shouldiuse.io

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VERDICT

Should I use VidIQ?

YouTube SEO, keyword research, and AI growth tools for creators - vidiq.com

Depends. Use the free tier if you're a solo YouTuber doing keyword research — users say it's good even unpaid. Be cautious with paid plans: billing complaints, no refunds, and a disclosed extension flaw.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~40 public sources; product page returned a browser check, so details come from reviews and third parties.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Paid plans (Boost)from ~$5/mo
Coaching & EnterpriseCustom

Best for

  • Solo YouTube creators
  • New channels hunting keywords
  • Brand YouTube teams
  • Creators wanting AI content ideas

Not for

  • Anyone not publishing on YouTube
  • Creators refusing browser extensions
  • Buyers who need refund-friendly billing
  • Anyone expecting keyword scores to guarantee views

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

98-cent membership offer reportedly auto-converts to paid; an FTC complaint was filed

high

No refunds once billed

medium

Browser extension vulnerability (GHSA-g6rc-gmfp-482p) disclosed September 2026

medium

Free tier is limited; core features gated behind paid plans

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free tier is genuinely useful for keyword research
  • Keyword research consistently praised across G2 reviews
  • 100,000+ five-star reviews on Google Play
  • Enterprise case studies with AOL and Parade Magazine
  • Long-term users report six-plus years of use

Cons

  • No refunds on paid plans
  • Security flaw disclosed in vidIQ Vision browser extension
  • 98-cent offer reportedly reported to the FTC
  • Active civil lawsuit against the company
  • Compare sites flag higher risk than Social Blade

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/05/2026 - 10 sources - One disclosed vulnerability in the vidIQ Vision browser extension; otherwise YouTube-compliant per third-party reviews.

official x2review x6security x1news x1
  • Security flaw in vidIQ Vision browser extension, GitHub advisory GHSA-g6rc-gmfp-482p (CVE-2026-82809) disclosed a security flaw in the extension, September 2026.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free tier praised as useful even unpaid
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Large, positive Play Store user base
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Keywords, AI ideas, coaching, enterprise tiers
  • Support quality: 2/5. No refunds; billing complaint escalated to FTC
  • Security posture: 3/5. One disclosed extension flaw; security page exists
  • 100,000+ five-star reviews Google Play reception per Google Play listing
  • 4+/5 G2 average rating per OneTube 2026 review summary
  • $0 Starting price paid plans from ~$5/mo
  • ~13 years Company age acquired Creator Now in 2024

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Limited keyword research
  • Basic daily ideas

Paid plans (Boost)

from ~$5/mo

  • Deeper keyword research
  • AI content ideas
  • Thumbnail scoring

Coaching & Enterprise

Not disclosed

  • 1-on-1 coaching
  • Brand/enterprise support

Security

One disclosed vulnerability in the vidIQ Vision browser extension; otherwise YouTube-compliant per third-party reviews.

  • Security flaw in vidIQ Vision browser extensionGitHub advisory GHSA-g6rc-gmfp-482p (CVE-2026-82809) disclosed a security flaw in the extension, September 2026.⁷

What users say

Users praise keyword research and the free tier, though some doubt its scores actually deliver views.

“VidIQ is good even when it's free.”
Reddit, r/NewTubers
“I've been using vidIQ for over six year”
Trustpilot review
“I use scored title and thumbnail but still....NO VIEWs”
Reddit, r/vidIQ

Companies that use it

  • AOL10
  • Parade Magazine
Full analysis

Based on ~40 public sources; product page returned a browser check, so details come from reviews and third parties.

Good free YouTube SEO tool; paid plans bring billing traps, no refunds, and one extension CVE.

Methodology

Based on ~40 public sources; product page returned a browser check, so details come from reviews and third parties.

Sources

  1. official
  2. review
  3. vidIQ on Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  4. vidIQ on Google Playplay.google.com
    review
  5. review
  6. review
  7. security
  8. review
  9. news
  10. AOL case studyassets.ctfassets.net
    official

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