Free bug identifier by picture
Upload a photo of an insect, spider or other small creature. Peeka names it, tells you how sure the match is, and whether it is safe to be near. Three free scans a day, right here.
- 181 species in the Field Guide
- Peeka speaks 5 languages
- Safety guidance always free
What's this bug?FREEYour photo is shrunk in your browser and sent to Peeka only to identify it. We do not keep it.
Peeka is looking closely…
A careful look takes 10–30 seconds.
What you get in the app
The full card is in the appWhat Peeka noticed, the look-alikes, the surprising facts, when it is active and its life cycle — plus a room for it in your Bug Hotel.
Download on the App StoreFree to start · iPhoneFree in the app · 3 scans a day
How it works
- 01Upload a photo
From your phone or computer. It is resized in your browser before it goes anywhere.
- 02Peeka takes a look
The same identifier as the app: a name, a confidence level, and a safety read.
- 03Get the full card in the app
Facts, look-alikes, seasonal activity, and a room in your Bug Hotel.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. Three scans a day here, no account. The app gives you three more a day, free, with the full card. Peeka Pro removes the daily limit.
What can it identify?
Insects, spiders and other small creatures — beetles, butterflies, bees, moths, dragonflies, ants, true bugs, and the things people find in kitchens and bathrooms. It does not identify bites or rashes.
How accurate is it?
In our September 2026 benchmark on 50 research-grade iNaturalist photos, the identifier named the right species 72% of the time and the right genus 82%. When Peeka is not sure, she says so: “Possible match” or “Best guess”.
What happens to my photo?
It is shrunk in your browser, sent over HTTPS to our server, and forwarded to our AI provider (Moonshot AI, Kimi) to be identified. We keep neither the photo nor the result. A hashed daily counter per network address enforces the free limit and is deleted after two days.
Why is part of the result blurred?
The name, confidence and safety read are always free. The facts, look-alikes and seasonal data are what the app is for — and they are free there too.
Not sure? Ask a human
Peeka tells you how sure she is. On a “Possible match” or “Best guess”, a person who knows the group will beat any app, ours included. These are the places we would send you:
- r/whatsthisbug ↗Reddit community where hobbyists and entomologists identify photos by hand, worldwide, usually within hours.
- BugGuide.net ↗Volunteer-curated photo archive and ID requests for insects and spiders of the United States and Canada.
- iNaturalist ↗Post an observation and the community confirms or corrects the ID. Peekabug’s seasonal data comes from its research-grade records.
- University extension offices (US)Many state extension services identify photos or samples for free. Search “insect identification” plus your state’s extension service.