Best free reverse image search extensions for Chrome
A reverse image search extension saves you the copy-paste dance: right-click a picture, and the engines open with it already loaded. Three free, open-source ones are worth your time — Reverse Image Search Anywhere, RevEye and Search by Image. They are good at different things, and this page is about picking the right one rather than crowning a winner.
The short version
- Pick RevEye
- if you want the smallest possible tool. Right-click, choose an engine, done — nothing else to learn.
- Pick Search by Image
- if you want breadth and switches. 30+ engines and a deep options screen, aimed at power users.
- Pick Reverse Image Search Anywhere
- if the images you search live on Instagram or Pinterest, or you are trying to identify a person. Those two cases are what it was built for.
Side by side
| Feature | RevEye | Search by Image | Reverse Image Search Anywhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-click search across several engines | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google Lens, Yandex, Bing & TinEye | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Number of engines | 4 | 30+ | 4 |
| Works on Instagram / Pinterest / canvas (secure upload) | — | — | ✓ |
| Dedicated “Search this face” (Yandex-first + crop) | — | — | ✓ |
| Clipboard paste to search | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Region / screenshot capture | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free, no ads, no tracking | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
RevEye
The minimalist. Right-click an image and pick Google, Bing, Yandex or TinEye — that is the whole product, and it has been reliable for years. It is free, open source, shows no ads and tracks nothing.
What it will not do: search an image on a site that hides the real image URL, search a face as a distinct flow, or take an image from your clipboard. If you have never hit those limits, you do not need anything more.
Search by Image
The power tool. More than 30 engines, clipboard paste, region capture, and an options screen with a switch for nearly everything. Also free and open source.
The trade-off is the one every power tool makes: the surface area is large, and the first-run experience asks you to make decisions before you have searched anything. It also does not have a face-first flow or the Instagram upload path.
Reverse Image Search Anywhere
Built around the two cases the others leave alone. On Instagram, Pinterest and canvas images — where the page hides the real image URL, so "search by URL" silently fails — it securely uploads just that one image so every engine can read it. And “Search this face” sends the photo to Yandex first, which is far better at finding people than Google is.
It ships four engines rather than thirty, on purpose. Free, open source, no ads, no tracking. It does not support Safari, and it will not give you a 30-engine list — if that is what you want, Search by Image is the better pick.
On a phone? None of these will help
Chrome and Safari on mobile cannot install extensions at all. Firefox for Android can, so any of the three is an option there. Otherwise, use the search tool on the homepage — same engines, no install.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free reverse image search extension?
There is no single answer. RevEye is the best minimal one, Search by Image is the best for engine breadth, and Reverse Image Search Anywhere is the best for images on Instagram and Pinterest and for finding people. All three are free and open source.
What is the best RevEye alternative?
Reverse Image Search Anywhere covers the same right-click multi-engine search and adds Instagram/Pinterest support via secure upload, a Yandex-first face search, and clipboard paste and region capture.
What is a good Search by Image alternative?
Reverse Image Search Anywhere focuses on the four engines that matter with a cleaner flow, and adds Instagram/Pinterest support and a Yandex-first face search that Search by Image does not lead with.
Can any of them search images on Instagram and Pinterest?
Only by uploading the image, because those sites hide the real image URL. Reverse Image Search Anywhere does this in one click, securely, for a single image at a time. See reverse image search on Instagram.
Which one works on a phone?
On Firefox for Android, any of them. On Chrome or Safari for mobile, none — those browsers cannot install extensions. Use the search tool on the homepage instead.