Chasing trends can be hard. Something seemingly insignificant can explode in popularity overnight. By the time you make a video on it, it’s way too late! Frustrating, right? But what if we told you that you can stay ahead of trends using the AI predictive algorithms? Let’s dive right into it!
Before we jump straight into the meat of today’s topic, let’s kill a common misconception: going viral doesn’t always mean chasing the biggest topic out there. One day, everyone is talking about Dubai chocolate, but the next thing you know, the most discussed topic is Labubu.
The trends shift more often than the weather. But following them doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly become popular. The thing about trends is that everyone tries to chase them to stay afloat and propel their content forward. Going viral isn’t always related to following the latest well-known thing, but it could certainly be a great way to gain more visibility in the eyes of YouTube’s algorithms.
Now, onto the topic!
1. 1of10
If your problem is that you’re always late to jump on some trends, 1of10 is the tool for you, because it targets the right enemy: speed. The way 1of10 functions is that it finds the videos that perform way above channel norms and uses those patterns to generate ideas, titles, and thumbnails.
At its core, 1of10 is a trend-discovery tool for YouTube creators who already understand the basics. The name already reveals a lot. 1of10 highlights videos that land in the top 10% of performance relative to the channel’s baseline. For example, a video on a mid-sized channel that went from 50K to 800K in a very short amount of time will often tell us far more about the audience behavior than a MrBeast upload doing exactly what we expect it to do.
So, how do creators actually end up using 1of10? It comes down to three distinct options:
- Before mapping out a script, you can scan for outliers in adjacent niches to see which formats, angles for the discussion, or narratives seem to be overperforming.
- Format Validation, aka if you’ve discovered that multiple unrelated channels see similar breakout behavior around the same, or similar idea.
- After using this tool, don’t just clone the topic you’ve already seen. You use it to understand the audience’s behavior and responses, but you still have to add your own identity unless you want your video to flop, because it would be lacking value.
Now, let’s dive into the pros and cons of this tool, from what we’ve tested and seen.
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Moreover, you have to remember that this tool can show you the raw data, but the interpretation is still up to you.
1of10 Pricing & Access
Now, let’s get into the things that people really want to know about. How much will it cost? Like many other AI tools, 1of10 operates on a subscription basis. The Basic version will cost you $49/mo (but $349 annually), and the Pro version will set you at $89/mo (or $588 if you’re willing to pay an annual subscription).
While there are two tiers, the more expensive one will only additionally grant you access to some AI functionality on top of the Basic plan, while the Basic model gets you:
- Outlier dashboards
- Channel and niche scanning
- An ability to bookmark specific videos
- An ability to track competitor channels for further analysis
What about the free or trial option to see if the tool really fits your style? The bad news is that 1of10 doesn’t offer anything like that just yet.
Source: Alec Wilcock
2. VidIQ
This tool is less of a specific ‘trend sniper’ and more of an ‘all-in-one’ tool. Where many other tools promise ‘growth hacks,’ VidIQ focuses on reducing the variable of uncertainty at every stage of content production.
So, what can it do and how does it function? It’s simple! VidIQ’s AI analyzes the search demand vs competition, helps you find keywords and whether or not they’re strong, helps you optimize titles & descriptions, shows you audience behavior trends based on real data, and tracks your videos after publishing.
It doesn’t give you a magic pre-packaged answer, but it does give you enough data to draw your own conclusions. Because of that, VidIQ has quietly become a default tool for mid-to-large creators, agencies, and channel managers.
How can it help you?
- It all starts in pre-production! Before even scripting out the idea you have in mind, VidIQ can help you see whether the topic is oversaturated.
- VidIQ’s AI can suggest great titles that can serve as a basis for your creation.
- After upload, VidIQ tracks CTR, velocity, channel’s engagement compared to your average. So, if a video underperforms, you can immediately find out why.
Of course, this tool, despite all the great uses for it, has its own perks and drawbacks. Let’s review them in detail!
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VidIQ’s Pricing & Access
This tool offers multiple tiers and includes the free plan (a test-drive) as well, which is great to see whether or not your style of content creation really vibes with it.
The free plan is, obviously, free. Moreover, it offers pretty simple perks that are meant as a test drive more than anything. You get:
- Basic keyword insights
- Limited analytics
- Trial access to the premium tools
Next up is the Boost Plan, which will cost you around $19/mo (with the possibility to save around $29 if you choose to get billed annually). By picking this plan, you get:
- An ability to identify keywords
- Personalized ideas
- Competitor insights
- AI Shorts clipping
- AI Thumbnail generation
- Access to masterclasses from top creators
- Keyword scores
- SEO optimization tools
Get VidIQ Pro for free!
Our partners get exclusive access to VidIQ Pro. Drop us a message to learn more.
But wait, there’s more! The most expensive plan is Coaching + Boost, which will land you at $199/mo (with an ability to save up to $1,200 if you choose to get billed annually). While the previous tier offered you tools, this tier offers you something even greater - your personal YouTube mentor.
What else can you get?
- Advanced, personalized coach matching
- Full access to VidIQ Boost tools
- 1-on-1 guidance + expert feedback
- Step-by-step growth plan
- Deeper competitor analysis and prio feature access
This isn’t the tool for an overnight success, but no tool can offer you that. But it will help you make changes and improve.
Source: Joseph Martin
3. Viewstats
A tool made with the support of MrBeast, a YouTuber who currently holds the title of the most subscribed creator on the platform. Viewstats is built around the same principle as the other similar tools, which is ‘collecting data’ to help other creators to stop guessing.
It doesn’t help you in optimization, but it does answer the question of why some videos explode while others don’t.
What does Viewstats actually do? At its core, this tool is a competitive intelligence and performance deconstruction tool. It analyzes YouTube through three main lenses:
- Velocity (how fast views accumulate)
- Relative performance (how a video performs vs channel baseline)
- Packaging (titles, thumbnails, timing)
The platform pulls apart top-performing videos and shows why exactly they work. It identifies the sudden spikes, unusual performance, and allows you to compare videos across channels and how fast views accumulate hour by hour.
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Viewstats’ Pricing & Access
So, just like other models, Viewstats operates on a paid subscription model with $50/mo for a basic tier and $249/mo for a Business tier. Both include:
- Access to velocity charts
- Competitive video analysis
- Channel-level performance comparisons
- Historical trend visibility
Source: JackSucksAtStuff
4. Velio
Velio markets itself as a tool that helps creators uncover proven viral ideas and trends using data, with unlimited searches, advanced filters, competitor tracking, saved videos, and mobile access.
This AI’s core promise is to find emerging topics, formats, and angles of discussion before they saturate feeds. To do that, Velio blends YouTube search behavior, audience interest shifts, and topic acceleration patterns.
The tool promises to give insights into:
- Search interests
- When adjacent niches are starting to overlap
- How to frame a topic
- Better hooks
Just as all the tools above, this one has its perks and drawbacks.
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Velio’s Pricing & Access
There’s a subscription model at work here. It offers only one tier that will cost you $35/mo for these perks:
- Unlimited searches and saves for the videos
- Advanced Filters
- Track unlimited competitors
- Chrome Extension & Mobile App
Is there a free trial to test out the features? Nope.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Right Tool
All four of these tools are tackling the same problem, so how do you pick one? Well, you lean into what works best for you and your content-making style.
And remember, making videos on trending topics is fine by itself, but it becomes an issue when you only chase trends instead of leaning into what interests you. There are three questions that you need to ask yourself before you jump into the next trend wave:
- Is this trend compatible with my content?
- Can I deliver a fresh perspective?
- Will the viewer enjoy the first 30 seconds, and will they have a reason to stay until the end?
If you can’t answer those, you need to review your strategy. And we will gladly help you! We have more than 3,000 channels' worth of experience under our belts and more than enough tools at our fingertips to make sure your channel finds success.
Now, to choose an AI tool that works for you, consider these questions:
- Is it intuitive? If you can’t find all the needed functionaries right away, it’s better to reconsider.
- Speed? Does it take forever to give you raw data? If so, skip.
- How well does it work in general? Are the insights correct? If not, well, you know the drill.
- How do your analytics look after a month of use? Are there any changes? Is it worse/better?
AI tools and their availability have changed the way creators approach content creation. It certainly makes it easier, but it still requires the human touch. An algorithm can only do so much, but a human brain is still needed for the final decisions/analysis.
Do you want to stand out from the crowd? Well, choose the tool that works for you and get to creating!
