The short answer

The most useful deepfake tool depends on the job—and on where your source media is processed. Reface is the clearest current mobile entertainment option in this review. Face Swap Live is a real-time face-effect app whose App Store listing is still visible, but its current support and privacy details need extra caution. FaceFusion and FaceSwap are desktop projects for technically confident users who want more control over the workflow. DeepFaceLab is a historical project, not a current recommendation: its official GitHub repository has been archived since November 2024.

None of these tools is automatically “safe” or “private.” Use your own face, or obtain explicit permission from every identifiable person. Do not make intimate, humiliating, fraudulent, defamatory, or deceptive material. Label synthetic media when a viewer could reasonably mistake it for real footage.

This is a safety-first source review, not a promise that a tool prevents misuse. Product features, prices, app-store availability, privacy policies, and regional access can change.

What we checked

This recovery article was rebuilt from the historical Eyestech page, which previously named DeepArt, FaceSwap Live, Zao, Reface, DeepFaceLab, and Deepfakes Web. We checked official product pages, official repositories, app-store listings, licences, and safety guidance on August 29, 2026. We did not upload personal photos or videos while preparing this article.

The evidence standard is deliberately strict:

  1. A product must have an identifiable official page, app-store listing, or source repository.
  2. We separate what a vendor or maintainer claims from what an independent hands-on test would prove.
  3. “Local,” “private,” “free,” “anonymous,” “unlimited,” and “safe” are not used as product facts unless the evidence supports the precise claim.
  4. A licence for code does not automatically grant rights to a face, a training image, a model, a movie clip, or the output.
  5. Tools are not ranked by how convincingly they impersonate somebody. Consent, data handling, transparency, and legitimate use come first.

Comparison: five tools worth knowing

Tool Format What the official source confirms Privacy and safety reading Best fit
Reface iPhone/iPad and Android app The current App Store listing describes face swaps, AI avatars, photo/video editing, in-app purchases, and a developer privacy policy. Apple’s listing says the developer may handle user content, identifiers, usage data, and diagnostics; Google Play says photos and videos may be shared for app functionality and that users can request deletion. Treat it as an upload service, not an offline tool. Quick, consent-based entertainment edits on a phone.
Face Swap Live iPhone/iPad app Apple’s listing describes live face switching, camera effects, and recording photos or videos. The listing is an availability signal, not proof of current maintenance, retention, or moderation quality. Check the developer, permissions, price, and privacy terms in your region before use. A live AR effect with consenting participants.
FaceFusion Desktop/open-source workflow The official project describes a face-manipulation platform; its documentation lists the project and individual model licences. A local workflow can reduce routine uploads, but installation, model downloads, optional components, and network behaviour determine the real privacy picture. FaceFusion’s licence page warns that assets have different licences, including non-commercial model terms. Experienced users who can audit software, models, and network access.
FaceSwap Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop software The official site says it is free, open source, multi-platform software; the repository documents extract, train, and convert stages and publishes an ethical manifesto. Running code locally is not the same as having permission to use a person’s likeness. Use official repositories, isolate the environment, and review the GPL-3.0 licence and any model terms. Learning and legitimate VFX work with a controlled dataset.
DeepFaceLab Historical desktop project The official repository is GPL-3.0 and was archived by its owner on November 13, 2024; the latest listed release is from April 2020. Archived software should not be treated as a maintained or secure download. Do not use unofficial mirrors or describe it as a current best choice. Historical reference only; not recommended for a new installation.

1. Reface: the most accessible mobile option in this review

Reface is the one mobile service in this comparison with current iOS and Android listings that clearly describe face swaps and related AI editing features. Apple’s US listing identifies the developer as NEOCORTEXT, INC., shows in-app purchases, links to the terms and privacy policy, and requires iOS 17 or later. The Google Play data-safety page says the app may share photos and videos for app functionality, encrypts data in transit, and provides a way to request deletion.

That is useful information, but it is not a privacy guarantee. Store disclosures are provided by the developer and can vary by version, region, age, and use. A face photo is still sensitive personal media. Before uploading, read the current privacy notice and decide whether the entertainment result is worth sending the source file to a service.

Our verdict: the most practical pick here for a consenting phone-based edit, provided the user understands that it is an online service and labels the result where appropriate. We do not call it “private,” “free,” or “best” in an absolute sense.

2. Face Swap Live: a real-time effect, not a permission shortcut

The Face Swap Live App Store listing describes real-time face switching with a friend or a photo, camera-based effects, and recording. That makes it a different category from training-heavy desktop software: it is designed around a live camera experience.

The important limitation is evidence. A visible App Store listing does not tell us that the app is actively maintained in every country, how long captures are retained, or what moderation controls exist. The editor should check the current developer identity, app permissions, price, operating-system compatibility, and privacy information immediately before installing.

Our verdict: reasonable to consider for a clearly labelled, consent-based AR effect. Do not use the app to place an unwilling person’s face into a recording, and do not infer that a live effect is harmless merely because it is easy to create.

3. FaceFusion: more control, more responsibility

FaceFusion’s official repository and project site identify it as a desktop face-manipulation platform. Its documentation includes installation instructions and a licence page. That page says the main project is distributed under OpenRAIL-AS and that supplied assets have individual licences. It lists, among others, MIT-licensed components and models marked non-commercial.

This distinction matters. “Open source” does not mean every model is commercially usable. “Runs on your computer” does not prove that the setup never makes network requests. A user may download models, use optional integrations, or install dependencies from third parties. The safest workflow is to use the official repository and documentation, inspect the licence for every model and asset, and monitor network access if local processing is part of the requirement.

Our verdict: the strongest candidate here for a technically capable user who wants to examine a local workflow, but not a beginner-friendly privacy shortcut. We would not call FaceFusion private without an actual offline test of the exact version and configuration.

4. FaceSwap: an educational open-source workflow

The official FaceSwap site says the project is free, open source, and multi-platform, running on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its official GitHub repository documents a multi-stage process: extracting faces, training a model, and converting the source media. The repository publishes an ethical manifesto that rejects non-consensual and illicit use, and it is marked GPL-3.0.

That transparency is helpful, but the workflow is not a one-click safety system. The user is responsible for the images in the dataset, model files, output, and access controls on the computer. A local tool can protect source media from routine cloud upload while still creating serious consent, copyright, and impersonation risks.

Our verdict: a legitimate learning or VFX option for users who understand datasets, licences, GPU requirements, and secure file handling. It is not a general-purpose recommendation for making realistic impersonation content.

5. DeepFaceLab: why a famous name is not automatically a current pick

DeepFaceLab was a major historical name in face-swapping tutorials, which is why it appeared on the old Eyestech page. Its official GitHub repository now states that the repository was archived on November 13, 2024. GitHub lists a GPL-3.0 licence and shows the latest release as April 9, 2020.

An archived repository can remain useful as a historical reference, but it should not be presented as a current, supported, or secure download. Old tutorials may point to unofficial mirrors, stale dependencies, or model files whose terms are unclear. We have intentionally kept DeepFaceLab in this article only to warn readers who encounter the name in search results.

Our verdict: do not choose it for a new project merely because an old list calls it “leading.” If you are studying the history of the technology, use the official repository and do not download from mirrors.

Why Zao and Deepfakes Web are not current recommendations

The historical article also named Zao and Deepfakes Web. We did not carry either name into the five-tool comparison as a current pick. A product’s historical popularity is not enough: the editor needs a clearly identifiable current official service, current terms, privacy information, availability, and a reproducible workflow.

Search results can surface stale pages, similarly named services, unofficial downloads, or privacy templates unrelated to the original product. Excluding an unverifiable candidate is more honest than filling a nine-item list with names that readers cannot safely check. That is also why this recovery article uses five tools rather than preserving the old number by padding it.

A safer workflow for face-swap apps

Before opening an app or uploading a file:

  1. Get explicit permission from each identifiable person whose face, voice, or source media will be used. Consent to appear in a photo is not automatically consent to alter or publish it.
  2. Use your own media or a synthetic test subject. A public photo of a celebrity or stranger is not a licence to manipulate their likeness.
  3. Keep identity documents, private family images, children’s faces, and intimate material out of casual online tools.
  4. Read the current privacy notice and check what happens to uploads, generated files, face embeddings, account data, and deletion requests.
  5. Check whether the service is online, partly online, or genuinely local. If privacy matters, monitor the exact setup rather than trusting a marketing label.
  6. Check the licence for the software, model, template, music, footage, and output. Code and content rights are separate questions.
  7. Add a visible label such as “AI-generated face swap” when the result could be mistaken for real footage. Keep the original and the consent record in a secure location.
  8. Do not use synthetic media for payment fraud, account access, biometric authentication, harassment, political deception, or impersonation.

For provenance, C2PA’s specifications explain Content Credentials and tamper-evident assertions. Credentials can add useful context, but they are not a substitute for consent or a guarantee that an image is truthful. For identity-related abuse, the FTC’s consumer guidance on voice cloning is a useful reminder that synthetic identity media can cause real financial harm.

Red flags that should remove a tool from your shortlist

Do not install or upload to a candidate when:

  • the official company, repository, or app-store identity cannot be verified;
  • the download is available only through a mirror, a shortened link, or a password-protected archive;
  • the privacy policy does not explain retention, deletion, or face-data handling;
  • the product promises “undetectable” impersonation or encourages bypassing consent;
  • the app requests permissions unrelated to the feature you need;
  • a “local” claim cannot be reconciled with the setup’s network behaviour;
  • the model, template, or output licence is missing or conflicts with the intended use;
  • support, abuse reporting, or account deletion is unavailable.

The words “free,” “private,” “anonymous,” “unlimited,” and “safe” require evidence. They should not be copied from a landing page as if they were independent test results.

Eyestech verdict

The best deepfake app is not the one that produces the most convincing impersonation. It is the one that gives a consenting user a clear workflow, understandable data practices, legitimate source material, and a way to disclose the result.

For most mobile readers, Reface is the easiest current starting point in this source review—but it should be treated as an online service that handles user content. For technically capable creators, FaceFusion and FaceSwap offer more control, with more responsibility for models, licences, network access, and file security. Face Swap Live is a narrow live-effect option. DeepFaceLab belongs in the history section, not on a current “best” list.

If a service cannot explain what it does with a face image, it does not belong in a privacy-conscious recommendation roundup.

Frequently asked questions

What is a deepfake app?

A deepfake app uses machine-learning methods to alter or generate a face, voice, image, or video. Some tools are entertainment filters; others are desktop research or VFX workflows. The label says nothing by itself about consent, privacy, legality, or accuracy.

Are deepfake apps legal?

It depends on the material, consent, purpose, jurisdiction, and platform rules. Fraud, non-consensual intimate imagery, harassment, identity misuse, and deceptive political or commercial content can create serious harm and legal exposure. This article is a technology guide, not legal advice; check the rules that apply to your location and use case.

Can I make a face swap privately?

Possibly, if the exact workflow genuinely runs locally, its dependencies and models are trusted, and no optional service uploads the source media. Verify the network behaviour of the version you install. Saving the final file on your computer does not prove that the source image stayed there.

Should I upload a celebrity’s photo?

No. Use your own media or obtain clear permission from the person whose likeness is involved. Public visibility is not permission to manipulate or redistribute someone’s identity.

Does a watermark make a deepfake safe?

No. A watermark can help disclose that media is synthetic, but it does not create consent, clear copyright, privacy, or fraud risks. Keep the disclosure and the permission decision separate.

Sources and methodology

Categorized in:

A.I,

Last Update: August 29, 2026