ShortsGate vs vidIQ, TubeBuddy, Social Blade & ViewStats
Prices checked on
vidIQ, TubeBuddy, Social Blade and ViewStats are broad YouTube growth, research and analytics suites. ShortsGate does one narrow job: it tells you whether your Shorts will clear YouTube's 10M views in 90 days rule from 1 February 2027, using the export you download from YouTube Studio. Here is what each tool offers and what it costs, read from each vendor's own pricing page.
What ShortsGate is built for
CH 01
Reads your Studio export
Drop the CSV (or ZIP) you export from YouTube Studio Analytics. ShortsGate adds up every rolling 90-day window from your own daily Shorts views. No channel connection, no account.
CH 02
Models the 15th-of-month measurement
YouTube measures the 10M Shorts views over the 90 days ending on the 15th of the month before the month being paid. ShortsGate shows which months you would have qualified and what each upcoming 15th needs.
CH 03
Views per day still needed
Because old days drop out of the window as new ones come in, ShortsGate works out the daily views you need from today to the next measurement, not just a flat 111,112 a day.
CH 04
Private and free
The file is read in your browser and never uploaded. The calculator, guides and multi-channel compare are free.
Plans and prices, side by side
USD list prices as shown on each official pricing page on 26 October 2026, before tax. Prices change and can differ by region; any price we could not confirm on the vendor's page is left out.
| Tool | What it is | Free option | Paid plans (checked) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShortsGate | A 10M-in-90-days Shorts calculator that reads your YouTube Studio export in the browser. | Free, no account | Pro forecast: coming soon, not on sale | Open it |
| vidIQ | A YouTube growth suite: keyword ideas, optimization suggestions, competitive intel and an AI Coach. | Free plan |
vidIQ lists these as one-channel US list prices and notes local pricing may vary. | vidIQ pricing |
| TubeBuddy | A channel management toolkit: SEO and keyword tools, content strategy, analytics and bulk editing. | Free plan |
TubeBuddy shows different prices in some regions; Pro was left out because we could not confirm its US price on the page. | TubeBuddy pricing |
| Social Blade | Public statistics tracking for creators across platforms, with favorites, top lists, report cards and historical data. | Free (ad-supported) |
| Social Blade pricing |
| ViewStats | A YouTube analytics suite for comparing your performance with competitors in real time. | Free account |
The Pro price is shown in local currency by region, so we left it out rather than quote a converted number. | ViewStats pricing |
Which one do you need?
If you want keyword research, title and thumbnail help, competitor tracking or bulk editing, those are what the suites above are built for. If your question is simply “will my Shorts views be over 10 million on the 15th that decides next month's pay?”, ShortsGate answers it from your own daily numbers in about a minute, for free. They work fine side by side.
Check your own channel in a minute
Drop your YouTube Studio export into ShortsGate. It runs in your browser; your file is never uploaded.
Open the 10M trackerFAQ
Is ShortsGate a replacement for vidIQ or TubeBuddy?
No. vidIQ, TubeBuddy, Social Blade and ViewStats are broad growth, research and analytics suites. ShortsGate does one job: it checks your Shorts views against YouTube's 10M-in-90-days rule from 1 February 2027, using your own Studio export. Many creators will use both.
Why does ShortsGate use a CSV instead of connecting to my channel?
So nothing about your channel leaves your device. You export the numbers from YouTube Studio yourself and ShortsGate reads them in the browser.
How current are the prices on this page?
Each price was read on the vendor's official pricing page on the date shown at the top. Prices change and can differ by region, currency and taxes, so check the linked page before you buy.
Sources
Official pricing pages, checked on 26 October 2026. Product names are trademarks of their owners; ShortsGate is not affiliated with any of these companies, YouTube or Google.