Google Lens is free and already on your phone, so why would anyone pay for an app like Curio? Because they answer different questions. Lens tells you what something is and where to buy one. Curio tells you roughly what yours would sell for.
Disclosure: this site is Value Identifier, one of the tools compared. We say where it loses, and every other price is from the vendor's own page or App Store listing, checked October 21, 2026.
Curio3/5 rows
3 free scans, then in-app plans
Choose it if you want an estimated resale value in a well-rated phone app.
Google Lens2/5 rows
Free
Choose it if you only need to know what the item is or where to buy one.
Value Identifier2/5 rows
Free: 1 scan a day. Web pass $4.99/week or $24.99/year
Choose it if you want a resale estimate in the browser, without installing an app.
| Curio | Google Lens | Value Identifier |
|---|
| What it tells you | ✓ What it is and an estimated value | What it is and where to buy similar items | ✓ What it is and an estimated value range |
| Price | 3 free scans, then in-app plans | ✓ Free | 1 free scan a day; $4.99/week or $24.99/year on the web |
| Resale value | ✓ Yes, an estimate | No, shopping prices | ✓ Yes, from sold prices |
| Where it runs | iPhone and Android | ✓ Phone, Chrome and the Google app | Browser, iPhone and Android |
| App Store rating | ✓ 4.8 from 16.7k | Built into Google | 4.2 from 12 |
The difference in one sentence
Google Lens answers "what is this, and where can I buy it?": its shopping results show retail prices, which are usually far above what a used item sells for. Curio answers "what is mine worth?": it estimates a value from online listings. For resale, a retail price is the wrong number.
Where Google Lens wins
It is free and everywhere. Lens is built into the Google app, Chrome and many Android cameras. It is excellent at identifying objects, reading text and finding visually similar items, and in countries with Google Shopping it shows where to buy them. Use it to learn the brand, model or artist. Just do not treat its shopping prices as what your used item is worth.
Where Curio wins
A value, not a store. Curio identifies collectibles and estimates what they are worth from online listings, with 3 free scans and in-app plans after that. It is rated 4.8 from more than 16,000 ratings. It is phone-only and, by its own description, a starting point rather than an appraisal.
Where Value Identifier fits
Value Identifier is the tool on this site. You take or upload a photo, it identifies the item and returns an estimated value range in dollars, based on recent sold prices the model finds online. It works in the browser with no account: one free scan a day. The web pass is $4.99 a week or $24.99 a year; the iPhone app charges more for the same thing ($6.99 a week or $34.99 a year), so the web is the cheaper way to buy it.
Where it loses: it is an estimate, not a database of sales you can browse, and it does not always show the listings behind a number. Its iPhone app is new, with 12 ratings. Use it to find out quickly whether something is worth a closer look, then check sold listings before you sell anything valuable.
A good routine
- Identify the item with Lens or a scanner.
- Get a resale estimate with a valuation scanner.
- Confirm with eBay sold listings before you list it. Our WorthPoint alternatives guide covers the free options.
