Buki vs Google Lens for book covers
Both can read a book's cover from a picture. Google Lens searches the image and shows results in a side panel. Buki names the book and keeps it on your shelf. Use Lens for a quick answer; use Buki when you want the book later.
Get Buki free
Ten catches free. No account. Your shelf never leaves your browser.
At a glance
| Google Lens | Buki | |
|---|---|---|
| How you use it | Right-click the picture, choose Search with Google Lens | One click on X, or right-click any picture |
| What it reads | The part of the image you select | The picture, plus the post's words on X |
| Many books in one photo | You select one area at a time | Lists every book it finds, up to 20 |
| A shelf of what you found | No shelf. Search history can keep past searches, if you turn it on | Yes: four piles, and for a book from X, the post you found it in |
| Where it works | Chrome on computers; the Google app and Chrome on phones | Chrome on a computer |
| Cost | Free | Ten catches free, then $29 a year, or $4 a month |
When Google Lens does not find the book
- Select only the cover, so nothing else in the picture competes with it.
- Search the words you can read: a surname or two words of the title are often enough.
- Look at the spine: it carries the title even when the front does not.
- Read the post around the picture: the caption often names the book the cover hides. On X, Buki sends the post's words with the picture for exactly that reason.
- For a rare edition, ask people: r/whatsthatbook is a community built for this question.
Which one to use
- Google Lens when you want a quick answer, you are on your phone, or the thing in the picture is not a book.
- Buki when you find books in posts at your computer and want to keep them, when one photo holds a whole stack, or when you want to remember why you saved a book.
Questions people ask
Can Google Lens identify a book from its cover?
Often, yes. In Chrome on a computer, right-click the picture and choose Search with Google Lens; the results open in a side panel. Lens is very good at covers it can see clearly.
Why can't Google Lens find my book?
The usual reasons are a small or blurry photo, a cover that is half hidden or shot at an angle, several books in one picture, or an edition whose cover looks nothing like the common one. Select just the cover, or search the words you can read on it.
Does Buki use Google Lens?
No. Buki sends the picture, and on X the post's words, to an AI vision model (Google's Gemini, unless you add your own key), then checks the answer against OpenLibrary before it shows you anything.
Is Buki free like Google Lens?
Ten catches are free, and a catch is one picture, however many books it holds. Then $29 a year, or $4 a month, or free with your own Google AI Studio key.
Does Buki work on my phone?
No. Buki is a Chrome extension for computers. On a phone, Google Lens is the better tool.
Can I keep a book I found with Lens?
Yes. Open Buki and add it by hand, and it sits on your shelf with the rest.
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