Witness vs Hive (now Deploy)
Hive (now Deploy) is built for trust and Safety teams at platforms who need to identify synthetic images, video and audio at scale. Witness is built for quick, plain-language checks of images and video. Here is how they differ, using each vendor's own public pages.
Choose Hive (now Deploy) if your needs match what it says it is built for. Choose Witness if you want a quick check in the browser or by API with a heatmap and a plain-language explanation. Neither can prove an image is real or fake.
Witness and Hive (now Deploy) at a glance
| Witness | Hive (now Deploy) | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | People and teams who want a quick, plain-language check of whether an image or video is likely AI-generated or face-swapped, in the browser or by API | Trust and Safety teams at platforms who need to identify synthetic images, video and audio at scale (stated: improve verification, reduce AI slop in feeds, flag artificial or exploitative media). |
| Media covered | Image and video. Voice is an experimental beta | Image, Video, Audio |
| Free option | Try a few scans with no account. A free account includes 20 image scans a month | Free detection tools are stated (Hive Detect web tool, X Bot, Chrome Extension). Pricing page states the AI image and video detection API as contact sales; Developers plan is pay-as-you-go. A free API tier for AI detection is not stated on page. |
| Pricing | Free, Pro at $15 a month ($10 a month billed annually at $120), and custom Enterprise | Developers Pay-as-you-go usage billing; Enterprise Custom pricing |
| API | Yes, see the API docs | yes |
| Browser extension | Yes, Chrome extension | yes: Chrome Extension stated on the product page |
| Provenance and explanation | Reads Content Credentials (C2PA) and checks for the SynthID watermark and metadata. Heatmap, per-frame video timeline and a plain-language explanation | See their site for current details |
Hive (now Deploy) details were read from the vendor's own pages on 2026-11-13. Check their site for current information.
Which one fits you
Pick Hive (now Deploy) if
- Your use matches: trust and Safety teams at platforms who need to identify synthetic images, video and audio at scale
- You need what its own pricing page offers, such as the plans listed above
- You want to compare more than one detector before deciding
Pick Witness if
- You want a quick answer in the browser with a Chrome extension
- You want a heatmap and a plain-language explanation
- You want provenance and watermark checks in the same result
Hive AI Detector at a glance
Taken from Hive (now Deploy)'s own pages on 2026-11-13. Check their site for current details.
Built for
Trust and Safety teams at platforms who need to identify synthetic images, video and audio at scale (stated: improve verification, reduce AI slop in feeds, flag artificial or exploitative media).
Pricing as listed
Developers Pay-as-you-go usage billing; Enterprise Custom pricing
Free option
Free detection tools are stated (Hive Detect web tool, X Bot, Chrome Extension). Pricing page states the AI image and video detection API as contact sales; Developers plan is pay-as-you-go. A free API tier for AI detection is not stated on page.
API and extension
API: yes. Extension: yes: Chrome Extension stated on the product page.
Read this before relying on any detector
- Witness reports a likelihood with a confidence score. It does not prove anything on its own.
- No detector catches every image. New generators can be missed until detection catches up, and heavy compression or screenshots can lower confidence.
- A real photo can be flagged and an AI image can pass. Treat a result as one input, alongside the source, context and other checks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hive AI Detector free?
Hive (now Deploy) says: Free detection tools are stated (Hive Detect web tool, X Bot, Chrome Extension). Pricing page states the AI image and video detection API as contact sales; Developers plan is pay-as-you-go. A free API tier for AI detection is not stated on page. Check their site for current terms. Witness lets you try a few scans with no account.
How much does Hive AI Detector cost?
As listed by the vendor on 2026-11-13: Developers Pay-as-you-go usage billing; Enterprise Custom pricing. Confirm on their site.
Does Hive AI Detector have an API or browser extension?
API: yes. Browser extension: yes: Chrome Extension stated on the product page. Witness has a Chrome extension and an API.
What is the difference between Witness and Hive (now Deploy)?
Hive (now Deploy) describes itself as built for trust and Safety teams at platforms who need to identify synthetic images, video and audio at scale. Witness is built for quick, plain-language checks of images and video in the browser or by API.
Is Hive (now Deploy) more accurate than Witness?
No independent, apples-to-apples comparison exists, and vendor-reported accuracy numbers use different test sets. Test both on your own images.
Is Hive (now Deploy) free?
Hive (now Deploy) says: Free detection tools are stated (Hive Detect web tool, X Bot, Chrome Extension). Pricing page states the AI image and video detection API as contact sales; Developers plan is pay-as-you-go. A free API tier for AI detection is not stated on page. Check their site for current terms.
How much does Witness cost?
Witness has a free tier, Pro at $15 a month ($10 a month billed annually), and custom Enterprise plans. See the pricing page for current limits.
Sources
- hivemoderation.com/ai-generated-content-detection read 2026-11-13
- hivemoderation.com/pricing read 2026-11-13
- deploy.com/pricing read 2026-11-13
Competitor details come from each vendor's own public pages on the dates shown. Products change, so check the vendor's site before you decide.
More on Hive (now Deploy)
Don't guess. Witness it.
Free to try. No account needed for your first scans. Witness gives a likelihood with a confidence percentage, not a certainty.