vidIQ is a powerful keyword-research and optimization suite built around a YouTube browser extension. ChannelGrade is an AI report card that grades every video on your channel and tells you exactly what to fix. Here is an honest comparison.
Check your channel freeAn honest side-by-side. Both tools help you grow on YouTube; they just take different approaches.
| Capability | ChannelGrade | vidIQ |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword research & search volumevidIQ has the deeper keyword database | ||
| Tag & description suggestions | ||
| Competitor & channel analysis | ||
| Browser extension overlaid on YouTubeChannelGrade is a web app, not an extension | ||
| Auto-grades every video A-F with specific fixesvidIQ shows scores; ChannelGrade grades and rewrites each video | ~ | |
| AI hook / first-60s retention analysis + rewritten hook | ~ | |
| AI-vision thumbnail critique (contrast, face, mobile)competitors lean on A/B testing | ~ | |
| Title & thumbnail A/B testing | ||
| AI title rewrites for each video | ||
| Weekly score trends over time | ||
| Free tools with no signup or install37 ChannelGrade tools run in the browser, no account | ||
| Real YouTube Analytics (watch time, retention, traffic) |
ChannelGrade plans are $9-$49/mo with a 14-day money-back guarantee, plus 37 free tools and a free channel report with no signup. vidIQ offers a free plan and paid tiers (see vidiq.com for current pricing). Accurate as of June 2026.
You want the deepest keyword database and a browser extension that overlays stats on YouTube while you browse, and you do hands-on keyword research for every upload.
You would rather have AI automatically grade every video (title, hook, thumbnail, SEO, comments) and hand you specific fixes and rewrites, starting free, without installing anything.
Every tool stays free. A plan reads every video on your channel for you: what to change, where viewers left and why, what your comments ask for, and what to make next. It also follows channels like yours and checks every title and thumbnail before you post.
Monthly, cancel anytime. Payment by Stripe. Plans include more runs of every tool.
Want to try Starter first? Get it free for 30 days by following ChannelGrade on X.
ChannelGrade has 37 free tools you can use with no signup or extension, plus a free channel report card. Paid plans start at $9/mo. It is a good fit if you want AI grading and specific fixes rather than a keyword-research extension.
ChannelGrade auto-grades every video on your connected channel with letter grades and specific fixes: rewritten titles, a first-60-seconds hook and retention breakdown, AI-vision thumbnail critique, SEO keyword gaps, and comment sentiment, then tracks your scores over time.
No. ChannelGrade is a web app. You paste a channel URL for the free report, or connect your channel for automatic per-video grading. vidIQ is built around a browser extension.
Starter is $9/mo, Pro $19/mo, and Agency $49/mo, with a 14-day money-back guarantee. You can also grade your channel and use 37 creator tools for free.