Social Catfish vs PreCheck
Social Catfish is known for catfish checks, combining people search with image and face search. PreCheck focuses only on face search and charges per search instead of per month.
At a glance
Social Catfish
People search + image search
PreCheck
Face search engine
- Own face index, plus additional sources
- $1 per search, no subscription
- Credits never expire
- Web, Telegram bot and developer API
The short answer
Social Catfish's Image Search plan is $36.00 per month, and full results need a membership. PreCheck charges $1 per search with no subscription, and every search runs across our own face index plus additional sources. If you also need name, phone and address records, Social Catfish covers those.
Social Catfish vs PreCheck, side by side
| PreCheck | Social Catfish | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Face search engine | People search service with reverse image and face search |
| Search with a photo of a face | Yes, upload one photo | Yes |
| Matches the same person in different photos | Yes, face recognition search | Yes, a face recognition search added in 2026 |
| Where results come from | Yes. Our own face index, plus additional search sources | Says it searches over 200 billion records from social networks, government sources, news and public databases |
| Price | $1 per credit, 1 credit per search | Image Search plan $36.00/month; Social Search plans $36.00 to $199.00/month |
| Subscription | No subscription, pay as you go | Monthly memberships, billed automatically |
| Full results | Every match with a score and a link once the search is paid | Free search shows whether matches exist; full report needs a membership |
| Developer API | Yes, every account includes API access | No API of its own; a 2021 post describes access through a third party |
| Removal / opt-out | Yes, removal requests honored | Yes, an opt-out form that can block exact images |
| Credit, job or tenant screening | Not allowed; PreCheck is not a consumer reporting agency | Not allowed; Social Catfish says it is not a consumer reporting agency |
Social Catfish details come from its public website as of September 13, 2026. Features and prices change, so check Social Catfish's site before you buy.
Our own face index, plus more sources
A face search is only as good as the faces it can reach. PreCheck runs its own face index and searches it together with additional sources, so a single photo is checked against more than one place at once.
Our own face index
We crawl and index public images ourselves, and every search runs against that index.
Plus additional sources
Every search also runs against additional face search sources, so one search covers more of the web.
Merged and ranked
Matches from every source are combined, duplicates removed, and sorted by match score with a link to each page.
Key differences
Built only for face search
Social Catfish is a people search service where image and face search are one part of the product. PreCheck is built entirely around finding a face online.
Per search instead of per month
Social Catfish image search is a $36.00 monthly plan. PreCheck is $1 per search with no subscription, and unused credits never expire.
Our own face index, plus more sources
Each PreCheck search runs against our own face index and additional sources, then merges duplicates and ranks every match by score.
Faces instead of records
Social Catfish also returns names, phone numbers, emails and property records. PreCheck returns the web pages where a face appears.
Social Catfish may suit you if
- You want name, phone, email and address records as well as image search
- You run many searches a month and prefer a flat monthly plan
- You want criminal record searches in the same account
PreCheck is the better fit if
- You only need to check a face or photo
- You search occasionally and do not want a monthly plan
- You want matches from our own face index plus additional sources
- You want an API or Telegram bot for face search
Frequently asked questions
Is PreCheck cheaper than Social Catfish?
For occasional searches, usually. Social Catfish's Image Search plan is $36.00 per month as of September 2026. A PreCheck search is $1, with no subscription.
Does Social Catfish use face recognition?
Yes. Social Catfish added a face recognition search in 2026 alongside its reverse image search. PreCheck is dedicated to face search and combines its own face index with additional sources.
Can PreCheck help me spot a catfish?
Yes. Upload a photo from a dating or social profile to see where else that face appears online. Always verify a match before acting on it.
Can I use PreCheck or Social Catfish for employment or tenant screening?
No. Neither service is a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, so neither may be used for credit, employment, insurance or tenant screening decisions.
See what PreCheck finds
Upload one photo. We search our own face index and additional sources, then show every match with a score and a link. $1 per search, no subscription.
More comparisons
Sources for Social Catfish, reviewed September 13, 2026: Social Catfish homepage , Membership levels , Reverse image search , Facial match feature , FAQ , Opt-out .
Social Catfish is a trademark of its respective owner. PreCheck is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Social Catfish. This page compares publicly available information and is not a statement about how Social Catfish operates beyond what it publishes.