Changelog

NicheLens 1.0.0: first release

October 2026

Requirements: a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) or a Windows PC; a free YouTube Data API key; for Opportunity Checks, Claude Code (needs a paid Claude plan, Pro or higher, or API credits).

Look up any channel

Subscribers, views, upload rhythm, channel age, and an outlier ranking for every video. An estimated earnings range, always labelled an estimate. Shorts are read from YouTube's own Shorts list and priced and counted separately. Repeat lookups open instantly for 24 hours, with a one-click refresh.

Opportunity Checks, written by your own Claude

Rate a channel on four factors (originality, ease of entry, earning potential, momentum) and get one recommendation: worth a try, worth adapting, or not worth trying. Connect Claude in one click in Settings, with no terminal needed. Colour-coded results show on Recently visited and Rising Channels.

Find channels worth studying

Rising Channels, Similar channels, and side-by-side Compare, each showing its YouTube-quota cost before it runs. Similar channels has its own page and keeps your 500 newest searches; opening a saved one is free. Compare has a Clear all button.

Very large channels

NicheLens analyses the newest 1,100 videos of a very large channel and says so ("Analysed the newest N of M videos"). Subscribers, total views and video count stay the channel's own; the earnings estimate is rougher for such channels.

Search your saved results by asking Claude

Ask your Claude to find a saved Opportunity Check or Similar channels search, for example "find my Opportunity Check for @handle".

Niches

55 built in, with typical earnings rates. Editable, with CSV import and export.

Yours, and local

No account, no server, no subscription. A quota tally, an adjustable daily limit on Claude's lookups, an automatic safety backup before any update, and a Help & FAQ link in the app footer and in Settings.

Installing and updating

Installers are not code-signed; see the install guide. Quit NicheLens before installing an update; your data is kept. Updates for the whole 1.x line are free.