Did you know that YouTube has over 2.5 billion active users every month? So, Everyone wants to quickly grow on YT and make money but is it simple as it looks.
I saw a channel that started three months later than me and he has already reached 100K subscribers while I am at 1,200.
They are getting paid $8,000 per video, and objectively better content is being pushed to the side. What is wrong with me?”
That was me, two years ago, before I realized that most YouTubers who are successful won’t tell you this.
Enough with the fluff– in 2025, your subscribers are not just a number. It is the ticket to the algorithm’s VIP list for your videos.
I’ve been a part of the YouTube community for quite some time now and I have witnessed many talented people with great content get no views while channels with simple videos but a lot of subscribers prosper.
As of 2025, there are 125 million YouTube Premium subscribers who are enjoying ad-free videos.
At the same time, your competitors are not waiting for the growth to happen on its own accord. And yes, buying subscribers is just one of the many tricks that they are using to increase those numbers.
I wrote this guide because I am tired of the ‘Guru’ advice that tries to tell you that buying subscribers is not going on all around you.
After working with dozens of creators (and myself) in this grey area, I’m here to tell you everything you need to know about buying subscribers- the legal consequences, how YouTube catches them, and if it’s beneficial or not for your channel in the long run.
At the end of this article, you will know what to expect if you decide to buy subscribers and have other options that can help you get the growth you need without compromising your channel.
If you are sick and tired of watching objectively worse creators overtake you while your videos gather dust, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of purchasing YouTube subscribers and watch hours.
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YouTube ranks as the second most popular platform in the world with 2530 Million Users.
Summary
Did you know purchasing YouTube subscribers is legal but violates YouTube’s rules? It’s used by many creators to increase their numbers but it’s not as safe as it appears.
It can result in account suspension, fake engagement and lost money. This guide goes in depth about the risks, how YouTube responds, and if buying subscribers actually benefits your channel or harms it.
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What Does It Mean to Buy YouTube Subscribers?
Buying YouTube subscribers means paying a third-party service to increase the number of subscribers on your channel.
YouTube Shorts were watched 70 billion times a day on average in 2024 (Source).
These services are usually provided on a subscription basis, where you can pay for a certain number of subscribers, from several hundred to tens of thousands.
Here’s how it works-
You pay for a package- For example, 1,000 subscribers for $50.
It helps to attract new subscribers to your channel- These may be real people, fake accounts that have been created but are not active, or even fake accounts that are fully automated.
It is also important to understand that purchased subscribers are not really active and do not interact with the content. They are there to boost your views instead of engaging with your videos.
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Is It Legal to Buy YouTube Subscribers?
The short answer is- Yes and No- Both! It’s legal but unofficial.
There’s no law that prohibits you from Buy YouTube subs. However, legal doesn’t always mean allowed.
Despite this, the act of buying subscribers does not go against the law but rather YouTube’s policies as stated in the Terms of Service.
YouTube has it that any action to influence the viewership statistics including the views, likes, comments, and subscribers is prohibited.
Here is the summary of YouTube Terms of Service-
YouTube has strict policies against fake followers, likes, comments, and views. This includes buying subscribers or using third-party services to create activity.”
The following are some of the ways through which YouTube may react if they notice that you have bought subscribers-
Remove the fake subscribers- There is always a possibility to lose the purchased subscribers in a purge.
Penalize your channel- In extreme cases, YouTube may even disable your account or even cancel it.
Thus, while it is not against the law to buy subscribers, it is dangerous because it will not benefit your channel in the long run.
Is It Safe to Buy YouTube Subscribers?
Now that we know it’s legal but against YouTube’s rules, let’s talk about safety. Is it safe to buy YouTube subscribers cheap? That depends on several factors.
Possible Risks of Buying YouTube Subscribers and watch time-
Account Suspension- If YouTube finds out that there was foul play, then your account may suffer penalties or even termination.
Loss of Credibility- This can be a problem since there are people who can easily identify fake subscribers that may harm the reputation of your channel.
Low Engagement Rates- The subscribers who are purchased do not watch, like, or comment on your videos, which is not good for the channel.
Waste of Money- However, if the subscribers unsubscribe or are deleted by YouTube, then the investment is lost.
Scams- Some services are fake, they take your money and you do not get any results from the service that you paid for.
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How to Minimize Risks to Buy YT Followers?
However, if you still have a desire to buy subscribers, then here are some recommendations on how to reduce the risks-
Choose a reputable service- Search for providers with positive feedback on the forum and who have experience in delivering subscribers that look real.
Avoid bots- It is advisable to go for services that provide real, active users and not fake accounts.
Start small- First, use a small package to test the service and see if it is efficient.
Diversify your strategy- It is important to use the purchased subscribers as the addition to the organic subscribers rather than replacing the organic ones.
Does Buying Subscribers Actually Work?
Buying subscribers may help to make your channel look more popular but this is not a way to go when it comes to achieving success.
With an estimated 491 million YouTube users, India has more YouTube users than any other country. The U.S. comes in second place with 253 million users.
Here’s why:-
Pros
Boosts social proof- More subscribers mean that your channel will be more credible and you will gain more organic viewers.
Potentially improves discoverability- Some people think that the larger number of subscribers affects the algorithm of the platform, but this is still unproven.
Great for new channels- It can be useful to new creators to make their channel look more credible and professional.
Cons
Low engagement- Paid subscribers are not very active and this affects the engagement of the content that you post.
No real audience- These subscribers are not going to watch your videos or continue supporting your channel in the long run.
Algorithm impact- The algorithm of YouTube is based on engagement, which means that low engagement rates can harm your video suggestions.
Finally, the use of buying subscribers can be very effective for a short-term result, but it can hardly be considered as a long-term solution.
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What Are the Alternatives to Buying YouTube Subscribers
Do not spend your money on buying subscribers, try to grow your channel naturally. Here are some proven strategies-
- Create High-Quality Content
- The best content to post on this platform should be in the form of videos and should be entertaining, informative or motivational.
- Ensure that you use the right editing tools to make your videos more appealing to the eye.
- Optimize Your Videos for SEO
- Make sure to include keywords into your video titles, descriptions, and tags.
- Be Consistent
- It is recommended to post videos as often as possible to keep the viewers interested.
- It is important to maintain a content schedule to ensure that the viewers have confidence in the show.
- Use Social Media
- Share them on social media pages such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
- Promote your videos on other platforms to ensure that you have a large following on your YouTube channel.
- Collaborate with Other Creators
- Engage with creators in your niche to reach a larger audience.
- Promote each other’s channel through partnership.
- Engage with Your Audience
- Engage your viewers and respond to comments on your videos.
- It is also important to encourage the viewers to like, comment and subscribe to your videos at the end of the video.
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How YouTube Detects Fake Subscribers?
It is worth noting that YouTube’s detection mechanisms are not as effective as they used to be. Back in 2020, you could get away with a sudden subscriber spike.
Now? Their system is scary and good at spotting fakes.
This is how YouTube actually catches fake subscribers-
The biggest red flag is when your subscriber list increases but the engagement is not proportionate to the growth.
YouTube has the information about how many views, likes, and comments a channel with X subscribers in Y niche should receive. If those numbers do not add up, their system wakes up to the fact immediately.
They also track how subscribers actually behave. Real people watch many videos, possibly post a comment here and there, and have regular viewership habits.
Fake subscribers? Some of them subscribe and leave, while others stay and watch for three seconds only. These are rather easy for YouTube to detect as it is an artificial intelligence tool.
Every account on YouTube has an invisible “quality score.” Accounts created in bulk to sell as subscribers have super low quality scores because they don’t use YouTube normally.
Google (which owns YouTube) can even see if these accounts are active normally on their other platforms.
The location stuff is a dead giveaway too. If you’re a fitness channel from Miami suddenly getting 500 subscribers from Bangladesh in one day, that’s going to raise some massive red flags.
YouTube also does platform-wide cleanups a few times a year, purging fake accounts. That’s when you will see things like “YouTube subscriber purge” and people losing thousands of subscribers in one day.
In 2025, YouTube algorithms are already quite advanced, and purchasing subscribers is like setting a bomb for your channel.
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Types of Youtube Fake Subscriber Services and Their Safety Profiles
1. Bot-Generated Subscribers (Highest Risk)
What they are- These are the cheapest services, which are usually offered in the form of “1, 000 subscribers for $10-20”. They employ the use of bots to subscribe to your channel by creating many fake accounts on YouTube.
Risk level- Extremely High
Detection time frame- It is usually diagnosed within days to weeks.
Typical outcomes- Subscribers removed within 1-3 months, high risk of channel penalties
2. Click-Farm Subscribers (High Risk)
What they are- These services use people (from the developing world) to sit and subscribe to channels on behalf of various accounts they control. They typically cost $30-50 per 1,000 subscribers.
Risk level- High
Detection time frame- Usually flagged within 1-3 months
Typical outcomes- Partial subscriber removal, moderate risk of recommendation suppression
3. Incentivized Subscriber Networks (Medium Risk)
What they are- These services offer actual YouTube users minimal amounts of money for subscribing to channels. They are more costly than pay-as-you-go plans and can range from $100-200 per 1,000 subscribers.
Risk level- Medium
Detection time frame- Sometimes they escape immediate detection but generally suffer from poor engagement
Typical outcomes- The subscribers are typically fake and do not interact with the content at all, which results in highly doubtful statistics.
4. Audience Exchange Programs (Lower Risk)
What they are- These are services that require you to pay for a membership and become part of a group of creators who commit to subscribe to each other. These are usually charged within a range of $50 to $100 for membership.
Risk level- Moderate to Low
Detection time frame- Often not identified as fake subscribers but have low retention levels
Typical outcomes- More people unsubscribing and less engagement, but less algorithmic punishment
5. Growth Services with Targeting (Lowest Risk)
What they are- The premium services that employ ads and outreach to find people who might be interested in your content and become real subscribers. They are not cheap though, and would set you back between $300 and $500 for every 1000 subscribers.
Risk level- Low (but still against ToS)
Detection time frame- It is not easily flagged as fake but it is not as effective as organic growth.
Typical outcomes- While subscribers are often loyal, they do not interact as much as real fans do
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The Legal Status of Buying YouTube Subscribers?
First of all, it is necessary to answer the most significant question- Is the purchase of YouTube subscribers legal?
500 hours of content are apparently uploaded to YouTube (Source).
The answer is not quite as black and white as many articles would have the reader believe. After speaking with two digital media attorneys to get a clear understanding of this issue, here is the truth-
The Technical Legal Status-
In most countries, buying YouTube subscribers per se is not unlawful under either federal or state law.
You will not go to jail or be charged with a crime for purchasing subscribers. I have not found a law that says that it is unlawful to buy YouTube subscribers free.
But this does not make it immune to legal issues-
Terms of Service Violation- Buying subscribers is against YouTube’s policy since it means breaking the Terms of Service, which you agreed to when you created the YouTube channel. In particular, Section 4.H of YouTube’s ToS states that one cannot artificially increase the number of views, likes, or subscribers.
Potential Civil Liability- If you are using purchased subscribers to monetize a channel, then you could be on the wrong side of the law when signing up for sponsorship or partnership programs that rely on metrics.
FTC Compliance Issues- The FTC has been paying more attention to fraudulent activities on the Internet. Lying about the actual number of viewers that tune into your channel could be a violation of the Federal Trade Commission’s rules against false advertising.
Contract Law Complications- It has become common to find influencer contracts that contain provisions on audience authenticity. Their violation can lead to legal consequences from business partners.
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Do YT Purchased Subscribers Actually Help?
Now let’s get to what you really need to know- is the purchase of subscribers beneficial and worthwhile? This is what I have noticed in my own channels and in dozens of other channels that I have collaborated with-
What Actually Matters on YouTube-
When it comes to ROI, let’s put subscriber count out of the picture for a moment. These are the metrics that define the success of your channel or its failure:-
- Click-Through Rate (CTR)- Do viewers click on the video when they are recommended a video on YouTube?
- Watch Time- To answer this question, it is necessary to determine the average time that viewers spend on the site and the average time spent by viewers on the site.
- Recommendation Count- How frequently are your videos appearing in front of the users of YouTube?
- Subscriber-to-View Conversion- How many of your subscribers are actually able to watch when you post?
When Buying Youtube Subscribers Might Actually Make Sense?
There are really only three situations where I’ve seen purchased subscribers (from quality services) actually provide positive ROI-
Getting past the ‘nobody watches this’ hump- When you have less than 1000 subscribers, the viewers are not willing to subscribe- it is like in an empty restaurant. Sometimes, the transition from 200 to 2,000 may be the key to breaking this psychological barrier. However, the content of your site still has to be good.
After losing a bunch of subscribers- If you had a controversy or YouTube did a purge and you lost a lot of subscribers, sometimes a boost helps recover momentum. But it’s just a band-aid.
Meeting specific partnership thresholds- Some brands do not even consider you below a certain number of subscribers. If achieving that number opens up opportunities that are worth more than the cost and risk, then it is mathematically rational.
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How to Recover if You've Already Purchased Fake Subscribers?
If you already have bought subscribers and are worried about the penalties or you just need to get your channel back on track and start growing at a reasonable pace, here is the plan that helped many of our clients-
1. Immediate Damage Control
Stop All Artificial Growth Services- Stop any services that are subscribed by the client at the time of the termination of the contract. Thus, continuing to add fake subscribers while trying to recover only aggravates the situation.
Don’t Delete and Restart- A lot of creators get scared and delete their channel and start all over again. This is counterproductive since all the watch time and audience information are wiped out completely.
Audit Your Analytics- Identify the time when the number of organic metrics and the number of subscribers started to differ. This allows one to know which content was popular before the distortion by artificial traffic made it difficult to determine the actual figures.
Accept Subscriber Loss- It is important to realize that subscriber purges are still possible. Never get frustrated with the drops in count – they are just part of the process of correction.
2. Medium-Term Recovery Strategy
Engagement-Focused Content Push- Come up with 3-5 videos that are meant to be popular among your real subscribers.
Community Transparency- It is also advisable to be honest with the audience and tell them that you want more of their interaction. Even a message such as “I want to get closer to my real fans” can wake up a lot of inactive genuine viewers.
Implement Subscriber Reactivation Sequences- Make content that is relevant to the earlier subscribers or the ones that have been subscribed for a longer period. It is also possible to reference previous videos, repeat the popular topics, or create a “part 2” content to attract the authentic subscribers.
Patience With Algorithm Recovery- It is important to understand that algorithm recovery is not something that happens instantly. It will take 3-6 months of steady posting to see a consistent stream of recommendations from the system to adjust to your channel.
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Conclusion
After seven years of helping YouTube creators grow their channels and directly observing the outcomes of various growth strategies, I think the short-term boost is rarely worth the long-term complications it creates.
In almost every case, channels that focused on legitimate growth strategies outperformed similar channels that opted for purchased subscribers- even when those purchases initially seemed to help.
The most successful creators I have worked with have the following attributes-
- Content-First Mentality- They are more focused on producing great videos that are meaningful rather than on the growth rates.
- Patience With Process- They know that sustainable channels usually take 12-18 months before they start experiencing growth.
- Data-Driven Iteration- They apply analytics not only as a means of measuring the numbers but as a tool for enhancing the content.
- Community Cultivation- They consider the current viewers as active members of the community and not mere numbers.
- Platform Understanding- They do not try to find ways of beating the system but rather understand how the YouTube system works.
If you are thinking of using your money to buy subscribers, I suggest you to release that money to be used in content enhancement, thumbnail creation, or the other growth strategies mentioned above.
The ROI will be significantly higher even if the results are going to be a few months later than the other methods.
Do you have some questions about your particular channel case? Leave a comment below- I answer every single question that is posted.
And if this guide helped to understand the key points of YouTube promotion, sharing this guide with other creators will make me happy.
Now go build that exceptional channel that your content needs– with viewers who watch, interact and are passionate about your content.
FAQ
No, it’s not illegal, but it does violate YouTube’s Terms of Service. This could result in penalties for your account
Yes, if YouTube finds out that you have fake subscribers, they may delete them or take further action against your account, including suspension or termination.
There are no riskless methods but it is possible to minimize the risks by choosing a reliable service and starting with small orders.
Not necessarily. Purchased subscribers do not interact with your content, therefore, they will not watch your videos.
Concentrate on the quality of the content, the SEO strategy, and the audience interaction. Organic growth is slow but it is sustainable in the long run as compared to the other methods of growth.
The price can be quite different based on the service provider and the number of subscribers you are trying to purchase. In general, prices are from $1 to $20 for 100 subscribers, while premium services charge more for better quality followers.
Look for clear pricing, positive customer reviews, a transparent refund policy, and customer support options. Services that provide real, active followers and avoid using bots are usually more trustworthy.
Yes, it is normal to lose purchased subscribers especially if they are fake or inactive accounts. Numerous reliable services provide guarantees or refills for lost subscribers within a certain time frame.
If you believe that your account has been penalized, read YouTube’s policies and guidelines. You can also contact YouTube support for help. It is important to put a stop to any practices that go against their terms and concentrate on organic growth.
Yes, buying subscribers means growing your follower count, and buying views means growing the number of times your videos are viewed. Both can affect your channel’s perception, but they target different metrics.
You can track engagement metrics such as views, likes, comments, and watch time using YouTube analytics. If you see a large number of subscribers but low engagement, it may mean that most of your followers are inactive or fake.
While a higher subscriber count can improve your channel's credibility, it does not directly influence video rankings. YouTube prioritizes engagement metrics like watch time, likes, and comments when determining how to rank videos.
