Face++

Face++ is a computer-vision platform offering APIs and SDKs for face analysis and other image-processing tasks. It suits teams building identity checks or image features into applications; the breadth is appealing, but the free API’s shared request-rate caps and the SDK’s one-day trial make sustained evaluation more constrained.

Overview

Face++ combines face detection, comparison, search, landmarks and attribute analysis with tools for body and skeleton recognition, gestures, OCR, image beautification and photo album clustering. That range can make it a practical option when an application needs several vision capabilities from one platform rather than face matching alone.

Its use cases include identity verification, eKYC and passport matching, ride-hailing driver checks, biometric retail payments and skin analysis. Liveness detection is intended to distinguish a live face from a photo, video or mask, helping address spoofing risk. These are application areas, not guarantees of accuracy or regulatory suitability.

Key features

Face analysis and liveness

Face recognition covers one-to-one comparison and one-to-many search, alongside detection, facial landmarks and attributes. This combination suits workflows that both verify a claimed identity and locate a matching face in a collection. Liveness detection adds a distinct anti-spoofing step, though teams should assess whether it meets their own threat and deployment requirements.

Broader vision tools and SDK

OCR, gesture recognition, body and skeleton recognition, image beautification and album clustering broaden its usefulness beyond identity applications. The Face Landmark SDK supports Android, iOS, Windows and Mac; on mobile, detection, tracking and landmarking can run locally. Local execution may suit mobile features that need those operations on-device, while the APIs provide another integration path.

Technical support is offered for integration help, API issues and troubleshooting through the contact page. The privacy policy describes processing under MEGVII’s policy, including collection, use, retention, disclosure, protection and global transfers. It was last updated on September 30, 2020, so organizations should review its terms against current privacy and compliance needs.

Pricing

Face++ uses a freemium model. The Free plan costs nothing and includes API access with one API key. Its free-key QPS limits vary by API group: facial recognition APIs share a total limit of 3, while Dense Facial Landmarks API has a separate limit of 1. This is useful for bounded evaluation, but those shared caps may constrain busy or parallel workloads.

• Daily/Monthly Plan: custom pricing, prepaid for future usage by QPS capacity, measured in queries or requests per second. It fits teams planning capacity in advance, but requires selecting a throughput level.
• SDK licensing: custom pricing, billed by license period or license number, with Face Landmark SDK and Face Compare SDK options. This is the relevant route for teams licensing SDK use rather than relying only on free API access.
• Pay As You Go: custom pricing; top up an account and pay for consumption. Usage-based billing may suit variable demand, but costs depend on actual use.

The SDK trial is narrow: Landmark SDK on Android and iOS receives one day of authorized online licensing, with up to five authorizations per day. That window can support a short technical check, but it is not a long evaluation period.

Platforms

The platform is listed for Android, API, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. The Landmark SDK additionally lists Windows and Mac alongside Android and iOS, and its local mobile processing covers detection, tracking and landmarking.

Who it's for

Face++ is best suited to product teams that need multiple computer-vision capabilities, especially face verification or search combined with liveness and other image analysis. Its mix of API access and locally running mobile SDK functions offers more than one integration route. It is less compelling for teams that need generous free request volume or an extended SDK trial before committing.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Face analysis spans detection, 1:1 comparison, 1:N search, landmarks and attributes, supporting more complete identity workflows.
• Pro: The platform combines face capabilities with OCR, gesture and body recognition, and image tools, reducing the need to choose a face-only offering when broader vision tasks matter.
• Pro: Mobile landmarking, detection and tracking can run locally through the SDK.
• Con: Free API access is constrained by shared QPS caps, including a total of 3 for facial recognition APIs and 1 for Dense Facial Landmarks.
• Con: The Landmark SDK trial lasts one day and is limited to five daily authorizations on Android and iOS.
• Con: The paid plans use custom pricing, so teams must establish their costs based on capacity, licensing or consumption.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse AI Image Recognition Software.

• MediaPipe is a better fit for those seeking a free, on-device ML framework across mobile, desktop and web platforms, rather than Face++’s API and licensing options.
• Sighthound AI may suit a team looking for a paid computer-vision option with a free plan and trial; its free offer is limited to one user, 24-hour access and up to two minutes.
• Google Cloud Vision API is worth considering when per-image, usage-tier billing is preferable; its listed free allowance begins with the first 1,000 units, with each image feature treated as a billable unit.
• CompreFace is a free, open-source option for teams preferring Docker-based deployment with CPU and GPU support.
• InsightFace fits research and non-commercial projects seeking an open-source option; commercial model use requires a separate license.
• LandingLens may be a better match for image projects that benefit from a stated monthly credit allowance and project and user limits.
• Roboflow is an alternative for teams looking for a free tier with included monthly credits for model training or inference.
• Amazon Rekognition Content Moderation is an alternative for content moderation needs, with a free tier that lasts 12 months from account creation.

Verdict

Choose Face++ when your application needs a broad set of face and image-analysis capabilities, especially identity workflows that can use comparison, search and liveness together. Its key advantage is breadth across APIs and SDKs; its main drawback for evaluation is the combination of low free-key QPS caps and a one-day SDK trial. Teams that need high-volume free access or a longer SDK assessment should look elsewhere.