In today’s competitive world, ranking your videos on YouTube can be hard or tricky, but why to fear when vidIQ stands with you.

In this vidIQ review, I’ll take you through its exciting features, plans & pricing, how to use it to rank better on YouTube, its pros and cons, and if it’s worth spending the money.

So are you excited to dive deep into vidIQ’s features? If you are, then let’s understand it in easy steps.

Note – Our content is impartial, but funded in part by affiliate commissions (at no extra cost to you). 

1. Introduction

In today’s fast-changing and competitive world of YouTube content creation, where everyone wants to shine, having the right tools can make a big difference.

That’s what vidIQ does; it helps you shine bright in your journey with its extraordinary features like keyword research, competitor analysis, channel audits, and a lot more.

This tool scans through your channel and gives you insights to rank better on YouTube.

So, let’s explore each and every feature of it in detail:

2. vidIQ Features

2.1 Keyword Research:

Creating only great content will not rank your videos on top; for that, you’ll need to know how to do keyword research, tags and playlists, descriptions, and you will need to understand what your competitors are doing to win the game.

And that’s when vidIQ’s keyword research comes into the picture, which solves all your problems and eases your burden by suggesting ideas that you have never thought of.

As you know, there are BILLIONS of search queries happening in a day, and if you know what peoples are searching for, then you can use that keyword research data to optimize your videos in front of more peoples.

For example, if you want to know about a particular keyword, then search for it in vidIQ’s keyword research tool, and it will show you a list of top related keywords with their search volume, competition, and overall score.

It also shows videos that are trending for the given keywords.

2.2 Channel Audit Tool

vidIQ’s YouTube channel audit tool is one of the best video marketing tools you can access.

This tool helps you understand what’s working with your content and what isn’t. It also highlights what needs to be done to shape your channel in the best possible way.

It shows how well you are going in your YouTube journey.

This also shows you what type of content is performing well on your channel by showing views per hour (VPH), engagement rate, YouTube subscribers gained, competitor stats, total and average watch time.

And it’s not over yet, it also tells you what things are needed to be fixed so that your channel can grow well, how long the video description should be, and a lot more, which you can notice in the image.

2.3 Competitor Research Tool

If your competitors are doing great and if you can keep an eye on them, then what else do you want? Nothing could be better than this.

This tool provides you the data of your competitors, the kind of strategies they are using to get those golden views and subscribers, which you can also apply in your content creation.

To track your competitors, simply go to the competition section and paste your competitor’s YouTube channel ID in the add box.

Then you can sort your competitors’ data by time frames, views per hour, views, and date uploaded.

You can see the top keywords used by your competitors to rank better and can simply get the idea from there.

And you can even see your competitors information and top videos everywhere including the chrome extension and the web app. From there you can examine what type of content they are creating which helping them to rank better and can get the idea.

2.4 Compare View Velocity

Have you ever wanted to see how your video is performing compared to any other video, channel, or playlist on YouTube?

With the help of the YouTube Channel Average feature, you can track how your own video is performing against other videos you have published. This feature gives you real-time insights into how well your upload is doing against your channel average.

With the help of compare view velocity tool you can even compare Last Video Watched on YouTube, Against Any Video on YouTube, Against Any Channel on YouTube, and wait, there is one more, which is compare Against Any YouTube Playlist, ohhhh, there is one more: Compare Against Your Competitors Average.

To understand it more better, you can see the images comparing the data.

2.5 See What’s Trending on YouTube

Well, if you don’t go with the trend, then you will be considered outdated. To match you with the trend, vidIQ helps you best. Its Most Viewed tool helps you find what’s trending and driving massive views to your competitor or creator.

When searching for the trending content you’ll need to:

• Sort it by: Views per hour, views, and engagements.
• Refine it by: videos within the past 48 hours, 14 days, 30 days, or etc.

And it’s all done it will show you the trending videos from which you can get an inspiration for your content.

This tool even allows you to discover only the video content you’re interested in, so you can filter it according to your wish. And wait, it’s not over yet—you can even sort the videos by location and YouTube channel size.

2.6 YouTube Productivity Tool

This tool helps you save a lot of time by making running your YouTube channel faster and much easier. It shows you whether you are promoting or optimizing your videos across the platform.

And now, if I do not talk about this feature, then this section is incomplete because this is the most amazing feature that gives your content the ‘WIIINGS.’

The feature is called “Thumbnail Generator“, which I think is the first step for your video to get famous because most of the time, people click on the video by seeing an interesting thumbnail, and that creates a craving in them to click the video.

This feature suggests how you can improve your thumbnail to get more views and can reach out to large audience. So, it’s a time-saver, isn’t it?

2.7 Achievements and Real Time States Bar

As you all know, we are doing things for achievements, and to keep track of our accomplishments in the YouTube journey, vidIQ’s Achievement Tool is here.

The Real-Time Stats Bar Tool reveals real-time views in the last 60 minutes, 48 hours, or 7 days.

You can also see minutes watched in the last 7 days (watch time is the most important ranking factor on YouTube).

It even shows you how close you are to the 4,000 hours and 1000 Subscribers needed for monetization.

And now The Key Achievements Tool shows you how many subscribers, comments, views, hours watched, uploads, and likes you have gained over time.

It shows you the top-performing month of your YouTube channel, during which you gained the most views, subscribers, likes, and more.

With the ‘Achievements’ tool, you can also see your top performing video of all time.

3. vidIQ Chrome Extension

The vidIQ Extension is like a mini vidIQ that suggests the most important steps to take, and it’s available for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browsers.

You can download and install this extension from the web store.

Now, when you search for a particular keyword on YouTube, this tool shows you the likes and dislikes ratio.

And when you upload a new video, it will suggest the best SEO operations to do.

4. vidIQ Dashboard

vidIQ’s dashboard is simple, clean, and easy to understand.

The dashboard is in black, or you can say dark navy blue, which doesn’t feel overwhelming and hard to understand, it’s responsive and modern.

The dark theme option is great to prevent eye strain. The dashboard is user-friendly and responsive, which makes it easy for both new and experienced users to navigate.

Features like video optimization suggestions, keyword research, real-time channel statistics, and many more are clearly labeled and easy to find, which ensures a smooth user experience.

5. vidIQ Academy

Some of you might be thinking that you are a beginner and it’s hard for you to understand vidIQ’s features and basic optimization techniques, but wait, wait, wait, it’s not hard anymore because vidIQ Academy is with you. You don’t need to worry.

vidIQ Academy is an online learning platform designed to help YouTube creators improve their channels.

It offers a variety of courses that make you perfect in skills like video production, keyword research, YouTube analytics, channel optimization, and a lot more.

The courses are taught by experienced YouTube creators and industry professionals who share practical insights and strategies.

Some courses in vidIQ Academy are free for all users, while others require a Pro or Boost subscription.

6. vidIQ Pricing

When it comes to pricing, vidIQ offers 3 different plans: PRO, BOOST, and COACHING plans. And for beginners, they have a free plan.

Let’s see what each plan offers:

1. Pro Plan – It allows you to connect 1 YouTube channel and gives you access to 10 daily AI video ideas, competitor tracking, research, and discovery tools for $5.98/month.

2. Boost Plan – With the help of this plan, you can connect up to 5 YouTube channels, and it gives you 50 daily AI video ideas, YouTube analytics, instant channel audits, and a lot more. This plan is priced at $19/month (or $16.58/mo annually).

3. Coaching Plan – Along with all the tools in the Pro and Boost plans, it also offers personal channel audits, thumbnail feedback, 1-on-1 coaching, titles, videos, etc. This plan is priced at $199/month (or $99/month annually).

Refund Policy

vidIQ doesn’t offer any kind of refund once you are billed for a subscription.

For example, for unused days within a plan or if you decide to cancel in the middle of your subscription term, you won’t get your money back for the remaining time.

After the plan ends, your account will automatically switch to the free or basic plan.

Which One To Choose

If you are a beginner, the Pro Plan is the best choice as it’s affordable and offers basic tools like keyword research and video optimization.

For intermediate creators, the Boost Plan can be the best as it provides advanced features such as competitor analysis and bulk optimization to scale growth.

The Coaching Plan is for advanced users or teams who manage multiple channels and tasks. This plan provides dedicated coaching and personalized strategies, making it perfect for professionals.

In the end, I want to say that it completely depends on your needs. According to me, the Pro Plan will get the job done for you, as it already provides a lot of features to grow your channel.

7. vidIQ Pros & Cons

Pros

• Educational Resources: If you are a beginner and don’t know much about keyword research and YouTube analytics, you need not worry because vidIQ takes you through the whole process that you need to know.

• Effective Keyword Discovery: VidIQ is particularly strong in helping users identify the right keywords and trending topics. which helps you master YouTube.

• Free Plan: If you are just starting out, vidIQ’s free plan can do most of the things for you. This includes a variety of features that can do a lot for you, making it an excellent option for beginners.

• User-Friendly Interface: vidIQ’s dashboard is super cool. It’s clean, straightforward, and easy to understand. The black theme of the dashboard makes it more suitable and prevents eye strain.

• Competitor Insights: With the competitor analysis tool, you can examine your competitor’s channel. This capability allows you to understand what kind of strategies your competitors are using, so you can also apply those strategies to your content.

Cons

• Dependence on YouTube Algorithm: VidIQ helps in optimizing your videos, but it cannot guarantee success. The effectiveness of the tool is still largely dependent on YouTube’s ever-changing algorithm.

• High Cost for Boost Plan: The Boost plan is a bit expensive and comes with a price tag of $19/month, which stops a lot of users who are on a tight budget from using it.

8. VidIQ Alternatives

1. TubeBuddy:

TubeBuddy is a head-to-head competitor of VidIQ.

As it also offers a lot of free features that help in improving your YouTube channel and has affordable pricing plans that start from $4.50 monthly and $2.25 per month when billed annually.

But TubeBuddy’s dashboard is not modern in comparison to VidIQ and feels outdated. Other than this, TubeBuddy’s features and services are also top-notch.

If you want to know more about TubeBuddy, you can click here.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to mention that vidIQ is the most powerful tool for anyone who is looking to grow their channel.

I would definitely recommend using its free features to improve your channel’s growth. And if you are really passionate about growing your channel and reaching more audiences, then you should definitely consider its Pro plan.

If you want more features, then you should go for the Boost plan. Ummm, but according to me, the Pro plan will work well for you.

Again, it’s in your hands to decide what kind of features you want and then choose the plan that gives you those features. After that, go ahead and make the purchase, because it definitely is worth the investment.

FAQs

Image Credits: All images used in this blog are sourced from vidIQ and are used with their permission.