"Find the photo of the red car" should be a reasonable thing to ask your own computer. In 2026 it finally is - if you use the right app. This comparison looks at seven ways to get AI photo search on Windows and Mac, what each is good at, and where each falls short.
We make one of these apps (Image Finder), so we have been careful to describe the others fairly. Features change quickly, so check each app's own site before you decide.
What to look for in an AI photo search app
Five questions sort most apps quickly:
- Does it search your existing folders, or do you have to import everything into its own library or catalog?
- What can you search by - words, a sample picture, a face, a color, words printed in the image?
- Which files does it understand - only photos, or also design files (PSD, AI, SVG), PDFs and RAW?
- Does it work offline, with nothing uploaded?
- How does it handle a big library - tens or hundreds of thousands of files?
The apps at a glance
| App | Platforms | Search by words | Search by picture | Design files | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image Finder | Windows, Mac | Yes | Yes, plus one part of a picture | Yes (PSD, AI, CDR, SVG...) | Yes |
| Excire Foto | Windows, Mac | Yes | Yes | Mainly photos | Yes |
| Windows Photos | Windows | On Copilot+ PCs | - | No | Yes, on the device |
| Apple Photos | Mac | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| digiKam | Windows, Mac, Linux | Mostly via tags | Yes (fuzzy search) | Limited | Yes |
| Eagle | Windows, Mac | Tags and names | Color filter | Yes, in its library | Yes |
| Memora | Windows | Yes | - | Photos and RAW | Yes |
Based on each app's public information in 2026. "Limited" means it works for some cases but is not the main purpose.
1. Image Finder - for big, messy libraries of photos and designs
Image Finder searches the folders and drives you already have, without importing them anywhere. You can search by a description, by a picture, by one part of a picture (a logo, a motif), by a face, by color and by the words printed in a file. It reads 107 file types - photos, RAW, HEIC, PSD, AI, CDR, SVG, PDFs (every page, scanned ones too) and even files inside ZIP and RAR archives.
- Best for: designers, photographers, agencies and anyone with tens of thousands of files and no time to tag them.
- Good to know: it runs fully offline; plans are paid once for 1, 2 or 3 months, with no automatic renewal. It is a search tool, not an editor or a duplicate cleaner.
- See how AI image search works or try it in your browser.
2. Excire Foto - for photographers who want AI keywording
Excire Foto is a well-known photo organizer with on-device AI: it can tag photos automatically, search by description and help pick the best shots. It also works alongside Lightroom Classic as a plugin.
- Best for: photographers who live in a photo catalog and want keywords added for them.
- Keep in mind: it is built around photos. If much of your library is design files, check how it handles them first.
3. Windows Photos - free, if you have a Copilot+ PC
The Photos app built into Windows has gained AI features on Copilot+ PCs, including searching photos by describing them.
- Best for: casual photo search on a new Copilot+ laptop.
- Keep in mind: it is a photo viewer. It does not search design files or every folder and drive, and the AI search depends on newer hardware.
4. Apple Photos - built into every Mac
Apple Photos recognizes objects, scenes, people and text in photos, all on the device.
- Best for: Mac users whose photos all live in the Photos library.
- Keep in mind: it only searches photos you imported into Photos. Pictures in Finder folders, on external drives or inside design files are outside it.
5. digiKam - free and open source
digiKam is a powerful free photo manager with face recognition, tags, and a fuzzy "find similar" search.
- Best for: people happy to spend time tagging and organizing in exchange for a free tool.
- Keep in mind: most of its power comes from tags you add; plain-language AI search is not its focus.
6. Eagle - a visual library for designers
Eagle collects images, references and design files into its own library with tags, folders and color filters.
- Best for: designers who like to curate an inspiration and asset library by hand.
- Keep in mind: files are brought into Eagle's library, and finding things relies mostly on tags, names and colors.
7. Memora - a newer local AI photo app for Windows
Memora describes itself as a private, local photo manager for Windows that searches with natural language and supports RAW.
- Best for: Windows photographers who want local natural-language search.
- Keep in mind: it is young and photo-focused; check what file types and library sizes it supports.
Our honest pick
Questions people ask
What is the best free AI photo search app?
Apple Photos (on Mac) and Windows Photos (with AI features on Copilot+ PCs) are free and fine for photos inside those apps. digiKam is free and powerful if you are willing to tag. For searching every folder, drive and design file, paid tools like Image Finder or Excire Foto go further.
Can I search photos by description without uploading them?
Yes. Every app in this list except cloud photo services works on your own computer. Image Finder never uploads files and searches offline.
Which app can search PSD and AI files by what is in them?
Few photo apps can. Image Finder shows real previews of PSD, AI, CDR, EPS and SVG files and searches them like photos. Eagle stores design files in its library but relies mostly on tags.
Windows and Mac. Private, offline, no subscription.
