IDCrawl Alternatives for Username Search

IDCrawl is a free people search engine. You type a name or a username and get social profiles, contact details and public records on one page. That is handy when you start from a real name. It is less handy when all you want to know is where one handle is used.

A username search checks whether a profile exists at one exact handle on each site. A people search engine like IDCrawl starts from a person and mixes in contact data and records.

This post looks at IDCrawl alternatives for that second job. We make one of the tools here, FreeUsername, so we only use facts you can check.

The short answer

For username search, FreeUsername, our own tool, covers the username part of what IDCrawl does. It checks one exact handle across 3,450+ sites, is free with no sign-up, and never shows phone numbers, addresses or records. If you need a real-name sweep of public records, IDCrawl does a job we don't try to do.

Why people look for an IDCrawl alternative

Most people switch because they want a username-only search with wider site coverage and no personal data.

• Name searches are noisy. Common names return many unrelated people.
• Username coverage is narrow. IDCrawl focuses on big networks rather than long-tail forums, games and coding sites.
• Privacy. Mixing profiles with contact data and records makes some people uneasy, both as searchers and as the people being listed.

Comparison table

The main differences are the starting point and whether contact data is shown.

	FreeUsername	IDCrawl	UserSearch	Sherlock
Starts from	Username (up to 5), plus domains	Name, username, phone or email	Username (free); email, phone, image (paid)	Username
Coverage	3,450+ sites	50+ data sources per its homepage	About 10 to 315+ sites per free search	400+ sites per its README
Contact data and records	Never shown	Yes	In paid lookups	No
Install	None (browser or Android app)	None	None	Python or Docker
Export	JSON, CSV	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Text, CSV, XLSX
Searched names stored	Never	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Runs on your machine
Price	Free, no sign-up	Free basic search	Free search, paid extras	Free, open source

IDCrawl

IDCrawl is a people search engine, not a username checker. It describes itself as a free people search engine that pulls from more than 50 data sources. Basic searches need no sign-up. Results mix social profiles with phone numbers, email addresses and records. Our IDCrawl page covers how it works.

UserSearch

UserSearch is the closest web alternative for usernames. UserSearch.org is a web username search. Free searches need no sign-up, and you choose a depth from about 10 to 315+ sites. Email, phone and image lookups are paid. See our UserSearch page.

Sherlock

Sherlock suits people who are happy in a terminal. It is a free, open-source command-line tool that checks 400+ sites, per its README. It runs on your own machine, which is good for privacy. It also needs Python or Docker and a terminal. See our Sherlock page.

Why FreeUsername fits username search best

It does one job, username checks across 3,450+ sites, and shows no personal data.

• Username only. We check whether a profile exists at a handle. We don't look up phone numbers, addresses or records.
• 3,450+ sites on our own independent FreeUsername engine.
• Quick or Full search. Quick search covers about 1,060 popular sites in roughly 30 seconds. Full search checks everything.
• Results stream live as each site answers.
• Searched usernames are never stored.
• JSON and CSV export for your notes.
• 10 languages and a free Android app.

A worked example: say you are vetting a seller who goes by nightowl92. In our tool you type the handle, run Quick or Full search, and watch each site come back as Found, Not found, Blocked or Unknown. If the Found profiles share the same photo and bio, the handle is probably used by one person. If they look unrelated, it is likely a common handle. Instagram and Threads are not checked automatically; we give manual steps for those.

Have a handle and want to see where it shows up? Start with the reverse username lookup. Only care about one site? Use a platform checker.

Where we fall short

We are the wrong tool when you start from a real name, phone or email. We can't search by any of those, and our email and phone checks are not live yet. We also have no account features, so there is no saved search history. If your starting point is a full name and a city, a people search engine is the right kind of tool.

On your phone

Our Android app, FreeUsername: Username Checker, runs the same search. Get it on Google Play. An iPhone version is coming soon. The engine has its own home at FreeUsername.com.

FAQ

Is IDCrawl free?

Its homepage says basic searches are free and need no sign-up.

What is the difference between IDCrawl and a username search?

IDCrawl is a people search engine that mixes profiles with contact data and records. A username search checks which sites have a profile at one exact handle.

How do I get removed from people search sites?

Most offer an opt-out. Our guide to removing yourself from people search sites walks through it.

Responsible use

A matching username is a lead, not proof. Don't use any of these tools for decisions about jobs, housing or credit, which in the US fall under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. To try a username-only search, run a free check.

FreeUsername is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by WhatsMyName, IDCrawl, UserSearch, Sherlock or the other tools named here.