Tubegrow 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 1.2.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
vidIQ grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Tubegrow
YouTube keyword, competitor and trending-video research tools
vidIQ
YouTube keyword research, video ideas and AI coaching for creators
Which one is for you
Pick Tubegrow if
- Fits if you're an agency or brand keeping watch on rivals' YouTube channels
- Works for advertisers picking specific channels and videos to place YouTube ads on
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're one creator, as the only priced plan is $199 a month
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as there's no free plan or trial
- Tight if you study more than a few rivals, at 3 competitor channels and 3 optimizations a month
- Watch out: the homepage puts Lite's keyword tool at 5 keywords a month, the pricing page at unlimited
- Watch out: anything bigger than Lite is quoted on request, and refunds cover the first order only
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
| 1.2GPATubegrowWeak | 2.8GPAvidIQGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | FLite is $199 a month, more than ten times this category's $19 middle and almost four times where its dearest tenth starts ($49.99). For that you get 1 channel report, 3 competitor channels and 3 video optimizations a month. | 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 | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. A 30-day refund covers the first order only, asked for by email, and that isn't a trial. | 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 | CKeyword search, title and tag suggestions, channel and competitor reports, trending videos and an ads tool. The basics are there, but Lite caps reports at 1 channel and 3 competitors a month. | 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. It's a web app of several separate tools with monthly caps to work within. | 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, with no app, extension, API or integrations 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 | watching rivals' 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: Tubegrow and vidIQ. How we grade
Price against what you get
Tubegrow starts at $199 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 $182.42 a month lower. Of the other YouTube SEO tools on the chart, 19 score higher than Tubegrow 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
- Tubegrow also covers reports.
- vidIQ also covers image generation.
At a glance
| Tubegrow | vidIQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $199 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 | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | TubeGrow | vidIQ |
| Price read from | tubegrow.com | vidiq.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Tubegrow
- No free plan or trial is listed; the only priced plan is Lite at $199 a month, and anything larger is quoted.
- Lite caps channel insights at 1 channel, competitor analysis at 3 channels and video optimization at 3 videos a month.
- The homepage lists Lite's keyword tool at 5 keywords a month, while the pricing page says it is unlimited.
- Refunds within 30 days apply to the first order only and are requested by email.
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
Tubegrow
- Keyword search tool
- Enter a keyword to get related keywords, see how videos rank for it, and find the keywords competitors put in their titles and descriptions.
- Video optimization for SEO
- Suggests keywords for a video's title, description and tags and advises on description length; Lite covers 3 videos a month.
- Channel insights
- Reports on your channel's subscriber growth, views growth and how views are spread across its videos; 1 channel a month on Lite.
- Competitor channel analyzer
- Views, subscriber counts and channel history for rival channels from a database Tubegrow updates daily; 3 channels a month on Lite.
- Trending videos
- Shows YouTube's trending videos from around the world on one screen, filtered by country and category, such as Entertainment in Canada.
- YouTube ads tool
- Helps advertisers pick specific channels and videos to place YouTube ads on, rather than broad audience targeting.
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
Tubegrow
Lite$199
per month
Unlimited keyword, trending, inspiration and ads tools; 1 channel insights report, 3 competitor channels and 3 video optimizations a month.
CustomCustom
The same set of tools, with the price given on request through Contact Us.
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
Tubegrow
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, Tubegrow or vidIQ?
As of Oct 23, 2026, vidIQ is cheaper to start with: $16.58 a month, against $199 a month for Tubegrow. Tubegrow starts at $199 per month, and vidIQ starts at $16.58 per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Tubegrow or vidIQ?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only vidIQ has a free plan. Tubegrow does not.
Which platforms do Tubegrow 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.