We put top AI face swappers to the test—beards, glasses, head tilts, and more. Some nailed it, some failed it. See the results.
Face-swapping tools use AI to detect key facial features—eyes, nose, mouth, and overall shape—then map them onto another face. The AI adjusts lighting, skin tone, and expression to make the swap look natural (or at least try to). The result depends on how smart the AI model behind the tool is.
We tested 5 top face swappers from Google search results, along with ours, to see how they handle different scenarios. Here’s the full list of participants:
- faceswapper.ai
- remaker.ai
- aifaceswap.io
- deepswapper.com
- Photo face swapper by Pixlr
- Icons8 Face Swapper
Today, most face swappers have reached a level where they can easily and seamlessly swap faces, provided the photos meet the traditionally recommended parameters: front-facing, similar facial proportions, and no obstructions like hair or hands. When these conditions are met, the result looks as natural as possible.
So, we decided to test how these tools perform in more challenging scenarios. We pushed them to handle faces of different ages, at different angles, with varied expressions, and with some additional elements in the frame—like glasses, hats, or hands covering parts of the face. This way, we could see how well they adapted to less-than-ideal conditions and whether they could still produce realistic results.
Let’s take a look at what we’ve got.
Warming up
We started with some swaps that were a bit tricky but not impossible. Click on the images to open them in full-screen and see the differences.
Baby face with a beard – we need a trimmer here
The swappers did their best to stretch the child’s face over the broad, bearded target, but the results are unsettling. The main issue? The beard growing over the ears. If we had to pick a winner, faceswapper.ai would have come closest to something passable.
Beard over baby face – eary transformations
Swapping in the other direction went much smoother. Some tools handled the hair on the forehead better than others, but for some reason, most of them (except faceswapper.ai) decided the kid needed an unsolicited ear reconstruction. Why? No one knows.
Gender swap and head tilt
Surprisingly, the previous winner did the worst here, leaving a black hole at the temple. The rest? Blank stares and something that looks like drool in the corner of the mouth. Face Swapper by Icons8 took a different approach—it skipped the drool and drew in a couple of teeth instead, complete with a nice gap.
Emotional age swap
Most of the tools did well, except for a strange patch of hair on the left temple, inherited from the original face. Aifaceswap.io completely missed the mark with the eyes. Icons8 Face Swapper could have done a better job aligning the teeth.
Cultural reface
Different skin tones, a hat, a hand near the face—plenty of room for errors. And yet, the real struggle was with the lower lip and chin.
Reverse cultural reface
Total facepalm. Bizarre skin tone. A metal plate in the head. Poor kid. On the bright side, at least no one messed with the ears this time.
The real heat
Then we cranked up the difficulty. This is where the tools really needed to show what they were made of.
Hairy Situation
Hair covering the face has always been a challenge for face swappers—and it still is. The results? All pretty similar. No one quite nailed it.
So, we made it easier by using a photo with less hair in the way—just a fringe covering half the face. Icons8’s swapper came out on top, handling the hair with confidence. The rest made the hair look oddly pixelated.
As for identity preservation—ever seen those TikToks where Asian girls use makeup to transform beyond recognition? Well, it’s like that.
Swapping nightmare
“At least I tried,” said Jack Nicholson, faceswapper.ai, and Icons8’s swapper. Both results look like a still from a horror movie. Aifaceswap.io just gave us the original image, hoping we wouldn’t notice. Slick move, by the way. The rest? They didn’t even bother.
We knew this mission was impossible, but we had to try.
One-sided face swap
Use front-facing photos. They all said it two years ago. Maybe things have got better since then? Nope.
We gave it another shot. Still a fail, and a finger bitten off.
What about the glasses
Time to see how these tools handle frames and what lay behind them.
Eye surgery
No disasters this time! The glasses vanished, and Heisenberg got a refresh.
Breaking bad
A real challenge. Faceswapper.ai came the closest to something usable, but let’s just say… there’s still plenty of room for improvement for all. In dealing with glasses and bald heads.
Top Gun goes civil – can you still see Tom?
Another test with glasses—this time, semi-transparent Ray-Bans. Would the swappers recognize Tom Cruise behind them? Well, sort of. More or less.
Back from civil to Top Gun
We should admit this—none of the swappers can draw glasses properly. They try, but it’s all a bit off. As for the eyes behind them, Pixlr and Icons8 face swappers come closest to something real. The others? Well, let’s just say it looks like the guy wears glasses to hide the fact that he’s not entirely sober. Don’t drink and fly.
Double glasses problem
Another tough test and unpromising results.
However, the reverse swaps look much better.
Bonus tip: If you spot glasses with twisted or uneven temples, or if the frame looks like it’s been mended with a hammer, it’s a strong sign the photo was generated by AI.
Final verdict
- All the tested swappers work well with photos that meet basic requirements (good lighting, clear face, no obstructions).
- In difficult cases, some swappers perform better than others, excelling in different areas—whether it’s handling complex facial features, accessories or maintaining proportions.
- None of the tools can still handle photos with complex scenarios, such as hair waving over the face or side shots. They can’t properly draw glasses. Bald heads can also be an issue.
- Don’t drink and fly.
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