Morningfame vs vidIQ (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick vidIQ: it is first in our ranking of YouTube SEO tools, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
Morningfame grades higher on value for money. vidIQ grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Morningfame
Invite-only YouTube analytics and keyword research for small channels
vidIQ
YouTube keyword research, video ideas and AI coaching for creators
Which one is for you
Pick Morningfame if
- Fits if your channel is small and you want its numbers set against channels like it
- Makes sense if you plan videos in a batch every couple of weeks, which matches Basic's research window
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you have no invite code, as sign-up is invitation only and seats can run out for the day
- Tight if you research keywords often, since Basic opens that tool for 24 hours up to every 12 days
- Pricey if you run several channels, as each one needs its own account and subscription
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because there isn't one and the account closes when you stop paying
- Too light for anyone wanting tools on YouTube itself, as there's no extension or app
Pick vidIQ if
- Fits if you want keyword scores and upload suggestions for one channel at under $20 a month
- Works for creators who turn the same ideas into YouTube videos and Instagram Reels
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you lean on the AI tools, since Free has 150 credits a month and every thumbnail, clip and MCP call spends them
- Watch out: bigger credit allowances on Boost and MAX, and the Chat Coaching plan, are offered with no price shown
- Skip it if you run more than 3 channels or share it with a team, as that means the custom-priced Enterprise plan
- Pricey if you want a coach: VIP Coaching is $3,830 a year, paid upfront, non-refundable and for one English-speaking channel
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAMorningfameFair | 2.8GPAvidIQGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ABasic is $4.90 a month with taxes included, well under the $7.20 that's 60% of this category's cheaper quarter. Plus, with keyword research and Niche Spy open all the time, is $12.90, just above that quarter's $12. | CBoost is $16.58 a month on yearly billing ($19 monthly) for one channel, just above the $15 that marks this category's cheaper quarter, so it sits in the ordinary middle. MAX is $39 a month yearly ($49 monthly). |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. A one-month trial comes through an invite link and works like Basic; the listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. When a subscription ends, the account is closed. | CFree for good, with niche trends, content ideas, AI Coach tips and MCP. But the main tools are only partly open, and 150 AI credits a month won't go far once thumbnails, clips and MCP calls start spending them. |
| Features | CChannel analytics against similar-sized channels, which videos worked, guided keyword research, Niche Spy and a weekly email. That's the basics, with no A/B tests or thumbnail help on record, and Basic opens research for only 24 hours every 12 days. | BKeyword research with volume and competition scores, daily ideas and outliers, title, tag and description suggestions inside the upload page, AI thumbnails, Shorts clipping, an AI Coach and Instagram tools. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You need an invite code, then you connect your channel, and the keyword tool is a guided process to learn. | A4.8 from about 20,000 App Store ratings for its phone app. The extension puts its scores straight onto YouTube's own pages. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, connected to YouTube and nothing else, plus a weekly email. No app, extension or API on record. | BWeb, a browser extension, iPhone and Android, with MCP for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor, plus Slack and Perplexity. There's no desktop app, which keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | channel analytics for small YouTube channels | YouTube keyword research and video ideas |
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: Morningfame and vidIQ. How we grade
Price against what you get
Morningfame starts at $4.90 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. vidIQ starts at $16.58 a month and scores 3.3.
vidIQ scores higher, and starts $11.68 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other YouTube SEO tools on the chart, 2 score higher than Morningfame for less, and none scores higher than vidIQ for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Morningfame also covers reports.
- vidIQ also covers image generation.
At a glance
| Morningfame | vidIQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.90 per month | $16.58 per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | 150 AI credits a month, niche trends, data-backed content ideas, growth tips from the AI Coach and vidIQ MCP, with limited access to the main tools. |
| Free trial | 1-month free trial through an invite link; the trial works like the Basic plan | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Solved by Smart Automation GmbH & Co. KG | vidIQ |
| Price read from | morningfa.me | vidiq.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Morningfame
- Sign-up is invitation only: you need an invite code, and seats can run out for the day.
- Basic opens keyword research and Niche Spy for only 24 hours up to every 12 days; Plus removes the limit.
- Each YouTube channel needs its own Morningfame account and subscription.
- There is no free plan; when a subscription ends the account is closed.
vidIQ
- Prices are for one channel; more than 3 channels or several team members need the custom-priced Enterprise plan.
- AI tools and MCP calls spend credits: 150 a month on Free. Larger credit allowances can be chosen on Boost and MAX, but the page shows no price for them.
- Coaching covers one English-speaking channel, and annual coaching plans are paid upfront and non-refundable.
- The Chat Coaching plan's price is not shown in the coaching page's text; only VIP Coaching's is.
Key features
Morningfame
- Channel analytics against similar channels
- Compares a channel's statistics with channels of similar size to show weak spots, with specific suggestions on what to improve.
- What worked and what flopped
- Shows at a glance which videos drew views and watch time and which did not, so a creator can repeat what works.
- Guided keyword research
- A step-by-step process for picking keywords and optimizing a video to rank in YouTube search. Basic opens it for 24 hours every 12 days.
- Niche Spy
- A research tool included on both plans; on Basic it shares the same 24-hour access window as keyword research.
- Weekly channel email
- Sends a weekly update on the connected channel by email, along with the reports in the web app.
vidIQ
- Keyword research
- Look up YouTube keywords with search volume and competition scores, alongside AI-suggested keywords for a channel.
- Video ideas and outliers
- Daily ideas tuned to a channel and niche, trend alerts, and outlier videos that are doing far better than their channel's usual.
- Upload optimization
- Suggested titles, descriptions and tags, a video score, and a best time to post, shown inside the YouTube upload flow by the extension.
- Thumbnails and clipping
- An AI thumbnail maker, and a clipping tool that cuts long videos into Shorts and TikToks. Both draw on the plan's AI credits.
- AI Coach and vidIQ MCP
- An AI Coach reads a channel and suggests a growth plan; vidIQ MCP brings vidIQ data into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor on every plan, Free included.
- Instagram tools
- The same subscription covers Reel ideas, hook and hashtag analysis on any public Reel, and clips cut for Reels.
Plans
Morningfame
Basic$4.90
per month
Channel analytics, with the keyword research tool and Niche Spy fully open for 24 hours up to every 12 days. Price includes taxes.
Plus$12.90
per month
Channel analytics, the keyword research tool and Niche Spy with no time limits. Price includes taxes.
vidIQ
Free$0
150 AI credits a month, niche trends, content ideas, AI Coach tips and vidIQ MCP for Claude or ChatGPT.
Boost$16.58
per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
2,000 AI credits a month (2,500 or 3,000 can be chosen), AI thumbnails, unlimited trends research and subscriber insights, and masterclasses.
MAX$39
per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
Everything in Boost with 6,000 AI credits a month (up to 10,000), up to 3x the AI Coach conversations and up to 11 hours of clipping.
VIP Coaching$319
per month, billed annually ($3,830 a year)
A dedicated 1-on-1 coach with recurring live calls and unlimited messaging, plus vidIQ Max and 6,000 AI credits a month, for one channel.
EnterpriseCustom
For brands, agencies and networks: every channel, roles and permissions, cross-channel reporting and priority onboarding. Sold after a demo.
Ways to pay less
Morningfame
No public discounts listed.
vidIQ
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with yearly billing
vidIQ lists Boost at $199 a year instead of $19 a month ($228), and MAX at $468 a year instead of $49 a month ($588).
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Morningfame or vidIQ?
As of Oct 23, 2026, Morningfame is cheaper to start with: $4.90 a month, against $16.58 a month for vidIQ. Morningfame starts at $4.90 per month, and vidIQ starts at $16.58 per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Morningfame or vidIQ?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only vidIQ has a free plan. Morningfame does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Morningfame and vidIQ run on?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only vidIQ 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.