TubeBuddy 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 2.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
vidIQ grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features 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
vidIQ
YouTube keyword research, video ideas and AI coaching for creators
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 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
| 2.0GPATubeBuddyFair | 2.8GPAvidIQGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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, 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 | SEO help inside YouTube Studio | 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: TubeBuddy and vidIQ. How we grade
Where they differ
- TubeBuddy also covers a/B testing.
- vidIQ also covers image generation.
At a glance
| TubeBuddy | vidIQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $16.58 per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 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. | 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 | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | TubeBuddy (GameSquare) | vidIQ |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | vidiq.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.
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
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.
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
TubeBuddy
Pricing could not be confirmed. See tubebuddy.com.
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
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.
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, TubeBuddy or vidIQ?
As of Oct 23, 2026, TubeBuddy has no price we could confirm, and vidIQ starts at $16.58 per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, TubeBuddy or vidIQ?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both TubeBuddy and vidIQ have a free plan.
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.