20 Most Used Reverse Image Search Engines Websites and Apps for Better Image Sourcing (2023)

20 Most Used Reverse Image Search Engines Websites and Apps for Better Image Sourcing (2023)

In today’s digital world, finding the perfect image for your website, presentation, or project can be a challenging task. With the abundance of images available online, it can be difficult to locate high-quality, relevant, and free-to-use images. However, image search engines and reverse image search tools have made this process much easier.

Images play a crucial role in content creation, whether it’s for blogs, social media, presentations, or infographics. It’s important to find images that are copyright-free or that you have the rights to use to avoid any legal issues. Image search engines allow you to search for images using keywords, similar to how you would use a text search engine to find webpages. This makes it convenient to find images on any topic you need. Reverse image search takes it a step further by allowing you to upload an existing image or enter its URL to find other instances of that photo online. This helps determine the origins of the image and ensures proper copyright attribution.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the top image search engines and reverse image search tools available today. We will cover both websites and mobile apps, providing you with efficient options for legal and effective image sourcing. Let’s dive in and discover 20 excellent resources to add to your online image discovery toolkit!

What is an Image Search Engine?

An image search engine functions similarly to traditional search engines like Google or Bing, but instead of searching for text-based webpages, these engines search for image files and photos. By using keywords, image search engines scan their databases to find relevant images and display thumbnails of those images in the search results.


Before image search engines, searching for images was a tedious task. However, these engines have made it simple and efficient to locate photos on any imaginable topic. Google Images, which was launched in 2001, was the first popular image search engine. Its vast reach and keyword search functionality set the standard for image discovery online. Other search engines soon followed suit by launching their own image search capabilities.

When using an image search engine, it’s important to consider factors like relevance, image quality, quantity, and licensing. The right image search engine will help you quickly find abundant, high-quality, and copyright-free photos.

The Best Image Search Engines

To help you source great images, we’ve compiled a list of the top image search engines:


  1. Google Images: As the pioneer of image search, Google Images remains the most extensive and advanced option available. It draws images from the entire web, including social media sites. Google Images offers advanced search filters and tools like color filtering, making it a versatile choice.
  2. Yahoo Images: Owned by Verizon Media, Yahoo Images is another excellent image search engine. It offers robust filters to find exactly the image you need, in categories like still life, animals, or events. Yahoo Images clearly displays image licensing information, denoting public domain, creative commons, or commercially licensed images.
  3. Bing Images: Microsoft’s Bing Images offers an immense database of high-resolution images to choose from. Its advanced search allows filtering by image size, aspect ratio, color, and more. Bing Images also provides options to limit search results to only reusable images.
  4. Yandex Images: Yandex Images is among the most popular image search options internationally. Yandex is Russia’s biggest technology company, and its image search engine has a highly intuitive and user-friendly interface. In addition to keywords, Yandex Images allows filtering using color layouts, helping you find the exact type of image composition needed.
  5. Pinterest Visual Search Tool: While not a traditional image search engine, Pinterest’s visual search capabilities are extremely useful for designers, photographers, and other visual creators. You can drag any image into the search bar to launch a visually-based search for similar images. Pinterest Visual Search is ideal for discovering derivations and adaptations of a particular image, even when the original image is scaled or cropped.
  6. Openverse: Openverse, launched in 2022 by Meta, aggregates over 500 million public domain and creative commons licensed images. It combines images from multiple institutions like Getty Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Rijksmuseum. Openverse’s collection includes copyright-free images of famous artworks, landmarks, and historical figures.
  7. Flickr: Flickr is one of the best resources for curated images and photography. It allows searches not only by keywords but also by place name, tags, galleries, and sets. Many images on Flickr are under creative commons licenses or available for commercial use with attribution. Flickr’s community of professional and amateur photographers produces consistently stunning visual content.

These are just a few of the top image search engines available. Depending on your specific needs and preferences, you may find different platforms more suitable for your image sourcing requirements.

What is Reverse Image Search?

While traditional image search engines help you find images based on keywords, reverse image search allows you to search for a photo based on the image itself. Reverse image search engines analyze the visual data in images using various techniques. They identify key details about color, edges, gradients, shapes, textures, and other elements to generate a unique fingerprint for each photo. When you upload or provide an image for a reverse image search, the engine runs it through this identification process and matches it to identical or similar images in its database.


Reverse image search is invaluable for determining the origins and ownership status of a photo. It helps you avoid copyright infringement by verifying licenses and crediting original creators. It can also help you discover instances where your own images have been used without permission.

The unique capabilities of reverse image search make it an essential tool for effective and legal image sourcing. Let’s dive into how to perform a reverse image search and explore some excellent options.

How to Perform Reverse Image Search

Performing a reverse image search is a straightforward process:


  1. Go to a reverse image search engine like Google Images or TinEye.
  2. Upload your image file to initiate the search.
  3. Alternatively, you can enter the URL of an image to search.
  4. Some sites also allow you to drag and drop an image directly into the search bar.
  5. The engine will scan the image and match it to identical and similar copies from its sources.
  6. The results will display websites, pages, or images using the original or similar versions.
  7. Browse through the results to determine where the image appears online. This allows you to verify ownership, licensing, and usage rights.

Some reverse image search engines, like TinEye, also aggregate usage and licensing information to streamline your research.

Reverse image search offers invaluable context about an image’s origins and applications. It helps you ensure that you are using images legally and responsibly. Now, let’s explore some of the best reverse image search engines available.

Best Reverse Image Search Engines

When it comes to reverse image search, these tools are versatile and reliable for identifying image ownership and usage:


  1. TinEye: TinEye is the most powerful standalone reverse image search available. It checks an uploaded image against a vast database of over 63 billion images from websites, social media, and other sources. TinEye provides insightful data, such as the total number of matches found, to help determine the image’s popularity. It also categorizes the sources to show the image’s presence on social networks, blogs, news, forums, and more. TinEye is unmatched when it comes to verifying licenses and detecting altered versions of images.
  2. Labnol’s Reverse Image Search: This streamlined tool from web expert Amit Agarwal aggregates results from Google, Bing, Yandex, TinEye, and Baidu in one place for easy reviewing. It provides one-click searches and browser extensions, making it extremely convenient. With the “Pages using this image” insight, you can quickly gauge the image’s prevalence.
  3. Image Identification Project: Offered by the Computer Vision Lab at the University of California San Diego, this reverse image search tool provides detailed insights about the content of an image. Instead of simply finding duplicates, it highlights objects, locations, text, and more found in the photo, providing valuable clues for tracking down the original source and ownership of an image.
  4. IQDB.org: IQDB is a no-frills reverse image search engine that checks against a broad range of image boards and galleries to identify duplicates. It allows you to specify the exact size of images, preventing confusion with thumbnails or edits. However, files larger than 30MB are too large for IQDB.

These are just a few examples of reliable reverse image search engines. Each tool has its own unique features and strengths, so it’s worth exploring multiple options to find the one that best suits your needs.

Apps for Reverse Image Search

In addition to web-based tools, there are also excellent mobile apps that provide quick and easy reverse image search capabilities right on your smartphone. Here are some notable apps:


  1. Google Images: Google offers its official Images app for both iOS and Android. It provides seamless access to all of Google Images’ functionality, including the reverse image search tool. You can initiate searches from your camera roll or a webpage to uncover where else online a photo appears.
  2. TinEye: The TinEye app, available for both iOS and Android devices, offers trusted reverse image search capabilities in a streamlined mobile package. It integrates directly with your camera roll and image folders, making it effortless to upload images. The clean interface makes it easy to browse through insightful match results.
  3. Bing Image Match: Microsoft’s Bing Image Match app, available for iOS and Android, provides quick and accurate reverse image searches with Bing’s database of over 11 billion images. You can import photos from your camera roll or use your camera to snap a new photo for searching.
  4. Yandex Images: The Yandex Images app makes reverse image search highly accessible with its simple point-and-shoot workflow. You can open the app, enable camera access, and snap a photo or select one from your device. The app surfaces websites, social media, or other locations where your image appears using Yandex, Russia’s top search engine.

These mobile apps offer convenient ways to perform reverse image searches on the go. Whether you prefer web-based tools or mobile apps, reverse image search is a powerful tool for identifying image sources, tracking down original creators, and ensuring proper usage rights.

Utilizing Reverse Image Search for Success

Reverse image search engines provide invaluable insights about the ownership, licensing, and usage of images online. However, finding matches for a picture is just the first step. It’s important to use reverse image search effectively to verify image licenses for commercial use and seek permission from creators when necessary.


Here are some tips for using reverse image search effectively:

  • When a match links back to the original source or creator’s website, explore it thoroughly to look for licensing information. Many creators clearly state how their images can be used.
  • Social media hits may not necessarily mean an image is freely shareable. Always verify with the platform and the original poster.
  • Use image data from tools like TinEye to contact creators for permission if no explicit commercial licensing is mentioned.
  • Reverse image search apps can help identify unauthorized use of your own images. Consider filing DMCA takedown notices to protect your work.
  • Remember that edited or altered images may still be derivations of copyrighted originals. Seek permission when in doubt.
  • Don’t assume public domain status; always verify it through reliable sources like Creative Commons.
  • Be prepared to purchase a subscription or license if your use case demands it. Quality images are worth the price.

By following these tips and utilizing reverse image search tools effectively, you can ensure that you are using images legally and responsibly.

Conclusion

Sourcing high-quality, legal images is essential for creators in today’s digital landscape. Image search engines and reverse image search tools have revolutionized the way we discover and verify photo usage online.


This comprehensive guide has covered the top image search engines and reverse image search tools available. Platforms like Google Images, Yahoo Images, Bing Images, and Yandex Images offer vast databases of images to choose from, while specialized sites like Flickr and Pinterest provide curated and relevant visual content.

Reverse image search tools like TinEye and Labnol’s Reverse Image Search excel at identifying duplicate images and verifying ownership. Mobile apps bring these powerful capabilities to your fingertips, allowing you to perform reverse image searches on the go.

Remember to use these image search tools as part of a mindful sourcing strategy. Always identify copyright holders and seek permission whenever possible. Protect your own work by monitoring its usage across the web.

With the information and tools provided in this guide, you have a robust image sourcing toolkit at your disposal. Now, go forth and source visually stunning and legally sourced images for your creative endeavors!

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