Best YouTube Niches to Start in 2026 (Low Competition + High RPM)

Quick Answer: The best niches in 2026 combine High CPM (Ad Pay) with Low Competition. Top contenders include AI Automation, Sustainable Tech, Finserv (Financial Services), and Health/Biohacking. However, the "best" niche is one you can sustain for 5 years without burning out. Do not chase money if you hate the topic.

The CPM vs RPM Equation

Not all views are equal. 1,000 views in Gaming pays $2. 1,000 views in Finance pays $30. This is the difference between a hobby and a business.

High CPM: Finance, Real Estate, Tech Reviews, Business, Insurance. (Advertisers pay big money to reach rich people). A 10k view video here earns $300.
Low CPM: Pranks, Vlogs, Gaming, Motivation, Music. (Advertisers pay little because the audience is general/young). A 10k view video here earns $20.

If you want to make a living with fewer views, pick a High CPM niche. You need 15x less traffic to make the same money.

Top 10 Niches for 2026

Here are the goldmines right now. We analyzed thousands of channels to find these.

1. AI & Automation (The Boom)

Everyone wants to know how to use ChatGPT, Midjourney, or Zapier. Tutorials on "How to Automate your Job" are exploding.

CPM: Very High ($15-$25). Software companies pay huge ad rates.

Angle: "AI for [Specific Job]". e.g., "AI for Accountants". This micro-niche strategy effectively eliminates competition while targeting a high-value audience.

2. Sustainable Living / Green Tech

Solar panels, EVs, vertical gardening, tiny homes. As the world goes green, advertisers are pouring billions here. Government incentives drive interest.

CPM: High ($10-$18).

Angle: Reviewing solar generators or "Living off grid". The "Prepper" niche also overlaps here, adding a second layer of dedicated viewers.

3. Personal Finance (Always King)

Investing, Crypto, Credit Cards, Side Hustles. It is boring to some, but it prints money. Advertisers are Banks and Trading firms.

CPM: Insane ($20-$50). Even higher for "Credit Card Reviews".

Angle: "How to retire early" (FIRE movement). People are desperate for financial freedom, making retention very high.

4. Health & Biohacking

Not just "weight loss". We mean "Sleep Optimization", "Nootropics", "Longevity", "Cold Plunges". People are obsessed with living longer and working smarter.

CPM: High ($12-$20). Driven by supplement companies.

Angle: "I tried [Trend] for 30 days". Self-experimentation videos are viral gold because they tell a story.

5. Software Tutorials (SaaS)

How to use Notion, Asana, Slack, Excel. Companies will pay you sponsorship money to review their tools. B2B audience.

CPM: High ($15-$30).

Angle: "Building a Second Brain in Notion". This targets productivity nerds who love buying templates (another revenue stream).

6. ASMR (The Volume King)

Low CPM ($2), but massive views. People watch for hours. If you can get 10 Million views, the low CPM doesn't matter. It is heavily reliant on watch time.

CPM: Low ($2-$4).

Strategy: Batch produce content. ASMR is easy to record compared to a documentary.

7. Gaming (The Saturated Giant)

Fortnite/Minecraft are impossible to break into. BUT, "Indie Game Reviews" or "Retro Gaming History" are growing fields with older, richer audiences.

CPM: Low ($2-$5) unless you target "Gaming Hardware".

Warning: Only enter gaming if you are a top 1% entertainer or player.

8. Travel (The Post-Pandemic Boom)

Luxury travel pays well. "Budget Travel" pays less. Focus on "Digital Nomad Guides" (Best cities for remote work).

CPM: Medium ($8-$12).

Monetization: Affiliate links for hotels, travel insurance, and gear.

9. Legal & Law

Lawyers reacting to court cases. High authority, high trust, high CPM. People love "Lawyer Reacts".

CPM: High ($15-$25).

Barrier to Entry: You need to be a lawyer or highly knowledgeable. This keeps competition low.

10. Psychology & Self Improvement

"Stoicism", "Dopamine Detox", "Monk Mode". Young men are flocking to this content to improve their lives.

CPM: Medium ($8-$15).

Retention: Very high, as viewers treat it like a lecture or sermon.

The "Faceless Channel" Trend

You don't need to show your face. "Cash Cow" channels use stock footage and voiceovers.

Pros: You can run 10 channels at once. Sell them later. No fame pressure.

Cons: Hard to build a "Brand". If YouTube bans the channel, you have no personal following. Lower trust.

Verdict: Good for income, bad for legacy. If you want to build a real business, show your face (or use a Vtuber avatar).

Niche Down to Blow Up

Don't start a "Cooking Channel". Start a "Vegan Keto Cooking for Moms Channel".

The Strategy:

Start super specific (Micro-Niche).
Dominate that small circle. Be the #1 expert on "Vegan Keto".
Slowly expand to broader topics once you have 10k subs.

Example: MKBHD started with just HP Laptop tutorials. Now he reviews everything tech. Start small, dream big.

Assessing Competition (The Supply/Demand Curve)

Before you start, search your keyword.

Red Ocean: "How to lose weight". (10 Million results. Established giants. Do not enter). You will drown.
Blue Ocean: "Calisthenics for over 50s". (Few results. High demand. Enter here). You can be the big fish.

Use our Keyword Tool to check search volume vs competition. Ideally, look for keywords with >10k monthly searches but <50 videos in the last month.

The "Ikigai" Concept

Don't just pick Finance because it pays well. If you hate it, you will quit in 3 months. YouTube is a marathon.

Your niche must be the intersection of:

What you love (Passion).
What you are good at (Skill).
What the world needs (Search Volume).
What pays (CPM/Sponsors).

If you miss one, you will fail. Passion + No Money = Starving Artist. Money + No Passion = Burnout. Skill + No Demand = Hobby.

Monetization Beyond AdSense

Some niches have $0 CPM (e.g., Gun channels are demonetized) but make Millions. How?

Sponsorships: A Gun channel gets sponsored by Holster companies.
Affiliates: A Tech channel sells Amazon links in the description.
Digital Products: An Education channel sells courses or E-books.
Community: Patreon or YouTube Memberships for exclusive content.

Don't rely on AdSense. It is volatile. Build an email list.

How to Pivot Niches (Without Killing Your Channel)

Stuck in a dead niche? You can pivot, but do it slowly.

If you do "Gaming", don't switch to "Cooking" overnight. Your subs will unsubscribe. Bridge it: "Cooking from Video Games" (e.g., Making the cake from Portal). Then slowly move to "Cooking".

The 80/20 Rule: Keep 80% of content old niche, introduce 20% new niche. If the new 20% performs better, flip the ratio.

Prediction: The Rise of "Edutainment"

Pure education is boring. Pure entertainment is empty. The future is mixing them.

Example: Mark Rober. He teaches Physics (Education) but wraps it in sparkles and glitter bombs (Entertainment). This is the winning formula for 2026. Make them laugh while they learn.

This works for ANY niche. Finance? Make it a game show. Cooking? Add comedy.

Video Ideas for Top Niches (Starter Pack)

If you are stuck, steal these formats:

Tech: "I bought the cheapest X on Amazon".
Finance: "I tired [Side Hustle] for 7 days".
Health: "My morning routine 2026".
Gaming: "Can I beat [Game] without [Core Mechanic]?".

These formats are "High CTR" by default because they invoke curiosity.

Conclusion

The best niche is the one you start today. Analysis paralysis is the enemy. Pick one, make 100 videos, and adapt.

If you pick a High CPM niche, you only need 10,000 subscribers to make a full-time income. If you pick a Low CPM niche, you need 100,000. Choose wisely.

Glossary

RPM: Revenue Per 1,000 Views (What YOU take home).
CPM: Cost Per 1,000 Impressions (What Advertisers pay).
SaaS: Software as a Service. Recurring revenue software.
Evergreen: Content that is relevant for years (e.g., Tutorials).