Compare YouTube channels side by side

Paste two to four channels (links or @handles) and see them in one table: subscribers and lifetime views, but also what most tools skip, the median views of each channel’s recent uploads, how often they post, views per subscriber, engagement rate, Shorts share and their best recent video against their own median. Live data from the official YouTube API. Free, no login.

This free YouTube channel comparison tool answers one question: which channel is doing better right now, and why. Most people answer that with subscriber counts, and that is the weakest number on the page. Subscribers pile up over years and rarely fall much, so a channel that peaked in 2019 can still look bigger than a channel that is growing fast today. I have been on YouTube since 2018, and when I study a competitor I care about what their new videos get, how often they post, and which video broke out. So I built this tool around those numbers.

It is for three kinds of people. Creators who want to know where they stand against channels in the same niche. Brands and agencies who need to pick a creator for a sponsorship. And anyone curious about two big channels, say a tech reviewer against another tech reviewer. It is free, needs no login, and reads only public data through the official YouTube Data API.

How to compare two YouTube channels, step by step

1. Paste the channels. Use a channel link, an @handle, or a channel ID that starts with UC. Two channels are required, and you can add a third and a fourth. If you paste the same channel twice, it is counted once.
2. Press Compare channels. For each channel the tool reads its public stats (subscribers, lifetime views, public video count, creation date) and its 30 most recent public uploads.
3. Read across each row, not down each column. A star marks the leader on six metrics. Under the table, three short lines tell you who gets the most views on a typical upload, who uploads most often, and whose viewers react most per view.
4. Take the next step. Copy the whole table as CSV for a spreadsheet, or press Audit next to any channel to open a full channel audit for it.

Results are cached for about three hours, so if you run the same channels twice in an afternoon you will see the same numbers. That keeps the tool fast and free.

What each number in the comparison means

The table has twelve rows. Here is how each one is worked out, taken straight from the code that runs the tool.

In plain words: the first five rows describe the whole life of the channel, and the last seven describe only its recent uploads. The stars go to subscribers, total views, views per subscriber, median views, uploads per month and engagement rate. The other rows have no star because "more" is not better there. A channel with more Shorts or more videos is not winning anything.

A few details matter when you read the numbers. Live streams and their replays are left out of the recent uploads, so a channel that streams a lot may show fewer than 30 videos. Videos under 3 days old are left out of the median, the average, the engagement rate and the best video, because a new upload has not had time to collect its views yet. If a channel has fewer than 5 older videos, all its recent uploads are used. A video counts as a Short if it is 3 minutes or shorter, or 60 seconds or shorter if it was uploaded before 15 October 2024, which matches the date YouTube allowed longer Shorts.

The formulas with a simple example

Say a channel's last 7 settled uploads got 2K, 3K, 4K, 5K, 6K, 9K and 60K views. Put them in order and take the middle one: the median is 5K. The average is 89K ÷ 7, about 12.7K. The average is more than double the median only because of the 60K video. That 60K video is also the best recent video, and 60K ÷ 5K means it reached 12x the median.

Now say those 7 uploads span 35 days from the oldest one to today. Uploads per month is 7 ÷ 35 × 30 = 6. If the same channel has 50,000 subscribers and 10 million lifetime views, views per subscriber is 10,000,000 ÷ 50,000 = 200. And if its recent uploads got 89K views, 3,000 likes and 560 comments in total, engagement rate is 3,560 ÷ 89,000 = 4%.

A worked example: two big tech channels

To show how to read the table, here is a test run of the tool on 3 November 2026 with @mkbhd and @linustechtips. These numbers move every day, so yours will differ.

Here is what this table says in plain words. Linus Tech Tips has far more lifetime views and much higher views per subscriber, because it has posted thousands of videos over many years. But on new videos, Marques Brownlee's typical upload gets about 6.7 million views against about 1.9 million, roughly 3.5 times more. Linus Tech Tips posts more than twice as often, so its total monthly views are closer than the median alone suggests: 17.5 uploads at 1.9M each is about 33M a month, and 7.6 uploads at 6.7M is about 51M.

The average and median tell another story. For Linus Tech Tips they are almost the same (1.98M and 1.90M), so its views are steady from video to video. For Marques Brownlee the average is higher than the median, and the best video reached 4.2x the median, so one or two big videos lift the numbers. Engagement rates are close, 1.75% against 1.65%, which is too small a gap to mean much. A star only shows who is ahead. It does not tell you by how much.

Why median views beat subscriber count

There are three reasons, and two come straight from YouTube's own documentation. First, the public subscriber number is not exact. The Data API says the count is "rounded down to three significant figures" (channels resource). So 1,238,000 subscribers shows as 1,230,000, and two channels with the same displayed count can differ by thousands. If you need the possible range behind a rounded number, the subscriber count tool works it out.

Second, a channel can hide its subscriber count completely, and the API only tells you whether the count is publicly visible. Third, subscribers measure the past. YouTube shows a new video to whoever it thinks will watch it, subscribed or not. Its own help page on recommendations says creators often compare a video only within their own channel, while the system weighs it against everything a viewer might choose (YouTube Help).

A hypothetical case shows the point. Channel A has 900K subscribers and a median of 18K views on recent uploads. Channel B has 120K subscribers and a median of 45K. Channel B is stronger right now by a wide margin, even though A looks seven times bigger on its channel page. The median catches that. Subscribers hide it.

I use the median and not the average because one viral video can double an average. If a channel's average is far above its median, check the best recent video row: that one upload is carrying the numbers.

Is there a good views per subscriber ratio?

YouTube publishes no target, so be careful with any page that gives you one fixed number. This tool's views per subscriber uses lifetime views, so it rises with age and catalogue size. An old channel with thousands of videos will almost always score higher than a young one. That is why Linus Tech Tips beats Marques Brownlee on this row in the example above.

A more useful check for recent health is to divide the median views by subscribers yourself. Say a channel has 200K subscribers and a median of 30K views. 30,000 ÷ 200,000 = 15%, so a typical new video reaches views equal to about 15% of the subscriber count. Compare that percentage only between channels of a similar size, niche and format. Large channels and Shorts channels tend to show very different figures, so a single "good ratio" across all of YouTube does not exist.

Read the breakout multiple

The last row shows each channel's best recent video and how many times its own median it reached, for example "8.5x median". That ratio is the core idea behind TubeMind: a video that beats its own channel's normal is a signal about the topic and the packaging, not only about the channel. When a competitor has a 5x or 10x video, open it and study the title, the thumbnail and the angle. Then look for more videos like it with the outlier finder. My guide to what an outlier score means explains how to read these multiples.

A low multiple is information too. If a channel's best recent video is only 1.5x its median, its views are steady and predictable. That suits a brand that wants a safe expected reach. A high multiple means the channel can hit big, but you cannot count on it every time.

YouTube's current rules that change how you compare

The August 2026 view count change

Since 24 August 2026 YouTube counts a view from the first frame for every format: Shorts, long videos, podcasts and live streams, autoplay included (YouTube Blog). The older definition is now called an engaged view, and YouTube says analytics like click-through rate and retention, plus Partner Program eligibility, still use engaged views. So views on uploads after that date can read higher than the same audience would have produced before. This tool compares each channel's most recent uploads, so both channels are measured in the same period, which keeps the comparison fair. Just do not compare a 2025 screenshot with a 2026 result.

Subscribers and video counts

The API counts only public videos in the video count, even for the owner, and subscriber counts are rounded down. Lifetime views add up all formats together. These are YouTube's rules, and every public tool works with the same data.

Monetization

If you are comparing channels on the way to monetization, keep YouTube's current bar in view: 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days (YouTube Partner Program). The same page says updates to the Partner Program start on 1 February 2027, so check it for the latest terms. You can track your own hours with the watch time calculator.

How to pick fair channels to compare

• Same niche and audience. YouTube Studio already shows who your viewers watch: the Audience tab report lists "other channels your viewers consistently watched outside your channel over the past 28 days" (Understand your YouTube audience). Those are your closest competitors. No access to that report? Use similar channels to find them, then send them straight to this tool.
• Similar format mix. Compare a Shorts-first channel with another Shorts-first channel. The Shorts share row tells you if you are mixing two very different kinds of channel.
• One step ahead, not ten. If you have 5K subscribers, comparing with a 5M channel teaches you little. Pick channels two to five times your size in the same niche, whose last year looks like your next year.
• Active channels only. Check the last upload row. A channel that stopped posting months ago will show old numbers that no longer describe it.

Mistakes to avoid when comparing channels

• Judging by subscribers alone. As the examples above show, the bigger channel on paper is often not the one getting more views today.
• Reading only the average. One viral video can make a weak channel look strong. Always check the median next to it.
• Mixing Shorts and long videos. Shorts collect many quick views from the feed, so a Shorts-heavy channel will often show a higher median and lower engagement than a long-form channel. When the Shorts share rows are far apart, treat views and engagement as signals within each format only.
• Treating a star as a big win. A star goes to the top value even when the gap is tiny, like 1.75% against 1.65% engagement. Look at the size of the gap before you draw a conclusion.
• Comparing across different times. Two screenshots taken months apart, or before and after the August 2026 view change, are not comparable.
• Ignoring fake engagement signs. If a channel's views look high but likes and comments are close to zero, read how to check if YouTube views are fake before you trust the numbers.

How to read your result and what to do next

After a comparison I write down three things: the median I need to beat, the upload rhythm the leaders keep, and the topic of each channel's best recent video. That turns "they are bigger than me" into a plan for the next 90 days.

1. If your median is behind, study the leader's best recent video and the titles of its last ten uploads. The gap is usually in topics and packaging.
2. If you post far less often, see if you can raise your rhythm without dropping quality. A channel at 2 uploads a month and one at 17 are playing different games.
3. If your engagement rate is well behind channels of the same format, work on calls to action and topics that start a conversation. The engagement rate calculator shows where a rate sits against typical channels.
4. Run the same comparison again in a month to see if the gap is closing.

For brands choosing between creators

If you are picking a creator for a sponsorship, the median views row is your expected reach per video. It is far more useful than subscribers. Then check the engagement rate and the last upload date. A channel that has not posted in two months will not run your ad next week. Price the deal with the sponsorship calculator, and for a rough value of a whole channel, use the channel valuation tool.

YouTube Studio or a comparison tool: which should you use?

In plain words: Studio is the only place with private numbers, but it only shows your own channel. In Advanced mode you can add a comparison between your own videos or groups (YouTube Help). It cannot show another creator's channel. Checking channel pages by hand works, but working out a median across 30 videos for four channels takes a long time. A public tool does that sum in seconds. The best approach uses both: this table to see what works in your niche, then Studio to judge your own channel.

What this tool cannot show you

Public data has hard limits, and any tool that claims more is guessing. Click-through rate, average view duration, retention, traffic sources, audience countries and revenue are private to the channel owner in YouTube Studio. Here are the limits of this tool in particular:

• It reads the last 30 public uploads only. For a channel that posts daily that is about a month. For a channel that posts monthly it is more than two years.
• Shorts and long videos share one median. A channel that posts both gets a single mixed figure, so use the Shorts share row to judge it.
• Shorts are spotted by length (3 minutes or less), so a long-form video under 3 minutes counts as a Short.
• Engagement rate adds up likes and comments across all recent uploads, so videos with many views weigh more. If a channel hides likes, the row says "likes hidden".
• It shows no subscriber growth over time. It is a snapshot of today.
• Results are cached for about three hours.

Urdu / Hindi mein: do YouTube channels ka muqabla kaise karein?

Upar do se chaar channels ke links ya @handle paste karein aur Compare channels dabayein. Sirf subscribers na dekhein. Asal muqabla in cheezon se hota hai: nayi videos par median views (aam nayi video ko aaj kitne views milte hain), mahine mein kitni videos, har subscriber par views, aur engagement rate. Har cheez mein jo channel aage hai us par star lag jata hai. Subscriber count YouTube teen significant figures tak neeche gol kar ke dikhata hai, is liye woh poori tasveer nahin batata. Agar average median se bohat zyada hai to samjhein ke ek viral video numbers ko upar kheench rahi hai. Apne jaise size aur apni niche ke channels se muqabla karein, aur Shorts wale channel ko Shorts wale channel se hi milayein.

Questions

How do I compare two YouTube channels?

Paste both channel links or @handles above and press Compare channels. The tool shows subscribers, lifetime views, median views of recent uploads, uploads per month, views per subscriber, engagement rate, Shorts share and each channel's best recent video, with a star on the leader for each metric.

Is this YouTube channel comparison tool free?

Yes, free with no login. It reads only public data through the official YouTube API and stores nothing about you.

Can I compare more than two channels?

Yes, up to four at once. Each channel is read from the official YouTube API, using its public stats and its last 30 public uploads.

Which metric matters most when comparing channels?

Median views of recent uploads. It shows what a typical new video gets today, which subscriber count cannot, because subscribers build up over years and are rounded down in public data.

Should I compare average or median views?

Median. One viral video can double a channel's average, while the median shows a typical upload. If the average is far above the median, one hit is carrying the channel.

How is uploads per month worked out?

The tool takes the channel's recent uploads (up to 30, live streams left out) and divides their number by the days from the oldest of them to today, then multiplies by 30. A channel that stopped posting gets a lower figure because the days keep counting.

How is engagement rate calculated here?

Likes plus comments, divided by views, added up across the channel's recent uploads. Videos with more views weigh more, and if a channel hides its likes the row shows likes hidden.

Why does a smaller channel get more views than a bigger one?

YouTube shows each video to whoever is likely to watch it, subscribed or not. A smaller channel with stronger recent topics and packaging can beat a bigger channel whose audience has moved on.

Why are YouTube subscriber counts rounded?

YouTube's Data API returns subscriber counts rounded down to three significant figures, and channels can hide the count completely. Only the channel owner sees the exact number in YouTube Studio.

What is a good views to subscriber ratio?

YouTube has no official target. Lifetime views per subscriber grows with channel age, so for recent health divide median views by subscribers and compare that only with channels of similar size, niche and format.

What does the x median number on the best video mean?

It is the best recent video's views divided by the channel's median views. A video at 5x got five times what a typical upload gets, which usually points to a strong topic or packaging.

Does the tool count Shorts?

Yes. Shorts and long videos are counted together, and the Shorts share row shows the mix. A video of 3 minutes or less counts as a Short, or 60 seconds or less if uploaded before 15 October 2024.

Why are new videos left out of the median?

A video under 3 days old has not had time to collect its views, so it would pull the median down. If a channel has fewer than 5 older uploads, all recent uploads are used.

Did the August 2026 view change affect comparisons?

Since 24 August 2026 YouTube counts views from the first frame in every format, so new uploads can show more views than before. This tool compares each channel's latest uploads, so both sides are measured in the same period.

Can I see a competitor's watch time, CTR or revenue?

No. Click-through rate, watch time, retention, traffic sources and revenue are private to the channel owner in YouTube Studio. Any tool that shows them for another channel is estimating.

Can YouTube Studio compare my channel with other channels?

Studio Analytics compares only your own videos, groups and time periods. Its Audience tab does show which other channels your viewers watch, which helps you choose who to compare against here.

How do brands use a channel comparison?

Use median views as the expected reach per video, then check engagement rate and the last upload date. A channel that has not posted in weeks is a risky pick for a sponsorship.

How often is the data updated?

Each comparison reads live data from the YouTube API and keeps it for about three hours. Running the same channels again later in the day gives fresh numbers.

Do YouTube channels ka muqabla kaise karein?

Dono channels ke links ya @handle upar paste karein aur Compare channels dabayein. Subscribers ke bajaye nayi videos ke median views, mahine ki uploads aur engagement rate dekhein.

Related tools

• Engagement Rate Calculator: Engagement rate of any YouTube video or channel, compared with real benchmarks for the same category and format from TubeMind’s index.
• Channel Audit: A 0 to 100 score for any channel from public data: channel page, upload activity, views, engagement and recent metadata, with the three fixes that matter most.
• Similar Channel Finder: Channels like any channel: same topic and language first, with size, format and faceless filters, performance, CSV export and a side-by-side compare.
• YouTube Outlier Finder: Paste a channel or a keyword and get videos ranked by how far they beat their channel’s typical views, with confidence, views per hour and filters for date, length, channel size and language.
• Subscriber Count Checker: Any channel’s subscriber count from the YouTube API, the range the real number sits in, the next step and milestone with an ETA, daily history for tracked channels, and refresh.
• Channel Valuation: What a channel would sell for: profit × multiple, every factor shown, and what would raise the price.

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