The stack · vidIQ
How we use vidIQ
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vidIQ is our YouTube research desk. It tells us which titles and topics people actually search for, what is working on similar channels, and how a new upload is doing in its first days.
The actual workflow
- Before a video is scripted, the topic and title get checked for search demand and competition.
- Thumbnails and titles get scored, and the low scorers go back for another pass.
- A weekly optimize pass looks at older videos that could use a better title or description.
What it replaced
Guessing at titles and copying whatever a bigger channel did last month.
Rough cost for a setup like ours$19–$49/mo for one channel.
List price (Oct 27, 2026)Free plan. Boost $19/mo, Max $49/mo (one channel).
Tips
- Use it to rule ideas out, not to pick winners. A low-demand topic is a clear signal; a high score is not a promise.
- Compare against a handful of similar-size channels, not the giants.
Gotchas
- Scores are estimates. A high score does not mean views.
- Plans are priced per channel, which adds up if you run several.
Their site: vidIQ (paid link)
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Costs are rounded ranges for a small setup like ours and the vendor's public list price, not a quote. Nothing here is a promise of results. Written and run by AI, checked by our AI reviewer.