facesearching and PimEyes are both well-known reverse face search engines, but they were built with different priorities. facesearching is a pay-as-you-go search tool that scans social media, news sites, blogs, and videos, then returns clickable links to where a face appears. PimEyes is a subscription-based face search engine that focuses on finding publicly available images of a face across the web and is widely used for monitoring where one's own image appears. To understand the underlying mechanics, see our complete guide to reverse face search.
What Each Service Does
facesearching is optimized for on-demand identity checks: upload a photo, receive matches across social media profiles, news articles, blog posts, and video content, and click through to the original sources. Pricing is per search, so you only pay when you actually use it. PimEyes is built around continuous discovery of publicly available web images of a face, with an emphasis on helping people find where their own photos appear online. Its model leans toward subscriptions and ongoing monitoring rather than one-off lookups.
Search Scope
The biggest practical difference is source coverage. facesearching indexes a broad mix of social media profiles, news articles, blog posts, and video content, so results often include useful context like a person's profile page or a news story. PimEyes concentrates on publicly accessible web images and is especially strong at surfacing image URLs where a face appears, including sites that may not show up in ordinary search. If your goal is to find profiles and articles, facesearching's scope fits well; if you want to monitor image reuse across the open web, PimEyes is a strong option.
Pricing
facesearching uses transparent pay-as-you-go pricing: a $2 single search, a $29 Starter plan, and a $79 Pro plan. You only pay for what you need without being locked into a recurring subscription. PimEyes operates on subscription tiers, with entry-level and premium plans that unlock more daily searches and advanced features like deeper results. For an occasional one-off search, facesearching's $2 tier is typically more economical; for ongoing monitoring, comparing PimEyes's subscription cost against your expected search volume makes sense. You can also read our facesearching vs FaceCheck.ID comparison for another pricing perspective.
Privacy
Privacy handling is a meaningful differentiator. facesearching deletes uploaded photos immediately after each search completes and does not retain them. PimEyes has faced public scrutiny over its data practices and offers an opt-out process for people who want their images removed from its index. If minimizing how long your uploaded photo sits on a server is important to you, facesearching's immediate deletion policy is worth weighing. The broader legal context is covered in our reverse face search legality FAQ.
Alert Features
PimEyes is known for its alert feature, which notifies subscribers when new images of a tracked face appear online — useful for ongoing reputation or identity monitoring. facesearching is focused on on-demand searches rather than continuous monitoring, so it does not currently push alerts. If you need to know the moment a new photo of you surfaces, PimEyes's alerts are a notable advantage; if you only need to search on demand, facesearching covers that without requiring a subscription.
Ease of Use and Target Audience
Both tools are accessible to non-technical users. facesearching's workflow is a simple upload-and-review flow with results grouped by source type, which appeals to people doing identity verification or dating safety checks. PimEyes appeals to users who want to monitor their own image footprint or investigate where a face is being used. Beginners on either platform can follow our step-by-step guide to reverse face search for the core workflow.
Pros and Cons
facesearching strengths and limitations:
- Broad coverage across social media, news, blogs, and video
- Pay-as-you-go pricing from $2 with no subscription required
- Photos deleted immediately after each search
- Clickable links to profiles and articles
- No continuous alert feature
PimEyes strengths and limitations:
- Strong at monitoring publicly available web images
- Alert feature for new appearances of a tracked face
- Opt-out process for removing your own images
- Subscription model may cost more for occasional users
- Past scrutiny over data practices
Which Should You Choose?
Pick facesearching if you want flexible, low-commitment pricing, immediate photo deletion, and results that span social media and video. Pick PimEyes if your priority is ongoing monitoring with alerts about new image appearances. Many people use both: facesearching for one-off investigations and PimEyes for continuous tracking. Your choice also depends on where you live — see our face search in USA guide for jurisdiction-specific considerations.