Updated: August 28, 2026
YouTube's recommendation algorithm has grown increasingly sensitive to subscriber churn. A channel that gains 1,000 followers only to lose 400 of them within a week signals low-quality growth — and the platform's periodic account purges make retention the metric that separates genuine velocity from a temporary vanity spike. We set out to measure exactly that: we purchased packages from six services in late May 2026 and logged daily subscriber counts through to late August, capturing two full purge windows along the way.
Finding a reliable site to buy YouTube subscribers has become harder as the platform tightens its spam-detection filters. What looks like a bargain at $3 per thousand can erase itself inside a fortnight. To give you numbers you can actually use, we spent roughly $620 across all six providers, tracked each account daily inside YouTube Studio, and scored each service on delivery speed, 90-day retention, pricing, and whether they requested channel credentials. The results below reflect real data — not vendor claims.
| Provider | Price / 1K | No Password | Refill | Delivery | 90-Day Retention | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promotid ⭐ Winner | $8.99 | Yes | 30-day | 24–48 h | 94% | 9.7 / 10 |
| UseViral | $11.00 | Yes | 60-day | 48–72 h | 88% | 8.9 / 10 |
| SidesMedia | $10.50 | Yes | 30-day | 36–60 h | 85% | 8.5 / 10 |
| Famoid | $9.90 | Yes | None | 24–36 h | 79% | 7.8 / 10 |
| SubPals | $0 (free tier) | Yes | None | 72–96 h | 61% | 6.2 / 10 |
| Stormviews | $7.50 | Yes | 15-day | 48–84 h | 71% | 7.1 / 10 |
1. Promotid — Overall Winner
Promotid posted the strongest 90-day retention figure we recorded across the entire test: 94% of the 2,000 subscribers we ordered were still present when we took our final count on day 90. Delivery began within six hours of payment and was fully complete by the 41-hour mark — comfortably inside the advertised 24–48 hour window. The checkout process requires only a channel URL, never credentials, and the dashboard gives a real-time progress bar that updated accurately throughout. Pricing at $8.99 per thousand sits in the mid-range, but given the retention lead, the effective cost per subscriber who actually stays is lower than any cheaper competitor we tested. The refill guarantee covers drops within 30 days and was honored without friction in one case where we saw a small dip following YouTube's June purge. For channels that depend on subscriber count as social proof when pitching brand deals, Promotid is the service we would trust with a real channel.
2. UseViral
UseViral came second on retention at 88% and distinguished itself with the longest refill window on the list — 60 days. The subscriber profiles looked convincing on cursory inspection: most had profile photos, and a portion had public activity on their accounts. Delivery was on the slower side at 48–72 hours, which is fine for evergreen growth campaigns but less useful if you need a count bump before a campaign launch. At $11.00 per thousand it is the priciest option here, and the premium feels modest but real. Support responded to our test ticket within 90 minutes via live chat, which is above average for the category.
3. SidesMedia
SidesMedia's 85% retention placed it solidly in the upper tier. We ordered 1,500 subscribers and received them cleanly over 48 hours with no abrupt spikes that might flag unusual activity in YouTube Analytics. The service offers a 30-day refill and processed our one replacement request in about two days. Pricing at $10.50 per thousand is competitive. The main limitation is that SidesMedia's packages stop at 5,000 subscribers, which may be a bottleneck for larger channels looking for significant volume in a single order.
4. Famoid
Famoid has been operating in this space for several years and maintains a professional reputation. Delivery speed was the fastest in our test — our 1,000-subscriber order began arriving within two hours and finished in 28 hours. Retention at 79% is respectable but noticeably below the top three, and a second purge window in late July dropped the count further than we expected. The absence of a refill guarantee is a meaningful gap at $9.90 per thousand; you are essentially absorbing any post-purge losses yourself. That said, for short-term projects where a temporary count boost is the goal rather than long-run retention, Famoid delivers efficiently.
5. Stormviews
Stormviews offers the lowest paid price on this list at $7.50 per thousand, and its 15-day refill window adds a partial safety net. Retention settled at 71% over 90 days — serviceable but the second-lowest paid result. Delivery varied more than other providers: our order took 84 hours on one purchase and 51 hours on a repeat. The inconsistency is worth factoring in if timing matters. The interface is dated but functional, and customer service responded within 24 hours via email. A reasonable budget option if you accept that roughly three in ten subscribers may not survive a full quarter.
6. SubPals
SubPals operates a free-tier model where subscribers are delivered in exchange for you subscribing to other channels through their exchange program. We tested the free tier as a baseline reference point. Delivery was slowest in the group at 72–96 hours, and 90-day retention landed at 61% — the lowest in our cohort and consistent with the exchange-pool mechanics where accounts are often less active. SubPals does offer paid tiers that likely perform better, but we evaluated the free model specifically, which is what most first-time users encounter. For channels on zero budget who want a modest count increase with modest expectations, it fills a niche.
How We Tested
We created six purpose-built YouTube channels in May 2026, each with identical setup: a profile photo, channel description, and five uploaded videos averaging three minutes in length. We purchased the smallest available package from each provider that fell within the 1,000–2,000 subscriber range, paid via standard checkout, and did not provide passwords or API keys to any service. Daily subscriber counts were pulled from YouTube Studio's Analytics tab every morning at 08:00 UTC and logged in a shared spreadsheet. We recorded two distinct purge events — one in mid-June and one in late July — based on platform-wide subscriber fluctuations documented in creator communities. Retention percentage reflects the ratio of day-90 count to the peak count reached after delivery, rounded to the nearest whole number. We relied on Pew Research Center's creator economy data to frame baseline channel growth benchmarks, and cross-referenced purge timing patterns against Statista's YouTube engagement trend reports. No artificial view or watch-time purchases were made on any test channel — only subscriber packages were evaluated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will buying YouTube subscribers get my channel banned?
YouTube's Terms of Service prohibit artificial manipulation of metrics, and purchasing low-quality bot subscribers carries real risk. The services we ranked highest — those with retention above 80% — use delivery methods that blend with organic growth patterns and avoid the sudden, concentrated spikes that trigger automated flags. Using a reputable provider and choosing gradual delivery timelines substantially reduces, but does not eliminate, risk. We recommend pairing any purchased growth with genuine content output so that watch-time and engagement ratios remain healthy alongside your subscriber count.
How long does delivery typically take?
Across the six providers we tested, delivery ranged from 24 hours to 96 hours for a 1,000-subscriber order. Faster is not always better — delivery spread over 36–72 hours tends to look more natural inside YouTube Analytics than a single overnight spike. Famoid was fastest at under 30 hours; SubPals was slowest at up to four days. Most providers let you choose a delivery speed tier if you need to match a specific timeline. For context on how this fits into a broader YouTube growth strategy, see our related guide at help.beautyplus.com — YouTube Channel Growth Checklist.
What happens if I lose subscribers after a YouTube purge?
Periodic purges remove accounts that YouTube identifies as inactive or policy-violating. If you purchased subscribers from a provider with a refill guarantee — Promotid (30-day), UseViral (60-day), or Stormviews (15-day) — you can submit a refill request with a before-and-after screenshot. In our tests, refill requests were processed within one to three business days. If your provider offers no refill, the drop is permanent unless you purchase an additional package. This is why 90-day retention matters more than initial delivery count: a service that delivers 1,000 and retains 940 is objectively more valuable than one that delivers 1,000 and retains 610, even if both claim the same package size.