Both tools detect AI-generated images using top-tier detection engines. The difference isn't accuracy — it's where they work. Faux Spy lives in your browser. Illuminarty lives on their website.
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| Feature | Faux Spy | Illuminarty |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Chrome extension — right-click any image on any site | Upload image to illuminarty.ai |
| Where it works | Any website in Chrome (Tinder, Bumble, Instagram, LinkedIn, anywhere) | Only on their website after downloading the image |
| Detection accuracy | 94% (Hive Moderation engine) | ~91% (2nd-best consumer tool tested) |
| Free tier | 10 checks/day — no account needed | 5 scans/day — account required |
| Paid plan | $9.99/month (unlimited + deepfake detection) | ~$9–$19/month (Pro tier) |
| Deepfake detection | Yes (Pro plan) | Yes |
| Heatmap overlay | No | Yes — highlights where AI artifacts are in the image |
| Generator identification | Yes — identifies Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and others | Yes — similar generator identification |
| Upload required | No — works on the page | Yes — must download then upload |
| Speed | Seconds — no page navigation required | Seconds — after the upload process |
On paper, Faux Spy and Illuminarty look similar: both detect AI-generated images, both identify which generator made them, both offer free and paid tiers at comparable prices. The numbers are close.
The workflow is not. Illuminarty requires you to download the image and upload it to their site. That's a three-step process: right-click → Save image → Navigate to illuminarty.ai → Upload. When you're on a dating app and something looks off about a profile photo, you're not going to do that five times across a profile. You'll skip it.
Faux Spy is one step: hover and click. The result appears as an overlay on the same page. You never leave where you are. That's not a small UX difference — it's the difference between using the tool consistently and not using it at all.
No competitor has a browser extension. Faux Spy is the only AI image detector that works on any website in Chrome without requiring you to download or upload anything.
Illuminarty's detection accuracy has been independently tested at approximately 91% across major generators. That's legitimately good — it's in the top tier of consumer AI detection tools.
Faux Spy is powered by Hive Moderation's detection engine, which benchmarks at 94% accuracy across Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Flux, and other major generators. Hive is an enterprise-grade API used by media companies and social platforms. Faux Spy brings that same engine into a consumer browser extension.
In practice, a 3-percentage-point accuracy difference rarely matters for individual checks. What matters is whether you actually run the check. The tool you use is more accurate than the tool you don't.
Faux Spy is for people who want to check images where they find them — while scrolling a dating app, reviewing a LinkedIn connection request, looking at someone's Instagram before meeting up. The extension removes all friction. You see a photo, you have a question, you get an answer without leaving the page.
It's particularly useful for:
Illuminarty makes sense if you need the heatmap overlay. That feature shows exactly which areas of an image have the strongest AI-generation signals — useful if you're doing forensic analysis, writing a report, or need to demonstrate to someone else where the tell-tale signs are.
It also makes sense if you're on a non-Chrome browser (Illuminarty is browser-agnostic since it's a website), or if you're checking images from files on your computer rather than images on websites.
For checking images while browsing — dating apps, social media, any website — Faux Spy is faster because it's a browser extension with no upload step. For heatmap analysis that shows exactly where AI artifacts are in an image, Illuminarty has a feature Faux Spy doesn't. If you're doing real-time profile checks, Faux Spy wins on workflow. If you need forensic detail, Illuminarty adds value.
No. Faux Spy works directly on the page — no downloading, no uploading. The image stays in your browser. Illuminarty requires downloading the image first, then uploading it to their website.
Faux Spy uses Hive Moderation's engine at 94% accuracy. Illuminarty benchmarks at approximately 91%. Both are in the top tier for consumer AI detection tools. For typical profile photo checks, the difference is marginal — both will catch most AI-generated faces.
Yes — 10 checks per day, no account needed. Illuminarty's free tier allows 5 scans per day and requires an account. Faux Spy Pro ($9.99/month) adds unlimited checks and deepfake detection.
No. Illuminarty is a website-based tool that requires you to upload images. Faux Spy is the only AI image detector with a Chrome browser extension that works on any website without uploading.
Right-click any image in Chrome. No downloads, no uploads, no navigation required.
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