YouTube Engagement Rate Calculator
Enter your views, likes, and comments to calculate your YouTube engagement rate and see how it compares to 2026 benchmarks. Free, no signup required.
Free forever. No signup. Used by 2,500+ marketers in the MarketersClique community.
How to Use the YouTube Engagement Rate Calculator
- Enter the video's views, likes, and comments. For several videos, enter the totals across all of them.
- Add your subscriber count if you want a comparison against the median for your channel size. It's optional.
- Hit Calculate. You'll see your engagement rate, how it compares to the benchmark, and how often viewers comment.
- Use the result to compare videos on your own channel, not just against a number. Your own trend tells you more than any average.
How to Calculate YouTube Engagement Rate
Engagement rate shows how much of your audience reacts to a video. The formula:
ER% = ((Likes + Comments) ÷ Views) × 100
Worked example: a video with 25,000 views, 400 likes, and 45 comments has an engagement rate of (400 + 45) ÷ 25,000 × 100 = 1.8%.
YouTube uses views as the denominator because view count is the platform's real reach metric. A video can be watched by many more people than your subscriber count, which isn't true of a typical Instagram or X post. Subscribers still matter, but only for choosing the right comparison band. A 10K-subscriber channel and a 1M-subscriber channel shouldn't be judged against the same bar.
One note on consistency: our Instagram and TikTok calculators divide by followers. If you want a number you can put next to those, enter your subscriber count above and you'll get a subscriber-based rate too. Use the views-based rate for any YouTube benchmark.
What Is a Good Engagement Rate on YouTube?
These figures come from ThoughtLeaders' own October 2026 study of long-form videos (3+ minutes) published between late August and mid-September 2026. It's one dataset, so read it as a guide, not a law.
| Channel size | Engagement rate | Like rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10K-100K subscribers | 2.1% | 1.6% | 1 per ~370 views |
| 100K-1M subscribers | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1 per ~590 views |
| 1M+ subscribers | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1 per ~1,030 views |
Being above the median for your channel size is a good sign. Being well below it is worth investigating. Fewer than roughly 1 comment per 2,000 views suggests a mismatch, such as strong viewing but little reason to respond. Typical long-form videos get about 9 to 14 likes for every comment, so a ratio far outside that range is another clue.
Why Engagement Rates Changed After August 2026
On August 24, 2026, YouTube changed how it counts public long-form views. A view now registers when a video starts playing, instead of after a minimum watch time. Shorts moved to that approach earlier, in 2025. Because the denominator grew, the same audience behavior can produce a lower engagement rate. ThoughtLeaders estimates public long-form counts now run roughly 1.2 to 1.5 times the old basis in a video's first week. So don't compare a video from July to one from September and call the gap a trend. Compare videos from the same period, or note the date when you report a number to a client.
Engagement Rate for Shorts vs. Long-Form Videos
The formula is the same, but the benchmarks aren't interchangeable. The table above was built from long-form videos only. Shorts are swiped through quickly and count a view on every start or replay, so rates behave differently. Track your Shorts against your own Shorts history, and keep a separate baseline for long-form videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate YouTube engagement rate?
Add the likes and comments on a video, divide by its views, then multiply by 100. For example, 400 likes and 45 comments on 25,000 views is (400 + 45) ÷ 25,000 × 100 = 1.8%. The calculator above does it instantly and also works for several videos if you enter the totals.
What's a good YouTube engagement rate in 2026?
In ThoughtLeaders' October 2026 study of long-form videos, the median engagement rate was 2.1% for channels with 10K to 100K subscribers, 1.8% for 100K to 1M, and 1.9% for 1M+. Being at or above the median for your size is good. Being well below it is worth investigating. Treat these as one dataset, not a universal rule.
Does YouTube engagement rate use views or subscribers?
Views are the better denominator, because a video can reach far more people than your subscriber count. Subscribers are still useful for picking the right comparison band, since a 10K channel and a 1M channel shouldn't be judged by the same bar. Our Instagram and TikTok calculators divide by followers, so this tool also shows a subscriber-based rate for comparison.
Why did my engagement rate change after August 2026?
On August 24, 2026, YouTube changed how public long-form views are counted, so a view now registers when a video starts playing rather than after a minimum watch time. More views in the denominator can push your rate down even if viewers behave the same. ThoughtLeaders estimates first-week views now run roughly 1.2 to 1.5 times the old basis, so don't compare rates from before and after that date.
Does engagement rate differ for Shorts vs. long-form videos?
Yes, and the benchmarks above come from long-form videos of 3 minutes or more, so don't judge Shorts against them. Shorts count a view the moment a video starts or replays, which changes the math. Use the same formula for Shorts, but compare against your own Shorts history.
Is this YouTube engagement rate calculator free to use?
Yes, completely free with no signup. Calculate as many videos as you like. It's used by 2,500+ marketers in the MarketersClique community.
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