What’s the best free keyword research tool for YouTube?

General
1

I’m trying to grow a small YouTube channel and really need a reliable free keyword research tool to find low-competition, high-search terms for my videos. I’ve tried a couple of browser extensions and random online tools, but the data often feels inaccurate or too limited unless I upgrade. Can anyone recommend a genuinely useful free YouTube keyword research tool, and explain how you use it to optimize your titles, descriptions, and tags?

2

Short version. There is no perfect free tool. Use a combo.

Best free stack for YouTube keywords:

  1. YouTube search bar
    Type your main idea. Look at the autocomplete suggestions.
    Those are real phrases people search.
    Example:
    Type “excel tutorial”
    You get “excel tutorial for beginners”, “excel tutorial for accountants”, “excel tutorial pivot table”.
    Use long phrases, 3 to 6 words. Those are usually lower competition.

  2. YouTube “Search terms” in Analytics
    Go to YouTube Studio → Analytics → Content → under “How viewers found your content”, check “YouTube search”.
    You see real queries that brought views.
    Make more videos around terms where:
    • You already get some impressions or views
    • Your CTR is low, like under 5 percent, but impressions are decent
    • Your position is lower than 10 (if YouTube shows it)

That means demand exists and your video underperforms.
Make a better, more targeted video with that keyword in title, first line of description, and spoken early in the video.

  1. VidIQ free plan
    Browser extension.
    Use it for:
    • Keyword search volume (rough, but useful direction)
    • Competition score
    • Related keywords list

Ignore exact numbers. Treat them as “high, medium, low” signals, not precise data.
Look for:
• Search volume: medium or high
• Competition: low or very low

Example workflow:
Search “budget gaming pc”
Check related phrases like “budget gaming pc 2024”, “budget gaming pc under 800”, etc.
Pick ones with decent volume and low competition.
Then search them on YouTube manually and see who ranks. If top results are small channels, good sign.

  1. TubeBuddy free plan
    Similar to VidIQ. Use whichever you like more.
    TubeBuddy Keyword Explorer shows:
    • Search volume “Good/Fair/Poor”
    • Competition “Very Hard/Hard/Moderate/Easy”
    • “Overall” score

Again, treat scores as rough.
I usually:
• Aim for “Good” volume
• “Easy” or “Moderate” competition

  1. Google Trends
    Use “YouTube Search” tab in Google Trends.
    Check if a topic grows or drops.
    Good for:
    • Seasonal stuff (fitness in January, “back to school” in August, etc)
    • Picking between two topics
    Example: compare “obs tutorial” vs “streamlabs tutorial” with search type set to YouTube Search.

  2. Manual competition check
    Most keyword tools lie a bit. The best check is manual.
    Take your target phrase and:
    • Search it on YouTube
    • Look at top 10 videos

Check:
• How old are they
If top results are 3 to 6 years old, there is an entry point.
• How many views per month they get
Rough method
Total views / age in months
If videos are small or dead, lower competition.
• Are thumbnails and titles bad
If they look weak, you have space to beat them.

  1. Simple system you can follow
    Here is a workflow you can repeat for every video.

Step 1
Brainstorm 5 to 10 seed topics you want to talk about.

Step 2
For each seed:
• Use YouTube autocomplete to expand to long phrases
• Plug the best ones into VidIQ or TubeBuddy
• Save keywords with medium or high volume and low competition

Step 3
For each candidate keyword:
• Search it manually
• Check if there are videos with

  • less than 50k views
  • small channels
  • old uploads
    If yes, keep it.

Step 4
Pick 1 keyword as primary.
Use it:
• At the start of the title
• In first 100 characters of description
• In tags (secondary, but still helps a bit)
• Spoken in first 30 seconds of the video

Step 5
After a week or two, check YouTube Analytics search terms and CTR.
Double down on keywords where:
• Impressions grow
• CTR is 5 to 10 percent or higher
Those topics usually have strong match to audience intent.

Some extra small notes:
• Avoid super broad stuff like “fitness”, “gaming”, “cooking”.
Use “15 min dumbbell workout for beginners at home” type terms.
• Try to batch keyword research one day per week, then shoot based on list.
• Do not obsess over exact volume numbers, trends and manual checks matter more.

If you want only one free tool with some structure, pick VidIQ free and combine it with YouTube autocomplete and your Analytics. That covers 90 percent of what you need for a small channel.

3

If you’re hunting for “the one best free tool,” you’re kinda chasing a unicorn. @viaggiatoresolare already covered the obvious combo, so here’s some stuff that isn’t just repeating that.

I’d actually flip the question: instead of “best tool,” think “best data source.” Free browser extensions are basically guessing from scraps of data. The only places with real signals are:

  1. YouTube itself (beyond what was already mentioned)

    • Use the “Research” tab inside YouTube Studio (under Analytics ► Research).
      It’s basic, but:
      • Shows what your viewers are searching for.
      • Shows “Content gaps” where people search but don’t find many good results.
    • Those “content gaps” are basically low competition ideas that YouTube is literally begging someone to make videos for. That’s more valuable than any external tool telling you “low competition” with a fancy score.

  2. Reddit + niche forums as keyword goldmines
    Not a typical “tool,” but super underrated:

    • Go to subreddits around your niche.
    • Sort by “Top” past month / year.
    • Look at recurring questions and exact phrases people keep using.
      Those phrases become your long-tail YouTube keywords.
      If people keep asking “Why does X app keep crashing on Windows 11” that’s basically your title keyword right there:
      “Fix X App Crashing on Windows 11 | Simple Step by Step Tutorial”.

  3. Google Search Console… indirectly
    If you have even a tiny blog / site connected to the same topic as your channel, hook it to Google Search Console:

    • Go to “Search results” ► filter by your niche pages.
    • You’ll see search queries you already show up for on Google.
      Then create YouTube videos around those same long‑tail phrases.
      Those keywords already have proven interest and are often less competitive on YouTube than on Google.

  4. Pinterest search bar + Trends combo
    Weirdly useful for some niches (DIY, beauty, fitness, recipes, productivity, crafts, etc.):

    • Type your topic in Pinterest search. Look at autosuggest phrases.
    • They are often very “how‑to” oriented and long‑tail, perfect for YouTube titles.
    • Then plug those into Google Trends with “YouTube Search” to check which phrasing is growing.
      Pinterest = idea generator, Trends = sanity check.

  5. Real-time “search intent” test
    Every “keyword” should pass this manual test:

    • Take your idea and phrase it as a question your ideal viewer would actually type when annoyed, confused or trying to change something.
      Example: not “budget gaming PC” but “best budget gaming pc for 1080p 60fps”.
    • If you can’t imagine a real human typing it, it’s probably a vanity keyword.
      No tool fixes bad intuition. Your brain is still the strongest keyword engine you have, corny as that sounds.

  6. Where I slightly disagree with @viaggiatoresolare
    They lean a lot on VidIQ/TubeBuddy scores as “rough signals.” I’d say for small channels those scores can be more distracting than helpful. It’s easy to chase “low competition” that 10 other creators are also chasing because the tool told them the same thing.
    I’d put tools at step 3, not step 1:

    • Step 1: Audience + problems + questions.
    • Step 2: YouTube search, Research tab, your Analytics.
    • Step 3: Only then use VidIQ/TubeBuddy free to expand around ideas you already know are useful.

  7. Simple, no-fancy-tools workflow you can try for a month

    • Pick 1 main topic you want to be known for.
    • Spend 1 hour digging on Reddit / forums / comments under big YouTube channels in that niche. Collect exact phrases people use.
    • Check those phrases on YouTube manually. Look at:
      • Are top videos old?
      • Are thumbnails/titles kinda mid?
      • Are there gaps (e.g. no short, no updated 2024 version, no beginner version)?
    • Use that as your “keyword list” for 4–8 videos.
    • After 2–3 weeks, go into Analytics ► Research / Search terms and see which phrases actually bring you impressions. Double down there.

If you really need a name of “one tool”:
The closest I’d give you is YouTube Studio itself: Analytics + Research tab + search suggestions. Everything else is just supporting cast. Browser extensions are fine for brainstorming, but they’re not gods and they’re definitely not precise.

TL;DR:
Best “free keyword tool” is your audience’s actual language, surfaced through YouTube’s own data, Reddit, and other communities. Use extensions last, not first.