Lately vs TubeBuddy (2026): Pricing, Features & Which to Choose

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

Lower starting price
Not comparable
Not comparable: Lately does not list a price
Free plan
TubeBuddy
Only TubeBuddy has one
Higher rating
TubeBuddy
3.4 against 4.4
Same job?
Yes
Both are Social Media tools

Side by side

Compared on	Lately	TubeBuddy
Our rating	3.4	4.4Better
Starts at	Not listed	$12/mo
Free plan	No	YesBetter
Category	Social Media	Social Media
Plans	See pricing	Free$0 Pro$15/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly Legend$32.99/mo, or $26.39/mo billed yearly EnterpriseQuote only
Key features	Repurposes long-form content (posts, transcripts, video, whitepapers) into social posts Kately, a chat-based agent for working with your content Hootsuite connection, so existing accounts stay where they are Learns from the performance of published posts Enterprise social content management	A/B testing for titles, thumbnails, descriptions, and tags against real performance data Bulk processing across many videos at once Free tier for standard use Operating since 2014 Roughly 50% discount for channels under 1,000 subscribers
Pros	Works from material you already own rather than generating new claims Connects to Hootsuite instead of demanding migration Built for enterprise volume rather than individual posting	A/B testing grounds optimization decisions in actual performance data Bulk tools save substantial time updating many videos at once Free tier available for standard use
Cons	Engagement optimisation drifts toward what performs, not what you meant Quote-based pricing with no self-serve entry Extracted posts need editing to avoid sounding like fragments	Less focused on suggesting new content ideas than vidIQ More advanced testing tools require a paid plan Optimization focus offers less value for a channel just starting out with no published videos yet
Company	Lately	TubeBuddy, founded 2014

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20260901. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is Lately better than TubeBuddy?

In our reviews Lately scores 3.4 and TubeBuddy scores 4.4. The better pick depends on the job. Lately: Turns blogs, transcripts, video and whitepapers into social posts, then learns which phrasings your audience engages with. TubeBuddy: Optimizes the videos you've already made, rather than suggesting what to make next.

Which is cheaper, Lately or TubeBuddy?

Lately: see pricing. TubeBuddy: from $12/mo.

Do Lately and TubeBuddy have free plans?

Only TubeBuddy has a free plan.

More comparisons

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TubeBuddy compared with

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