TL;DR
- Want folders that follow you across every browser and device you sign into? FolderTube.
- Want folders that never leave your machine and a tool that will always be free? Sublist.
- Want colored and iconed folders for fast visual scanning? FolderTube Premium has this confirmed; we could not verify whether Sublist offers it — check its listing.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | FolderTube | Sublist |
|---|---|---|
| Top-level folders | Unlimited (free) | Unlimited (free) |
| Nested subfolders | Yes, up to 5 levels (Premium) | Yes, up to 3 levels (free) |
| A channel can belong to | Exactly one folder | Not specified in Sublist's public materials — assume one folder unless confirmed otherwise |
| Data storage | Synced via FolderTube account | Local, in Chrome's browser storage |
| Cross-device sync | Built in | Not designed for — data stays on the device where you set it up |
| Custom folder colors / icons | 10 colors, 12 icons (Premium) | Not documented publicly — verify on Sublist's site |
| Subscriptions page folder filter | Yes (free) | Sidebar-based folder view (free) |
| Pricing | Free; Premium $2.99/mo, $19/yr, or $39 lifetime | Free, no paid tier advertised |
Sublist details above come from its public Chrome Web Store listing and can change between releases. Where we could not confirm a feature, we have said so rather than guessed — check Sublist's own site before making a decision based on it.
The core trade-off: local-only vs. cross-device sync
Sublist: everything stays on your device
Sublist's standout point is how it handles data. Folder assignments are stored locally using Chrome's storage APIs, subscription data is read from the YouTube API, and Sublist states that no folder data is sent to an external server. If you set up folders on your work laptop, they exist on your work laptop — Sublist is not built to carry that structure to your phone or a second computer. For anyone who wants organization without introducing a new account or a new backend, that is a genuine strength.
FolderTube: sync across devices, but it requires an account
FolderTube takes the opposite approach on purpose. Folders sync through a FolderTube account, so the same structure shows up whether you're on your desktop at home, a laptop at work, or a different Chromium browser entirely. The trade-off is that this requires creating an account and trusting FolderTube's backend to hold your folder data — it is not a local-only setup. If you only ever use YouTube on one machine, this benefit is moot and Sublist's local approach may suit you better.
Add real folders to YouTube
FolderTube is free to install. Drag your subscriptions into folders and finally find what you actually want to watch.
Add to ChromeCustomization: colors and icons
FolderTube Premium unlocks 10 folder colors (Purple, Blue, Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, Pink, Cyan, Gray, Indigo) and 12 folder icons (Folder, Star, Heart, Music, Game, Work, Study, Code, Film, Rocket, Casual, World), so a sidebar with a dozen folders stays scannable at a glance. This is a paid feature — the free plan uses a default folder appearance.
We were not able to confirm whether Sublist offers custom colors or icons for folders from its public listing. If visual differentiation matters to you, check Sublist's Chrome Web Store page or its own site directly rather than assuming either way.
Folder depth and free-tier limits
Sublist supports folder nesting up to three levels deep, and that nesting is included in its free (and only) tier. FolderTube's free plan gives you unlimited top-level folders but keeps nesting itself as a Premium feature — once you upgrade, FolderTube supports subfolders up to 5 levels deep. In both tools, a given channel lives in exactly one folder at a time; neither supports assigning a single channel to multiple folders simultaneously.
Which should you choose
- Choose Sublist if local-only storage is a hard requirement, you don't need your folders on more than one device, and you want deep nesting for free.
- Choose FolderTube if you regularly switch between devices or browsers and want your folder structure to just be there when you sign in.
- If custom colors and icons matter to you and Sublist doesn't confirm support for them, FolderTube Premium is the safer bet on that specific feature.
Both are legitimate free options, and folder structures aren't portable between extensions — so if you're unsure, it costs nothing but a little setup time to try both and see which one your workflow actually needs.