22 Best Image Search Engines 2026

Images are crucial, and we need them for practically everything, from creating social media posts and blog content, to designing websites and making visually striking videos.

Image search engines help us find suitable images effortlessly. These platforms feature thousands to millions of high-quality images that you can download and use for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.

It gets better: you can even perform a reverse image search on some search engines. Simply put, you upload an image file, which the platform uses as an input query to return other results related to that image.

There are many image search engines online. For example, Google Lens, Yahoo, Openverse and several others. However, the best image search engines are Google Images, and TinEye. While the former helps you finding out basic images, TinEye works best if you want to reverse search an image.

Let’s learn more about these search engines.

Best Image Search Engines

1. Google Images

Google Images is a simple and direct search engine that you can use to search for basic images.

The developers have made it so easy to use. You can upload an image, paste an image URL to the search bar, type the name of the image, or search by voice.

Google Images has many filter options to help you get what you want. Depending on the image you are looking for, you can narrow your search by photos, clip drawings, logos, illustrations, and more.

You can filter your search by size, color, type, time, and usage rights. Google Images is the perfect tool to cast a wider net and get images from various sources.

Google Images is free.

Find out more tools like Google Images in this post.

2. TinEye

TinEye is an image search engine that offers reverse image search, image recognition, and computer vision. The Application Programme Interface (API) makes images searchable for individuals and businesses.

The MatchEngine is designed for image verification, continent moderation, and fraud detection. You can upload the image onto the search engine or search for an image by entering the image URL into the browser.

On image verification, TinEye works with your image collection and helps you to identify duplicate images and images that have been resized or modified.

The app is designed to deal with different image transformations, including edits, cropping, resizing, color changes, and occlusions.

With the image recognition function, you can easily verify images on social and dating platforms, even if they have been modified.

Also, this function helps to detect fraud, and you can use TinEye to verify user-generated content and find out if the images are available online. You can even track how the images appear online and when they do.

The WineEngine function of TinEye is used in the beverage industry. Users can instantly take a photo of the label and use the app to match the reference image. The function is used for wines, beers, and spirits.

The MobileEngine connects the search engine to your device so that you can connect to online stores and reduce purchasing friction. It works with both iPhone and Android mobile devices.

The MultiColorEngine adds color search to TinEye so that you can search for images based on their color.

You can get extensions for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera.

You can check out pricing for the different TinEye products on their product page.

3. Google Lens

Google Lens is a search engine that lets you use your camera to search for an image. It is perfect for searching for an image you can’t describe with words or you don’t know its name.

Here, you can search for items like clothing and furniture. Google Lens will bring search results similar to the item so you can know where to find it.

Google Lens is also ideal for translating texts from over 100 languages in real time. If you are a student, you can use Google Lens to find a quick solution to your homework problem. Just take a photo of your homework and find results on the internet.

Additionally, you can use this image search engine to identify plants and animals.

The app is free and available on Google Apps, Google Camera, and Google Photos.

Also Read: How To Reverse Image Search On Instagram?

4. Yahoo

The Yahoo Image search engine works like the Google search engine. However, because it differs from the Google search engine, the images on the top of the pages may differ from those on Google.

Here, you can also turn the Safesearch on or off depending on whether you want your search results to contain explicit images.

You can filter your results based on image size, color, type, layout, people, uploaded time, and usage rights. You can select photo, clipart, line drawing, animated GIF, and transparent based on image type.

Yahoo Image Search is free.

5. Bing Image Inspiration Feed

Bing Image Inspiration Feed is an image search engine that works like Google and Yahoo image search. The search engine gives different versions of the image you are looking for.

To search for an image on Bing Image Inspiration Feed, type the name of the image, paste the image, take a photo of the image using your camera, or enter the image URL in the search bar.

You can filter your results based on image size, color, type, layout, people, or license. For people, you can filter them out to include just faces or heads and shoulders.

Bing Image Inspiration Feed is free.

6. Pinterest

Pinterest is a social platform where you can search for practically anything from recipes, fashion, hair, and tattoos, to home and style inspiration.

The images found on Pinterest are called pins, and the goal of the images is to find ideas that will spark your next project or inspiration. To get started on Pinterest, you will first need to create an account. You can save your favorite Pins or even create pins you can share with users.

Pinterest lets you organize your pins on boards, allowing you to group similar pins. Also, you can add a checklist and notes on the pins. You can decide whether to make your pins and boards public or private.

Your home feed is where you will find the pins you have saved and that you may love based on your recent activities on the app.

Use the search bar to find ideas; for example, if you search ‘Happy Birthday’ in the search bar, you will get pins on gift ideas, birthday food recipes, and decor.

You can further explore your ideas by looking at the creators’ profiles, leading you to a YouTube video or a blog where you can find more information.

If it is a how-to pin, you’ll find details on making the item. Sometimes, the links may lead you to where you can purchase a similar item.

Pinterest also works like a social media app. You can chat with friends or share your pins on other social media platforms.

Pinterest is free and has quite a large database of images that users upload.

Explore the best alternatives to Pinterest here.

7. Openverse

Openverse was formerly known as Creative Commons Search. The image search engine is part of the WordPress project.

The tool searches for images on the internet that fall under the Creative Common License or are public domain. The search results are not as extensive as other popular search engines, but when you type in the correct keyword, you will get what you are looking for.

Openverse searches from the Common Crawl dataset and open APIs across more than 300 million images. The tool goes beyond the simple search process to aggregate results from different sources into a single catalog.

You can filter your search results by use, licenses, image type, extension, aspect ratio, and source.

Openverse is free.

8. Flickr

Flickr lets you search images uploaded by photographers, including amateurs and professional photographers.

You will get beautiful photos on this search engine. Some photos are available for free, while others are for purchase. The beauty of Flickr is that you will get different variations of the photos, and you get to choose the one that works for you.

Flickr lets you sort images based on orientation, minimum size, date, and content type.

The search engine lets you follow your favorite photographers so that you are updated when they upload new photos. You can also comment on the photo, rate it, and send a gift appreciation to the photographer.

Flickr has a free and pro version. Pro subscriptions give you unlimited storage, ad-free browsing, discounts, statistics on your photo views, and promotion for your photos.

You can purchase the Flickr Pro subscription at $8.49 per month, $6.67 per month – billed annually, and $5.99 per month, billed every two years.

9. Getty Images

Getty Images is a search engine that lets users search for images and stock photos, buy usage rights, and download them. On this platform, you can search using keywords or upload an image.

The platform has various filter options to ensure you get the perfect image for your use. You can filter your search results based on varying criteria, including popularity, date uploaded, best match, color, mood, orientation, resolution, age, people composition, ethnicity, image styles, location, and collection.

You can get royalty-free images and photos on Getty Images. You can also exclude images based on nudity and content intended for royalty use.

Getty Images has several plans based on image sizes and resolution; check them out on the plans and pricing page.

10. Shutterstock

Shutterstock is an image search engine with more than 424 million images. You can use this platform to search for royalty-free stock images.

You can search for images by using keywords or uploading an image. Shutterstock has an AI-powered search with a paid subscription that enhances your search results.

The search engine lets you filter your results based on image type, orientation, color, people, artists, usage, image size, and category.

You can purchase the different plans on their pricing page. The plans are based on the number of downloads, including an On-Demand plan at $49/year, Mix and Match at $49/month, Image Subscription at $29/month, and Team at $479/month. There is also a customized (Enterprise) plan based on your needs.

11. The New York Public Library Digital Collections

The New York Public Library Digital Collections contain over 925,154 items. The items are available in the digital library and span subjects and historical eras.

To get an image from the New York Public Library Digital Collections, enter a keyword on the search bar, and you will get your search results. You can filter your search results to get images that are in the public domain.

You will get information about each image. New York Public Library Digital Collections also gives you different download options.

The search engine is free.

12. Yandex

Yandex lets you search images on its database using keywords and by uploading an image. Also, you can explore the images available on the platform based on their collection.

For example, you can click on the vacation collection to select images related to vacation.

Also, you can use the filter available on Yandex to narrow down your search results. You can filter your results based on size, orientation, type, color, file, time, and images available on different sites.

Yandex is free.

13. Pixabay

Pixabay is a search engine that lets you search for photos, illustrations, vectors, videos, music, sound effects, and GIFs. To search for images, you will have to select the image filter available on the platform.

The platform is popularly known because here, you will get royalty-free images that you can use on various projects. You can use these images on your website to develop marketing materials and commercial purposes.

You can turn on the SafeSearch mode on the app and filter your search results based on relevance, orientation, size, color, and published date.

Pixabay is free, but it can also display images on iStock, which are available for purchase.

14. Pexels

Pexels is an excellent image search engine that you can use to get royalty-free images. Skilled creators, including photographers, have uploaded tons of high-resolution images on this platform.

Here, you can search for the image or search for it based on the user that uploads similar images. You can filter your search results based on orientation, sizes, and hex code.

You can add Pexels as a plugin on Chrome, Photoshop, Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, MS Office, WordPress, and Google Slides.

Pexels is free.

15. Photo Sherlock

Photo Sherlock is an app that you can use on your browser or device to search for images. All you need is to upload the image to the search engine.

Photo Sherlock lets you find information about an image, find its owner, and check if it has been modified.

The app also lets you take photos and choose images from your gallery. The images are searched using Google and Bing search engines.

Photo Sherlock is free.

16. Image Search – PictPicks

Image Search – PictPicks is an app available for Android devices. The application lets you search for photos and images on your device.

You can upload an image to your device to the search engine and find similar or related images. You can also use queries from your search history to refine the search results.

The app lets you filter your search results by color, size, type, and time. You can also activate the SafeSearch mode.

You can download an image from your search results, zoom it, save it on your device, share it, or use it as your contact photo or wallpaper.

Image Search-PictPicks is free

17. Unsplash

Unsplash is a big and popular site for searching and downloading attractive, high-resolution images for free.

The platform has a large community of contributors who upload images on a wide array of topics, such as film, people, food and drink, athletics, nature, fashion and beauty, street photography, and more.

To find an image on Unsplash, simply type the keyword related to it in the search bar and you will see results that match your search.

Click on the image you like and you will see the number of views and downloads it has. You will also see the name of the contributor.

Clicking on the download button shows you the different dimensions you can download the image in. Additionally, you will see related photos directly below the page of the image clicked on. You can scan through these photos to see whether there’s one that suits your needs.

You don’t need to sign up to use Unsplash, although there’s an option to create an account. Signing up lets you organize your best photos into collections. You can also save photos for later projects. Moreover, you can follow other users and get notifications whenever they upload new photos.

Unsplash is free to use. However, you can upgrade to Unsplash+ for only $4 per month (billed annually) to enjoy more benefits, such as access to unlimited royalty-free downloads, ad-free experience, priority support, members-only content, and more.

18. Reverse Image Search

Reverse Image Search lets you search for images online by uploading a photo from your device or typing in the image URL. The search engine also lets you upload images from Dropbox or Google Drive.

To search for an image, upload the image or copy the image URL onto the search bar. Select the search engines that you prefer, then check the search results.

Reverse Image Search is powered by an AI algorithm that matches the uploaded image to a picture available on the selected databases. In addition to finding images online, Reverse Image Search also runs a similarity check that matches the images based on color shape and scheme.

The platform comes with a facial recognition feature that matches facial features with pictures of people on the internet and databases.

Reverse Image Search is free.

19. Facebook

Facebook is another platform where you can search for images. Here billions of people using the platform upload pictures on it daily.

For this reason, you can use the Facebook search functionality to search for images available on the platform. The results will include public photos and photos that have been uploaded by your friends or people in your groups.

There is a high likelihood that you will find the images you are looking for on Facebook. The app comes with a filter that lets you filter the results based on the date posted, tagged location, photo type, and the person who posted it.

Facebook is free to use. All you need to do is sign up to create an account so as to access photos posted by users.

Explore the best alternatives to Facebook in this post.

20. Reddit

Reddit is a social discussion platform you can use to find anything. Here, you can search for images uploaded by millions of users. The platform has image search options that let you search for an image by uploading it or using keywords.

When you use relevant keywords on Reddit, you will find images tagged under them. Next, you can select the one that works for you.

On Reddit, you will also find discussions based on the image and links to other sites with more information.

Reddit is free.

21. Labnol’s Reverse Image Search

Labnol’s Reverse Image Search is a site where you can upload an image from your device, iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox, or take a photo using your device.

The platform looks for visually similar images available online. Journalists can use the search engine to find more details about an image, including its authenticity and when it was first published online.

Photographers can use Labnol’s Reverse Image Search to determine if their images are being used illegally.

Labnol’s Reverse Image Search is free.

22. Wolfram Language Image Identification Project

The Wolfram Language Image Identification Project is a reverse image search engine that gives you insight into the images in your search results. Here you drag and drop images into the site, and the site will tell you about the image, including where it comes from.

The platform supports automated web deployment based on Wolfram clouds and private clouds. The search will generate multiple possible results and estimated probabilities of similarities.

Final Word

There you have it – a complete list of the best image search engines. Most allow you to search for images using keywords, but some allow reverse image search. Interestingly, nearly all these platforms are completely free and user-friendly.

Whether you are searching for high-quality images to include in a blog featured image or add to your marketing video, these tools will help.

You can choose one that best meets your needs, or try one at a time. Either way, I am sure these tools will save you time and money.