Compare AI detectors
Best free AI image detectors, compared
There are two kinds of free AI image detector. Record readers, such as isGenAI, show the C2PA Content Credentials, IPTC AI labels or saved prompts inside the file and name where each finding came from. Pixel classifiers, such as Sightengine, Hive, AI or Not and Was It AI, estimate a probability from how the image looks, which still works on screenshots that have lost their records. The best choice depends on the file you have.
Disclosure: isGenAI publishes this page and is one of the tools listed. isGenAI is not affiliated with any other product here, and no listing is paid.
The table lists free access and method as each product describes itself on its own pages, as of October 2026. Prices and limits change often; follow the source link before relying on a detail.
The tools, as of October 2026
| Tool | Free use | Sign-up for free use | Method | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| isGenAI | Free, no check count in the web checker | No | Reads C2PA, IPTC AI labels, saved prompts and EXIF; no pixel score | Original files where you need citable evidence; keyless API (source) |
| Sightengine | Demo checks; free API plan of 2,000 operations a month | After the demo limit | Pixel classifier that ignores EXIF, C2PA and watermarks | Scoring record-free images and video at scale (source) · compare |
| AI or Not | Free plan with monthly credits, including 20 image checks | Yes, free account | Classifiers with verdict and confidence | Images plus audio, video, text and deepfakes in one service (source) · compare |
| Was It AI | Guest checks; 10 images a month on a free account | After the guest checks | Pattern comparison with a confidence score | Occasional checks and browser extensions beyond Chrome (source) · compare |
| DeepAI | Free page with no stated cap; detailed reports via TruthScan | Not stated | Pixel classifier; does not rely on metadata | A quick probability, including from a phone photo (source) · compare |
| Hive | Free Chrome extension; API credits with a payment method | Not for the extension | Classifiers with generator attribution; returns C2PA when present | Moderation teams covering images, video and audio (source) · compare |
| Illuminarty | Free basic image and text classification | Not stated for the free tier | Computer-vision probability; region highlights on paid plans | Visual highlights of suspect regions (source) · compare |
| Decopy | 5 checks without login, 10 with an account | After 5 checks | Pixel analysis with a written explanation; not EXIF | A plain-language explanation for a few images (source) · compare |
| isgen.ai | Free image detector with no stated scan limit | No, per its image page | Pixel-level deep learning with a 0–100 score | A score plus generator guess; also sells writing tools (not affiliated with isGenAI) (source) · compare |
| TruthScan | 25 results a month | Yes, dashboard account | Artifact, noise and metadata-anomaly scoring with heatmaps | Fraud checks on photos and PDFs (source) · compare |
How to choose
Start with the file’s records. If you have the original download from a generator, a camera that signs Content Credentials, or an editor like Photoshop, a record reader shows evidence anyone can check. isGenAI does this free, with no account and a keyless API.
If the image is a screenshot or a copy re-saved by a social app, the records are usually gone. Then a pixel classifier is the only tool that can offer an estimate. Treat its score as a lead, look for the original source, and avoid treating any single score as proof.
For video, audio and deepfake faces, classifiers such as Hive, AI or Not, Sightengine and TruthScan cover media that isGenAI does not score; isGenAI can still read C2PA records in MP4 and MOV files.
test-signed.pngPNG file · controlled example
- Signature + IHDR
- iTXt XML:com.adobe.xmp
- tEXt parameters
- tEXt prompt / workflow
- tEXt invokeai_metadata
- eXIf
- caBX C2PA manifestrecord
- IDAT pixels
- IEND
Content Credentials found
A signed manifest describes how the file was made.
Signer, recording tool, actions and the signature check result are reported separately, so you can weigh each one.
Open the Content Credentials checker →Questions
What is the best free AI image detector?
It depends on the file. For an original download that may carry C2PA Content Credentials, an IPTC AI label or a saved prompt, a record reader such as isGenAI gives evidence you can cite, free with no account. For a screenshot or a re-saved social copy with no records, a pixel classifier is the only kind of tool that can give an estimate.
Which free AI image detectors need no sign-up?
As of October 2026, isGenAI needs no account; isgen.ai’s image page says no account is needed; Decopy allows five checks and Was It AI a few guest checks before sign-up; Sightengine’s demo gives a few free checks. AI or Not and TruthScan run their free plans through accounts.
Can any AI image detector be fully trusted?
No single result is proof. A valid C2PA signature shows the record is intact, not that the scene is true, and a classifier score is an estimate that can be wrong in both directions. Combine the file’s records, the original source and, if needed, a classifier.
Why does isGenAI list other tools?
Because a record reader and a pixel classifier answer different questions, and visitors should know when to use which. isGenAI is not affiliated with the other tools, receives nothing for listing them and states facts only from their own pages.
Sources
Facts about each tool come from that tool’s own pages, read as of October 2026. Product names belong to their owners and are used only to identify them.