vidIQ
Keyword research and daily video ideas.
vidIQ helps you find video ideas and keywords, track competitors and see what is trending in your niche, through an extension and a web app.
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Is vidIQ worth it?
vidIQ is worth it for channels that struggle with what to make next, thanks to daily video ideas, keyword research and competitor and trend tracking. Its free tier is useful on its own. The catch is that it can push you towards chasing trends, and its scores are estimates rather than real YouTube data.
The short version
- Best for
- Channels looking for what to make next.
- Made for
- YouTubers, short-form creators
- Free plan
- Yes
- How it charges
- Free plan, then monthly plans. Prices change often; check the current plans on vidIQ’s site.
Good at
- Daily video ideas
- Competitor and trend tracking
- Useful free tier
Where Nub hesitates
- Can push you towards chasing trends
- Scores are estimates
Pick vidIQ if
- You often get stuck deciding what video to make next
- You want to track competitors and trends in your niche
- You want useful research tools on a free plan before paying
Skip it if
- You want to A/B test thumbnails and titles or bulk edit videos: TubeBuddy fits better
- You tend to chase trends and want fewer nudges towards them
- You need exact search data: its scores are estimates
How vidIQ helps you decide what to make next
vidIQ works through a browser extension and a web app. The extension adds data next to videos on YouTube and in YouTube Studio, while the web app is where you research: searching keywords, browsing daily video ideas tailored to your channel and keeping an eye on competitors and trends in your niche.
A practical routine is to start the week in the web app. Check the daily ideas, look at which competitor videos are performing unusually well, and search a few keywords around topics you already know. That gives you a shortlist of video ideas grounded in what people watch, which you then filter through your own judgment about what fits the channel. Keep a running list of ideas in a document, so the best ones survive past the week they appeared.
That last step matters. Because vidIQ surfaces what is trending, it is easy to drift into making whatever is popular this week, even when it doesn’t fit your audience. The scores it gives for keywords and ideas are estimates, so use them as one input, then check real results in YouTube Analytics.
TubeBuddy is the usual comparison. TubeBuddy leans towards managing and optimising videos you have already made, with thumbnail and title A/B tests and bulk editing. vidIQ leans towards research and ideas before you film. Both have free plans, and many creators keep the free tier of one while paying for the other. vidIQ’s free tier is useful on its own; check what paid plans add at the time of writing.
vidIQ vs similar tools
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | How it charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| vidIQ | Channels looking for what to make next. | Yes | Free plan, then monthly plans |
| TubeBuddy | Channels that want to test thumbnails and manage many videos. | Yes | Free plan, then monthly plans |
vidIQ FAQ
Is vidIQ free?
Yes, vidIQ has a free plan with useful research tools, and paid monthly plans add more ideas and data. Check what each plan includes at the time of writing.
vidIQ vs TubeBuddy: which should I use?
Use vidIQ if your main problem is deciding what to make, since it focuses on ideas, keywords and competitor tracking. Use TubeBuddy if you want to test thumbnails and titles or manage many videos. Both have free plans, so trying both costs nothing.
Are vidIQ scores accurate?
They are estimates, not exact data from YouTube. Treat them as a way to compare ideas and keywords, then judge results in YouTube Analytics once videos are live.
Do I need the vidIQ browser extension?
Not for everything. The web app covers research such as keywords and daily ideas, while the extension adds data inside YouTube and YouTube Studio. Many creators use both.
Is vidIQ good for YouTube Shorts?
Its idea and trend tools can help with Shorts topics as well as long-form. Check how much of its data covers Shorts specifically at the time of writing, since features change.
Alternatives
- TubeBuddy · Channels that want to test thumbnails and manage many videos.