OSINT tools compared: username search, availability and recon

By FreeUsername · Reviewed October 18, 2026 · Editorial policy

A plain-language guide to the OSINT tools people ask us about most. Each page explains what the tool does, how to run it, where it beats us and where it does not. We checked every tool against its own repository or website; each page shows the date of its last review.

Username search tools

Take one handle and look for public profiles that use it on other sites.

Sherlock (Username search (CLI), MIT). What the Sherlock username tool does, how to install and run it, and how it compares with a browser-based Sherlock alternative that needs no setup.
Maigret (Username search (CLI and web UI), MIT). How the Maigret username OSINT tool works, how to install and run it with pip or Docker, and how it compares with a no-install browser alternative.
WhatsMyName (Open username dataset, CC BY-SA 4.0). The WhatsMyName project by Micah Hoffman: a community username dataset under CC BY-SA 4.0. What it is, how tools use it, and how we credit it.
Blackbird (Username search (CLI)). How the Blackbird OSINT username tool works, how to run it from the command line, and how it compares with a browser-based Blackbird alternative.
Social Analyzer (Profile finder (API, CLI, web app), AGPL-3.0). What Social Analyzer does, how to install it as a Python package or local web app, and how it compares with a lighter browser username checker.
UserSearch (Username search (web, freemium)). How UserSearch.org works, what is free and what is premium, and how it compares with a free UserSearch alternative that has no paid tier.
IDCrawl (People search engine). What an IDCrawl username search returns, how its people search differs from a dedicated username search, the privacy questions, and a free alternative.
User Searcher (Username search (web, free)). How User Searcher (user-searcher.com) searches 2,000+ websites, what it exports, and how it compares with a free alternative covering more sites.
Social Catfish (People search (paid)). What a Social Catfish reverse username search covers, what it costs as of October 2026, the privacy side, and a free username-only alternative.
User Scanner (Username and email search (CLI), MIT). How the User Scanner OSINT tool checks usernames and emails, how to install it with pip, and when a no-install browser username search is easier.
Aliens Eye (Username search (CLI), MIT). How the Aliens Eye username scanner uses a trained model to judge 840+ sites, how to install it with pip, and a no-install browser alternative.
GoSearch (Username search (CLI, Go), GPL-3.0). How the GoSearch username tool written in Go works, how to install it with go install, and when a no-install browser username search is easier.
Nexfil (Username search (CLI), MIT). How the Nexfil username search tool works, how to install it with pip, its update status as of October 2026, and a no-install browser alternative.
DetectDee (Username, email and phone search (CLI, Go), Apache-2.0). How the DetectDee OSINT tool searches usernames across about 390 listed sites, how to run its Go binary, its update status, and a browser alternative.
Linkook (Linked account discovery (CLI), MIT). How the Linkook OSINT tool follows links between social accounts from one username, how to install it with pipx, and when a browser search is easier.
Consensus OSINT (Username, email and phone meta-search (CLI), GPL-3.0). How Consensus OSINT combines checks from 19 open-source projects, how to install it on Windows or with pip, and when a browser username search is easier.

Username availability checkers

Built for people picking a new name: is this handle (and often the domain) still free?

Namechk (Username and domain availability). How Namechk checks usernames and domain names, where it falls short, and a Namechk alternative with more sites and clearer statuses.
Instant Username Search (Username availability (search as you type)). How the Instant Username Search checker (instantusername.com) works, what it covers, and a free alternative that checks far more sites per search.
Namecheckup (Username and domain availability). How Namecheckup checks handles and 40+ domain endings, what it does well, and how it compares with a username checker that covers far more sites.
KnowEm (Username, domain and trademark check (offline)). What KnowEm checked (social networks, domains, US trademarks), why knowem.com does not load in October 2026, and a free KnowEm alternative.
CheckUsernames (Username availability (offline)). What CheckUsernames checked, why checkusernames.com returns an error in October 2026, and a free username checker you can use instead.
Namecheckr (Username and domain availability (offline)). What Namecheckr checked across social networks and domain endings, what namecheckr.com shows in October 2026, and a free alternative.
Socialscan (Username and email availability (CLI and library), MPL-2.0). How Socialscan checks username and email availability on a short list of platforms, how to install it with pip, and when a browser check is easier.

OSINT frameworks and recon suites

Bigger toolkits for domains, infrastructure and multi-step investigations, plus directories of tools.

SpiderFoot (OSINT automation framework, MIT). What SpiderFoot is, how to install and run its web UI, how it handles usernames, and how it compares with a simple browser username checker.
Recon-ng (Web reconnaissance framework, GPL-3.0). What the Recon-ng framework does, how to install and launch it, how its module marketplace works, and how it compares with a browser username tool.
theHarvester (Domain reconnaissance, GPL-2.0). What theHarvester collects about a domain, how to install it with uv and run a first scan, and why it is a different job from username search.
OSINT Framework (Directory of OSINT tools, MIT). How to use osintframework.com, what its T, D, R and M markers mean, and where a username search tool fits in its tree of free OSINT resources.

Email and phone enumeration (educational)

What these tools reveal about an email address or phone number, and how to protect your own.

Holehe (Email account enumeration, GPL-3.0). What the Holehe OSINT tool reveals about an email address, why that is a privacy risk, and practical steps to protect your own email accounts.
PhoneInfoga (Phone number information gathering, GPL-3.0). What PhoneInfoga can find from a phone number, why a public number is a privacy risk, and how to keep your own number out of public profiles.
Epieos (Email and phone reverse lookup). What the Epieos reverse lookup can reveal from an email address or phone number, the privacy risks, and how to protect your own accounts.
Mailcat (Email address discovery by nickname, Apache-2.0). What the Mailcat OSINT tool can learn by guessing email addresses from a nickname, why that matters for privacy, and how to protect your own mailbox.
Ignorant (Phone number account check, GPL-3.0). What the Ignorant OSINT tool reveals about a phone number, why linked accounts are a privacy risk, and practical steps to protect your own number.

How to choose

Want a quick answer in the browser? Use a web checker. Ours checks 3,450+ sites with no install or sign-up.
Need scripting, proxies or self-hosting? Sherlock, Maigret and Blackbird run on your own machine.
Picking a brand name? Availability checkers like Namecheckup and Namechk cover more domain endings than we do.
Mapping a whole organization with permission? SpiderFoot, Recon-ng and theHarvester are built for that.
Worried about your own email or phone number? Read the Holehe, PhoneInfoga and Epieos pages for how to protect yourself. We do not offer email or phone enumeration.

Search a username now

Free, no sign-up. Checks 3,450+ sites; the username is not stored or logged.

Frequently asked questions

Which OSINT tool is best for username search?

It depends on how you work. Sherlock and Maigret are strong if you are comfortable in a terminal and want scripting or recursive searches. If you want a quick browser search, FreeUsername checks 3,450+ sites with its own search engine.

Are these tools free?

Most of the open-source tools here are free to run. Some web services, such as UserSearch and Epieos, have free tiers with paid upgrades. Framework modules often need API keys for third-party services.

Is it legal to use OSINT tools?

Looking at public information is generally lawful, but how you collect and use it is regulated. Research only for legitimate purposes, follow each site's terms and privacy law, and get written permission before any security assessment.

Is FreeUsername the WhatsMyName project?

No. FreeUsername is an independent tool with its own search engine. This website and our Android app use WhatsMyName data (CC BY-SA 4.0) with Sherlock and Maigret, credited on our open-source pages; our engine adds more sites we verify ourselves.

Related guides

Names and trademarks belong to their owners. FreeUsername is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by any tool listed here or its authors. We also make a username search of our own, so we compete with some of these tools; every listing links to the official project, and each review states the date we checked its facts.