vidIQ
vidIQ is a YouTube growth platform - browser extension plus web dashboard - covering keyword and trend research, thumbnail generation, subscriber insights and an AI Coach, with AI credits metered per plan.
Pricing
Free & Paid
Platforms
Web, Browser Extension, iOS...
Developer
vidIQ
Rating
4.4 / 5.0
Last Updated
September 15, 2026
Overview
vidIQ is a YouTube-first growth toolkit built around a browser extension and a web dashboard.
The extension overlays competitive data on any YouTube page - views per hour, engagement, tags, optimization suggestions - while the dashboard handles keyword and niche research, idea generation, competitor tracking and channel analytics.
Boost, the main paid tier, is described by vidIQ as including 30+ advanced tools covering research, ideation, creation and publishing, and the newer AI Coach adds personalised recommendations based on what is currently working on the platform.
Everything AI-related is metered in AI credits: Free includes 150 a month, Boost 2,000 and Max 6,000. Pricing is published but displayed with yearly billing selected by default.
The pricing page lists Free at $0 (150 AI credits, niche trends, content ideas, starter AI Coach), Boost at $16.58 per month with yearly billing and 2,000 AI credits, and Max at $39 per month with yearly billing and 6,000 AI credits plus Max Mode, up to 3x AI Coach conversations and up to 11 hours of short clipping and generations.
The page states yearly billing saves $29 on Boost and $120 on Max, which implies month-to-month billing runs at roughly $19 and $49 respectively.
Enterprise plans exist for brands, agencies and multi-channel networks, and there is a separate 1-on-1 coaching plan - vidIQ notes English-language channels only. For marketing teams, vidIQ earns its place when YouTube is a real acquisition channel rather than a checkbox: it answers what to publish next, which keywords have demand, why a video underperforms, and which titles and thumbnails to test.
It is not a multi-platform scheduler and it will not run your Instagram or TikTok calendar - vidIQ ships a separate Instagram product - so treat it as the research and optimisation layer for video, complemented by a publishing tool like Buffer.
Budget-sensitive teams should also watch credit consumption, because AI-generated thumbnails and clips draw down the monthly allowance.
Use Cases
Choosing video topics from keyword demand instead of guesswork
Testing titles and thumbnails against competitor performance
Auditing a plateaued channel and finding what to change next
Repurposing long videos into short clips for Shorts and social
Reporting multi-channel performance for clients across an agency portfolio
Who Is This For
YouTube-first creators who publish on a schedule
Content marketers responsible for a brand's video channel
Agencies managing several client YouTube channels
Course and SaaS teams using video for lead generation
Brands and MCNs that need roles, permissions and cross-channel reporting
Key Features
Keyword and niche research
Personalised keyword ideas plus unlimited trends research on Boost, so topic selection is based on search demand and platform trends rather than guesswork.
AI Coach
Personalised growth guidance based on your channel and what is working on YouTube in real time; Max triples the number of AI Coach conversations and adds Max Mode for deeper strategy.
Thumbnail generation
Creates click-worthy thumbnails in minutes from inside the workflow, drawing on the AI credit allowance included with each plan.
Channel and subscriber insights
Boost includes unlimited subscriber insights and optimization suggestions to drive more views, with competitive intel on other channels in the niche.
Max Mode and short clipping
Max adds Max Mode (vidIQ describes it as 5x more powerful) and up to 11 hours of short clipping and generations for repurposing long videos.
Enterprise access for teams and agencies
Centralised control with roles and permissions per channel, priority onboarding and support, and cross-channel insights and reporting; vidIQ recommends Enterprise when managing more than three channels.
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Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free tier is real: 150 AI credits a month plus niche trends, content ideas and a starter AI Coach
- Browser extension gives competitive context directly on YouTube instead of in a separate report
- Boost is a moderate step up at $16.58 per month billed yearly with 2,000 AI credits and 30+ tools
- Enterprise adds roles, permissions and cross-channel reporting for agencies and MCNs
- Optional 1-on-1 coaching with real channel audits - unusual for a tool at this price point
Cons
- YouTube-only focus; Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn calendars still need a separate publisher
- AI features are credit-metered, and thumbnail or clipping volume can exhaust a Boost allowance quickly
- Pricing is only shown with yearly billing preselected, so month-to-month costs have to be inferred from the stated savings
- The 1-on-1 coaching plan is limited to English-language channels
- Advanced insights and unlimited trends research sit behind Boost, so the free tier is evaluation-grade rather than a working setup
Pricing Plans
Free
Test-drive the core research tools.
- 150 AI credits every month
- Niche trends worth creating around
- Fresh content ideas backed by data
- Personalised growth tips from AI Coach
- Core tools included, upgrade anytime
Boost
Advanced tools to grow faster - the most popular tier.
- 2,000 AI credits monthly
- Click-worthy thumbnails in minutes
- Personalised ideas to fuel content
- Unlimited trends research
- Optimization to drive more views
- Unlimited subscriber insights
- AI Coach with deep thinking
- Masterclasses from top creators
Max
Unlimited-style insights for full-time channels.
- 6,000 AI credits monthly
- Everything in Boost
- Up to 3x AI Coach conversations
- Max Mode for deeper growth strategy
- Up to 11 hours of short clipping and generations
Enterprise
For brands, agencies and MCNs running multiple channels.
- Full enterprise access for every channel
- Roles and permissions for your team
- Priority onboarding and support
- Cross-channel insights and reporting
- Recommended when managing more than 3 channels
Frequently Asked Questions
Editorial Review
Editorial Team
September 15, 2026
Read directly from vidIQ's pricing page: Free is $0 with 150 AI credits a month, Boost is $16.58 per month with yearly billing and 2,000 AI credits, and Max is $39 per month with yearly billing, 6,000 credits and Max Mode. The page also states yearly billing saves $29 on Boost and $120 on Max, which is the basis for our monthly-rate estimate in the FAQ.
Editorial Team
September 15, 2026
vidIQ's own FAQ describes Boost as 30+ advanced tools covering research, ideation, creation and publishing, and the extension is what makes that practical - competitor data appears on the YouTube page you are already viewing. The caveat we would flag to any team is scope: this is a YouTube optimization layer, not a multi-platform calendar, and AI features draw from a metered credit allowance.
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