11 Best Image Search Engines Every Internet User Should Know

With so much information available on the internet, it’s difficult to know where to start when you’re looking for specific images. That is where image search engines came in.

Image search engines are a vital tool for anyone who needs to find visual information online. But with so many different search engines available, it can be difficult to know which one to use.

In this blog post, I’ll introduce you to the top 11 best image search engines for finding visual content on the web.

Whether you’re looking for stock photos, illustrations, or even user-generated content, these photo-finding websites will help you find what you’re looking for. So without further ado, let’s get started! 

What Is an Image Search Engine?

An image search engine is a powerful tool that enables users to search for images on the Internet. It is also known as a picture search engine. 

With these image search engines, you can simply find the image you need just by inputting a simple keyword. Also, you can perform the image search with the images you have and find more related images.

Additionally, the search filter options provided by these search engines will make your image search more easy and more fun!

When should people use Image search engines?

There might be many different reasons why someone might want to use an image search engine. Some of them are:

  • If you’re a visual person and you want to find inspiration for a project, image search engines can be a great place to start. 
  • You can also use image search engines to find specific images that you need for a marketing campaign or presentation. 
  • These tools can also be helpful in researching something you don’t know about.
  • Image search engines also let you track the usage of your images on the internet.
  • Using the best search engines for images, You can find different versions of any specific image.
  • Image search engines also let you identify the original source of images.

Types of Image search engines 

Based on the functions and services they provide, We can categorize the image search engines into major two parts. Reverse image search engine and Stock image search engine.

  • Reverse Image search engine: A reverse image search engine is a tool that allows you to input an image and receive results of similar images from across the web. This is useful for finding the original source of an image or finding higher-resolution versions. Some of the most popular reverse image search engines are Google, Bing, Yandex, Pinterest and TinEye.
  • Stock image search engine: A stock image search engine is a search engine that helps you find stock images online. You can use this search engine to find royalty-free images, illustrations, and videos. And these images can be used for commercial or personal purposes. Shutterstock, Pixbay, Unsplash, Istockphoto, and Getty Images are the most popular search engines among the many Stock image search engines.

11 Best Image Search Engines

Now let’s dive into each of these best photo-finding websites and learn more about them.

#1. Google – Best Website for Image Search

Google is the world’s largest search engine. And it is the best website for image search as well. It has the largest database of images and the most advanced search algorithms. With its added functionalities like vast filtering options and reverse image search, Google image is the go-to place for any kind of image search. 

Google Image Search Engine

Google Image Search Engine Feature Highlights

  • Filter: One of the great things about Google image search is that you can filter the results by size, type, colour and usage rights.
  • UI: Google image search has a very simple and easy-to-use user interface.
  • Better result: Since it is the largest image search engine on the web, it has a large database of images, so it can be expected to provide more accurate results than other image search engines.
  • Reverse image search: Google image search also includes a reverse image search option. This allows users to search for images that are similar to ones that they have already found. 

How To Search Image On Google Image Search Engine?

  • First, open your web browser and go to https://images.google.com. This will take you to the image search page.
  • Next, enter a keyword or phrase into the search bar. This could be anything you want to search with. 
  • You can also input an image as a search query. For this, you need to click on the camera icon inside the search bar.
  • Use the filter options to narrow down the search result.

Check this article to know everything about Google reverse image search: How To Do Google Reverse Image Search – Search With an Image on Google

#2. Bing Picture Search Engine

It’s similar and the only competitor to the google image search engine. 

Bing image search engine also allows you to reverse image search and have a lot of filtering options. 

If you are already using google image search, you don’t need to look here as Bing does not have anything new. 

But….

If you don’t like google’s search engine for any reason and looking for an alternative to it, then Bing might be your alternative search engine for image search.

Bing picture search engine

Bing Picture Search Engine Feature Highlights

  •  Bing offers a number of features to help users find the perfect image, including a “Similar Images” tool and a “Related Searches” tool.
  • Users can refine their search results by using filters such as date range, size, type, layout, colour and license.
  • Bing also has a reverse image search option which will be helpful to the users to perform a search using an image.

How To Search Image On Bing Image Search Engine?

  • On your browser, Go to www.bing.com/images
  • Type in what you’re looking for and hit enter. Or, click on the image icon inside the search box and perform a search using images you already have.
  • Narrow down the results by using filter options.
  • Save the picture to your computer or share it with your friends.

Related: How To Do Bing Reverse Image Search?

#3. Yandex Image Search Engine

Yandex is another best and most popular image search engine among the Russian people. It has an easy-to-use and attractive user interface and you can quickly and easily find the perfect image for your needs. Whether you’re looking for a new wallpaper for your home screen or an image to use in a project, Yandex has what you need. 

Mostly Yandex image search engine is popular for its reverse image search feature, which is really amazing and more accurate than other reverse image search engines. 

It also has almost the same filtering options and user interface as other search engines have.

Yandex Image Search Engine

Yandex Image Search Engine Feature Highlights

  • More attractive and easy search result page than other image search engines.
  • Has great search filtering options like Size, Orientation, Type, Color and File type.
  • Infinite scrollable image viewing and related images section, which is a completely unique and new feature that other image search engines do not have. 
  • A unique filtering option called “On this site” lets you filter the image search by desired domain names. 
  • The reverse image search feature adds more value to it.

How To Search Image On Yandex Image Search Engine?

  • Open your web browser and go to Yandex’s image search page.
  • Input the keyword or image you want to search with.
  • Filter the result with amazing filtering options and get your desired image.

Find more on the Yandex image search engine: How To Do Yandex Reverse Image Search?

#4. Pinterest Lens

Pinterest is not actually made to provide a search engine. It’s a social media platform that allows users to share images. 

Since it has about 450 Million users worldwide and billions of pictures shared by those users inside it, people can use it as an image search engine to find any kind of creative and informative images for any of their purpose. 

When a user enters a keyword, the Pinterest search engine looks through all of the images that have been shared on Pinterest. If an image is found that matches the keyword, it will be displayed in the search results.

Pinterest also has a reverse image search feature which is quite different from other reverse search engines. Using its mobile application, you can perform a reverse image search with the image of your gallery or by taking a new picture with the camera. 

It is used a lot in the case of finding places to buy something online or finding the recipe for your favourite dishes. 

Always remember, Pinterest doesn’t show you images from crawling the entire web, instead it only shows you images from its own private database. This means you can only find the picture that had been shared inside Pinterest by other Pinterest users.

Pinterest lens

Pinterest Lens Feature Highlights

  • A great tool to Find and buy the product you liked.
  • It’s as easy as you take pictures on your phone.
  • Might be helpful in your daily life work such as Cooking, Makeup and many more.

How To Search Image On Pinterest Image Search Engine?

  • Open the Pinterest app on your mobile device.
  • Tap on the camera icon in the search bar.
  • Take the picture using your camera or browse an image from your galley.
  • Get all the similar images in no time.

More about the Pinterest lens: How To Do Pinterest Reverse Image Search?

#5. TinEye Reverse Image Search Engine

Tineye is totally different image search engine than others available on the web. It is only used for any specific purpose like finding original source of the image, finding different versions of any specific image, tracking the usage of your image and other alike purposes.  

Since its use is very specific, it is not very popular among the general audience. Mostly, we can find this tool is used by professional visual content creators and researchers as this provides useful functionalities to them. 

Tineye is considered the most accurate and reliable tool in the world of reverse image search. 

Tineye, which claims to have a database of 56 billion images and is constantly adding millions of images to its database, has created a unique identity on the web with its unique functions and features.

tineye reverse image search

TinEye Reverse Image Search Engine Feature Highlights

  • Most accurate reverse image search engine on the web.
  • Has a huge database of over 56 billion images.
  • Provides Tineye reverse image search extensions for all major web browsers such as google chrome, Microsoft edge, Opera and firefox.
  • Tineye provides only exact match results instead of related or look-alike images.
  • With its great filter options, you can save time and get the desired images in no time.

How To Search Image On TinEye Reverse Image Search Engine?

  • Open your browser and go to TinEye’s official website.
  • Upload the image or Paste the image URL you want to search with.
  • Use filter options like Best match, Most changed, Biggest Image, Newest and Oldest to narrow down your search result.

Find more about TinEye reverse image search engine: How to use TinEye reverse image search – a Complete Guide

#6. Shutterstock – Best Stock Image Search Engine

Shutterstock is the industry leader in stock photos, with over 1200 million royalty-free stock photos, vector graphics, and illustrations, and 10 million video clips and music clips in its portfolio. 

Whether you need photos for your website or blog or illustrations for your marketing materials, you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for on Shutterstock. Plus, with new content added daily, you’ll always have access to fresh and eye-catching visuals at your fingertips.

Shutterstock stock image search engine

Shutterstock Feature Highlights

  • Access over 1200 million royalty-free stock photos, vector graphics, and illustrations.
  • Unique and advanced search filtering options provide users with a convenient experience with image search.
  • Amazing features such as Design templates, Powerful editing features, Advanced icons, Text templates, Unlimited custom sizes etc. add more value to it.
  • Users can perform a search using an image which will narrow down the search and can easily find what they are looking for.

How To Search Image On Shutterstock?

  • Open your web browser and browse the Shutterstock website.
  • Type in your keyword and click on the search icon.
  • Use filter options and get the desired images in no time.
  • You can also use an image as input to find other related images.
  • You can find Photos, Videos, Music tracks, Sound effects, vectors, Illustrations and many other design templates inside it.

#7. Pixabay Free Image Search Engine

Pixabay is a great stock image search engine that can help you find the perfect image for your project in seconds. With over 2.7 million high-quality stock images, Pixabay is the one-stop shop for all your image needs. From professional photos to royalty-free illustrations, there’s something for everyone on Pixabay.

It has an easy-to-use user interface and has added great filtering options which will power up your image search experience.

pixabay free image search engine

Pixabay Feature Highlights

  • Access over 2.7 million+ Stunning Images to Use Anywhere.
  • It has great filtering options including  Graphic type,  Orientation,  Size,  Color  and Published date 
  • Pixabay is completely free! You can use their resources for free for commercial and noncommercial use across print and digital mediums.
  • For bloggers and content creators, Pixabay is the go-to source for any kind of resources such as Photos, Illustrations, Vectors, Videos, Music, Sound Effects and GIFs.

How To Search Image On Pixbay?

  • Open your browser and go to Pixabay.com
  • Type in your keyword and get the image you are looking for.
  • You can use the filter options to narrow down your search and save time finding your desired images.

#8. Unsplash -Beautiful Free Images & Pictures

Unsplash is another best search engines for images dedicated to providing high-quality, royalty-free photos. With a library of over 3 million high-quality photos, free to download and use, Unsplash is a veritable goldmine for anyone in need of some visual inspiration. 

Unsplash offers a wide variety of photos, from nature to cityscapes to portraits. The site is also constantly updating its collection, with new photos being added every day.

Whether you’re working on a design project, sprucing up your website, or just looking for some new desktop wallpaper, Unsplash has covered you.

Unsplash free image search engine

Unsplash Feature Highlights

  • All photos can be downloaded for free.
  • No permission is needed to use images for Commercial and non-commercial purposes.
  • You can also upload your images to it and get the chance to get followings as well as meet the great creators of the industry.
  • Reverse image search available.
  • Great resource site for Bloggers and other kinds of visual content creators.

How To Search Image On Unsplash?

  • Open any of your favourite browsers.
  • Go to Unsplash.com
  • Type your keyword or click on the image icon in the search box and upload the desired image you want to search with.
  • Use filter options to narrow down your search.
  • You can also check the trending images by category in the Featured section under the search bar. 

#9. Istockphoto – Stock Image search engine

Istockphoto is another best picture search engines among many photo-finding websites that offer stock photos, vector illustrations, videos, and audio for people to use in their projects. 

With over 150 million royalty-free photos and illustrations to choose from, Istockphoto makes it easy to find the perfect visual for your next project. Plus, their flexible licensing options allow you to use their images in a variety of ways. 

Whether you need an image for your website, blog, or social media account, Istockphoto has you covered.

istockphotos - best stock image search engine

Istockphoto Feature Highlights

  • It has Millions of exclusive images you won’t find anywhere else.
  • iStock also has a search by image or video feature.
  • The “Similar Images” option is very cool as this allows you to look for more related images inside the platform.

How To Search Images On Istockphoto?

  • Browse IstockPhoto’s website on your web browser.
  • Type the keyword you want to search with.
  • You can also use an image or video to perform a search.
  • Get the result and you can also use the filter options to narrow down your search and find what you are exactly looking for.

#10. Getty Images: Royalty-Free Stock Photos

Getty Images is one of the world’s largest stock photo-finding websites. With over 80 million images and videos in their collection, they are a powerhouse in the industry. 

In recent years, they have been at the forefront of technological innovation, with their app allowing users to search and download images on the go. 

Their website is easy to use and their customer service is excellent. With so many happy customers, it’s no wonder that Getty Images is one of the most popular stock image search engines around.

Getty Images

Getty Images Feature Highlights

  • Search results can be filtered by Colors, Orientations, Resolutions, Locations, Photographers and many other options.
  • You can get the script to embed the image on your website. 
  • It also has a reverse image search feature.
  • You can create your own board and add images to it for your future usage.

How To Search Images On Getty Images?

  • Go to GettyImage’s website
  • Type in your keyword or use images or videos to perform the search
  • Use filter options to find your best match
  • Save the image for later, Embed it on your website or buy the license.
  • Enjoy image searching.

#11. Yahoo Image Search Engine

And finally Yahoo! One of the most popular and oldest email provider and search engine….

A list of the Best website for image search can not be completed without it.

Since 1995 till now, Yahoo has always been everyone’s favourite search engine. 

With the Yahoo image search engine, you’ll be able to find thousands of images to choose from, making it easy to find exactly what you need.

It does not offer a reverse image search feature yet. However, it can be used as a photo-finding website and can be considered one of the best picture search engines due to its easy-to-use and clean user interface and vast filtering options.

yahoo image search engine

How To Search Image On Yahoo?

  • On your web browser, Explore Yahoo Image Search Page
  • Type your keyword and click on the search icon.
  • Filter the search results and easily find what you are looking for.

Best Image Search Engines | FAQs

How does an image search engine work?

Image search engines work similarly to other normal search engines. They also use algorithms to search for images that match the user’s query. When a user inputs keywords, search engines look up their database and then return results that match the query. 

How to search the web using an image?

Thankfully, there are many ways to perform a search using an image. It’s called reverse image search and almost every search engine such as Google, Bing, Yandex, and TinEye has this feature included in their search engine. Just upload an image or provide an image URL and find tons of other similar images around the web.

Is downloading images from Google illegal?

The answer, however, is not as simple as a yes or no. There are a few factors to consider before determining if downloading images from Google is illegal. These include the purpose of the image, the copyright status of the image, and whether or not you have the owner’s permission to use the image.

In general, it’s not illegal to download images from Google. But what you do with it decides whether it’s legal or not. Therefore always make sure to check copyrights and read and understand the policies before using any images available on the internet.

What is the best reverse image search engine?

There are many different reverse image search engines available on the internet that offer equally well services, features and user experience. But when it comes to choosing only one of them, I always prefer Google! 

Google’s algorithms are constantly improving, so they are able to deliver more accurate results than other search engines. Additionally, Google has the largest database of images, so you’re more likely to find what you’re looking for.

Is it safe to save pictures from the internet?

Yes! Downloading images from the Internet probably does not harm your devices as image files cannot contain executable code or viruses that can harm your PC or phone.

Summary

No matter what profession we are in, there may be many situations in our daily life where we need to use an image search engine.

I hope this comprehensive list of image search engines will help you find and download the perfect image you’re looking for.

However, it is important to check the usage rights before downloading and using free images online. 

The majority of image search engines have mentioned what you can do with their images, so always ensure to double-check these things to stay safe from copyright lawsuits.

How often do you use Image search engines? 

Which is your favourite one? 

Let us know in the comment.

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Bibek Sapkota

I'm Bibek | Tech Enthusiast & Lifelong Learner. | Playing on the Web for the Past Few Years as a Full-Time Tech Blogger. At TechnoBite, I curate insightful content ranging from how-to guides to in-depth tech reviews. Passionate about continuous learning and sharing knowledge, my mission is to empower my audience with valuable information to navigate the ever-evolving world of technology.

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