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PricingVerified September 2026

vidIQ Pricing 2026: Free, Boost and Max Plans Explained

vidIQ has a free plan with 150 AI credits a month. Boost is $19 a month, or $16.58 a month billed yearly, and Max is $49, or $39 billed yearly. Here is what each plan includes, what a year costs and when Boost is enough.

The Kavinto teamUpdated September 29, 2026 · 6 min read

We make Kavinto, a YouTube niche research tool. Every price below comes from vidIQ's own pricing page, checked on September 29, 2026. How we checked

On this page
  1. Plans and prices
  2. Is vidIQ free?
  3. Which plan fits you
  4. What you pay in a year
  5. Is vidIQ worth it?
  6. Cheaper or different options
  7. FAQ
  8. How we checked

The short answer

  • Free plan: Yes, 150 AI credits a month
  • Boost: $19/mo, or $16.58/mo yearly
  • Max: $49/mo, or $39/mo yearly
  • Yearly billing saves: $29 on Boost, $120 on Max
  • Teams and 3+ channels: Enterprise, price on request
  • 1-on-1 coaching: Sold separately

vidIQ plans and prices

vidIQ is a growth suite for the channel you already run: keyword ideas, optimization suggestions, trend research, thumbnail tools and an AI Coach, with a browser extension and a mobile app. It has three self-serve plans, Free, Boost and Max, and each paid plan can be billed monthly or yearly. The pricing page opens on yearly billing.

The plans are built around AI credits: 150 a month on Free, 2,000 on Boost and 6,000 on Max. Credits power the AI tools such as thumbnails, ideas and the AI Coach. vidIQ also says its MCP connector, which brings vidIQ data into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor, is included in every plan, including Free.

vidIQ plans, billed monthly and yearly
PlanBilled monthlyBilled yearlyIncludes
FreeFreeFree150 AI credits a month, niche trends, content ideas, AI Coach tips
Boost$19/mo$16.58/moSave $29 with yearly billing2,000 AI credits, thumbnails, keyword ideas, optimization, unlimited trends and subscriber insights
Max$49/mo$39/moSave $120 with yearly billing6,000 AI credits, up to 3x AI Coach conversations, Max Mode AI, up to 11 hours of short clipping
As listed on vidIQ's pricing page on September 29, 2026, viewed from the US. 1-on-1 coaching (English-language channels only) and Enterprise plans for teams or more than 3 channels are sold separately, with no price listed.
vidIQ pricing page with Yearly selected: Free at $0, Boost at $16.58 a month and Max at $39 a month, billed yearly
vidIQ pricing page, viewed from the US on September 29, 2026 (yearly billing view).

Is vidIQ free?

Yes. vidIQ's Free plan includes 150 AI credits a month, niche trends, data-backed content ideas and growth tips from the AI Coach. vidIQ describes it as limited access to its most popular tools, with no time limit.

What you give up on Free: thumbnails, optimization suggestions, unlimited trend research and unlimited subscriber insights, which start on Boost. The MCP connector stays available on Free, which is unusual: most tools keep AI assistant access for paid plans.

Which plan fits you

  • Boost. For creators publishing regularly. 2,000 AI credits a month, thumbnails, keyword ideas and optimization suggestions, unlimited trends and subscriber insights, the AI Coach with deep thinking and masterclasses. vidIQ says Boost includes 30+ advanced tools.
  • Max. For creators who lean on AI every week. Everything in Boost, 6,000 AI credits, up to 3x the AI Coach conversations, a stronger Max Mode for strategy and up to 11 hours of short clipping and generations.

What you actually pay in a year

The same plan costs a different amount depending on how you pay. Here is a full year for typical users:

vidIQ cost for a year by type of user
WhoPlanPaid monthlyPaid yearlyYou save
Creator publishing every weekKeyword ideas, optimization and 2,000 creditsBoost$228About $199About $29
Creator cutting Shorts from long videosUp to 11 hours of clipping and generationsMax$588$468$120
Creator using the AI Coach dailyUp to 3x the Coach conversations, 6,000 creditsMax$588$468$120
A year of each plan: twelve monthly payments, or the listed yearly price.

Is vidIQ worth it?

Boost is worth it if you publish on a schedule and will use the keyword ideas, optimization and trend tools on every upload: yearly billing brings it to $16.58 a month. Max only pays off if you run out of credits, use the AI Coach heavily or want the clipping tools. If you publish rarely, the Free plan plus MCP covers a lot.

vidIQ is built to grow a channel you already have. If you have not picked a niche yet, its niche features are trends and ideas rather than a database of channels you can judge, so a niche research tool is the better first step, and vidIQ can come after.

Cheaper or different options

If vidIQ is not the right fit, these tools cover nearby jobs. Prices checked the same day, from the US:

Alternatives to vidIQ and their prices
ToolBest forFree optionPaid plans from
TubeBuddyChannel SEOFree plan$15.00/mo, or $12.00/mo billed yearly
OutlierKitCompetitor researchFree trial credits$29/mo, or $16.6/mo billed yearly
1of10Outlier ideasFree plan$19/mo, or $15/mo billed yearly
KavintoNiche researchFree plan$30/mo, or $300/yr
ViewstatsTrends and analyticsFree account$49.99/mo

Frequently asked questions

How much does vidIQ cost?
As checked on September 29, 2026 from the US: Free is $0 with 150 AI credits a month. Boost is $19 a month, or $16.58 a month billed yearly. Max is $49 a month, or $39 a month billed yearly. Enterprise and 1-on-1 coaching are priced on request.
Is vidIQ free?
Yes. The Free plan has no time limit and includes 150 AI credits a month, niche trends, content ideas, AI Coach tips and vidIQ's MCP connector. Thumbnails, optimization and unlimited research need Boost or Max.
Is there a vidIQ Pro plan?
Not on the current pricing page. vidIQ's self-serve paid plans are Boost and Max, plus Enterprise for teams and 1-on-1 coaching.
How much do you save with yearly billing?
vidIQ says yearly billing saves $29 on Boost and $120 on Max. Max billed yearly is $39 a month, or $468 a year, against $588 when paid monthly.
How much is vidIQ coaching?
The pricing page does not list a price. 1-on-1 coaching is for English-language channels only and includes weekday access to a coach, a channel audit, a growth plan and feedback on thumbnails, titles and videos. You apply through Find My Coach.
Is vidIQ cheaper than TubeBuddy?
No. TubeBuddy Pro is $15.00 a month, or $12.00 a month billed yearly, against vidIQ Boost at $19 or $16.58. TubeBuddy Legend is $32.99, or $26.39 billed yearly, against vidIQ Max at $49 or $39. The plans include different tools, so compare features too.
Can a team or agency use vidIQ?
Yes, through Enterprise. vidIQ says Enterprise is for managing more than 3 channels or giving several team members access, with roles, permissions and cross-channel reporting.

How we checked these prices

Every plan and price comes from vidIQ's own pricing page, viewed from the US on September 29, 2026, in both billing periods where the page offers both. The screenshot shows the view the page opens with; we keep a capture of the other billing view as well. Yearly costs above are the listed yearly price, or the monthly price times twelve.

We make Kavinto, which competes with some of the tools named here. vidIQ did not pay to be covered and none of the links are affiliate links. Prices change, so confirm on the pricing page before you buy. Read our editorial standards for how we check and correct these pages.

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