6 apps that take a picture to see how much something is worth 

For my own reselling business, apps that take a picture to see how much something is worth have helped me determine pricing and when to sell items. Google Lens is best for broad, multi-retailer comparisons; Amazon and eBay's tools are better if you sell on those platforms. Here are 6 tools that I’ve recently reviewed. 

Top item identification apps: At a glance

1. Google Lens: Best for quick identification and prices

What it does: Google Lens turns your phone camera into a product research tool that eliminates manual searches.

Who it's for: Resellers sourcing inventory who need immediate pricing data before committing to a purchase.

To test Google Lens, I photographed 15 items across clothing racks and furniture sections at my local thrift store to assess how quickly it identified them. Within 10 seconds, the tool returned accurate product matches for branded items with visible logos or tags. 

Features

• Shopping integration: Links directly to product pages on retailer sites for immediate purchase or comparison research.
• Visual search engine: Identifies objects by analyzing shape, color, and text against Google's indexed image database.
• Multi-retailer price aggregation: Displays current pricing from major online stores and shows price history when available.

Pros

• Exceptional accuracy and speed: Google Lens delivers accurate results across a wide range of item categories, from identifying obscure plant species to confirming that my dog, who I thought was a border collie mix, is actually an Icelandic Sheepdog. 
• Integration with Google ecosystem: The tool works flawlessly within Google’s suite of applications, including Google Photos, Search, Assistant, and Maps. You can easily save results, share information, and continue research without losing context.

Cons

• Privacy and data collection concerns: Google may save your Lens images and related activity to your account if Web & App Activity and Visual Search History are turned on. You can review this data and delete it anytime in your Google account settings.

Pricing

Google Lens is free for all users across supported platforms and devices, with no paid subscription or premium tier.

The bottom line

Google Lens works best when sourcing branded merchandise where speed matters more than specialized vintage knowledge. If you prioritize unmarked collectibles or need auction-grade valuations, try a tool like PriceSnap or eBay’s image search.

2. Amazon Camera Search (Amazon Lens): Best for Amazon sellers

What it does: Amazon Camera Search scans retail products and instantly shows Amazon listings, eliminating the need to use a manual catalog when sourcing.

Who it's for: FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) sellers scanning clearance aisles who need immediate profit margins before buying inventory for Amazon arbitrage.

To test Amazon Lens, I scanned 30 clearance products at a big-box retailer to assess how quickly the tool identified listings on Amazon. The tool returned exact matches for items with visible barcodes or distinctive packaging, helping me find the best prices.

Features

• Camera-based product identification: Uses AI image recognition to identify products via your smartphone’s camera.
• Photo upload and image search: Upload images from your camera or gallery to search for products on Amazon.
• Circle to Search targeting: Pinpoints specific products within images that contain multiple items by drawing a circle around the item you want.

Pros

• Made for Amazon’s ecosystem: Amazon Lens integrates into the Amazon Shopping app, giving you instant access to Amazon's vast product catalog, customer reviews, and pricing. 
• Free for all Amazon users: Amazon Lens is available at no cost to anyone with the Amazon Shopping app.

Cons

• Limited to Amazon: Camera Search searches only within Amazon's product catalog. It doesn’t compare prices on platforms like eBay or Walmart.

Pricing

Amazon Camera Search is free and included with the Amazon Shopping app on mobile devices.

The bottom line

Amazon Camera Search helps resellers source branded retail arbitrage items intended for Amazon sales, since its pricing and demand data come solely from Amazon. If you sell on multiple platforms or specialize in vintage items, you’ll usually need other tools like Google Lens.

3. eBay’s Visual Search tools: Best for eBay users

What it does: eBay's Visual Search (Find It On eBay and Image Search) matches your photos to active eBay listings so you can quickly find similar items, then use eBay’s filters to check sold comparables for pricing.

Who it's for: eBay vintage resellers sourcing estate sales who need eBay's completed auction data to validate pricing for unmarked items.

When I tested eBay’s Image Search, I photographed 20 vintage items across furniture and clothing categories to test how accurately the tool matched listings. eBay’s tool returned visually similar results within seconds. The visual similarity ranking showed items with matching colors and shapes first for easy reference.

Features

• Camera-based product identification: Takes photos directly within the eBay app using the search bar camera button for instant matching.
• Social media image sharing: Shares images from Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to the eBay app for immediate product identification.
• Visual similarity ranking: Analyzes images using AI and ranks results by visual match quality, showing exact matches first.

Pros

• Integration with eBay's marketplace ecosystem: Visual Search is natively built into the eBay mobile app, providing instant access to over 1 billion active listings without switching between applications.

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• Advanced AI technology with continuous improvement: eBay's Visual Search uses AI and machine learning to match your photo with visually similar items.

Cons

• Weaker brand recognition: Some users have reported that eBay’s tool fails to identify designer labels and maker marks that Google Lens catches.

Pricing

eBay's Visual Search is available free of charge to all users of the eBay mobile app.

The bottom line

eBay's Visual Search works best when pricing vintage inventory, where eBay's auction history defines market value, and you primarily sell on their platform. Resellers who need stronger recognition for designer goods, or who use Poshmark or Depop, should default to Google Lens for brand and label ID before manually checking eBay comps.

4. Pinterest Lens: Best for Pinterest users

What it does: Pinterest Lens scans physical objects and checks Pinterest boards with similar aesthetic ideas instead of providing actual pricing data.

Who it's for: Content creators sourcing visual inspiration for styled product photography who prioritize design trends over resale profit margins.

I tested Pinterest Lens by photographing 15 vases to see if the tool returned actionable pricing information. The tool identified hundreds of similar Pins and prioritized aesthetic boards over shoppable product listings. My results focused on design inspiration and style rather than comparable sold items that I needed for valuation.

Key features

• Multi-object recognition: Identifies multiple items within a single photo and suggests Pins for each element separately.
• Shoppable Pin integration: Links to shoppable Product Pins in Lens results for categories like home and fashion.
• Style-based matching: Groups results by aesthetic similarity and design trends rather than exact product identification.

Pros

• Trusted usage scale: In 2025, Pinterest Lens usage hit 1.7 billion scans, making it one of the most‑used visual discovery tools on social media.
• Aesthetic trend tracking: The tool identifies emerging visual trends and popular color combinations that can help you improve your photography and photo editing for marketplace listings.

Cons

• No pricing intelligence: The tool doesn’t offer comparable pricing of sold products or market value data.

Pricing

Pinterest Lens is available to all Pinterest users on the iOS and Android Mobile apps for free.

The bottom line

Pinterest Lens works best when styling product photography for marketplace listings where aesthetic cohesion drives engagement, and you need visual inspiration boards. Resellers who need actual pricing data, brand identification, or sold comparables should try Google Lens, eBay’s, or Amazon’s pricing tools.

5. Image Recognition and Searcher: Best for image background searches

What it does: Image Recognition & Searcher runs reverse image searches across Google, Bing, and Yandex to verify where images appear online, which helps verify originality or potential copyright issues.

Who it's for: Photographers, journalists, and graphic designers tracking unauthorized image use across websites who need multi-engine search coverage to find copyright infringements.

I tested Image Recognition and Searcher by uploading ten product photos from my resale inventory to see if the tool identified unauthorized use across websites. It returned results from all three search engines, showing where each image appeared online. The multi-engine approach found pictures of my listings on a few international sites.

Key Features

• Multi-engine reverse search: Queries Google, Bing, and Yandex simultaneously to find image sources across different regional search databases.
• Copyright tracking capability: Identifies where your photos appear online which helps photographers locate unauthorized commercial use of their work.
• Upload from gallery: Analyzes existing images from your device's photo library without requiring in-app camera capture for searches.

Pros

• Regional search coverage: The tool scans Yandex alongside Western engines, which discover image use on Russian and Eastern European sites.
• Simple operation model: It keeps the feature set lightweight, centered on reverse image search with a few basic editing and sharing tools.

Cons

• App crashes: Users on the Apple App Store report a glitchy experience, including crashes and issues uploading photos.

Pricing

Image Recognition and Searcher has no subscription fees. It’s available on iOS through the Apple App Store, and includes in-app purchases.

6. Bixby Vision: Best for Samsung users

What it does: Bixby Vision identifies objects and translates text through Samsung's native camera.

Who it's for: Samsung Galaxy owners who prefer built-in device features over installing separate apps for product identification and translation.

To test Bixby Vision, I used my Galaxy S22 and scanned 12 phone chargers to evaluate identification accuracy against Google Lens. Bixby returned product matches with clear branding. I also accessed the tool quickly with a simple voice command, without fumbling through my screen to find a tiny app icon.

Key features

• Native Samsung integration: Launches directly from the Galaxy Camera and Gallery apps on supported devices, but you’ll need a Samsung account, network connection, and initial permission setup to activate it.
• Real-time text translation: Captures and translates foreign-language text from images into your preferred language, but requires an active internet connection.
• QR code scanning: Reads QR codes and barcodes instantly, providing product information and website links via the camera interface.

Pros

• Zero additional downloads: After setup, Bixby works immediately on Samsung devices without installing third-party apps, which saves storage space and setup time.
• Diverse recognition types: The tool handles products, landmarks, text, and QR codes so you can consolidate multiple scanning functions.

Cons

• Samsung hardware lock-in: Bixby only works on Galaxy devices, excluding iPhone users and most other Android brand owners from non-Samsung manufacturers.

Pricing

Bixby Vision is free and pre-installed on Samsung Galaxy devices. No subscription fees or premium tiers exist for the service.

The bottom line

Bixby Vision works best for Samsung Galaxy owners who value native integration and convenience. Resellers serious about sourcing accuracy or about using non-Samsung devices will default to Google Lens, as Bixby has identification performance and hardware limitations.

How I tested the best image-to-value tools

I began with 12 image recognition tools and tested each by photographing or screenshotting over 25 items, such as phone chargers, vases, and products in brick-and-mortar shops. My evaluation focused on these performance areas:

• Accuracy: Tools that produce inaccurate results are a nightmare. So, I measured each tool’s accuracy by comparing its outputs against verified auction records and expert appraisals. Tools ranked higher when their results matched expert evaluations. 
• Speed and usability: I timed the complete process from opening the app to receiving identification results while paying attention to interface complexity. The best tools delivered results within seconds and offered a simple user experience.
• Market reference signals: My evaluation focused on whether the tools provided useful market signals, such as comparable listings, retailer price ranges, visual matches to sold items, and category-level pricing context. The goal wasn’t exact valuation, but faster, more confident sourcing decisions.

My final verdict: Which tool should you choose?

Each of these six image recognition tools solves specific sourcing problems for resellers, photographers, and content creators. Here's how to pick the right one for your workflow:

Choose Google Lens if you…

Need fast cross-platform product identification with pricing data from multiple retailers.

Choose Amazon Camera Search if you…

Sell exclusively on Amazon FBA and need instant profit margin calculations with seller competition data.

Choose eBay's Visual Search if you…

Specialize in vintage reselling on eBay and primarily list items on the eBay marketplace.

Choose Pinterest Lens if you…

Are a Pinterest user and create styled product photography for marketplace listings, and need inspiration to improve your listing aesthetics. 

Choose Image Recognition and Searcher if you…

Track unauthorized commercial use of your photography across international websites and need reverse image search coverage.

Choose Bixby Vision if you…

Own a Samsung Galaxy device and want a native camera tool with basic object recognition. 

Generate listings from pictures with Nifty

Now that you know which apps take a picture to see how much something is worth, it's time to turn those identified items into actual sales.

If you're looking for a crosslisting platform that works with your photo identification workflow, look no further than Nifty. You can list and manage your items from eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, and other platforms all in one place.

Here's why over 10,000 sellers use Nifty:

• AI listing: Snap a pic and let Nifty's AI build a high-quality listing, with SEO-optimized titles and descriptions, and trending hashtags already filled out for you. Plus, it's cloud-based, mobile-friendly, and easy to use.
• Crosslist now: With a couple of clicks, post your items across Poshmark, eBay, Mercari, Depop, and Etsy. No copy-paste, no multi-tab — it’s all in the cloud. (More marketplaces coming soon!)
• Automatic delisting? Handled: When you make a sale, Nifty's sales detection auto-delists that item from every marketplace. Say goodbye to double-selling disasters and “sorry, it's already gone” apology messages.
• Bulk tools = no busywork: Share and relist daily with a few clicks. Update or discount dozens of items at once. You can even schedule drafts to go live while you sleep.
• Analytics and profits are real: Track sales, fees, top performers, and slow movers in one clean dashboard, so you can actually see what's working and what's just dead space.

Nifty pays for itself in just a few weeks. So, what are you waiting for? Start with a 7-day free trial and see how Nifty can supercharge your workflows.

FAQs

1. What’s the best app to find out how much something is worth from a photo?

Google Lens is the best app for determining the value of an item from a photo. It delivers information with accuracy and speed, integrates with Google's ecosystem, and provides pricing information from multiple retailers.

2. Can Google Lens tell me the value of vintage items?

Yes, Google Lens can tell you the value of vintage items by giving you an estimation. However, it can’t reliably determine value on its own. The tool works best when items have clear brand names, labels, or unique features. It often struggles with unmarked vintage pieces, designer items without visible branding, and collectibles that need expert identification. 

3. Are there any free apps to help with pricing and listings?

Yes, Google Lens, Amazon’s built-in camera search, and eBay’s photo-based search tools are free to use. These tools can help with initial item identification and basic pricing research. However, they only provide existing listings and price ranges that you can reference when creating or updating your own marketplace listings. They don’t automatically create listings for you.