I won’t say that the easiest way to determine if a photo is a fake is by using our eyes. Deepfakes are inching closer to “reality,” so we have to fall back on AI image detectors. These tools are trained on millions of images, both real and AI-generated, which allows them to recognize the subtle patterns and artifacts that AI models leave behind.
No detector is 100% perfect, but they are getting better at keeping pace with AI and are an obvious first line of defense against misinformation. But don’t let go of other methods to identify AI-generated images just yet.
I’ve tested quite a few, and my favorites are the ones that are not only free but also straightforward with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
A simple and fast all-around tool
If you’re looking for a no-fuss tool that works fast, this free tool from a digital marketing agency is my top recommendation. The AI image detector has a clean interface without too many frills. You can either upload an image directly from your computer or paste a URL. The detector then gives you a simple percentage score indicating the probability that the image is human-made or AI-generated by models like DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, etc.
What I love about it is its simplicity. There are no complicated settings or confusing results. For general day-to-day use, this is probably the only tool you’ll need. I tested it on a gamut of images from natural to completely AI. It sometimes can indicate a tiny percentage of AI in a completely human-shot image.
An open-source option for quick checks
Hugging Face is like GitHub for the AI community, and for a good reason. They offer a ton of open-source LLMs, including several capable AI image detectors. As it’s open-source, all image detection tools are free to use. Their interfaces are as spartan as Hugging Face’s own. Use the search bar to find detection models by AI Image Detector, umm-maybe, or the SDXL Detector.
Upload your image, and you get “human” and “artificial” percentage scores in just a few seconds. While its accuracy is decent, it might not be as consistently reliable as some paid options, but it’s more than enough for a quick check. It’s a great option if you support the open-source movement and need a quick, accessible tool without any frills.
Perfect for quick social media checks
Decopy AI is another free tool designed for speed and ease of use. It specializes in identifying AI-generated content, including fake avatars and composites you might find on social media. The drag-and-drop interface is straightforward, and you don’t need to sign up or buy credits to use it.
It can recognize images from most major AI models and works with standard file formats like JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Its dataset is trained on 10 million images. Ignore the detailed analysis report, which often doesn’t hit the mark. Decopy AI is particularly useful for quickly verifying profile pictures or images shared online, helping you spot fakes before you share them.
High accuracy with a free trial
Winston AI is known for being one of the most accurate detectors available, and it has a great free trial to get you started. While it does have paid plans, the free version is robust enough for many users. You get a 14-day trial and 2000 credits (each image scan costs 300 credits). The interface is very user-friendly, guiding you through the process of uploading and analyzing your image.
The results are presented like a forensics report (includes the source, EXIF data, IPTC, and C2PA information), but it’s beginner-friendly. The detector can not only tell you if an image is AI-generated but also which AI model was likely used to create it. If you need a higher level of accuracy for more serious work, Winston AI is an excellent choice. Casual users can tap the free credits when they need to know more about a fake photo.
For a deeper, more comprehensive analysis
If you want to go beyond a simple “AI or not” answer, Sightengine comes with excellent reviews. Its free plan is generous with comprehensive features that are typically found in fully paid tools. You don’t need to sign up for a casual deepfake image check. An API is available for batch processing and scale use.
Sightengine even runs a pixel-level analysis, therefore blocking attempts where the metadata has been stripped and/or no watermarks are available.. This level of detail is impressive for a free tool and can be very useful for those who want to understand how the detector came to its conclusion. It’s a bit more complex than the other tools on this list, but it’s still very user-friendly.
Understanding real vs. AI images
We have tested other AI image detectors earlier. There are varying opinions about the effectiveness of AI content detectors. I threw quite a few types of images at the different detectors. I found that the potency dropped when the image was a hybrid—a mix of AI and the real. Absolute AI or real images are still easy to spot. The danger is where one world mixes with the other. So, take a second look when these AI image detectors find telltale signs of AI hijinks.
