Best AI Image Detectors in 2026
Looking for the best AI image detector? We compared six popular tools, Hive, AI or Not, WasItAI, IsThisAI, Illuminarty and PicDetector, on what you actually get: free checks, whether you need an account, price, API access and whether they can name the generator behind an image.
This is a feature comparison, not an accuracy benchmark. We have not published accuracy scores, because a small test would not be a fair measure of any tool. Want to try one right now? Upload an image to the checker on this page.
Disclosure: PicDetector is our own product and uses Sightengine's AI-generated image detection. All details below come from each tool's own website and were checked on September 29, 2026.
AI image detectors compared side by side
Prices and free limits change often. Always check the tool's own pricing page before you pay.
| Tool | Free use | Signup | Paid price | API | Names generator | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PicDetector | Free daily checks | No | Free | Web tool | Quick checks with no account | |
| Hive AI Detector | Web tool and Chrome extension | For the API | API: $6 per 1,000 images | Yes | Platforms and high-volume moderation | |
| AI or Not | 20 image checks | Yes | Pro: $5/month | Yes, on every plan | People checking several media types | |
| WasItAI | Guest checks, then monthly credits | After guest limit | Paid plans for volume | Yes | Checking images while you browse | |
| IsThisAI | Yes | No | Paid plans listed on site | Not listed | Seeing where an image looks generated | |
| Illuminarty | Basic classification | For paid plans | From $10/month | Paid plans | Finding AI-edited regions in a photo |
The 6 best AI image detector tools, reviewed
1. PicDetector
Best for: Quick checks with no account
PicDetector is our own tool, so read this entry with that in mind. It is a simple web checker: drop in a photo and you get an AI probability score plus the most likely generator. The detection itself runs on Sightengine's AI-generated image model.
- AI probability score with a clear AI, unsure or real verdict
- Possible generator, such as Midjourney, GPT Image, Nano Banana or Stable Diffusion
- JPG, PNG and WEBP up to 10MB; paste an image with Ctrl or Cmd+V
- Images are not saved on our servers
- Free use
- Free daily checks
- Signup
- No
- Price
- Free
- API
- Web tool
2. Hive AI Detector
Best for: Platforms and high-volume moderation
Hive is the enterprise option. Trust and safety teams use its models to screen images, video and audio at scale, and it also offers a free web tool (Hive Detect), a Chrome extension and a bot on X.
- Confidence score for AI-generated or deepfake content
- Likely source model when it can be identified, with over 60 generators listed in its API docs
- Reads C2PA metadata when present
- Developer plan: over $50 in free credits after adding a payment method, starting at 100 requests a day
- Free use
- Web tool and Chrome extension
- Signup
- For the API
- Price
- API: $6 per 1,000 images
- API
- Yes
3. AI or Not
Best for: People checking several media types
AI or Not covers far more than images. One account checks images, text, video, voice and music, and credits can be spent across any of them. You need a free account before you can scan images.
- Per-generator breakdown and a separate deepfake signal
- Judges pixel content rather than EXIF, watermarks or C2PA
- Free plan includes an API key; Pro includes 500 image checks a month
- Accepts JPG, PNG, WEBP and GIF, plus audio and video files
- Free use
- 20 image checks
- Signup
- Yes
- Price
- Pro: $5/month
- API
- Yes, on every plan
4. WasItAI
Best for: Checking images while you browse
WasItAI is image-only and easy to try. Guests get a few checks without an account; after that, a free account gives you credits that renew every month, with no card needed.
- Upload by drag and drop or by image URL
- Browser extension for Chrome and Firefox: hover or right-click any image
- Files up to 8MB and 10,000 x 10,000 px
- Says uploaded images are not stored on its servers
- Free use
- Guest checks, then monthly credits
- Signup
- After guest limit
- Price
- Paid plans for volume
- API
- Yes
5. IsThisAI
Best for: Seeing where an image looks generated
IsThisAI shows the most visual detail of the free tools. Besides a verdict, it draws a heatmap over the areas that look generated and tries to name the model and source.
- AI heatmaps that highlight suspicious regions
- Model and source detection, plus a check for manual edits such as Photoshop
- Accepts JPG, PNG, WebP and other formats
- Video and audio checks in beta
- Free use
- Yes
- Signup
- No
- Price
- Paid plans listed on site
- API
- Not listed
6. Illuminarty
Best for: Finding AI-edited regions in a photo
Illuminarty checks both images and text. The free plan gives a basic AI classification; paid plans add the more useful parts, such as highlighting which region of an image was generated and naming the likely model.
- Localized detection that marks the AI-generated area (paid)
- Model identification (paid)
- Basic plan: 10,000 API requests a day; Pro ($30/month): 40,000
- Also classifies AI-written text
- Free use
- Basic classification
- Signup
- For paid plans
- Price
- From $10/month
- API
- Paid plans
How to pick the best AI image detector for you
For a quick, one-off check
Use a free tool that does not need an account, like PicDetector or IsThisAI. If the result matters, run the same image through a second detector and compare.
For a newsroom, teacher or researcher
Pick a tool that shows why it reached its verdict. IsThisAI's heatmaps and Illuminarty's region highlighting are easier to explain to someone else than a single score.
For an app or moderation workflow
Hive is built for scale and has clear per-image API pricing. AI or Not is a cheaper place to start and covers audio and video from the same account.
What no AI image detector can promise
Every tool on this list gives you a probability, not proof. Most vendors say so themselves: results can shift with resolution, editing and the way an image was generated. Screenshots, heavy compression and resizing strip away detail, so they are the most common reasons two detectors disagree about the same picture.
Check important images more than one way
Run the original file, not a screenshot, through two detectors. Then look for other evidence: a reverse image search, the image's metadata, C2PA Content Credentials, and Google SynthID for images made with Google tools.
AI image detector FAQ
What is the best AI image detector?
There is no single best AI image detector for everyone. For quick free checks without an account, PicDetector and IsThisAI are the easiest. For high-volume API use, Hive is the most established option. AI or Not is a good middle ground if you also need to check audio or video.
What is the best free AI image detector?
PicDetector and IsThisAI both work in the browser without signing up. WasItAI gives guests a few checks, then monthly free credits with a free account. AI or Not's free plan includes 20 image checks but needs an account.
Which AI image detector has an API?
Hive, AI or Not, WasItAI and Illuminarty all offer an API. Hive charges $6 per 1,000 image requests, AI or Not includes an API key on its free plan, and Illuminarty's API starts with its $10 Basic plan.
Can AI image detectors tell which generator made an image?
Many can. Hive, AI or Not, WasItAI, IsThisAI and PicDetector all try to name a likely generator such as Midjourney or GPT Image. Illuminarty offers this on paid plans. Treat the generator as a hint, not a fact.
Are AI image detectors reliable?
They are useful as one signal, not as proof. Screenshots, heavy compression, resizing and editing can all change the result. Check important images with more than one tool and look at context, reverse image search and metadata as well.
Should I use C2PA, SynthID or an AI image detector?
Use whatever evidence you have. C2PA Content Credentials can show signed creation data when it is present, and Google SynthID can identify images with Google's watermark. An AI image detector still gives you a probability when neither signal is there.
Check an image for free now
Upload a photo to PicDetector and get an AI probability score and the possible generator in seconds. No signup needed.
Last updated September 29, 2026. Tool details come from each vendor's website on that date. If something has changed, email [email protected] and we will update this page.