TubeGrade vs other YouTube tools
Honest side-by-side comparisons of the tools creators use to research YouTube — what each costs, what it’s best at, and where TubeGrade fits.
TubeGrade vs…
Best alternatives guides
TubeGrade Pro pricing
$1
first month of Pro
For new subscribers on monthly Pro. Then $15/month, cancel anytime.
$12
a month, billed yearly
$144 a year — 2 months free compared with monthly.
Free plan, no card: 100 AI credits, 10 live searches a month, 11 free tools without signup.
Try Pro for $1Every tool’s price, in one place
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| Tool | Price | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| TubeGrade | $1 first month, then $15/month — or $12/month billed yearly ($144) | 100 AI credits once, 10 live searches a month, 11 free tools and every channel page without signup | Finding videos and formats that beat their channel’s average — on the web, inside YouTube and in your AI assistant. |
| vidIQ | Boost $19/month, or $199/year (about $16.58/month) | 150 AI credits a month with limited ideas, research, outliers and AI Coach | Keyword research and upload optimization for your own channel. |
| TubeBuddy | Pro $3/month or $32/year; Legend $15/month or $144/year | Free plan available (its pricing page doesn’t list the limits) | Optimizing and managing your own uploads: tags, A/B tests and bulk edits. |
| Social Blade | Bronze $59.99/year ($5/month) up to Platinum $1,439.99/year | Public stats, future projections, live counts, similar channels and top-100 lists | Quick public stats and live counts across YouTube and other platforms. |
| ViewStats | Pro price depends on your region; Business from $249/month | Free account available | Tracking competitors and studying why videos went viral. |
| 1of10 | Basic $19/month or $15/month yearly; Pro $89/month or $69/month yearly | 60 credits a month; outlier and thumbnail search show 5 results | Outlier and thumbnail search, with a title generator. |
| OutlierKit | Hobby $299/year ($24.92/month); Pro $599/year ($49.92/month) | 30-credit trial, no card | Outlier research plus keyword finding and deep competitor reports. |
| NexLev | Lite and Pro plans; price depends on your region | Free sign-up with some free tools | Niche finding and monetization research for faceless channels. |
| TubeLab | From €29/month (Starter); Pro €39/month | No free plan listed on its pricing page | Niche finding and outlier search for faceless and new channels. |
| Palo AI | Creator $59/month; Pro $149/month; Business from $250/month | 3-day free trial on Creator | An AI assistant that watches your pages and sends ideas, outlines and reviews. |
| Keywords Everywhere | From $7/month billed yearly ($84); credit-based | No free plan listed on its pricing page | Search volume shown right inside Google, YouTube and other sites as you search. |
| Keyword Tool | Pro Starter $88/month, or $68/month billed annually | See its site — the Pro plans add search volume, MCP and API | Keyword research with search volume across 17 platforms, YouTube included. |
| Rapidtags | Starter $6/month; Creator $15/month; yearly = 2 months free | Free: 10 keyword generations and 3 research searches a day | Generating tags and quick YouTube keyword research. |
| TubeRanker | Basic $9.90/month ($4.95/month annual); Advanced $19.90/month ($9.95/month annual) | No free plan listed on its pricing page | YouTube SEO basics: keyword searches, rank tracking and channel audits. |
| NoxInfluencer | Business $1,499 a quarter or $3,899 a year; Enterprise $7,999 a year | Free starter plan | Brands and agencies finding influencers to work with. |
| Ahrefs | Free YouTube Keyword Tool; paid plans from $29/month (Starter) | Free YouTube Keyword Tool with search volumes for 170 countries | Web SEO teams who also want YouTube search volumes. |
How we compared
We read each product’s own pricing and feature pages and quote prices exactly as they show them. Where a site only shows a price in your local currency, we say so instead of converting it. Facts about TubeGrade come from our own product, and any screenshots are ours.
We did not buy paid plans of the other tools, so we compare what they publish, not hands-on tests of their paid features. We re-check every price at least every three months. Spotted something out of date? Email support@tubegrade.com and we’ll fix it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main alternatives to TubeGrade?
vidIQ and TubeBuddy for keyword and upload tools; 1of10, OutlierKit, TubeLab and NexLev for outlier and niche research; Social Blade and ViewStats for channel stats. Each comparison above shows where TubeGrade fits.
What makes TubeGrade different?
Outlier research everywhere you work: three search modes in the web app, scores on YouTube through a free Chrome extension, and 23 research tools inside Claude or ChatGPT through MCP — plus similar-thumbnail search, weekly title and thumbnail formats, and free channel pages and rankings.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The free plan includes 100 AI credits, 10 live searches a month and 2 niche searches a month, and 11 free tools work without signing up. New subscribers can try monthly Pro for $1, then $15 a month — or $12 a month billed yearly.
Can I use TubeGrade with another YouTube tool?
Yes. Many creators pair a keyword or upload tool (vidIQ, TubeBuddy) with TubeGrade for research — deciding what to make before optimizing it.
How is TubeGrade different from a keyword tool?
Keyword tools tell you how many people search a topic. TubeGrade shows which videos on that topic actually beat their channel’s usual views, and the titles and thumbnails behind them.
How current are these comparisons?
Every price and feature is read on each product’s own site, and we re-check them at least every three months.