vidIQ vs. TubeBuddy

vidIQ vs. TubeBuddy [Read This Before Deciding]

​Are you looking to grow your author YouTube channel? Tapping into the right analytics can boost your views and subscriber count. In this article, I compare the features and pricing of the two best YouTube analytics tools for authors - vidIQ vs. TubeBuddy. Find out which is a better fit for you.

vidIQ vs. TubeBuddy - quick takeaway

vidIQ and TubeBuddy both have great analytics. Though both also offer strategy sessions from human YouTube experts, vidIQ gives you more. If you just want quality data, choose whichever platform you find has a better interface. But, if on-demand, 1-on-1 strategy calls seem appealing, go with vidIQ.

You can begin using either platform on a free plan. I recommend you try both and get a feel for their interfaces to see which you prefer.

Try VidIQ Free

Try TubeBuddy Free

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YouTube marketing for authors

If you're looking to reach more readers online, YouTube is a great platform. The YouTube Shorts format - vertical videos under 60 seconds long - has proven to be particularly effective at getting book-related videos in front of readers. Posting these videos does not cost you anything.

Some tips for author YouTube marketing:

• Try to grab attention, with the premise of your book, in the first 3 seconds or less of a video
• Be sure to include your book's cover image in the video
• In your YouTube profile, include a link readers can click to check out all your books on your author website 

vidIQ vs. TubeBuddy - key software features

​​Both systems have various features through their browser extensions and web portals that help you pick topics for your videos that have a large potential audience of readers, and optimize your videos' metadata for YouTube SEO and discoverability. 

The tools work for long-form YouTube videos and YouTube Shorts.  

vidIQ and TubeBuddy each have these central capabilities:
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• Keyword insights. Enter a keyword and receive an estimate for how many times it's searched for each month on YouTube, and how competitive it is (ie, the amount and popularity of videos already associated with the phrase). See an overall score that weighs search volume against competition. And see the same data for related keywords. Easily find phrases relevant to your vertical that have high potential reach and low competition.

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• Topic ideas. Once you search for a keyword, you can browse ideas for video topics that address the keyword.

 

• Metadata suggestions. Get suggestions for your videos' metadata, like titles, tags, and descriptions. Optimized metadata can enhance your videos' performance in search, their click through rate (CTR), and their prominence within the YouTube recommendation algorithm.

 

• Channel insights. For any channel on YouTube, see analytics on its views, subscribers, uploads, and engagement.

 

• Video insights. For any video on YouTube, see analytics on its views, engagement, and SEO effectiveness.

 

• Trend identification. Learn about videos that have been trending on YouTube and what they have in common. Spot trends early and create videos related to them while competition is still low.

Do these features seem like they could help you create more popular YouTube videos? Then try the free versions of vidIQ and TubeBuddy and see which you like better.
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Try VidIQ Free

Try TubeBuddy Free

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vidIQ vs. TubeBuddy - pricing

vidIQ pricing

• Basic is free. View recommendations for videos and basic analytics. 

 

• Pro starts at $5 per month if you're paying yearly, and $10 if paying monthly. Get the Basic features, plus a keyword research tool and the ability to see trending videos for phrases.

 

• Boost starts at $24.50 per month if you're paying yearly, and $49 if paying monthly. Use all the Pro features, plus get data on YouTube's most viewed videos. Access title and description recommendations, suggested tags, and thumbnail previews.

 

• Coaching starts at $79 per month if you're paying yearly, and $99 if paying monthly. Get all the Boost capabilities, plus on-demand appointments with a human expert to strategize about YouTube growth.

 

• Enterprise is custom-priced for custom features. It's intended for users with over 5 YouTube channels.

Try VidIQ Free

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TubeBuddy pricing

• Free is free. View recommendations for videos and basic analytics. 

• Pro starts at $6 per month if you're paying yearly, and $7.50 if paying monthly. Get the Free features, plus SEO and engagement insights.

 

• Legend starts at $26.39 per month if you're paying yearly, and $32.99 if paying monthly. Use all the Pro features, plus many more, and tap into advanced analytics. 

 

• Enterprise is custom-priced for custom features. Access the Legend features, plus human product support and quarterly strategy sessions with YouTube experts.

Try TubeBuddy Free

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vidIQ vs. TubeBuddy - frequently asked questions

Does TubeBuddy get you more views?

Though simply adding your YouTube account to TubeBuddy won't get your existing videos more views, the data insights TubeBuddy provides can guide you toward creating new videos with high reach potential. These videos can possibly get your channel many more views.  

What are the disadvantages of TubeBuddy?

The TubeBuddy free plan has very limited features. Though the paid plans have extensive tools and insights, they lack the level of human, strategic support offered by vidIQ, the leading TubeBubby alternative. 

Is TubeBuddy premium worth it?

If you want to grow your YouTube channel, then yes, TubeBuddy premium is worth the modest cost. Premium plans start at just $6 per month. Video-creation insights from TubeBuddy can help your channel earn money from sponsorships and other opportunities.

Why should I use TubeBuddy?

​TubeBuddy provides data-backed insights that can help you create videos that generate a lot of views on YouTube. High visibility at the top of a digital funnel can turn into more leads and increased sales. Plus, popular YouTube channels can generate ad and sponsorship income.   

Does TubeBuddy help with Shorts?

Yes, TubeBuddy can help you analyze and create YouTube Shorts. The data insights that TubeBuddy provides are applicable to long-form videos and Shorts. TubeBuddy also has a Suggested Shorts feature that recommends how you can split long-form videos into Shorts.


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