--- title: "Is there a website to identify antiques?" url: https://isthereathing.com/a-website-to-identify-antiques/ answer: "partly" summary: "Partly. Photo search and identifier apps will suggest what an item is, but firmer values come from paid sold-price databases like WorthPoint or from an auction house expert such as Christie's free online estimate." category: "Identify things" published: 2026-10-09 updated: 2026-10-09 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: en-GB --- # Is there a website to identify antiques? **Answer: partly.** Partly. Photo search and identifier apps will suggest what an item is, but firmer values come from paid sold-price databases like WorthPoint or from an auction house expert such as Christie's free online estimate. (Source: [WorthPoint on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/worthpoint/id1472512649)) Partly. Photo search and identifier apps will suggest what an item is, but firmer values come from paid sold-price databases like WorthPoint or from an auction house expert such as Christie's free online estimate. There are websites and apps for each step, but none of the ones we checked does the whole job for free. ## The shortlist ### Google Lens Google's visual search: point your camera, or use an image or screenshot, to search for what you see. - Link: https://search.google/ways-to-search/lens/ - Free tier: not verified. No price stated on Google's Lens page. - Paid from: not checked (not stated on Google's Lens page) - Best at: A free first look: finding similar items, who makes them and where they are sold, with nothing extra to install. - The catch: A general visual search tool, not an antiques service; Google's page says nothing about dating, authenticity or valuing antiques. - Platforms: android, ios, chrome - Source: [Google Lens](https://search.google/ways-to-search/lens/) ### WorthPoint An antiques and collectibles research service with a price guide of past sales and a visual database of makers' marks. - Link: https://www.worthpoint.com/ - Free tier: no. The app is free to download, but WorthPoint 'offers access to products through a paid subscription' (UK App Store). - Paid from: £17.99 per month (MARKS Premium, UK App Store) (checked 2026-10-02 on the UK App Store: Price Guide £24.49 a month (£224.99 a year); Price Guide + MARKS £33.99 a month (£349.99 a year); MARKS Premium £89.99 a year) - Best at: Identifying an item from its marks, autographs or patterns, or from a photo with the app's Visual Search, then checking what similar items have sold for. - The catch: Paid subscription for the price guide and marks; its website blocked our requests, so we checked it on the UK App Store only. - Platforms: web, ios - Source: [WorthPoint on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/worthpoint/id1472512649) ### AntiqSnap A photo identifier app from Next Vision Limited that names an antique, suggests a market value and condition grade, and saves it to a collection. - Link: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/antiqsnap-antique-identifier/id6752929120 - Free tier: not verified. Free to download with in-app purchases; Premium unlocks 'unlimited identifications' (UK App Store); the free allowance is not stated. - Paid from: not checked (not verified: UK App Store lists AntiqSnap Premium in-app purchases at £3.99, £29.99, £34.99 and £39.99, with periods not stated) - Best at: Snap-and-scan identification on a phone, with a running collection value. - The catch: Unlimited identifications need Premium; its valuation and accuracy claims are the developer's own, and we did not test it. - Platforms: ios, android - Source: [AntiqSnap on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/antiqsnap-antique-identifier/id6752929120) ### Christie's online estimate The auction house's online form for asking its specialists for an estimate on an item you might sell. - Link: https://www.christies.com/en/help/selling-guide/overview - Free tier: yes. Christie's calls it a 'complimentary estimate'. - Paid from: not checked (free (complimentary estimate)) - Best at: A free expert opinion from a major auction house, if your item is the kind it sells. - The catch: Estimates take 3 to 4 weeks and are given only for items in a category Christie's sells that meet its minimum consignment value. - Platforms: web - Source: [Christie's selling guide](https://www.christies.com/en/help/selling-guide/overview) ## How they compare ### If you want a free first look Google Lens is Google's visual search. You point your camera at the item, or use an image or a screenshot, and it looks up similar things, who makes them, what they cost and where they are sold. There is nothing extra to install, and Google's Lens page names no price. The limit is that Lens is a general visual search tool, not an antiques service. Google's page says nothing about dating, authenticity or valuing antiques. You get matches to compare against, not an identification you can rely on or a value. ### If you want to identify maker's marks WorthPoint is an antiques and collectibles research service. Its app describes a visual database of makers' marks, autographs, patterns and symbols for identifying an item and its history. If your piece has a stamp on the base or a signature you cannot read, that is the part of the service aimed at it. The app also has a Visual Search: snap the item or pick a photo, and it shows matching results across the Price Guide and Marks. What you give up is money. The app is free to download, but WorthPoint offers access through a paid subscription, and on the UK App Store MARKS Premium alone is £17.99 a month or £89.99 a year. WorthPoint's own website blocked our requests, so everything here comes from its UK App Store listing. ### If you want past sale prices WorthPoint again, on a different tier. Its Price Guide covers nearly two decades of historical pricing data gathered from auction houses and online marketplaces. That answers what similar items have sold for, which is a firmer guide than an asking price. It costs more than the marks tool: £24.49 a month on the UK App Store. Marks and prices together come to £33.99 a month, which adds up if you only have one item to look into. ### If you want to scan items on your phone AntiqSnap is a photo identifier app from Next Vision Limited, on iPhone and Android. You photograph an antique and it names it, suggests a market value and a condition grade, and saves the scan to a collection, so you keep a running collection value. The catch is that unlimited identifications need Premium, and the free allowance is not stated. The UK App Store lists Premium in-app purchases at £3.99, £29.99, £34.99 and £39.99, without saying what period each covers. Its valuation and accuracy claims are the developer's own, and we did not test them. ### If you might sell something valuable Christie's online estimate is the auction house's form for asking its specialists for an estimate on an item you might sell. Christie's calls it a complimentary estimate, so it is a free expert opinion from a major auction house, if your item is the kind it sells. You pay in patience and eligibility instead. Estimates take 3 to 4 weeks, and they are given only for items in a category Christie's sells that meet its minimum consignment value. An ordinary household piece may not qualify. ### When paying is worth it Paying makes sense if you buy or sell often. WorthPoint's annual plans on the UK App Store are £224.99 for the Price Guide, £89.99 for MARKS Premium or £349.99 for both, against £24.49, £17.99 or £33.99 a month. For a single object, the monthly price is the one to compare; for a regular habit, the annual plans cost less over a year. If you are only curious about one item, start with Google Lens and, if it might be valuable, Christie's free estimate. ## What to watch for AntiqSnap's listing promises "Accurate Market Valuation", but that is the developer's claim, and we did not test it. Its feature list also offers to unlock "issuing country, year, face value", the same wording on its UK App Store and Google Play listings, which fits coins rather than antiques. Check what Premium covers before you pay. If that "face value" wording has you thinking you're really looking at a coin, there's a better place to start. Our page on [apps that identify coins](/an-app-to-identify-coins/) covers CoinSnap and Coin ID Scanner, which work from a photo, plus PCGS CoinFacts for US coins and Change Checker for UK ones. Same warning applies there too: treat any value or grade as an estimate. Renewals need attention too. AntiqSnap's Premium renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends. WorthPoint's subscription also renews automatically, monthly or annually, though it says there are no cancellation fees. For sellers with more than six items, Christie's asks you to contact its Valuations team rather than use the online form. ## How we checked On 2026-10-02 we read Google's Lens page, the WorthPoint and AntiqSnap listings on the UK App Store, AntiqSnap's Google Play listing and Christie's selling guide. WorthPoint's own website returned an access error to our requests, so its prices are from the UK App Store. Nothing was tested hands-on, and we did not check any valuation for accuracy, so this is what those pages say. ## If none of these fit If you are thinking of selling, an auction house specialist is the nearest thing to a reliable answer: Christie's offers a complimentary online estimate. For a free first look, a Google Lens photo search shows similar items and where they are sold. ## Also typed as - is there an app for antiques - is there an app for valuing antiques - is there an app that values antiques - is there an app to identify vintage items - is there an app that can identify antiques - is there an app to identify antique furniture - is there an app to identify antique glassware - is there an app to identify antiques for free ## Related questions - [Is there an app to identify coins?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-to-identify-coins/) - [Is there an app that scans pokemon cards for value?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-scans-pokemon-cards-for-value/) - [Is there an app that identifies plants?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-identifies-plants/) ## Sources - [Google Lens](https://search.google/ways-to-search/lens/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [WorthPoint on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/worthpoint/id1472512649) (checked 2026-10-02) - [AntiqSnap on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/antiqsnap-antique-identifier/id6752929120) (checked 2026-10-02) - [AntiqSnap on Google Play (UK)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.antiqueworth.identifier&hl=en_GB&gl=GB) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Christie's selling guide](https://www.christies.com/en/help/selling-guide/overview) (checked 2026-10-02) ## Questions people ask ### Is there an app for valuing antiques? AntiqSnap suggests market values from a photo, and WorthPoint's app gives access to its paid Price Guide of past sales. ### Is there a free way to identify antiques? Google's Lens page names no price for photo search, and Christie's offers a complimentary online estimate for items it would sell. AntiqSnap and WorthPoint are free to download, but their main features need a paid plan. ### How much does WorthPoint cost? On the UK App Store, from £17.99 a month (MARKS Premium), £24.49 (Price Guide) or £33.99 (both), with annual plans from £89.99. ### How long does an auction house estimate take? Christie's says its online estimates are provided in 3 to 4 weeks, for items in a category it sells that meet its minimum consignment value.