For those starting or managing a YouTube account of their own, it doesn’t need to be a lonely process. There are tons of resources to assist in the creation and promotion of your work.
TubeBuddy, like any YouTube helper, is a great resource for those who are just starting off their YouTube channel or posting so much content, they need the software to handle it all. TubeBuddy is unique in that it holds a lot of specific features for new creators to try out with their channel.
There is a lot that can be uncovered with Tubbuddy. So, let’s dive deeper into the strengths and weaknesses of TubeBuddy and ultimately, how TubeBuddy compares to its competitor, VidIQ.
Audience of TubeBuddy
The groups of people that TubeBuddy most assists are either beginners or channels with large masses of content to post. For beginners, these resources act as a great checklist or awareness-builder of what they should be looking to do when posting a video or other kind of post. It also provides access to analytics, not to mention organizing the analytics in a clear and understandable manner.
For all channels in-between beginners and experts, you can still use a YouTube helper to get ideas of what you should consider when uploading content. But it’s certainly not necessary, and if depended on too much, it could even harm your channel, as it might not fit your needs.
As you’re starting to use these resources, be aware that these helper programs may be potentially harmful to a beginner, as they may lead to an obsession to use features that aren’t as beneficial as the more important things to focus on. Some features aren’t needed until you have a larger following anyway.
For larger, more active channels, TubeBuddy could be a great resource to save time spent on managing content or the channel. And, one of the benefits specifically about TubeBuddy is that you can purchase bulk content such as End Screens, Cards, Canned Comment Responses, etc., which acts as a time-saver for getting necessary content out.
The main downside with using a helper software like TubeBuddy for a large channel however is the danger of seeming impersonal or robotic. For example, if you only use Canned Responses to reply to your followers, you may turn more people away than you are bringing in. That is the opposite of what you want. It is important to be personable with your audience.
Strengths
The best thing that TubeBuddy provides is that of its many features. It has a feature for almost anything—comment contests, click magnets, thumbnail generators, video topic planners, and that’s just barely scratching the surface!
Another asset that TubeBuddy provides unlike any other is their bulk processing tools. If you buy one of the two most expensive packages (either Star or Legend), you can utilize their Bulk Copy Cards, Bulk End Screens, Bulk Thumbnail Overlays, etc. As mentioned previously, these are great resources for big channels, in that they can handle time-consuming processes in just a few easy steps.
Weaknesses
What’s TubeBuddy’s strength is also its weakness—the number of features provided can be pretty overkill. A lot of the features are only applicable in a specific situation, adding too much information can prove to be more confusing than helpful to a user.
With all these extra features, it can overwhelm the usual checklist a creator needs, making a beginner feel they should focus on things that don’t matter as much as the most essential steps. As Nate from Channel Makers remarks, do you really want a giant toolbox if you’re only using one tool?
Pricing for TubeBuddy
If you’re looking to purchase a TubeBuddy package, here’s everything you need to know about what’s included for how much:
| Free Package | Pro Package ($7.20/m) | Star Package ($15.20/m) *Most Popular* | Legend Package ($39.20/m) | |
| Productivity Tools | Canned responses (limited) Default upload profiles (limited) Playlist Actions (limited) Thumbnail generator (limited) Video topic planner (limited) Advanced video embed Comment formatting Coppa center Emoji picker Quick links menu Quick-edit toolbar | Card templates End screen templates Canned responses Default upload profiles Playlist Actions Thumbnail generator Video topic planner Advanced video embed Comment formatting Coppa center Emoji picker Quick links menu Quick-edit toolbar | Scheduled publish Scheduled video update sunset videos Card templates End screen templates Canned responses Default upload profiles Playlist Actions Thumbnail generator Video topic planner Advanced video embed Comment formatting Coppa center Emoji picker Quick links menu Quick-edit toolbar | Scheduled publish Scheduled video update sunset videos Card templates End screen templates Canned responses Default upload profiles Playlist Actions Thumbnail generator Video topic planner Advanced video embed Comment formatting Coppa center Emoji picker Quick links menu Quick-edit toolbar |
| Bulk Tools | N/A | N/A | Bulk copy cards Bulk copy end screen Bulk delete cards Bulk delete end screen Bulk find, replace, and append Bulk thumbnail overlays Bulk update cards Bulk update end screens Demonetization double check | Bulk copy cards Bulk copy end screen Bulk delete cards Bulk delete end screen Bulk find, replace, and append Bulk thumbnail overlays Bulk update cards Bulk update end screens Demonetization double check |
| Video SEO Skills | Insta-suggest Keyword explorer Search explorer Tag lists Tag rankings Tag sorter View and copy video tags | Best practice audit SEO studio Search positions Insta-suggest Keyword explorer Search explorer Tag lists Tag rankings Tag sorter View and copy video tags | Search rank tracking (limited) Opportunity finder Best practice audit SEO studio Search positions Insta-suggest Keyword explorer Search explorer Tag lists Tag rankings Tag sorter View and copy video tags | Auto Translator Search rank tracking Tag translator Video A/B tests Opportunity finder Best practice audit SEO studio Search positions Insta-suggest Keyword explorer Search explorer Tag lists Tag rankings Tag sorter View and copy video tags |
| Promotion Tools | Milestones (limited) Best time to publish Pick a winner | Milestones Best time to publish Pick a winner | Publish to Facebook Milestones Best time to publish Pick a winner | Publish to Facebook Milestones Best time to publish Pick a winner |
| Data and Research Tools | Videolytics (limited) Channel valuation Channelytics Comment word cloud Demonetization audit Language Analysis Search insights | Channel backup (limited) Health report Videolytics Channel valuation Channelytics Comment word cloud Demonetization audit Language Analysis Search insights | Brand alerts (limited) Channel backup Health report Videolytics Channel valuation Channelytics Comment word cloud Demonetization audit Language Analysis Search insights | Channel Access Click magnet Competitor scorecard Competitor upload alerts Export comments Retention analyzer Brand alerts Channel backup Health report Videolytics Channel valuation Channelytics Comment word cloud Demonetization audit Language Analysis Search insights |
| Member Perks | TubeBuddy Mobile App (limited) | Member perks TubeBuddy Mobile App | Member perks TubeBuddy Mobile App | Member perks TubeBuddy Mobile App |
Overall Analysis of YouTube Helpers
Benefits of Both
Regardless of whether you decide on using TubeBuddy, VidIQ, or some other YouTube helper, these can serve as a good checklist of items a creator needs to consider when building a website. They also provide an excellent resource in better understanding the ins and outs of the analytics that YouTube provides about a creator’s channel and how to navigate future content.
These helpers are a great resource to utilize for bigger channels in that they can help manage when content is posted, what comments are replied to, and how to navigate creating End Screens and consistent designs. By using the bulk content (especially the many packages that TubeBuddy provides), larger channels can save time and money by using these programs.
Issues of Both
An interesting point that Nate from Channel Makers brings up is that these features provided by YouTube helpers out there are quickly being taken over by YouTube itself. It’s hard to compete with features that are on the actual website you publish your content on, not to mention that said analytics and features are free compared to the pricey packages of TubeBuddy and VidIQ.
As mentioned previously, the very nature of these YouTube helpers puts more focus on the small things that don’t matter as much when making content on Youtube. Instead, they distract beginners (and even big channels) into thinking things like tags on the video are more important than other parts.
By following the suggestions of TubeBuddy and VidIQ, a user risks the possibility of other users applying the same suggestions, meaning that their channel won’t stand out in the slightest and be more hidden among similar content.
Overall, Nate from Channel Makers offers the idea that in the end, the cost of using the tool does not outweigh the benefit of said tool. It may act as a good checklist, stepping stool, or organizer, but if the user doesn’t find a good way to utilize this tool, it’ll hurt them more than help them.
Verdict: TubeBuddy, or VidIQ?
While both programs offer ample resources, Nate from Channel Makers ultimately suggests sticking with VidIQ for both beginners and big channels. Due to its cleaner design, better options in the free package, and easier organization, VidIQ just comes ahead of TubeBuddy as the better option for a YouTube helper. You can learn more about VidIQ from Nate’s video or from our review of VidIQ.
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