Step 1
Hours per stream
Estimate how many hours each stream usually runs.
Storage sizing
How much storage do I need?
Most streamers can start with a simple rule: plan around ~2.7 GB for each hour of 1080p60 video at Twitch's standard 6 Mbps cap. Higher-bitrate Partner streams or 1440p go up to ~4.5 GB/hr; 720p drops to ~1.4 GB/hr. The formula below makes it precise.
Fast rule of thumb
Four numbers to keep in your head
Per hour at 1080p60
~2.7 GB / hr
At 1080p60 — the most common quality for active streamers.
Casual schedule
50 GB starter
4 streams/wk × 3 hr each → start ~50 GB; 150-300 GB for ~3 months.
Heavy schedule
200-500 GB / mo
Daily streams at 5+ hr → 1 TB+ for ~3 months.
Quality matters most
Mbps × 0.45
GB per hour ≈ stream bitrate (Mbps) × 0.45. 6 Mbps → 2.7 GB. 10 Mbps → 4.5 GB. 15 Mbps → 6.75 GB.
Why VOD file sizes vary
Two streams with the same length can produce different file sizes. The biggest reason is video quality: 1080p60 can be 2-3× larger than 720p30 because it has more pixels and more frames per second.
The next reason is bitrate — how much video data Twitch receives each second. Twitch commonly caps inbound bitrate near 6 Mbps for non-Partners, with higher options in some regions and Partner setups. Your final VOD reflects what Twitch ingested during the stream.
- Length: twice as many hours ≈ twice as much storage.
- Codec: Twitch usually delivers H.264. HEVC pilots exist but you don't pick that for normal archives.
- Action density: a motion-heavy Tarkov stream can be 10-15% larger than a mostly-still podcast at the same settings.
A simple estimate
Four-step formula
Use ~2.7 GB per hour as a plain 1080p60 baseline at Twitch's standard 6 Mbps cap. Partner-tier streams running higher bitrates need more — see the formula above for a closer estimate.
Step 2
Streams per week
Multiply by how many streams you run each week.
Step 3
GB per hour
Multiply hours by your stream's bitrate (Mbps) × 0.45 for a GB estimate. At 1080p60 / 6 Mbps that's ~2.7 GB/hr; 720p60 / 3 Mbps is ~1.4 GB/hr; 1440p Partner is ~4.5 GB/hr; 4K Partner is ~6.75 GB/hr.
Step 4
Weeks of history
Multiply by the number of weeks you want to keep in the rolling archive.
Worked examples
What the math looks like
Example
Casual 1080p streamer
3 hr × 4 streams/wk × 2.7 GB/hr × 4 wk
~130 GB
Month-long rolling archive at the standard 6 Mbps cap.
Example
Marathon 1080p streamer
8 hr × 5 streams/wk × 2.7 GB/hr × 4 wk
~430 GB
About a half-TB month at the standard cap. Roughly 1 TB if you stream 1440p Partner-tier.
Example
Variety streamer at 720p
3 hr × 3 streams/wk × 1.4 GB/hr × 8 wk
~100 GB
Two-month archive at half the bitrate.
Example
Partner at 1440p
4 hr × 4 streams/wk × 4.5 GB/hr × 4 wk
~290 GB
Higher-bitrate Partner streams need ~3× the headroom.
Built-in safety valve
VOD Manager auto-purge keeps you in budget
You don't have to overshoot the number forever. Set a per-account quota; VOD Manager uses oldest-first auto-purge when your archive reaches the cap. The oldest non-protected VODs are cleaned up first to make room for new streams.
If a stream matters, mark it keep forever and it's exempt from cleanup. Sizing becomes a balance between how far back you want passive history and how much you're comfortable paying each month.
Provider price reality check
At 100 GB: Cloudflare R2 ~$1.50/mo, Backblaze B2 ~$0.60, AWS S3 Standard ~$2.30 (before download charges), Wasabi starts ~$6.99 because of its 1 TB minimum.
At 1 TB: R2 ~$15, B2 ~$6, AWS S3 ~$23 (before downloads), Wasabi ~$7.
Pick a storage provider has the fuller comparison. Storage is usually affordable until you save a lot of high-quality video or download large files often.
Underestimate?
Just raise the quota any time
Raise the quota any time. Your provider charges for what you actually use; the quota is VOD Manager's safety valve to keep your archive from blowing past your comfort line. Start conservative, watch a few real VOD sizes, then adjust once you know your channel's pattern.
Keep reading
Related guides
Decide
Pick a storage provider
Compare R2, B2, S3, and Wasabi without provider-page overload.
More details
Reference
How long Twitch keeps VODs
Know the deadline before your past broadcasts disappear.
More details
FAQ
More common questions
Short answers about setup, Twitch, storage, and privacy.
More details
Set it and forget it
Set a quota, forget the math
Connect storage once, choose the cap that fits your budget, and let VOD Manager save new streams while keeping old archives under control.
Pricing checked April 28, 2026 — providers change rates; check their pricing pages: Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, AWS S3, Wasabi.