Yes, vidIQ has a free plan. vidIQ's pricing page lists a Free plan with core tools and 150 AI credits every month, and its paid Boost and MAX plans add far more credits plus thumbnails, unlimited trend research and AI coaching.
For a small YouTube channel, the free plan is a reasonable place to start. Below is what vidIQ includes free, what each paid plan adds and costs, and one free extra that's easy to miss. Everything comes from vidIQ's own pricing and home pages, checked as of October 2026.
What vidIQ's free plan includes
vidIQ calls the Free plan a test drive of its creator tools, with core tools included and the option to upgrade any time. Its pricing card lists:
- 150 AI credits every month.
- Niche trends worth creating around.
- Fresh content ideas backed by data.
- Personalised growth tips from vidIQ's AI Coach.
- vidIQ MCP for Claude, ChatGPT or other AI tools.
vidIQ's FAQ confirms you can sign up for free, and that the free tier gives limited access to its most popular tools, which you can upgrade any time as your channel grows. The Chrome extension is available on the free plan too; vidIQ's home page shows 4M extension users and a 4.8 out of 5 rating on the Chrome Web Store, checked by vidIQ on October 20, 2026.
The free extra most people miss
vidIQ MCP connects your vidIQ account to AI assistants that support MCP, such as Claude and ChatGPT, so you can ask for video ideas, research competitors and plan what to make inside a chat. vidIQ's FAQ says MCP is available on every plan, including Free, and that tool calls use the AI credits in your plan. So on the free plan, your 150 monthly credits are shared between the vidIQ tools and anything you ask through MCP.
Who the free plan suits
vidIQ's free plan suits a channel that's still finding its feet: you're publishing occasionally, looking for ideas and want to know what's trending in your niche. Once you're uploading every week and want thumbnails, clipping and deeper research, the 150 credits will run out, and that's the point where Boost earns its place.
What vidIQ does
vidIQ's home page describes it as one app for YouTube and Instagram, and lists the jobs it helps with:
- Optimise and publish: titles, descriptions, tags and thumbnails based on data, from one dashboard.
- Find keywords: search volume, competition scores and AI suggestions.
- Clip and repurpose: turn long videos into Shorts and TikToks with AI clipping.
- Design thumbnails: AI templates and A/B testing.
- Find ideas: trending topics and outlier videos in your niche.
- Write scripts that match your style.
- Personalised coaching.
Not all of these are on the free plan. The Free card covers trends, ideas, AI Coach tips and a small credit allowance, while thumbnails, unlimited trend research and clipping are listed on Boost and MAX.
vidIQ plans compared
| Plan | Price as of October 2026 | AI credits a month | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 150 | Core tools, trends, ideas, AI Coach tips, MCP |
| Boost | $16.58 a month, billed $199 a year | 2,000 | Thumbnails, unlimited trends and subscriber insights, AI Coach with deep thinking, masterclasses |
| MAX | $39 a month, billed $468 a year | 6,000 | Everything in Boost, more AI Coach, Max Mode AI, short clipping |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Teams, roles and permissions, several channels |
vidIQ notes these are US list prices and local pricing may vary. Boost and MAX can be bought with larger credit packs too: the cards show 2,500 and 3,000 credit options for Boost, and 8,000 and 10,000 for MAX.
What Boost and MAX add
vidIQ says Boost includes over 30 advanced tools for researching, ideating, creating and publishing on YouTube, such as personalised keyword ideas, optimisation suggestions, competitive intel and the AI Coach. MAX includes everything in Boost plus up to three times the AI Coach conversations, a more powerful Max Mode AI for growth strategy and up to 11 hours of short clipping and generations.
There's also a Boost plus Coaching plan that pairs Boost with one to one coaching from a YouTube coach, and Enterprise for brands, agencies and networks managing more than three channels or several team members.
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How to get the most from vidIQ free
- Install the Chrome extension and connect your channel.
- Use the free trend and idea tools to build a list of video topics before spending credits.
- Save your 150 credits for the AI features you'd otherwise do by hand, like title ideas.
- If you use Claude or ChatGPT, connect vidIQ MCP and ask it for ideas in the chat you already use.
- Upgrade only when you're publishing often enough to use 2,000 credits a month.
If you're comparing tools, my roundup of vidIQ alternatives covers the main rivals, and my list of YouTube SEO tools includes free options for titles and tags.
My verdict: is vidIQ free?
Yes. vidIQ's Free plan gives you core tools, trend and idea research, AI Coach tips and 150 AI credits a month, and it includes vidIQ MCP, which is a useful extra if you already use Claude or ChatGPT. Boost is the step up when you're posting regularly, at $199 a year as of October 2026 for 2,000 credits a month, and MAX at $468 a year suits heavy users. Start free, and upgrade when the credits run out before the month does.
Frequently asked questions
Is vidIQ free to use?
Yes. vidIQ has a Free plan with core tools and 150 AI credits every month.
How much is vidIQ Boost?
As of October 2026 vidIQ Boost was $16.58 a month, billed $199 a year, US list price.
How much is vidIQ MAX?
As of October 2026 vidIQ MAX was $39 a month, billed $468 a year, US list price.
Is vidIQ MCP free?
Yes. vidIQ says MCP is available on every plan, including Free, and tool calls use your plan's AI credits.
Does vidIQ work for Instagram?
vidIQ's home page describes it as one app for YouTube and Instagram, though its pricing page is built around YouTube creators.
Does vidIQ offer coaching?
Yes. vidIQ has a Boost plus Coaching plan that combines Boost with one to one YouTube coaching.
Does vidIQ have a Chrome extension?
Yes. vidIQ's home page shows 4M Chrome extension users and a 4.8 out of 5 rating, checked October 20, 2026.
