More extensive, including card templates, end screen elements, video intros/outros
Limited to competitor tracking, basic analytics, and one trend alert
Pricing
Generally more affordable, with Pro plan at $7.20/month
Slightly more expensive, with Pro plan at $7.50/month
Video Optimization
More affordable option with good keyword suggestions
Arguably better keyword research with historical viewership data, but at a higher cost
Competitor Analysis
Offers competitor tracking and data export
Offers competitor tracking, but limited to 3 channels on free plan
Channel Management
Less robust analytics, but offers card templates and end screen automation
More in-depth analytics, including demonetization risk assessment
Content Creation
Includes A/B testing for thumbnails and AI-powered title generator (limited effectiveness)
Lacks A/B testing and AI features
Ease of Use
Chrome extension with browser integration
Chrome extension with browser integration
Pros
Free tier: TubeBuddy offers a free plan with a surprising amount of functionality, which is great for starting YouTubers.
SEO: TubeBuddy includes a suite of SEO tools to improve your video’s search ranking on YouTube, including keyword research, tag suggestions, and title optimization.
Time-saving features: TubeBuddy automates many repetitive tasks on YouTube, such as adding end screens, cards, and captions. This can save you a significant amount of time.
Cons
Limited features in free plan: While the free tier is useful, some of the most powerful features are locked behind a paywall.
Can slow down YouTube:Some users report that TubeBuddy can slow down the YouTube interface, especially with the free tier.
Limited channel support: One license only works for one channel. There are discounts for managing multiple channels, but it’s an extra cost.
Features
Keyword research: Find high-volume, low-competition keywords to target in your videos.
SEO Studio: Optimize your titles, descriptions, and tags for better search ranking.
Rank tracking: Track your video’s ranking for specific keywords over time.
Card templates: Create professional-looking cards to promote other videos on your channel.
End screen templates: Create engaging end screens to keep viewers watching your content.
A/B testing: Test different thumbnails and titles to see which ones perform better.
Verdict
TubeBuddy: Better value for money with a wider range of features, especially for video optimization and content creation.
vidIQ: Stronger in channel analytics and competitor tracking (with limitations on the free plan).
Specialized Testing: Focuses solely on thumbnail and title optimization, leading to more precise data and advanced testing options compared to general YouTube tools.
Flexibility: Offers greater control over test parameters like duration, specific metrics to track, and potentially the number of variations tested.
Actionable Insights: Detailed analytics can help creators understand exactly which elements resonate with viewers, leading to data-driven decisions.
Improved Click-Through Rate (CTR): By optimizing thumbnails and titles, creators can potentially increase the number of viewers who click on their videos.
Cons
Cost: Thumbnail Test requires a paid subscription.
Limited Functionality: Focuses solely on thumbnails and titles, neglecting other video optimization aspects like descriptions and content itself.
Winning Combination Identification: Automatically identifies the thumbnail and title combination with the best performance.
Verdict
Thumbnail Test: YouTubers who prioritize in-depth thumbnail and title optimization and are comfortable with a dedicated tool.
vidIQ: YouTubers who want a comprehensive suite for managing various aspects of their channel, including SEO, competitor analysis, and social promotion.
Channel growth, Video performance (views, likes, dislikes), Competitor tracking, SEO tools, Keyword research
Historical Data
Yes
Yes
Future Projections
Paid Tier Only (Estimates)
Not Offered
Competitor Analysis
Paid Tier Only (Basic)
Paid Tier (In-depth)
Content Optimization
Not Offered
SEO suggestions, Keyword research
Social Media Promotion
Not Offered
Social media integration for promotion
Complexity
More User-Friendly
More Features, Steeper Learning Curve (Paid Tiers)
Cost-Effectiveness
Good for basic channel tracking
More comprehensive for active YouTubers
Pros
Free tier: Social Blade offers a free tier with access to basic channel statistics, including subscriber count, video view history, and estimated earnings.
Cross-platform tracking: Tracks user statistics across various social media platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram.
Historical data: Provides historical data on channel growth and performance, allowing you to track trends over time.
Cons
Limited data in free tier: The free tier lacks access to advanced features like competitor analysis and future projections.
Accuracy limitations: Data, especially subscriber count and estimated earnings, might not always be perfectly accurate.
Focus on vanity metrics: Social Blade primarily focuses on subscriber count and view counts, which don’t always reflect true audience engagement.
Reliance on estimates: Many metrics, particularly earnings, are estimates and may not reflect actual revenue.
Features
Channel statistics: Track subscriber count, video view history, and estimated daily/monthly growth.
Video statistics: Monitor individual video performance metrics like views, likes, dislikes (YouTube).
Historical data: View historical data on subscriber count, viewership, and estimated earnings.
Keyword research, title & description optimization
Analytics & Reporting
Not offered
Detailed YouTube channel analytics
Competitor Analysis
Not offered
Track competitor channel performance
Social Media Integration
Optimization for social media platforms
Social media post scheduling (limited)
Team Collaboration
Paid plans only
Not offered
Pros
Easy to use: Pictory AI has a user-friendly interface, making it accessible even for beginners with no prior video editing experience.
Time-saving features: It automates many video creation tasks, including script-to-video conversion, editing with text, and adding stock visuals. This saves creators significant time and effort.
Content creation flexibility: Pictory AI allows you to create videos from various sources like scripts, articles, or your own uploaded media.
Cons
Limited creative control: While offering customization options, Pictory AI might not provide the same level of creative freedom as traditional video editing software.
Stock footage reliance: The quality and variety of your videos can be limited by the availability of stock footage and templates within Pictory AI’s library.
Limited editing capabilities: For complex edits or specific effects, Pictory AI might not offer the advanced editing features found in professional editing software.
Features
Script-to-video conversion: Turn your text scripts or articles into engaging videos with automated scene creation and visuals.
Text-based editing: Edit your videos directly by adding text overlays, captions, and titles.
Video templates: Choose from pre-designed video templates to jumpstart your creative process and maintain a consistent brand style.
Verdict
Pictory AI: Those who want to create engaging videos quickly and easily, without needing advanced editing skills. Ideal for content creators, marketers, and educators who need to produce video content regularly.
vidIQ: Active YouTubers who want a comprehensive suite for managing their channel, including SEO optimization, competitor analysis, and social media promotion.
Keyword research, Tag suggestions, Title optimization, Rank tracking (Free Tier)
Keyword research, Tag suggestions, Title optimization, Competitor analysis, SEO monitoring
Content Creation
Not offered
Not offered
Video Editing
Not offered
Not offered
Social Media Integration
Limited
Social media post scheduling, analytics for some platforms
Pros
Free SEO tools: Tubics offers a free plan with valuable SEO features for YouTubers. This includes keyword research, tag suggestions, and title optimization tools, helping you improve your video’s search ranking on YouTube.
Simple and user-friendly: The interface is easy to navigate, making it suitable for beginners who are new to YouTube SEO.
Step-by-step guidance: Tubics provides step-by-step tips on how to improve your content based on SEO best practices. This can be helpful for creators who are unfamiliar with SEO optimization.
Cons
Limited features in free plan: While the free tier is helpful, some of the more powerful features, like competitor analysis and in-depth video audits, are locked behind a paywall.
Potential performance impact: Some users report that Tubics can slow down the YouTube interface, especially with the free tier. This could be a concern for creators editing large video files.
Limited channel support: One Tubics license only works for one channel. There are discounts for managing multiple channels, but it’s an extra cost.
Features
Keyword research: Find keywords to target in your videos, improving your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Tag suggestions: Get suggestions for relevant tags to add to your videos, helping viewers discover your content more easily.
Title optimization: Analyze your video titles and offer suggestions for improvement based on SEO best practices.
Video audits: Identify potential SEO issues in your videos with the free plan, allowing for basic optimization. More in-depth audits with specific improvement suggestions require a paid plan.
Verdict
Tubics: YouTubers who prioritize search engine optimization (SEO) for their videos and want a user-friendly tool to improve their ranking. The free tier offers valuable features to get started.
vidIQ: Active YouTubers who want a comprehensive suite for managing their channel, including SEO optimization, competitor analysis, social media promotion, and in-depth channel analytics.
So, what do I choose?
Choosing the best alternative to vidIQ depends on what functionalities you need most for your YouTube channel.
Here are your best options:
For Basic YouTube SEO: If your main focus is improving video ranking through search engine optimization (SEO), Tubics is a strong alternative, especially with its valuable free tier features like keyword research and rank tracking.
For Content Creation with SEO: If you want to create videos from scratch and also optimize them for SEO, Pictory AI is an interesting option. It offers script-to-video conversion, text editing, and stock media libraries, all with built-in SEO features. However, it lacks advanced video editing capabilities.
For a More Comprehensive Channel Management Suite: If you need a well-rounded solution for managing various aspects of your YouTube channel beyond just SEO, then other options might be better than vidIQ.
TubeBuddy: Similar to vidIQ, TubeBuddy offers a comprehensive suite of tools including SEO features, competitor analysis, social media promotion, and time-saving automation features. It also has a free tier with some functionalities.
Social Blade (for Social Media Focus): While not a direct replacement for vidIQ’s YouTube management features, Social Blade excels at tracking social media statistics across platforms, including YouTube. This can be valuable if you want to understand your audience growth and engagement on a broader scale.
The best option depends on your specific needs and priorities for your YouTube channel. Consider trying the free tiers of these platforms to see which one best suits your
Thank you for reading this, Thumbnail Test
Want to get updates?
YouTube, growing an audience, A/B testing and more!
David is the head of the editing team at ThumbnailTest. With his help, the editorial team is able to provide you with the best free guides related to YouTube thumbnails and A/B testing.
