TubeBuddy Chrome Extension: Features, Pricing and Install Guide (2026)
The TubeBuddy Chrome extension is the most widely-used YouTube SEO overlay tool, with 15M+ installs since 2014. It adds Videolytics panels, color-coded tag competition data, keyword research, and (on paid plans) A/B testing directly inside YouTube and YouTube Studio. This guide covers everything: how to install it, what it shows, which features are free vs paid, known bugs, and how OutlierKit's free extension fills the one gap TubeBuddy cannot: showing which videos are going viral before you create content.
Quick Answer
- What it is
- A browser extension that overlays SEO data, analytics, and workflow tools directly on YouTube and YouTube Studio
- Is it free?
- Yes — free tier available. Core SEO tools from $9/mo (Pro), A/B testing from $19/mo (Star)
- Users
- 15M+ installs, YouTube-certified partner since 2014, 4.5/5 rating
- Best for
- SEO optimisation, tag research, A/B testing on existing videos, workflow automation
- Available on
- Chrome (primary), Firefox (separate addon) — no mobile browser extension
- Official install link
- Chrome Web Store — TubeBuddy for YouTube
How to Install the TubeBuddy Chrome Extension
TubeBuddy is distributed exclusively through official browser stores. There is no separate download or installer file. Follow these steps to add TubeBuddy to Google Chrome:
- 1
Open the Chrome Web Store listing
Go to the official TubeBuddy listing at chromewebstore.google.com or search "TubeBuddy for YouTube" in the Chrome Web Store. Make sure you are on the official listing — it should show 15M+ users and a publisher of TubeBuddy, Inc.
- 2
Click "Add to Chrome"
Click the blue "Add to Chrome" button in the upper right of the store listing. A permissions dialog will appear listing what TubeBuddy needs access to (YouTube.com and youtube.com tabs).
- 3
Confirm permissions
Click "Add extension" in the confirmation dialog. Chrome will install the extension and the TubeBuddy icon will appear in your browser toolbar.
- 4
Navigate to YouTube
Open YouTube.com in the same tab or a new tab. TubeBuddy will automatically activate and you will see the Videolytics sidebar and SEO overlays begin to appear on video pages.
- 5
Create or log in to your TubeBuddy account
The extension works in a limited free mode without an account. To unlock more features, click the TubeBuddy icon and sign in or create a free account. Paid features require a Pro, Star, or Legend subscription.
Official link: The only legitimate source is the Chrome Web Store listing for TubeBuddy for YouTube. Any other source — third-party download sites, modified APKs, or unofficial extension files — are not from TubeBuddy and pose a security risk.
What TubeBuddy Shows on YouTube
Once installed, TubeBuddy activates across YouTube.com and YouTube Studio, adding overlays in three primary locations:
YouTube video thumbnails (channel pages and search)
- ✓SEO score badge overlaid on each video thumbnail
- ✓View count and engagement indicators
- ✓Upload date indicators
Individual video watch page
- ✓Videolytics sidebar panel: views, comments, likes, dislikes (estimated), SEO score, channel subscriber count
- ✓Tag list with color-coded competition levels (green = low competition, yellow = medium, red = high)
- ✓Tag rankings showing where the video ranks for its tags
- ✓Channel stats snapshot in the sidebar
YouTube Studio (creator backend)
- ✓SEO Studio panel beside the video editor
- ✓Keyword Explorer accessible from the sidebar
- ✓A/B Testing manager panel (Pro and above)
- ✓Best Time to Publish recommendation panel
- ✓Competitor Scorecard widget
- ✓Bulk processing toolbar for batch edits
What TubeBuddy cannot show: TubeBuddy displays absolute metrics (views, likes, SEO score) but cannot calculate whether a video is overperforming relative to the channel's average. A video with 50K views might be a flop for a 5M-subscriber channel or a massive outlier for a 10K-subscriber channel — TubeBuddy provides no relative performance indicator. This is the gap that OutlierKit's free extension was built to fill.
TubeBuddy Free vs Paid Features
TubeBuddy offers four tiers. The table below shows which features are included at each level. Many features that feel core to TubeBuddy's value proposition require the Star plan ($19/mo) rather than the more commonly advertised Pro plan ($9/mo).
| Feature | Free | Pro $9/mo | Star $19/mo | Legend $49/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic video overlays (views, upload date) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tag list on video pages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Videolytics sidebar | Limited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SEO Studio | − | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keyword Explorer | Limited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tag rankings | − | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thumbnail generator | − | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | − | − | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bulk processing tools | − | − | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competitor Scorecard | − | Limited | ✓ | ✓ |
| Best Time to Publish | − | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brand Alerts | − | − | − | ✓ |
| Priority support | − | − | − | ✓ |
✓ = Included − = Not included Limited = Partial access only. Data accurate as of February 2026; verify current feature availability on tubebuddy.com.
TubeBuddy Chrome Extension Pricing (2026)
TubeBuddy's pricing is tiered by feature depth. All plans can be purchased monthly or at a reduced annual rate. Channels with fewer than 1,000 subscribers receive 50% off the Pro plan.
$0 annual
Forever free
- ✓Basic video overlays
- ✓Tag list on video pages
- ✓Limited Videolytics
- ✓Limited keyword research
$6.30/mo annual
billed annually ($75.60/yr)
50% off for channels under 1K subs
- ✓Full Videolytics sidebar
- ✓SEO Studio
- ✓Full Keyword Explorer
- ✓Tag rankings
- ✓Thumbnail generator
- ✓Best Time to Publish
$13.30/mo annual
billed annually ($159.60/yr)
- ✓Everything in Pro
- ✓A/B testing for thumbnails and titles
- ✓Bulk processing tools
- ✓Full Competitor Scorecard
- ✓Advanced analytics
$34.30/mo annual
billed annually ($411.60/yr)
- ✓Everything in Star
- ✓Brand Alerts
- ✓Priority support
- ✓Unlimited bulk processing
- ✓All future Legend features
Value note: The Pro plan ($9/mo) is often perceived as the entry point to TubeBuddy's power features, but A/B testing — arguably TubeBuddy's most compelling differentiator — requires the Star plan at $19/mo. Budget accordingly if that is your primary use case.
For a full feature-by-feature comparison with other tools, see our OutlierKit vs TubeBuddy comparison and best YouTube analytics tools roundup.
TubeBuddy Extension Pros and Cons
Pros
- ✓15M+ users — largest YouTube extension community
- ✓YouTube-certified partner since 2014
- ✓Videolytics sidebar gives instant channel and video stats
- ✓Color-coded tag competition makes SEO decisions faster
- ✓A/B testing on live videos is unique (Star plan and above)
- ✓Bulk editing saves significant time on large channels
- ✓Free tier provides real value without a credit card
- ✓Works directly inside YouTube Studio — no separate tab needed
- ✓50% discount for channels under 1,000 subscribers
Cons
- −Most useful features are paywalled — free tier is quite limited
- −Pro plan ($9/mo) underwhelms relative to its cost
- −Frequent login loop bug: extension loses session and forces re-authentication
- −Can slow down page loads noticeably on channels with large video libraries
- −Overwhelming for beginners — 50+ tools with unclear prioritisation
- −No outlier detection: cannot identify which videos overperform vs. channel average
- −A/B testing requires Star plan ($19/mo), not Pro
- −No mobile browser extension — redirects to web app on Android/iOS
- −Tag volume data sometimes lags behind actual search trends
Known Limitations and Bugs
These are recurring issues reported by users across Reddit, the Chrome Web Store review section, and YouTube creator communities. Most are not dealbreakers, but they are worth knowing before purchasing a paid plan.
Login loop bug
A persistent bug causes the extension to lose its authenticated session, forcing users to log out and back in to restore full functionality. This appears most commonly after browser updates or sessions lasting more than a few hours.
Pro plan feature gating
Many creators expect A/B testing at the Pro tier ($9/mo) but it requires Star ($19/mo). The Pro plan primarily unlocks SEO tools and the Keyword Explorer — useful, but not the headline features TubeBuddy is known for.
Performance on large channels
On channels with hundreds or thousands of videos, the extension can noticeably slow down YouTube Studio, particularly when bulk processing panels are active. Disabling it temporarily while doing unrelated work is sometimes necessary.
No outlier detection
TubeBuddy shows you data about videos that already exist — views, SEO scores, tag rankings. It does not calculate whether a video is overperforming or underperforming relative to the channel's baseline. For that kind of intelligence you need a separate tool.
No mobile browser extension
Chrome extensions do not run in mobile browsers (Chrome for Android, Safari for iOS). TubeBuddy acknowledges this and directs mobile users to its web app at tubebuddy.com. If you research competitors from your phone you will not see TubeBuddy overlays.
Data accuracy caveats
Like all third-party YouTube tools, TubeBuddy's search volume estimates and competition scores are approximations based on sampled data. They are useful directional signals but should not be treated as precise numbers.
Bottom line on limitations: TubeBuddy remains the category standard for YouTube SEO workflow tools despite these issues. The login bug is annoying rather than critical. The more substantive gap is the absence of relative performance scoring — it shows you data about videos, but not whether those videos over- or underperform. That requires a different tool.
OutlierKit Chrome Extension: What TubeBuddy Cannot Do
TubeBuddy excels at SEO overlays and workflow. But there is a specific research task it cannot perform: showing you which videos are overperforming relative to a channel's historical average — what creators call outlier videos.
OutlierKit's free Chrome extension adds colour-coded performance multipliers directly on YouTube thumbnails as you browse any channel's Videos tab. A video showing 3.2x in green means it earned 3.2 times that channel's average views — a proven content format worth studying. A video showing 0.6x in red is underperforming. This context is invisible in TubeBuddy.
Outlier (green)
Video earns at least double the channel's average views. High-signal format for content ideation.
Average (grey)
Video performs in line with channel norms. Not a standout signal in either direction.
Underperformer (red)
Video earns below the channel's average. Signals a content angle that did not resonate.
OutlierKit Extension Highlights
- ✓Completely free — no account required to install
- ✓Works on any channel's Videos tab while browsing
- ✓Colour-coded multipliers visible on every thumbnail
- ✓Hover any thumbnail for a detailed breakdown
- ✓Lightweight — no browser slowdown
- ✓Privacy-safe: no personal data collected
- ✓Activates only on YouTube.com
- ✓Connects to OutlierKit.com for deeper analysis (paid plans)
Which Extension Should You Use?
TubeBuddy and OutlierKit's extension are not direct competitors — they do fundamentally different things. Many creators run both simultaneously.
Use TubeBuddy if you need:
- ✓SEO scoring and tag competition analysis on your own videos
- ✓Keyword research built into YouTube Studio
- ✓A/B testing on existing thumbnails and titles (Star plan)
- ✓Bulk editing cards, end screens, or descriptions across many videos
- ✓Workflow tools tightly integrated with the YouTube Studio interface
Use OutlierKit extension if you need:
- ✓To see which competitor videos are overperforming before you create content
- ✓Relative performance context on every thumbnail you browse
- ✓A free overlay tool with zero setup and no account required
- ✓To identify proven content formats in a niche by scanning any channel
- ✓Lightweight intel gathering without slowing down your browser
Use both together for the full picture
A common creator workflow: use OutlierKit's extension to browse competitor channels and spot outlier formats before deciding what to make, then use TubeBuddy to optimise the SEO and titles once your video is published. They solve pre-creation research (OutlierKit) and post-creation optimisation (TubeBuddy) — two stages of the same content process.
TubeBuddy on PC vs mobile
On PC (Windows, Mac, Linux), TubeBuddy runs fully in Chrome as a browser extension. On Android or iOS, Chrome extensions are not supported and TubeBuddy cannot run in the mobile browser. TubeBuddy offers a separate mobile web app at tubebuddy.com that provides keyword research and some analytics, but the browser overlay functionality — Videolytics sidebar, tag overlays, SEO scores on thumbnails — is not available on mobile.
See which videos are going viral before you create content
OutlierKit's free Chrome extension adds outlier scores to every YouTube thumbnail you browse — no account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the TubeBuddy Chrome extension free?
Yes, TubeBuddy has a free tier that never expires. The free extension shows basic video overlays and a limited version of the Videolytics sidebar. More advanced features — SEO Studio, full Keyword Explorer, A/B testing, bulk tools — require a paid plan starting at $9/mo (Pro) or $19/mo (Star).
How do I add TubeBuddy extension to Chrome?
Open the Chrome Web Store and search for "TubeBuddy for YouTube" or go directly to the official listing (search for the extension with 15M+ users, published by TubeBuddy, Inc.). Click "Add to Chrome", confirm the permissions dialog, then navigate to YouTube.com. The extension will activate automatically.
Does TubeBuddy have a Chrome extension for Android or mobile?
No. Chrome extensions do not run in mobile browsers, including Chrome for Android. TubeBuddy's overlay features only work in desktop Chrome (and Firefox, where a separate addon is available). On mobile, TubeBuddy directs users to its web app at tubebuddy.com, which offers some of the same research tools without the browser overlay functionality.
What does the TubeBuddy Chrome extension show on YouTube?
On video pages it shows a Videolytics sidebar with views, comments, likes, SEO score, and channel stats. It adds color-coded tag overlays showing competition levels and rankings. In YouTube Studio it adds panels for keyword research, SEO scoring, A/B testing (Star plan), bulk editing, competitor comparison, and best-time-to-publish recommendations.
What is TubeBuddy's official website and Chrome extension link?
TubeBuddy's official website is tubebuddy.com. The official Chrome extension is listed on the Chrome Web Store under the publisher TubeBuddy, Inc., with 15M+ users and a 4.5/5 rating. Any other listing, cracked version, or unofficial download is not from TubeBuddy and should be avoided.
Is there a TubeBuddy Chrome extension crack or free premium version?
No legitimate crack exists, and using one would be dangerous. Modified extensions submitted to browsers other than the official Chrome Web Store can contain malware, steal your Google account credentials, or inject spam links into your YouTube content. TubeBuddy does offer a genuinely free tier through the official store. If cost is a concern, the free tier covers basic overlays, and channels under 1,000 subscribers get 50% off paid plans. OutlierKit's Chrome extension is a completely separate, completely free tool that adds outlier scoring to YouTube thumbnails — no account required.
What is TubeBuddy Pro latest version in Chrome extension?
TubeBuddy updates its Chrome extension regularly through the Chrome Web Store auto-update system. You do not manually install new versions — Chrome handles updates automatically. To see the current installed version, go to chrome://extensions in your browser, find TubeBuddy, and the version number is listed there. The Pro subscription tier ($9/mo or $6.30/mo annual) unlocks SEO Studio, Keyword Explorer, tag rankings, thumbnail generator, and best time to publish.
How does the OutlierKit extension compare to TubeBuddy for Chrome?
They solve different problems. TubeBuddy is an SEO and workflow tool: it helps you optimise videos you have already created through keyword research, tag analysis, and A/B testing. OutlierKit's free Chrome extension is an outlier detection tool: it overlays colour-coded performance multipliers (2.0x+, 1.0x–2.0x, below 1.0x) on every YouTube thumbnail so you can immediately see which videos are outperforming their channel's average while you browse. TubeBuddy cannot show this. Many creators use both.
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