YouTube Engagement Rate Calculator
Use our free YouTube engagement rate calculator to check how engaged a creator’s audience really is. Try it for other platforms too:
Real data. Real performance.
With over 100 million creators continuously tracked, 100K+ rate submissions from creators, and millions of dollars optimized in ROI, 1stCollab offers the most trustworthy data set in influencer marketing.
See how the fastest-growing brands use 1stCollab to source creators, negotiate rates, and measure ROI, all in one platform.
How to calculate engagement rates on YouTube
The most common method to calculate YouTube engagement is to divide total interactions by subscribers. That’s the traditional formula, and it can be useful as a quick, rough benchmark.
But this subscribers-based approach is a remnant of the old “following feed” era, when reach roughly matched a YouTuber's follower count. Today, algorithmic distribution, decides who sees what content, and reach depends on performance, not audience size.
Traditional formula
Engagement Rate = (Likes + Comments + Shares) ÷ Subscribers x 100
This method reflects true viewer interest, not just how many followers the YouTuber has collected. It’s a fairer, more modern way to compare creators across different audience sizes and niches. This approach is increasingly becoming the standard across leading influencer platforms, as the industry moves toward measuring engagement based on true reach rather than follower count.
Modern method
Engagement Rate = (Likes + Comments + Shares) ÷ Views x 100
At 1stCollab, our team built and worked on the largest social algorithms ourselves, so we understand how engagement signals actually flow through recommendation systems. That's why we use (and recommend) a more accurate method: calculating engagement per view. Take the influencer's total interactions (likes, comments, and shares) and divide by total video views.
What are typical influencer engagement rates on YouTube?
When evaluating influencer performance on YouTube, engagement rate is one of the clearest indicators of content quality and audience connection. Rates vary by creator size, niche, and posting frequency. Smaller creators often see higher engagement because they maintain close relationships with their viewers, while larger channels trade slightly lower engagement for scale and consistent reach. Here’s how average YouTube engagement rates compare across different creator tiers.
While engagement rate is best calculated using views for accuracy, follower-based tiers are still the industry standard for classification. Most platforms, including YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, categorize creators by follower or subscriber count, which is why we use those tiers below for comparison.
Engagement rates below are calculated using a weighted average of long-form videos and Shorts.
Source: Aggregated 1stCollab creator dataset, analyzing over 100M creator profiles
FAQs
What affects a YouTuber's engagement rate?
There are three main factors:
Vertical or niche. Some niches naturally see higher engagement than others. For example, beauty, fitness, and lifestyle creators often average higher engagement than tech or finance accounts.
Content and consistency. Posting frequency, content relevance, storytelling, and how effectively a creator drives likes and comments all influence engagement.
Audience size. Smaller accounts tend to have higher engagement because their communities are more personal and interactive, while large accounts often see lower percentages as their reach broadens.
Is a low engagement rate always bad?
Not necessarily! Creators in certain niches (like tech or finance) naturally see lower engagement but higher purchase intent. And remember that controversial content often has higher engagement rates due to the comment frequency, but most brands prefer to stay away from this kind of content.
If I'm a YouTuber, how can I improve my channel's engagement rates?
To increase engagement on YouTube, creators should post regularly, craft compelling video intros that retain viewers, and prompt interaction through questions or calls to action. Responding to comments and using features like Shorts and Community posts can also boost visibility and viewer loyalty.
