TubeBuddy vs TubeMagic (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, TubeBuddy grades higher than TubeMagic: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
TubeBuddy grades higher on the free plan and features. TubeMagic grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TubeBuddy
YouTube browser extension for keyword research, SEO and A/B tests
Free plan
TubeMagic
AI YouTube script writer with research, titles, tags and thumbnails
From $41/mo
Which one is for you
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
Pick TubeMagic if
- Fits if you want AI to draft scripts from videos or articles you already have
- Works for channels that need titles, descriptions and tags written for every upload
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it free, as there's no free plan and trials are paused
- Tight if you make lots of thumbnails, at 20 credits each and $9 per 100 extra
- Watch out: standard models stop at 100 generations a day per tool
- Watch out: annual plans get 6,000 credits up front, and the balance resets at renewal
- Skip it if you want channel analytics or rank tracking, as none is on record
How we grade them
| 2.0GPATubeBuddyFair | 1.8GPATubeMagicWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | COne plan, Premium, at $41 a month billed yearly as $497 ($47 monthly). That's above this category's dearer quarter ($24.92) but short of its dearest tenth ($49.99), and extra credits are $9 per 100. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | FNothing free. There's no free plan and trials are paused; a 30-day money-back guarantee is the only way in, and that isn't a trial. |
| Features | 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. | CScripts up to 3,000 words with ten frameworks, outlier and keyword research, title, description and tag generators, thumbnails and MCP. It's a writing tool first; the listing shows no channel analytics or rank tracking. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo rating on record. Type a topic and a script comes back, but there are frameworks, model choices and a credit balance to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb only, with MCP into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf. No app or extension. |
| Best for | SEO help inside YouTube Studio | AI-drafted YouTube scripts |
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: TubeBuddy and TubeMagic. How we grade
Where they differ
- TubeBuddy also covers a/B testing.
- TubeMagic also covers long-form writing and image generation.
In commonWebAI featuresKeyword researchYouTube SEO
At a glance
| TubeBuddy | TubeMagic | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $41 per month, billed yearly at $497 ($47 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Every channel added gets a free Starter license with a limited set of tools; paid Pro and Legend licenses unlock the rest. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | TubeBuddy (GameSquare) | Tube Magic LLC |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | tubemagic.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
TubeMagic
- There is no free plan, and free trials are paused; every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee instead.
- Premium models, chat replies and thumbnails spend credits; extra credits cost $9 per 100.
- Standard models are capped at 100 generations a day per tool.
- Annual plans get 6,000 credits up front, and the balance resets when the plan renews.
Key features
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.
TubeMagic
- Script Writer
- Writes scripts from 100 words to 3,000 words (about 20 minutes) using ten switchable frameworks, offers three hooks and rewrites single paragraphs on request.
- Inspiration sources
- Add up to three YouTube videos (up to 30 minutes), articles or PDFs (up to 30 pages) for context, and it writes a new script from them.
- Video and keyword research
- Video results carry an outlier score, views divided by the channel average, with filters for upload date and length; keyword research sits alongside.
- Titles, descriptions and tags
- Generators for titles, descriptions, tags and community posts, which answer in the language you write in, plus a tags editor.
- Thumbnail Generator
- Describe a thumbnail and refine it in the same project, in video or Shorts sizes, with optional face and channel references. Each costs 20 credits.
- TubeMagic MCP
- Run research, titles, scripts and thumbnails from ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf or another MCP client, with results saved to the account.
Plans
TubeBuddy
Pricing could not be confirmed. See tubebuddy.com.
TubeMagic
Premium$41
per month, billed yearly at $497 ($47 billed monthly)
Every tool, 100 generations a day per tool on standard models, 6,000 credits a year up front (500 a month if paid monthly), MCP access and a course.
Ways to pay less
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.
TubeMagic
- Annual discount
Save 12% with annual billing
TubeMagic's pricing page lists Premium at $497 a year, or $41 a month, against $47 a month billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, TubeBuddy or TubeMagic?
As of Oct 23, 2026, TubeBuddy has no price we could confirm, and TubeMagic starts at $41 per month, billed yearly at $497 ($47 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, TubeBuddy or TubeMagic?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only TubeBuddy has a free plan. TubeMagic does not.
Which platforms do TubeBuddy and TubeMagic 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.