Aren't subscriptions basically just a monthly donation? What do I get for subscribing apart from the icon in front of my name in chat and possibly a shoutout?
Absolutely nothing! But subscribers tend to be more reliable about re-subscribing.
When it comes to twitch you're never really buying anything concrete with your cash. You're mostly buying attention or a reply - sometimes you'll buy game effects or challenges, but usually you're just abstractly throwing money at them to keep the content coming.
