Best AI DetectorsEvery reading on the record
Subject

The best AI image detector in 2026

Tested
In progress since 9 November 2026
Updated
November 9, 2026

For images, our pick is AI or Not. Its readings on our 60 real images: Test in progress

Tested: In progress since 9 November 2026. Page updated: .

Short answer

For checking a photo or an artwork, AI or Not is the pick: it gives a verdict per image and has a free check anyone can use. Our image run, 100 images, is assembled and in progress.

Image detectors read pixels, not meaning, and lose accuracy on compressed, resized or screenshotted files. Check the original file when you can.

Run RUN-2026-11-A started on 9 November 2026 and is in progress: GPTZero and Originality.ai are scored on the first 120 samples, and every other tool shows a test in progress tag until its readings are in.

A printed photograph beside a chart strip with one red circle
The sample set on the desk, with the pick's reading beside it.

The pick table for images

Scored on images only: real photos, real artwork, raw AI images and AI images a person edited.

False alarms count real images scored as AI, out of all real images. Detection counts AI images caught, out of all AI images.
PlaceToolScore for imagesFalse alarms on real imagesReadingDetection on AI imagesFree planBest forMain limitation
1AI or NotPick for imagesTest in progressTest in progress of 60Test in progress of 40YesSingle images, freeCompressed files score less reliably
2Deploy (formerly Hive)Pick for imagesTest in progressTest in progress of 60Test in progress of 40DemoPlatforms checking at volumeNo public price
3SightenginePick for imagesTest in progressTest in progress of 60Test in progress of 40TrialDevelopers wiring an APITrial before a paid plan
4IlluminartyPick for imagesTest in progressTest in progress of 60Test in progress of 40YesSeeing which region drove a scoreUneven on artwork
5Is It AIPick for imagesTest in progressTest in progress of 60Test in progress of 40YesQuick checks on a phoneFew free checks a month

Six images from the set

Real photos and artwork from Wikimedia Commons, AI images generated on 9 November 2026 · run RUN-IMG-2026-11-A in progress

Ch. 1 · Our pickAI or Not
test in progress
Ch. 2Deploy (formerly Hive)
test in progress
Images from the set
IMG 1Real photo: a city street at night with lit shop windows, taken on a camera
Real photo, street at night
Ch. 1Test in progressCh. 2Test in progress
IMG 2Raw AI image: a generated night street with car light trails on wet asphalt
Raw AI image, street at night
Ch. 1Test in progressCh. 2Test in progress
IMG 3Real photo: a dog standing in deep snow in sunshine
Real photo, dog in snow
Ch. 1Test in progressCh. 2Test in progress
IMG 4Raw AI image: a generated golden retriever running across a park with a ball
Raw AI image, dog in a park
Ch. 1Test in progressCh. 2Test in progress
IMG 5Real artwork: an old oil painting of a landscape with figures and cattle
Real artwork, oil painting
Ch. 1Test in progressCh. 2Test in progress
IMG 6Edited AI image: a generated living room, cropped, colour adjusted and recompressed
AI image, edited after generation
Ch. 1Test in progressCh. 2Test in progress
Ch. 1 readingCh. 2 readingFalse alarm: a real image scored as AIAI image

Scroll the chart sideways to see every image.

Which AI image detector is best for you?

It depends on what kind of image lands on your desk.

  1. If you check single images

    Choose AI or Not for a free verdict per image.

  2. If you work at volume

    Choose Deploy (formerly Hive) for a business API.

  3. If you need an API

    Choose Sightengine for per-image scores in code.

  4. If you want a region map

    Choose Illuminarty to see which part of the image drove it.

How did we rank AI image detectors?

Every image detector read the same set of real photos, real artwork, raw AI images and AI images a person edited, and we recorded each reading.

The weights are the same fixed weights as every page. False alarms on real images carry the most weight, because a wrong flag lands on a real photographer or artist.

Every number on this page comes from run RUN-2026-11-A. The CSV for that run is on the test runs page.

Read how we test
Real photos40
Real artwork20
Raw AI images30
Edited AI images10
Fixed weights, the same on every page, applied to the image set.
FactorWeightWhat it measures on this page
False alarms on real images40%Real photos and real artwork scored as AI
Detection on raw AI images30%Unedited AI images scored as AI
Detection on human-edited AI images15%AI images a person edited, scored as AI
Access and price15%Free plan, limits, who can sign up

Every image detector, the same fields

Verdict, score, who it suits, what it gets wrong, the price on the day we checked, and how it read the image set.

Ch. 1

AI or Not

Pick for images
Verdict
The pick for checking one image at a time.
Score
Test in progress
Sub-scores
Readings Test in progress
Best for
Single images, free
Main limitation
Compressed files score less reliably
Price and plan limit
See the vendor page a month, Yes, checked on 8 November 2026 images. Checked on
Sample rowsScored as AI
Real photos (40)Test in progress
Real artwork (20)Test in progress
Raw AI images (30)Test in progress
Edited AI images (10)Test in progress
Ch. 2

Deploy (formerly Hive)

Verdict
Built for platforms, sold through sales.
Score
Test in progress
Sub-scores
Readings Test in progress
Best for
Platforms checking at volume
Main limitation
No public price
Price and plan limit
Contact sales a month, Demo, checked on 8 November 2026 images. Checked on
Sample rowsScored as AI
Real photos (40)Test in progress
Real artwork (20)Test in progress
Raw AI images (30)Test in progress
Edited AI images (10)Test in progress
Ch. 3

Sightengine

Verdict
The developer's choice, priced per call.
Score
Test in progress
Sub-scores
Readings Test in progress
Best for
Developers wiring an API
Main limitation
Trial before a paid plan
Price and plan limit
See the vendor page a month, Trial, checked on 8 November 2026 images. Checked on
Sample rowsScored as AI
Real photos (40)Test in progress
Real artwork (20)Test in progress
Raw AI images (30)Test in progress
Edited AI images (10)Test in progress
Ch. 4

Illuminarty

Verdict
Shows where in the image the score comes from.
Score
Test in progress
Sub-scores
Readings Test in progress
Best for
Seeing which region drove a score
Main limitation
Uneven on artwork
Price and plan limit
See the vendor page a month, Yes, checked on 8 November 2026 images. Checked on
Sample rowsScored as AI
Real photos (40)Test in progress
Real artwork (20)Test in progress
Raw AI images (30)Test in progress
Edited AI images (10)Test in progress
Ch. 5

Is It AI

Verdict
Fast checks with a small free allowance.
Score
Test in progress
Sub-scores
Readings Test in progress
Best for
Quick checks on a phone
Main limitation
Few free checks a month
Price and plan limit
See the vendor page a month, Yes, checked on 8 November 2026 images. Checked on
Sample rowsScored as AI
Real photos (40)Test in progress
Real artwork (20)Test in progress
Raw AI images (30)Test in progress
Edited AI images (10)Test in progress

What does an image flag mean?

An image score is a lead; the original file and its source are the evidence.

Compression and resizing change the pixels a detector reads. An independent evaluation by Ha and colleagues (2024) found large gaps between image detectors on the same human artworks. Look for the original upload, its metadata and where it first appeared.

  1. Find the first copy

    Search for earlier copies of the image. A real photo usually has a source, a date and a photographer you can find.

  2. Check the file itself

    Look at the file's metadata and any content credentials. Missing data proves nothing, but present data is worth reading.

  3. Ask for the originals

    Ask the person for the raw file, other frames from the same shoot, or the work in progress.other frames from the same shoot

  4. Record what you found

    Note what you checked and what you were told, not only the score. If the case goes further, the score should never stand alone.

No detector score should be the only evidence in a misconduct case.

Questions about image detectors

Are AI images hard to spot by eye?

Yes. In Lu and colleagues (2023), people misclassified real photos and AI images 38.7% of the time, while the best detector they benchmarked failed 13% of the time under the same setting.

Can people spot AI images better than detectors?

Not reliably on their own. In Ha and colleagues (2024), Hive and expert artists both did well but failed in different ways: the detector was weaker against deliberately altered images, and the artists raised more false alarms on human art. A detector reading plus a look at the file's source is the stronger check.

What is the best AI image detector?

AI or Not: a free verdict per image that anyone can use. Our image run of 40 real photos, 20 real artworks and 40 AI images is in progress.

Can AI image detectors be fooled?

Yes. Cropping, compression and screenshots lower accuracy, so check the original file where you can.

Do image detectors work on artwork?

Less evenly than on photos. Ha and colleagues (2024) reported very different false positive rates on human art across detectors.

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