The vidIQ Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about vidIQ in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
vidIQ
The Insider’s Guide
YouTube keyword research, video ideas and AI coaching for creators
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among YouTube SEO tools, read from vidIQ’s own pages.
Made by vidIQ · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from vidIQ’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on vidIQ’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 24 of the 28 other YouTube SEO tools we grade
vidIQ is a growth toolkit for YouTube creators, with a web app, a browser extension that adds stats and SEO scores to YouTube pages, and mobile apps. It suggests video ideas, researches keywords, scores titles, tags and thumbnails, and clips long videos into Shorts. Paid plans add more AI credits, and separate coaching plans pair a creator with a human coach.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about vidIQ, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The extension puts its scores straight onto YouTube's own pages.
- 1
Best for YouTube keyword research and video ideas
vidIQ puts keyword scores, video ideas and upload suggestions into a web app, a browser extension and phone apps, with a free plan to start.
- 2
Paid plans start at $16.58 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $16.58 per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
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.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Keyword research
Look up YouTube keywords with search volume and competition scores, alongside AI-suggested keywords for a channel.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 24 of 28
That is against the other YouTube SEO tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace vidIQ you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
vidIQ at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $16.58 per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- vidIQ
- Category
- YouTube SEO Tools
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for YouTube keyword research and video ideas
vidIQ puts keyword scores, video ideas and upload suggestions into a web app, a browser extension and phone apps, with a free plan to start. The catch is credits: every AI tool spends them, Free gets 150 a month, and the bigger allowances on Boost and MAX have no price on the page. More than 3 channels or a second person means Enterprise, sold after a demo.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Boost 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 | C | Free 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 | B | Keyword 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 | A | 4.8 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 | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who vidIQ is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- YouTube creators who want keyword data and video ideas in one place
- Creators who post to both YouTube and Instagram Reels
- Small channels that want a human coach as well as software
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$16.58
A month to start. There is a free plan too
vidIQ has a free plan. Paid plans start at $16.58 per month for 1 channel, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
Free for good, with niche trends, content ideas, AI Coach tips and MCP.
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.
Enterprise
Custom
For brands, agencies and networks: every channel, roles and permissions, cross-channel reporting and priority onboarding. Sold after a demo.
The free plan
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.
Read from vidiq.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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).
Stated on vidiq.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, iOS, Android and Browser extension
YouTube keyword research, video ideas and AI coaching for creators. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, keyword research, image generation, youTube SEO.
Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- YouTube
- YouTube Studio
- Claude
- ChatGPT
- Cursor
- Perplexity
- Slack
vidIQ is made by vidIQ.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
24/28
Other YouTube SEO tools it is graded above
vidIQ's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 24 of the 28 other YouTube SEO tools we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 28 of 28) and worst on value for money (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $16.58 a month, against a middle price of $17.79 for the category: 11 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 29 YouTube SEO tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. vidIQ’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 28
- CFree plan and trialAbove 8 of 28
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 28
- AEase of useAbove 28 of 28
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 28
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 26 YouTube SEO tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. vidIQ is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace vidIQ you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 24 of the 28 other YouTube SEO tools we grade. It costs $198.96 a year.
What you could not
- Search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- Search data for YouTube topics and channels.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, YouTube, YouTube Studio and Instagram among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- People on the other end: coaches. No app builder makes those.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. vidIQ’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
TubeBuddy, Morningfame, 1of10, Viewstats and OutlierKit
The 5 tools vidIQ is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
TubeBuddy
Free plan
YouTube browser extension for keyword research, SEO and A/B tests.
- vidIQ also covers image generation.
- TubeBuddy also covers a/B testing.
- 2.4GPA
Morningfame
Free trial · from $4.90/mo
Invite-only YouTube analytics and keyword research for small channels.
- vidIQ has a free plan. Morningfame does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only vidIQ lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only vidIQ lists a browser extension.
- 2.4GPA
1of10
Free plan · from $15/mo
YouTube outlier finder with AI thumbnails, titles and video ideas.
- Only vidIQ lists iOS and Android apps.
- vidIQ also covers keyword research.
- 1of10 also covers video editing.
- 2.4GPA
Viewstats
Free plan · from $49.99/mo
YouTube channel statistics, outlier videos and thumbnail research.
- Only vidIQ lists an Android app.
- vidIQ also covers keyword research and image generation.
- 2.2GPA
OutlierKit
Free trial · from $24.92/mo
YouTube outlier and competitor research for expert-led channels.
- vidIQ has a free plan. OutlierKit does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only vidIQ lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only vidIQ lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is vidIQ free?
vidIQ has a free plan. 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.
How much does vidIQ cost?
vidIQ lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does vidIQ work on?
vidIQ is available on Web, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does vidIQ offer any discounts?
vidIQ publicly lists the following: Save up to 20% with yearly billing.
Does vidIQ have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. vidIQ is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does vidIQ have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. vidIQ is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is vidIQ open source?
vidIQ is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
What does vidIQ integrate with?
vidIQ's listing names YouTube, YouTube Studio, Instagram, Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Perplexity and Slack.
Who makes vidIQ?
vidIQ is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to vidIQ?
The closest alternatives to vidIQ in our directory are TubeBuddy, Morningfame, 1of10, Viewstats and OutlierKit.
How does vidIQ compare with other YouTube SEO tools?
vidIQ's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 24 of the 28 other YouTube SEO tools we grade, and level with 2.
Is vidIQ good value for money?
ToolGPA grades vidIQ C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $16.58 a month, against a middle price of $17.79 for the category: 11 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of vidIQ?
To replace vidIQ you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from vidIQ’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from vidIQ's own pages on 23 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by vidIQ. Prices change, so check vidiq.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- vidIQ, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/vidiq
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "vidIQ: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/vidiq
Know someone choosing between YouTube SEO tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/vidiq/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded YouTube SEO tools after vidIQ, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- YouTube SEO Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 29 YouTube SEO tools we grade, compared
- UTubeKit Insider's GuideFree AI tools for YouTube titles, tags, descriptions and keywords3.0 GPA
- YouTube Studio Insider's GuideYouTube's free creator dashboard: analytics, search trends and tests3.0 GPA
- Bangermap Insider's GuideDesktop YouTube outlier finder, paid once and run on your own API key2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what vidIQ’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. vidIQ is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by vidIQ. Prices and plans change: check vidiq.com before you buy.