PimEyes Alternative: How FaceSearch Compares
PimEyes leaves social media out on purpose: its own FAQ says social platforms and professional networks are excluded from its index. FaceSearch results include public social media profiles, so it is the alternative when your question is which public accounts use a face. PimEyes is the stronger choice for ongoing monitoring of your own face and for takedown help.
Last reviewed
In short
- PimEyes excludes social media and professional networks; FaceSearch results include public social profiles.
- A free PimEyes search shows that matches exist but limits the source links.
- New FaceSearch accounts get 3 free credits, enough for one full search with source links.
- PimEyes sells subscriptions with daily search limits; FaceSearch charges 3 credits per search, with no subscription required.
- PimEyes offers alerts and takedown help; FaceSearch offers neither.
Side by side
| PimEyes | FaceSearch | |
|---|---|---|
| Social media profiles | Excluded by design | Included when public |
| Free use | 10 searches a day; source links limited | 3 free credits, one full search |
| Paid model | Subscription with daily search limits | 3 credits per search; packs or a monthly plan |
| Alerts for new matches | Yes | No |
| Takedown help | On PROtect and Advanced | No |
| Uploaded photo kept | Up to 48 hours | Deleted from FaceSearch servers within 24 hours |
| Mobile apps | No, web only | iOS and Android |
Why do people look for a PimEyes alternative?
The reasons are usually practical rather than about accuracy, and each one points to a different tool.
- The photo they want to check is most likely on social media, which PimEyes does not index.
- A free PimEyes search shows that matches exist, but not where they are.
- They need one search, not a monthly subscription.
- They want to search from a phone app; PimEyes is web only.
What does each one search?
PimEyes indexes images from public websites that allow indexing, and states that social media platforms and professional networks are intentionally excluded, so images that exist only on social media will not appear. FaceSearch queries a third-party face index whose results include public social media profiles as well as other public web pages. Neither can see anything behind a login or inside an app.
What can you do for free?
PimEyes allows 10 free searches a day, but a free search only confirms that matches exist; opening the source websites requires a paid plan. FaceSearch gives every new account 3 free credits with no credit card, which is one complete search, with the source link and a confidence score for every match.
How does pricing work?
PimEyes sells monthly or yearly subscriptions, Open Plus, PROtect and Advanced, allowing 75, 125 or unlimited searches a day; its pricing page lists current prices. FaceSearch charges 3 credits per search and needs no subscription: credit packs run from $6 for one search to $599 for 1,000 credits, and the PRO plan is $29 a month for 60 credits, which is 20 searches.
Where is PimEyes stronger?
If you want to keep watching for new photos of your own face, PimEyes has features FaceSearch does not.
- PimEyes Alerts notify you when a new match for your face appears; FaceSearch has no alerts.
- The PROtect and Advanced plans include takedown requests to external websites; FaceSearch does not file takedowns.
- Advanced includes Deep Search for high-volume research.
- You can ask PimEyes to exclude your face from its search results with an opt-out request.
What happens to the photo you upload?
PimEyes says search images are kept for at most 48 hours and then deleted. FaceSearch deletes uploaded images from its servers within 24 hours of the search finishing; the search itself runs through a third-party face index. To have your own face removed from FaceSearch results, see the removal guide.
Which one should you use?
Start from your question rather than the tool.
- Checking whether a dating match's photos belong to other public social accounts: FaceSearch.
- Monitoring where your own face appears on websites over time: PimEyes.
- Asking websites to take down your images: PimEyes, or the website itself.
- Running a single search without a subscription: FaceSearch.
Is FaceSearch affiliated with PimEyes?
No. PimEyes is a trademark of its owner, and FaceSearch has no connection to it. The PimEyes details on this page come from PimEyes's own pricing page and FAQ as they read on the review date shown above, and may have changed since.