YouTube engagement rate calculator
Engagement rate is likes plus comments, divided by views. Enter a video's numbers to get its rate and see where it ranks among 4,849 uploads from the biggest YouTube channels, measured in October 2026.
- Free, no sign-up
- Benchmarks from 4,849 real uploads
- Measured October 30, 2026
What's a good engagement rate?
Our YouTube engagement rate study read the views, likes and comments of every upload that 83 of the most-subscribed channels posted from October 1 to 28, 2026. The typical channel's regular video got 0.82% and its typical Short 1.52%. The table and the calculator compare a video with each of those channels' typical video, so a rate equal to the typical channel's sits at the 50th percentile.
| Where a channel sits | Regular videos | Shorts |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile (a quarter of channels below) | 0.55% | 1.16% |
| 50th percentile (the typical channel) | 0.82% | 1.52% |
| 75th percentile (a quarter above) | 2.15% | 2.66% |
| 90th percentile (a tenth above) | 2.97% | 3.74% |
How the rate is worked out
(Likes + comments) ÷ views × 100, the definition most creator tools use. Shares, saves and dislikes are visible only to the channel owner, so they can't go into a public rate. In the study a video's rate barely changed between one and thirty days after upload, so a rate read a few days in is a fair guide; compare Shorts with Shorts.
Since August 24, 2026, YouTube counts a view the moment any video starts to play, autoplay included (YouTube Help). Rates on new uploads run lower than benchmarks from before then; the study compares the published benchmarks and explains why they differ. To lift the rate itself, the edit matters: a hook that pays off the title, a reason to stay to the end, and a question that invites comments. Our guide to the YouTube KPIs that matter covers what to watch next to it.
Sources: Mark Studios: YouTube Engagement Rate Study · YouTube Help: How engagement metrics are counted · YouTube Data API: Videos resource (statistics).
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Questions, answered.
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What is a good engagement rate on YouTube?
Against the biggest channels, a regular video above 0.82% beats the typical channel and one above 2.15% is in the top quarter, measured as likes plus comments per view in October 2026. Benchmarks drawn mostly from smaller channels run about three times higher on the same formula, so your own past videos of the same type are the fairest comparison.
How do you calculate YouTube engagement rate?
Add the likes and comments, divide by the views and multiply by 100. A video with 100,000 views, 2,500 likes and 150 comments has a 2.65% engagement rate. Shares and dislikes are visible only to the channel owner, so a public engagement rate can only use likes and comments.
Should I divide by views, impressions or subscribers?
Views, for comparing videos: it measures how many people who watched acted on the video. Impressions (times a thumbnail was shown) give a much lower number, and subscribers measure how much of your audience acts on each upload. Benchmarks use different denominators, which is why published averages run from about 2% to over 4%.
Why is my engagement rate lower since August 2026?
Since August 24, 2026, YouTube counts a view the moment a video starts to play, autoplay included, across Shorts, long-form videos and live streams. More plays count as views while likes and comments don’t change, so the same audience gives a lower rate. Your earnings still use engaged views.
Do Shorts get a higher engagement rate than videos?
On the biggest channels in October 2026 the typical Short got 1.52% and the typical regular video 0.82%. A Shorts view counts every play and replay, with no minimum watch time, so compare Shorts with Shorts. Pick Short above the calculator to compare against Shorts.
Want videos people finish and like?
Edits paced to hold viewers to the end, with thumbnails and titles that earn the click, and you work directly with Mark.
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