Set a hard cap
Decide a maximum length and sleep rules up front. A capped subathon that ends on a high beats an endless one that ends with you falling asleep on camera.
How it works
How to run a subathon with this timer
Six steps from an idea to a running clock. The whole setup takes about two minutes.
Step 01
Set your starting time
Pick how much is on the clock before chat touches it. 6 to 12 hours is the sweet spot for a first subathon; 24 hours if your community is already active.
Step 02
Pick your increments
Decide what a sub, gift, and 100 bits are worth. These rules are stored with the run and applied automatically to verified Twitch events.
Step 03
Post the rules for chat
Put the increments in your chat commands, your panels, and your stream title. Chat pushes the clock harder when everyone knows exactly what a sub buys.
Step 04
Put the timer on stream
Copy your permanent OBS browser-source URL, then customize its colors, type, glow, goals, and visible stats in Overlay Studio.
Step 05
Watch Twitch add time live
A sub, gift, resub, or cheer arrives through Twitch EventSub. The clock updates atomically, visibly jumps, and records the event for you and chat.
Step 06
Land the ending
When the clock finally dies, make it a moment: final goal check, thank the top gifters, and announce the totals. The ending is the clip that sells the next subathon.
Increment settings
Suggested subathon timer settings
Three tested starting points. Chill keeps a small channel's stream alive, standard is the common baseline, marathon is for big chats where full amounts would never let the clock fall.
1 · Pick a pace
2 · Your event rules
3 · Test the math
Click events to see how quickly this setup grows.
Time added by chat
+0s
Choose an event below
Progress toward one extra hour
If a good hour of chat can add more than 60 minutes, your hard cap—not the countdown—will probably end the stream.
On stream
How to add the subathon timer to OBS
The timer has a clean on-stream mode: huge countdown, goal bar, no visible controls. Two ways to get it into your broadcast.
Sources
Browser source
streamergiveaway.org/subathon-overlay
1920 × 1080 · transparent
12:34:51
Option A · Recommended
Browser source
- 1Open your connected subathon dashboard and hit Copy OBS URL. Every account gets a stable browser-source address.
- 2In OBS, add a Browser source, paste the link, and set it to 1920 x 1080.
- 3Start and control the run from your dashboard. The transparent overlay updates automatically; no OBS interaction or page refresh is required.
Make it yours
Customize in Overlay Studio
- 1Open Overlay Studio from the timer dashboard and choose the Subathon overlay.
- 2Pick a preset or edit the font, colors, panel, glow, size, milestone bar, and visible support totals.
- 3Publish once. Your existing OBS source updates in place, so you never need to replace its URL.
Good to know: the source renders from the same server-backed end time as your dashboard. OBS can reload, restart, or change scenes without losing time. Pausing freezes the remaining duration, and resuming creates a new exact end time from that value.
Subathon goals
Goal ideas that keep chat pushing
The timer keeps the stream alive; goals give chat a reason to push it. Turn on the goal line in the timer and put one of these under the clock.
Hour milestones
100 subs = 24 hour stream. The classic. Put it on the goal line under the clock so progress is always visible.
Forfeits
Hair dye at 250 subs, hot sauce at 500, ice bath at 1,000. Chat pays to watch you suffer. It works every time.
Game unlocks
Horror game at 150 subs, viewer-picked challenge run at 300. Let chat buy the content they want to see.
Cosmetic unlocks
New emote reveals, costume changes, a themed overlay for the final stretch. Cheap for you, visible for everyone.
Charity splits
Pledge a share of subathon revenue to charity at set milestones. Adds a reason to push that is bigger than the stream.
Finale giveaway
Announce a giveaway that draws in the final hour. Everyone who stuck around is in the pool. Our wheel handles the draw.
FAQ
Subathon timer questions
What is a subathon timer?+
A subathon timer is the countdown clock a subathon runs on. It starts with a set amount of time, and every viewer sub, gift sub, resub, or bits cheer adds a fixed amount automatically. It displays on stream through an OBS overlay so chat can watch its own support extend the run in real time.
Is there a free subathon timer for OBS?+
Yes. This subathon timer is free to connect and runs as a standard OBS browser source, so there is no plugin or app to install. You get two complete Twitch-connected subathons free, up to 24 hours each, before a subscription is needed.
How do I add a subathon timer to my Twitch stream in OBS?+
Connect your Twitch account, set your increments, then copy the permanent OBS browser-source URL from your dashboard. In OBS, add a Browser source, paste the URL, and size it to 1920 x 1080. Twitch EventSub verifies each sub, gift, resub, and cheer, and the overlay updates on its own, so no further OBS interaction is needed.
Subathon timer vs subathon widget: what is the difference?+
The terms are mostly used interchangeably. "Subathon timer" usually refers to the countdown clock and its logic (starting time, increments, goals), while "subathon widget" often refers to the on-screen OBS overlay that displays it. This tool is both: a connected timer with a customizable widget you drop straight into OBS.
How long should a subathon timer start with?+
Most first subathons start with 6 to 12 hours on the clock. That is long enough to build momentum but short enough that a quiet stream still ends at a sane hour. Established channels often start at 24 hours. Whatever you pick, decide a hard cap before you go live, because a subathon with generous increments and an active chat can run away from you fast.
How much time should each sub add?+
The most common baseline is 1 minute per Tier 1 sub and per gifted sub, with Tier 2 and Tier 3 scaled roughly to their price: 2 minutes and 5 minutes. Bits usually land around 30 seconds per 100. If your chat is large, halve everything. Try the chill, standard, and marathon presets on this page to see how quickly each setup grows.
Does this subathon timer work for Kick or YouTube streams?+
Kick is now fully supported: connect your Kick account on the Kick subathon timer page and subs, gift subs, and gifted Kicks add time automatically, the same way Twitch events do here. YouTube event connections are not available yet.
Does the timer survive a page refresh or an OBS restart?+
Yes. The connected countdown is stored as an absolute end time in the database, not as a browser-only number of seconds. Refresh the dashboard, restart OBS, change scenes, or lose power, and every view recalculates from the same trusted end time.
Is the subathon timer free?+
Yes. You can run two complete Twitch-connected subathons free, with a maximum run length of 24 hours each. Short tests ended within 15 minutes without a Twitch event do not use an allowance. The StreamerGiveaway subscription removes the time and usage limits and also unlocks unlimited giveaways and polls.
Can subs add time automatically?+
Yes. Connect your Twitch account and every new sub, resub, gift-sub batch, and bits cheer is verified through Twitch EventSub before time is added. Duplicate deliveries are ignored, and the event appears in your live activity feed.
What happens when the countdown hits zero?+
The overlay stops at zero and the run is marked complete. Its totals and event history stay in your dashboard, while the OBS source hides until you start another saved subathon.
Last updated August 2026. Includes two free connected subathons of up to 24 hours each.
Related tools and guides
What is a subathon?
Learn the timer mechanic, common rules, and capped versus uncapped formats.
40 subathon ideas and goals
Plan realistic milestones, incentives, challenges, and community rewards.
How to run a Twitch subathon
Follow the complete timer, Twitch, OBS, testing, and live-control setup.
Free giveaway wheel
Draw the finale giveaway winner live, no login needed.
Free Twitch poll tool
Let chat vote on the next subathon goal, straight from chat.
Twitch giveaway ideas
Prize ideas that fit a subathon milestone or finale.
How to do a giveaway on Twitch, step by step
The full walkthrough for the giveaway side of your subathon.
Free Twitch emote resizer
Prepare a new emote reveal for a subscriber milestone.
Compare the best subathon timers
See how this timer stacks up against the other options.
Switching from the StreamElements subathon timer
What changes if you move your subathon off StreamElements.
Run a subathon on Kick
The same connected timer, built for Kick subs, gift subs, and gifted Kicks.
Running the rest of the stream too?
Connect your channel to create your timer, save multiple runs, customize the OBS overlay, and let verified Twitch subs, gift subs, resubs, and bits move the clock automatically.