trace.moe
trace.moe: A free, specialized tool for finding anime scenes from screenshots. Ranked #16 of 31 in AI Reverse Image Search Tools by our editors (6.9/10); pricing: Free plan; best for anime scene identification.
At a glance
- Editor score6.9 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forAnime scene identification
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Search typeSource-finding
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Identifies anime, episode, and exact scene timestamp
- Provides short previews to verify matching results
- Includes browser extension, API, and Docker Compose self-hosting
Where it doesn't
- Search index is limited to officially published Japanese anime
- Vendor-only index makes it unsuitable for broad image search
- Uses content-based retrieval rather than neural-network image understanding
Our verdict on trace.moe
trace.moe is a free anime scene search engine for viewers, moderators, developers, and communities that need to identify an anime from a screenshot or image URL. It can return the matching anime, episode, and exact scene timestamp, then provide a short preview for result verification. Search results can be refined by cropping black borders or adjusting screenshot framing. The service focuses on source-finding for anime rather than general reverse image search, and it is explicitly not an AI system.
The free offering covers the core search experience and is donation-supported rather than divided into paid subscription tiers. Its ecosystem includes a web interface, browser extensions, an API for bots and applications, and a Telegram bot. The browser extension can search frames extracted from HTML5 video, which suits users who want to identify a scene while watching content in a browser. Developers and advanced users can also deploy the service themselves with Docker Compose.
Its main strength is specialization: the workflow connects an anime image to a title, episode, timestamp, and preview instead of stopping at visually similar images. That focus also defines the boundary of the product. The index is vendor-only and covers officially published Japanese anime, so it is not designed for broad web image discovery or non-anime media. Choose trace.moe when precise anime scene identification, API access, browser capture, or self-hosting matters. Choose a broader reverse image search tool when the target may fall outside its anime index.
Your product? Our editors can test trace.moe in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
trace.moe pricing
trace.moe fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Search type | Source-finding |
| Image uploads | Not verified |
| Source index | Vendor-only |
| API access | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes |
| Supported formats | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud, Browser extension, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome extension |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | trace.moe |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to trace.moe
- TinEyeA strong choice for professional image verification, with paid plans starting at $200 monthly.9.2
- Google LensA free visual search tool that combines similarity search, identification, OCR, and product lookup.8.8
- Google Cloud Vision API Product SearchA catalog-focused visual search API for ranked product matching, not web-wide image search.8.5
See all trace.moe alternatives →
Also Ranked In
trace.moe is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Featured on iTechGuides
trace.moe is listed in our AI Reverse Image Search Tools directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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