If you’re looking for ways to grow and manage your YouTube channel, TubeBuddy is probably already on your radar. With over 30 features, it covers everything from SEO optimization to community management. But is the extensive toolkit really necessary for every creator?
Here’s our TubeBuddy review. A break down of what TubeBuddy offers, highlight the standout features we use as creators, and share our take on whether the paid version is worth it.
What is TubeBuddy?
TubeBuddy is an online tool and Chrome extension designed to help creators manage their channels more efficiently. It integrates directly into YouTube Studio and offers features like SEO tools, A/B testing, and bulk updates all in one place.
How TubeBuddy Can Help
- Optimize Video Performance
SEO tools and A/B testing features help you use data to make decisions about titles, descriptions, and thumbnails with the aim of improving your rankings and getting you discovered. - Streamline Workflow
Bulk editing tools, Quick Links, and schedule content publishing make it easier to handle larger content loads so you don’t have to do everything manually. - Understand Your Audience and Competition
Tools like Videolytics and Channellytics provide detailed insights into what’s trending, working for your competitors and how you compare. - Content Repurposing
The Suggested Shorts feature helps you find moments in your long form content that appear to have the most engagement from your audience and turn them into Shorts. - Community Engagement
You can use Quick Links to view your comments and Brand Alerts to see when people mention you. Making it easier to stay on top of comments, mentions, and overall engagement.
Key Features of TubeBuddy
| Feature | What It Does | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO Tools | Helps you optimize your videos with keyword suggestions and provides SEO scores. |
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Some data can feel inconsistent, so cross-checking with tools like Google Trends is a good idea. |
| Tag Suggestions | Recommends relevant tags to boost discoverability. | Quick way to cover your bases. | Tags have less impact due to YouTube’s algorithm focusing more on metadata and descriptions. |
| SEO Checklist | Provides a step-by-step guide to optimize your video before publishing. | Ensures all optimization essentials (tags, descriptions, end screens, etc.) are covered | Can feel redundant if you’re already familiar with YouTube best practices. |
| A/B Testing | Lets you compare different thumbnails, titles, and descriptions to find what performs best. | Helps improve click-through rates by testing variations. | YouTube now offers its own A/B testing features. |
| Videolytics | Offers detailed insights into your videos’ performance and competitor analysis. | Helps track your growth relative to others in your niche. | Best suited for established channels with enough data. |
| Channellytics | Compare your overall channel metrics to competitor channels. | Helps track your growth relative to others in your niche. | Best suited for established channels with enough data. |
| Quick Links | Provides shortcuts to key areas like comments, mentions, and video settings for faster navigation. | Saves time navigating YouTube Studio. | Doesn’t add anything new beyond convenience. |
| Brand alerts | Notifies you when your channel or videos are mentioned elsewhere on YouTube. | Helps you stay engaged and respond quickly to mentions. | Similar to YouTube’s tag notifications, but more detailed. |
| Suggested Shorts | Identifies high-engagement sections of long-form videos and suggests converting them into Shorts. | Great way to repurpose existing content so you don’t need to create new content for Shorts. | Suggestions may not always align with your style or goals. |
| Playlist Actions | Helps create playlists based on top-performing videos and engagement data. | Makes playlist management easier, especially with a large backlog of videos. |
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| Bulk Processing Tools | Lets you update video titles, descriptions, and end screens in bulk. | Saves time for larger channels managing many videos. |
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| Thumbnail Generator | Helps you design and A/B test thumbnails for better engagement. | Useful for keeping branding consistent and speeding up thumbnail creation. | May not replace external tools like Canva for more detailed customization. |
| Schedule Publish | Allows you to schedule video releases and manage video availability for early access. | Ideal for creators who post regularly or have Patreon subscribers. |
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| Find & Replace Tool | Lets you find and update specific words or phrases in video descriptions and metadata. | Saves time when updating links or outdated descriptions. | Best suited for creators managing a large number of videos. |
| Emoji Picker | Provides quick access to emojis for comments, descriptions, and titles. | Makes it easy to add personality to your content. |
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| Branding Watermark Tool | Lets you add or update watermarks across multiple videos easily. | Helps reinforce your channel branding consistently. | Customization options may feel limited compared to video editing software. |
What Works and What Doesn’t
What Works
- All in One Convenience
Having everything in one place is super convenient and makes your workflow more efficient. - Personalized SEO Scores
The weighted SEO scoring is really useful and convenient in the sidebar. This is one of the useful parts of the tool as it helps you understand where your videos stand. - A/B Testing
Another unique tool. If you haven’t been testing, it’s a great way to help you start doing it and see the value in data. - Suggested Shorts
With short form content becoming more popular, Suggested Shorts can help repurpose existing, long form videos into something bite-sized.
What Doesn’t Work
- Overload of Features
The sheer number of tools can be overwhelming, and you likely won’t use most of them regularly. - Cost vs.Value
The Legend plan offers great features, but the high price can be hard to justify unless you’re managing a large channel. - YouTube Overlap
Some features, like A/B testing and analytics, are already available for free in YouTube Studio. - Inconsistent recommendations
When the recommendations are relevant they’re great, but it could be hit or miss. We tried some title options and keyword recommendations and they weren’t always relevant to the niche.
Free vs. Paid TubeBuddy: Which Plan Is Right for You?
| Plan | Cost | Key Features | Who It’s For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Majority of tools with limited access. Basic features like SEO suggestions, basic keyword research, and some engagement tools. | Best for beginners and hobby creators. Though honestly, all levels would find this useful. |
| Pro | $7.50/month | Unlimited use for the majority of tools. Adds competitor tracking, A/B testing, and more in-depth content insights. | Ideal for smaller creators looking to level up their strategy and save time. |
| Legend | $32.99/month | Provides bulk processing tools, playlist automation, and advanced reporting. | Great for larger creators managing large content libraries and looking for efficiency. |
| Enterprise | Custom Pricing | Includes everything in Legend plus dedicated support, onboarding, and 1-on-1 training. | Tailored for businesses managing multiple YouTube channels. |
Pricing as of 1 Jan 2025
Is Paid TubeBuddy Worth It?
The free version of TubeBuddy should be all you need to have the essentials covered. The sheer number of tools in the paid plans makes it harder to justify the cost unless you’re managing a large content library and need bulk editing and automation.
If you’re posting frequently and want to save time by handling updates and playlist organization in one go, the Pro and Legend plans can be worth it. If anything, the cost isn’t prohibitive since it’s reasonably affordable in comparison to other options.
If you’re only looking for a few extra features, you might find that the free plan and manual workarounds are enough.
Final Thoughts on our TubeBuddy Review
TubeBuddy is packed with features that can help streamline your workflow and grow your YouTube channel. However, with so many tools, it’s important to focus on the ones that align with your goals. If you’re only looking for a few extra features, you might find that the free plan and manual workarounds are enough.
If you’re looking for a toolkit that saves time with everything in one place, TubeBuddy is worth trying. Remember that while tools like these can support your growth, creativity and consistency, the content you create in your videos is ultimately going to be the thing that will make the real difference.
