HookPop vs TubeBuddy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, HookPop grades higher than TubeBuddy: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
HookPop grades higher on value for money and ease of use. TubeBuddy grades higher on features. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
HookPop
Auto-rewrites YouTube titles and descriptions and posts to socials
Free trial · from $12/mo
TubeBuddy
YouTube browser extension for keyword research, SEO and A/B tests
Free plan
Which one is for you
Pick HookPop if
- Fits if you skip writing descriptions and social posts once a video is up
- Works for channels that announce every upload on X, Facebook, Threads or LinkedIn, in any of 16 languages
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you post to socials, since a full run with all four networks is about 49 credits and an X post alone is 25
- Tight if you're staying free, with 100 credits once, no refills and no Auto-Run
- Pricey if you run several channels, as Auto-Run beyond one channel, bulk runs and the audit need Pro at $29
- Watch out: credits aren't refunded except where the law says so, even ones Auto-Run spent
- Skip it if you want keyword research or analytics, as the listing shows neither
Pick TubeBuddy if
- Fits if you want title and tag scores while you upload in YouTube Studio on Chrome or Edge
- Works for creators testing two thumbnails or titles against each other on the same live video
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: no US price could be read, as the pricing page fills it in by script and showed regional prices
- Skip it if you use Firefox or Safari, as the extension no longer supports Firefox and never supported Safari
- Not for you if you have 50k+ subscribers, several channels or 3+ managers, which TubeBuddy steers to Enterprise
- Tight if you share the work, since Pro has one user and Legend two seats, on one channel each
- Tight if you're staying free, as Starter opens a limited set of tools and bulk editing waits on Legend
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAHookPopFair | 2.0GPATubeBuddyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BCreator is $12 a month for 500 credits, about 18 full runs, which sits right at this category's cheaper quarter. Pro is $29 for 2,000 credits, and top-ups run from $1 per 100 to $40 per 5,000. | CNo US price is on record. The pricing page fills its prices in by script, and the copy served to us showed regional prices, so it can't be placed against this category's $19 middle. A license covers one channel. |
| Free plan and trial | C100 credits on signup with no card, enough for about 2 full runs with all four social networks. They never refill, and Auto-Run isn't included. | CEvery channel added gets a free Starter license, but it opens a limited set of tools, and the rest wait on Pro or Legend. No trial is listed. |
| Features | CRewrites titles, descriptions with chapters and tags, posts to four social networks, logs and undoes every change, and on Pro runs a backlog and a channel audit. It does the after-upload packaging; the listing shows no keyword research or analytics. | BKeyword Explorer with search volume, SEO Studio scoring as you write, thumbnail and title A/B tests on live videos, channel analytics with competitor scorecards, bulk editing and next-video ideas. That covers the whole job, though bulk editing sits on Legend. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You connect your channel and each social account, then switch on Auto-Run and keep an eye on credits, as an X post alone is 25. | F2.9 from 434 App Store ratings for its phone app, under the 3.0 line. Most of the work happens in the extension, which you install and link to your channel first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, connected to YouTube, X, Facebook, Threads and LinkedIn. No phone or desktop app, extension or API on record. | BWeb, an extension for Chrome, Edge and Opera, iPhone and Android. It connects to YouTube and YouTube Studio only, with no desktop app or API on record. |
| Best for | rewriting titles and posting socials after upload | SEO help inside YouTube Studio |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: HookPop and TubeBuddy. How we grade
Where they differ
- TubeBuddy also covers keyword research and a/B testing.
In commonWebAI featuresYouTube SEO
At a glance
| HookPop | TubeBuddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12 per month for 500 credits | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Every channel added gets a free Starter license with a limited set of tools; paid Pro and Legend licenses unlock the rest. |
| Free trial | 100 free credits on signup, no card required; they do not refill | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | HookPop | TubeBuddy (GameSquare) |
| Price read from | hookpop.app | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
HookPop
- The free account gets 100 credits once, without Auto-Run; more credits cost $1 per 100, $9 per 1,000 or $40 per 5,000.
- Credits go fast with social posting: a full run with all four networks is about 49 credits, and an X post alone is 25.
- Credits are non-refundable except where the law requires, including those spent by Auto-Run.
- Creator allows Auto-Run on a single channel; more channels, bulk optimization and the channel audit need Pro.
TubeBuddy
- Prices are filled in by a script that could not be read for US visitors, and the page shown in India lists regional prices, so none are given here.
- Pro and Legend are for individual creators; channels with 50k+ subscribers, several channels, 3+ managers or 50+ staff are steered to Enterprise.
- A license covers one YouTube channel. Pro has one user and Legend two seats; more needs Enterprise.
- The extension supports Chrome, Edge and Opera; the help center says it no longer supports Firefox and never supported Safari.
Key features
HookPop
- Video-aware rewrites
- Writes a title, a description with chapter timestamps and hashtags, and tags from what happens in the video, with the thumbnail taken into account.
- Auto-Run
- Off by default; once on, it handles each new public upload in 2 to 5 minutes, limited to title only, YouTube only or the full run as you choose.
- Social announcements
- Posts captions written for each network to X, Facebook, Threads and, on paid plans, LinkedIn, at once or after a delay of 1 to 24 hours.
- Run history and undo
- Keeps the original and rewritten title for every video and reverts a change in one click; titles can be regenerated or compared in variations.
- Bulk optimization and channel audit
- Pro runs the same settings across a backlog of older videos and finds a channel's weakest videos.
TubeBuddy
- Keyword Explorer
- Researches YouTube search terms with search volume data and suggests related keywords to target in a title and tags.
- SEO Studio
- Scores a video's title, tags and description as you write them and lists what to change, with a tag generator and Insta-Suggest.
- Thumbnail and title A/B tests
- Rotates thumbnail or title variants on a live video, measures click-through rate and picks the winner.
- Channel analytics
- Channelytics, a channel health report, competitor scorecards and upload alerts, and a niche leaderboard.
- Bulk editing
- Bulk processing tools for end screens, cards, descriptions and thumbnail overlays, listed as part of the Legend license.
- Next Video Ideas
- Suggests topics for the next upload; Pro has limited access, Legend more, and Enterprise unlimited.
Plans
HookPop
Creator$12
per month for 500 credits
About 18 full runs. Auto-Run on 1 channel, LinkedIn and scheduled social posts, 16 languages and a weekly digest. Credits never expire.
Pro$29
per month for 2,000 credits
About 74 full runs. Auto-Run on unlimited channels, bulk optimization, a channel audit, per-channel settings and priority processing.
TubeBuddy
Pricing could not be confirmed. See tubebuddy.com.
Ways to pay less
HookPop
No public discounts listed.
TubeBuddy
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
TubeBuddy's pricing page offers a per-year option on Pro and Legend marked as saving 20% against monthly billing.
- Nonprofit
Special discount for US nonprofits
The pricing page says 501(c)(3) nonprofits qualify for a special discount; the amount is not stated.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, HookPop or TubeBuddy?
As of Oct 23, 2026, HookPop starts at $12 per month for 500 credits, and TubeBuddy has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, HookPop or TubeBuddy?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only TubeBuddy has a free plan. HookPop does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do HookPop and TubeBuddy run on?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only TubeBuddy lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.