Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover seo & discovery and research & trends. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Semrush | vidIQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $139 | From $16.58 |
| Pricing model | Paid subscription | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | None |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Covers | SEO & Discovery, Research & Trends | SEO & Discovery, Analytics, Research & Trends |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | YouTube |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Keyword and competitor research at agency depth
Semrush is the tool an SEO reaches for when they need to know what a competitor ranks for and what it is worth. Position tracking, site audits and keyword gaps are all there, along with newer reporting on how brands surface in AI answers. It costs more than most creators can justify, and the entry plan tracks five sites and 500 keywords.
YouTube research, and a coach that reads your channel
vidIQ is a browser extension and an app that puts keyword, competitor and thumbnail data next to the video you are about to publish. The part people stay for is the AI coach, which reads your own channel rather than giving general advice. Its suggestions are worth arguing with rather than following.
Our note
vidIQ and TubeBuddy overlap enough that paying for both is waste. vidIQ is the better research and ideas tool; TubeBuddy is the better bulk-editing one. Pick by which job you actually have.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.