Data Report
State of Developer YouTube
Q1 2026 · 3,575 channels · 132.2K videos · 57 technologies
Published March 19, 2026
Key Findings
AI Is Eating Developer Education
22.4% of all developer education channels are now focused on AI & Vibe Coding, making it the largest category.
AI Everywhere
11.6% of Data Science & ML channels mention AI tools in their videos — even outside the AI category, AI is becoming a core topic.
The Engagement Sweet Spot
500K-1M channels have the highest average engagement at 3.44%, while 1K-10K channels average 2.64%. Bigger audiences drive more interaction in dev education.
The 1% Rule
The top 1% of channels (36 creators) hold 36% of all subscribers in the ecosystem.
Most-Taught Technology
Excel leads with 1.8K video mentions across 133 creators.
Sponsorship Opportunity
Game Development has 3.42% avg engagement but only 5.4% of channels have sponsors — a gap for brands.
Platinum Is Rare
Only 0.9% of channels (31) achieve Platinum CreatorScore (≥70), combining high reach, engagement, activity, and partnership readiness.
1. The Landscape
Developer education on YouTube spans 9 categories, with 3,575 channels reaching 403.9M subscribers.
Channels by Category
Channel Size Distribution
| Tier | Channels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1K-10K | 1,885 | 52.7% |
| 10K-100K | 1,108 | 31% |
| 100K-500K | 418 | 11.7% |
| 500K-1M | 79 | 2.2% |
| 1M+ | 85 | 2.4% |
Activity & Growth
Upload Frequency
| Frequency | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| daily | 366 | 10.2% |
| weekly | 835 | 23.4% |
| bi-weekly | 468 | 13.1% |
| monthly | 603 | 16.9% |
| sporadic | 915 | 25.6% |
| unknown | 388 | 10.9% |
Growth Trends
| Trend | Channels |
|---|---|
| rising | 163 |
| stable | 2,185 |
| declining | 0 |
| unknown | 1,227 |
2. Technology Rankings
Technologies ranked by video mentions across 3,575 channels. Mentions are counted from video titles scanned during enrichment.
Top Technologies by Video Mentions
Fastest-Growing Technologies (Q1 2026)
Month-over-month growth in video title mentions across 15,387 videos published in Q1 2026.
| Technology | Group | Total Mentions | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| GraphQL | backend | 11 | 0% |
| PostgreSQL | backend | 117 | -32.5% |
| OpenClaw | ai-ml | 202 | -36.4% |
| Google Cloud | cloud-devops | 56 | -44.4% |
| OpenAI Codex | ai-ml | 104 | -66.7% |
| Spring Boot | backend | 149 | -68.8% |
| Tailwind CSS | web-frontend | 82 | -69.8% |
| System Design | cs-interview | 75 | -71% |
| Next.js | web-frontend | 188 | -74.7% |
| PyTorch | ai-ml | 15 | -75% |
| Java | web-backend | 361 | -76.1% |
| SQL & Databases | web-backend | 643 | -76.9% |
| PHP | web-backend | 296 | -77.7% |
| FastAPI | backend | 81 | -78.6% |
| Kubernetes | cloud-devops | 135 | -79% |
3. The AI Coding Explosion
of all developer education channels are now in the AI & Vibe Coding category — the single largest category with 800 channels and 110.5M subscribers.
Top AI Tools by Video Mentions
| Tool | Video Mentions |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT & LLMs | 1.3K |
| Claude Code | 253 |
| Cursor AI | 180 |
| TensorFlow | 176 |
| GitHub Copilot | 166 |
| OpenAI Codex | 74 |
| PyTorch | 66 |
| OpenClaw | 56 |
| Replit AI | 33 |
| v0 by Vercel | 30 |
AI Penetration into Non-AI Categories
Percentage of channels in each category that mention AI tools (ChatGPT, Cursor, Copilot, etc.) in their video titles.
4. Engagement Analysis
Engagement by Channel Size
| Tier | Channels | Avg Engagement | Avg Views/Video | Avg Sub Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1K-10K | 1,885 | 2.64% | 4.5K | +1.58% |
| 10K-100K | 1,108 | 2.98% | 11.5K | +1.55% |
| 100K-500K | 418 | 3.23% | 39.3K | +1.41% |
| 500K-1M | 79 | 3.44% | 130.9K | +1.51% |
| 1M+ | 85 | 3.06% | 333.8K | +0.72% |
Upload Frequency vs Growth
| Frequency | Channels | Avg Sub Growth | Avg View Growth | Avg Engagement | % Rising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| daily | 366 | +2.22% | +6.24% | 3.36% | 8.7% |
| weekly | 835 | +2.23% | +3.9% | 3.47% | 8.4% |
| bi-weekly | 468 | +1.95% | +2.95% | 3.45% | 5.8% |
| monthly | 603 | +1.47% | +1.91% | 3.2% | 3.8% |
| sporadic | 915 | +0.46% | +0.91% | 2.71% | 1.1% |
5. Creator Quality Tiers
Every channel receives a CreatorScore (0-100) based on five dimensions: Reach, Engagement, Activity, Partnership readiness, and Growth.
Tier Distribution
Tier Comparison
| Tier | Avg Score | Avg Subs | Avg Engagement | Reach | Engagement | Activity | Partnership | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| platinum | 72.6 | 2.0M | 4.61% | 88.8 | 71.1 | 92.1 | 13.5 | 37.5 |
| gold | 57 | 298.6K | 4.38% | 60.1 | 56.5 | 84.5 | 7.8 | 29.1 |
| silver | 38.8 | 38.7K | 3.05% | 45.5 | 45.2 | 42.4 | 5.3 | 26.6 |
| bronze | 24 | 36.2K | 1.18% | 30.8 | 20.7 | 24.1 | 3.4 | 31.6 |
Top Platinum Creators
| Channel | Category | Subscribers | Score | Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Level @lowleveltv | Computer Science | 1.0M | 80 | 4.24% |
| JR Tutorials @jrtutorials | Data Science & ML | 2.3M | 78 | 8.35% |
| Willjum @willjum | Web Development | 1.9M | 77 | 3.54% |
| spoonkid2 @spoonkid2169 | Web Development | 1.1M | 76 | 2.44% |
| Devin Caherly @devincaherly | AI & Vibe Coding | 5.7M | 76 | 1.58% |
| Fireship @fireship | AI & Vibe Coding | 4.1M | 74 | 4.36% |
| CodeWithHarry @codewithharry | Web Development | 9.5M | 74 | 4.53% |
| Digital Car Addict @digitalcaraddict | DevOps & Cloud | 617.0K | 74 | 5.64% |
| Apna College @apnacollegeofficial | Data Science & ML | 7.5M | 74 | 4.46% |
| Alberta Tech @albertatech | AI & Vibe Coding | 410.0K | 74 | 3.02% |
6. Video Analysis
Analysis of 15,387 videos published during Q1 2026.
Performance by Duration
| Duration | Videos | Share | Avg Views | Median Views |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-1 min (Shorts) | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 |
| 1-5 min | 4,049 | 26.3% | 17.0K | 632 |
| 5-15 min | 5,174 | 33.6% | 8.3K | 489 |
| 15-30 min | 2,714 | 17.6% | 13.1K | 777 |
| 30-60 min | 1,764 | 11.5% | 9.7K | 558 |
| 60+ min | 1,686 | 11% | 29.9K | 903 |
Best Publish Day
| Day | Videos | Avg Views |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 1,513 | 13.9K |
| Monday | 2,309 | 9.5K |
| Tuesday | 2,302 | 15.6K |
| Wednesday | 2,353 | 12.4K |
| Thursday | 2,570 | 15.4K |
| Friday | 2,454 | 13.1K |
| Saturday | 1,886 | 18.6K |
Top Videos of Q1 2026
| Title | Channel | Views | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| We packed TOTY 🇫🇷Dembélé | Devin Caherly | 7.5M | 2026-01-24 |
| NEW Raspberry Pi AI Hat Is a Massive Upgrade | NetworkChuck | 3.5M | 2026-01-15 |
| AI-Powered DevOps with AWS-Live Course V3 | Telusko | Telusko | 3.4M | 2026-01-15 |
| My Best TOTY Pulls🤯 | Devin Caherly | 3.1M | 2026-02-26 |
| Learn Country Flags - 2026 geography🤩🌍🎵✅ 18.01.2026. | Code Vibes | 3.1M | 2026-01-18 |
| Minor in AI & Gen AI - 2026 | Learn AI the Right Way | Vizuara | 2.8M | 2026-01-20 |
| Learn Country Flags - 2026 geography🤩🌍🎵✅ 12.01.2026. Be Smart #part2 | Code Vibes | 2.7M | 2026-01-13 |
| Minor in AI and GenAI 2026 - By MIT, Purdue PhDs | Vizuara | 2.5M | 2026-01-07 |
| AI-Powered DevOps with AWS-Live Course V3 | Telusko | Telusko | 2.4M | 2026-01-27 |
| Learn Country Flags - 2026 geography🤩🌍🎵✅ 15.01.2026. Be Clever | Code Vibes | 2.3M | 2026-01-15 |
7. Rising Stars
The fastest-growing active channels with under 100K subscribers. These are the breakout creators to watch.
| # | Channel | Category | Subscribers | 30d Growth | Top Tech | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Code Cruise @thecodecruise | AI & Vibe Coding | 8.0K | +117.6% | — | 44 |
| 2 | CodeWithMuh | AI Automation @codewithmuh | AI & Vibe Coding | 10.3K | +115.5% | — | 49 |
| 3 | Matt Maher @metalsole | AI & Vibe Coding | 48.3K | +77.6% | — | 66 |
| 4 | Sean Matthew @seanmatthewai | AI & Vibe Coding | 8.4K | +73.2% | — | 59 |
| 5 | Pocketful of AI @pocketfullabs | AI & Vibe Coding | 3.6K | +70.4% | — | 51 |
| 6 | Cloud With VarJosh @cloudwithvarjosh | Data Science & ML | 8.2K | +56% | — | 61 |
| 7 | Keith AI @learnaiautomation | AI & Vibe Coding | 7.7K | +54.9% | — | 61 |
| 8 | Build at Scale @buildatscale | AI & Vibe Coding | 1.6K | +52.3% | — | 52 |
| 9 | Burke Holland @burkeholland | AI & Vibe Coding | 99.0K | +35.2% | — | 61 |
| 10 | AI Coding Daily @aicodingdaily | AI & Vibe Coding | 8.0K | +31.8% | — | 59 |
| 11 | Ankita Kulkarni @kulkarniankita | AI & Vibe Coding | 25.3K | +28.4% | — | 60 |
| 12 | SaaS That App by Delta Systems @saasthatapppodcast | Web Development | 13.2K | +25.7% | — | 46 |
| 13 | Composio @composio | Data Science & ML | 3.0K | +24.2% | — | 46 |
| 14 | NDC @noahdoescoding97 | AI & Vibe Coding | 2.8K | +23.8% | — | 50 |
| 15 | Agent Zero @agentzerofw | AI & Vibe Coding | 19.1K | +23.2% | — | 56 |
| 16 | Peter Yang @peteryangyt | AI & Vibe Coding | 73.7K | +22.2% | — | 62 |
| 17 | Coding Adda @coding_adda | AI & Vibe Coding | 7.7K | +21.8% | ChatGPT & LLMs | 46 |
| 18 | RegulayPython @regularpython | Data Science & ML | 5.7K | +21.1% | — | 49 |
| 19 | AI with Hassan @ai.with.hassan | AI & Vibe Coding | 11.8K | +20.9% | — | 58 |
| 20 | Nate IA | Vibe Coding Elite @nateaix | AI & Vibe Coding | 2.3K | +18.5% | ChatGPT & LLMs | 58 |
8. Sponsorship Landscape
Brands detected via SponsorBlock data and video content scanning across the entire channel database.
Most Active Brands
Sponsorship by Category
| Category | Channels | Sponsored | Rate | Unique Brands | Avg Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI & Vibe Coding | 800 | 97 | 12.1% | 24 | 2.93% |
| Web Development | 759 | 92 | 12.1% | 21 | 3.29% |
| Cybersecurity | 93 | 9 | 9.7% | 5 | 3.16% |
| Mobile Development | 214 | 18 | 8.4% | 11 | 2.84% |
| Computer Science | 291 | 23 | 7.9% | 11 | 3.01% |
| DevOps & Cloud | 293 | 18 | 6.1% | 14 | 2.57% |
| Data Science & ML | 640 | 35 | 5.5% | 15 | 2.71% |
| Game Development | 297 | 16 | 5.4% | 10 | 3.42% |
| Backend Development | 188 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0.19% |
Sponsorship Gaps
Categories with high engagement but low sponsor presence — opportunities for brands.
| Category | Avg Engagement | Sponsor Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Game Development | 3.42% | 5.4% |
| Web Development | 3.29% | 12.1% |
| Cybersecurity | 3.16% | 9.7% |
| Computer Science | 3.01% | 7.9% |
| AI & Vibe Coding | 2.93% | 12.1% |
9. Geography
Top Countries
| Country | Channels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| US | 1559 | 43.6% |
| IN | 840 | 23.5% |
| GB | 203 | 5.7% |
| CA | 136 | 3.8% |
| DE | 97 | 2.7% |
| PK | 79 | 2.2% |
| AU | 62 | 1.7% |
| NL | 44 | 1.2% |
| FR | 30 | 0.8% |
| BD | 29 | 0.8% |
| BR | 25 | 0.7% |
| PL | 23 | 0.6% |
| NG | 22 | 0.6% |
| ID | 18 | 0.5% |
| NO | 16 | 0.4% |
Top Languages
| Language | Channels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| en | 3488 | 97.6% |
| en-GB | 17 | 0.5% |
| en-IN | 17 | 0.5% |
| hi | 10 | 0.3% |
| fr | 6 | 0.2% |
| bn | 4 | 0.1% |
| id | 4 | 0.1% |
| ar | 4 | 0.1% |
| pt | 3 | 0.1% |
| te | 3 | 0.1% |
10. Platform Economics
The Power Law
Subscriber distribution follows a steep power law. A small number of large channels command the majority of the audience.
| Top % of Channels | Channel Count | % of Subscribers | % of Views |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 1% | 36 | 36% | 39.8% |
| Top 5% | 179 | 67.9% | 72.7% |
| Top 10% | 358 | 80.9% | 82.8% |
| Top 20% | 715 | 91.4% | 93% |
| Top 50% | 1788 | 98.5% | 98.8% |
Largest Channels
| Channel | Category | Subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| freeCodeCamp.org @freecodecamp | AI & Vibe Coding | 11.5M |
| CodeWithHarry @codewithharry | Web Development | 9.5M |
| Scary Teacher Family @scaryteacherfamily | Game Development | 8.4M |
| 3Blue1Brown @3blue1brown | Data Science & ML | 8.2M |
| Apna College @apnacollegeofficial | Data Science & ML | 7.5M |
Methodology
This report is generated from the Developer Educators dataset, which continuously tracks developer education YouTube channels through automated discovery, enrichment, and analysis pipelines.
- Channel Discovery: Automated YouTube API search across 9 categories and 141 search queries, running Mon/Thu.
- Video Indexing: 132.2K videos fetched via YouTube Data API, updated Tue/Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun.
- Technology Detection: Video titles matched against 30+ technology patterns using regex.
- Sponsorship Data: SponsorBlock API + video content scanning for brand mentions.
- CreatorScore: Composite score (0-100) across 5 dimensions: Reach (30%), Engagement (25%), Activity (25%), Partnership (10%), Growth (10%).
- Period: Q1 2026 (2026-01-01 to 2026-03-31). Video analysis covers 15,387 videos published in this window.
Report generated on March 19, 2026. Re-run with npm run report for updated data.