Best YouTube Keyword Research Tools (Free & Paid 2025)

I made 50 videos before I checked if anyone was actually searching for my topics.

Turns out, they weren't.

I was making videos about "advanced color grading techniques" (12 searches per month) when I should've been targeting "how to color grade like a movie" (8,900 searches per month).

Same topic. Completely different phrasing. One gets found. One doesn't.

That's when I started using keyword research tools. Not because I like staring at spreadsheets (I don't), but because guessing what people search for is a terrible strategy.

Here's what actually works.

Why Most Creators Skip Research (and Regret It)

Let's be real: keyword research sounds boring.

You want to create. To film. To edit. Not to analyze search volume data like some corporate SEO person.

I get it. I felt the same way.

But here's what changed my mind: I spent 8 hours making a video that got 47 views. Then I spent 6 hours making a video that got 12,000 views.

Same effort. Different keyword.

The second video targeted a specific search term with proven demand. The first video targeted... whatever I felt like talking about that day.

Research doesn't kill creativity. It guides it. You're still making what you want-you're just framing it in words people actually type into YouTube.

The Big Two: TubeBuddy vs vidIQ

These are the tools everyone compares. And for good reason-they're both excellent.

I've used both. Here's the honest breakdown.

TubeBuddy: The Channel Management Tool

Price: Free (Star: $9/month, Legend: $49/month) Best For: Creators who want an all-in-one channel dashboard

TubeBuddy lives inside YouTube Studio as a browser extension. Open YouTube, and it's just... there. Integrated into every page.

What I use it for:

Keyword Explorer: Type in a keyword, get search volume, competition score, and a weighted "opportunity score" that combines both. It tells you not just what people search for, but whether you have a realistic shot at ranking.

Example: I searched "video editing tips." TubeBuddy showed:

• Search Volume: High
• Competition: High
• Overall Score: 42/100 (not great)

Then it suggested "video editing tips for beginners"-same search volume, way less competition. Score: 78/100. That's the video I made. It's now my 3rd most-viewed video.

A/B Testing: This is TubeBuddy's killer feature. Upload a video with two different titles or thumbnails, and it automatically splits traffic between them. After a few days, it picks the winner.

I tested two thumbnails for a Premiere Pro tutorial. One was a clean screenshot. The other was my face with an exaggerated expression. The face won by 34% CTR. I would've never known without testing.

Bulk Processing: Need to add the same end screen to 20 videos? Bulk edit. Want to update cards across your entire catalog? Done in minutes.

What's annoying: The free version is super limited. You get basic stats, but the good stuff (A/B testing, advanced keyword research) is locked behind Star ($9/mo) or Legend ($49/mo). If you're serious, you'll need to pay.

Pricing tiers:

• Free: Basic stats, limited features
• Star ($9/mo): Full keyword explorer, basic A/B testing, bulk processing
• Legend ($49/mo): Advanced A/B testing, competitor research, retention analytics

My take: TubeBuddy is a Swiss Army knife. If you want one tool that handles keywords, tags, thumbnails, and analytics, this is it. But it's pricey at the Legend level.

vidIQ: The SEO Powerhouse

Price: Free (Pro: $7.50/month, Boost: $39/month) Best For: Creators obsessed with ranking and discoverability

vidIQ is leaner than TubeBuddy. It does less, but what it does, it does better (in my opinion).

What I use it for:

Daily Ideas: This feature is sneaky good. Every morning, vidIQ analyzes trending topics in my niche and suggests video ideas with search volume data attached.

I click "Daily Ideas," see 50+ suggestions sorted by "opportunity score," pick one, and have my next video planned. Takes 5 minutes.

Keyword Inspector: This is vidIQ's edge over TubeBuddy. It doesn't just show search volume-it shows you EXACTLY what videos are ranking for that keyword, their view counts, and how long they've been published.

So you can see: "Okay, the top video for 'how to edit vlogs' has 200k views and was posted 2 years ago. There's room for an updated version."

That's actionable intel. Not just numbers.

Competitor Tracking: Add up to 5 competitor channels (in paid plans), and vidIQ tracks their uploads, views, and keyword strategies. You'll get alerts when they publish, so you can analyze what's working for them.

I tracked 3 channels in my niche for a month. Noticed they were all making "gear under $500" videos. Clearly there was demand. Made my own version, optimized for the same keywords, got 8,000 views in the first week.

Trend Alerts: vidIQ monitors YouTube for sudden spikes in search volume. If a topic is exploding, you get a notification. Jump on it early, ride the wave.

What's annoying: The free version is better than TubeBuddy's, but the Pro plan ($7.50/mo) is still limited. To unlock competitor tracking and trend alerts, you need Boost ($39/mo).

Pricing tiers:

• Free: Basic keyword stats, limited daily ideas
• Pro ($7.50/mo): Full keyword research, daily ideas, basic competitor tracking
• Boost ($39/mo): Advanced competitor tracking, trend alerts, historical data

My take: If you care primarily about SEO and ranking, vidIQ edges out TubeBuddy. It's cheaper at the entry level ($7.50 vs $9), and the keyword data feels more actionable. But it doesn't have A/B testing or bulk management features.

TubeBuddy vs vidIQ: Head-to-Head

My honest recommendation: Use both. The free versions.

Run them side-by-side for a month. See which interface you prefer. Then upgrade to whichever one you actually use.

I currently pay for vidIQ Pro ($7.50/mo) for keyword research, but I keep TubeBuddy's free version installed for its tag suggestions (which vidIQ doesn't do as well).

The Free Tools That Still Work

Don't want to pay $7-50/month? Fair. Here are the free alternatives I used before upgrading.

1. YouTube's Search Bar (Yes, Really)

The autocomplete suggestions are ACTUAL searches. Type your topic, note the suggestions, and you've got instant keyword ideas.

I do this every time, even with paid tools. It's the most accurate reflection of what people are typing RIGHT NOW.

Pro tip: Type your keyword, then add a letter at the end:

• "video editing" + "a" = "video editing app"
• "video editing" + "f" = "video editing for beginners"
• "video editing" + "s" = "video editing software free"

That's 26 keyword variations in 2 minutes.

2. Google Trends (YouTube Filter)

Free. No account needed. Shows you search volume trends over time.

I use this to avoid dying keywords. If a topic is trending down, I skip it. If it's trending up, I prioritize it.

Example: I checked "TikTok growth tips" vs "YouTube Shorts growth tips." TikTok was declining, Shorts was rising. Made the Shorts video instead. Got 3x more views.

3. Answer The Public

Type in your topic, get a list of questions people are asking. Each question = a potential video.

The free version limits you to 3 searches per day, but that's enough for weekly planning.

4. YouTube Analytics (Your Own Data)

Go to YouTube Studio → Analytics → Research. YouTube literally shows you what your audience is searching for that you HAVEN'T made content about.

This is gold. You're getting keyword ideas from people who already like your channel. Make those videos, and they'll watch.

Can You Use ChatGPT for Keyword Research?

Kind of.

ChatGPT doesn't have real-time search volume data (it's not connected to YouTube's API). But it can help with keyword ideation.

Here's the prompt I use:

Generate 20 keyword variations for "[YOUR TOPIC]" that people might search on YouTube. Include question-based keywords, "how to" phrases, comparison keywords ("X vs Y"), and beginner-focused terms. Prioritize long-tail keywords (3-5 words).

It'll spit out ideas. Then you copy-paste those into TubeBuddy, vidIQ, or YouTube's search bar to check actual volume.

It's a time-saver for brainstorming, but you still need real tools to validate.

The Research Workflow I Actually Use

Here's my Sunday routine for planning the week's content:

Step 1: Check vidIQ Daily Ideas Skim the suggestions. Bookmark anything that looks interesting.

Step 2: Validate in YouTube Search Type those topics into YouTube's search bar. If autocomplete confirms it, there's demand.

Step 3: Check Competition Search the keyword. Look at the top 5 results. Are they all from massive channels (1M+ subs)? If yes, it's too competitive. If there's a mix of small/mid-size channels, I have a shot.

Step 4: Pick My Angle I don't copy the top video. I find the gap. What didn't they cover? What question did comments ask that they didn't answer? That's my angle.

Step 5: Plan the Video If the keyword checks out, it goes on my content calendar. If not, I move on.

This whole process takes 20 minutes for a week's worth of videos.

Common Research Mistakes

Mistake #1: Only targeting high-volume keywords

A keyword with 50,000 searches per month sounds great. But if you're a small channel, you'll rank on page 5. Nobody clicks page 5.

Better: Target 500-search keywords where you can actually rank in the top 3. That's 500 REAL views vs 0 views from a keyword you'll never rank for.

Mistake #2: Ignoring search intent

"Best camera" has huge volume. But what's the intent? People want a buying guide, not a tutorial.

If your video is "how to use a camera," that keyword won't help. Match your content to the intent behind the search.

Mistake #3: Never updating your strategy

Keywords shift. Trends change. What worked in 2023 might not work in 2025.

I review my keyword strategy every quarter. Drop the losers, double down on what's working.

Mistake #4: Researching but never publishing

Analysis paralysis is real. You can spend 3 hours researching the perfect keyword, or you can spend 30 minutes finding a good-enough keyword and 2.5 hours making the video.

Perfect keywords don't matter if you never hit publish.

Quick Decision Framework

Use TubeBuddy if:

• You want A/B testing for titles and thumbnails
• You need bulk editing features
• You prefer an all-in-one channel management tool

Use vidIQ if:

• SEO and ranking are your top priorities
• You want daily trending topic suggestions
• You're okay without A/B testing

Use free tools if:

• You're just starting out (under 1k subscribers)
• You're on a tight budget
• You only publish 1-2 videos per month

Use ChatGPT if:

• You need help brainstorming keyword variations
• You want to expand your topic ideas quickly
• You'll validate with real tools afterward

The Bottom Line

Keyword research isn't about gaming the algorithm. It's about finding the overlap between what you want to make and what people want to watch.

You're not changing your content to chase keywords. You're framing your content using words that people already search for.

That's the difference between 47 views and 12,000 views on the same video.

Start with the free tools. YouTube search bar, Google Trends, your own analytics. If you're publishing consistently and hitting a wall on views, upgrade to vidIQ Pro ($7.50/mo). It's the best ROI.

And remember: the best keyword research tool is the one you actually use. Not the one with the most features.

Want to skip manual keyword research entirely? VidScout analyzes trending topics and automatically suggests video ideas optimized for search volume and low competition-all built into your content pipeline.