Summary
Video forensics rankings are dominated by enterprise suites priced for laboratories; most have no free tier at all. The table compares Max Intel's free, browser-based Video Forensics Studio with the two commercial references (Amped FIVE for enhancement and analysis, Magnet Verify for file-structure originality) and the two free tools investigators actually reach for first (the InVID-WeVerify plugin and MediaInfo/ffprobe). Entries follow each product's public documentation as of 6 October 2026 (re-checked and linked 9 October 2026; sources are listed under the table); ◐ marks partial coverage.
Choose Max Intel for a first, free, local triage: hash the file, read the container, find cuts and duplicated frames, inspect suspicious frames and export a report, all without the video leaving your machine. Choose Magnet Verify when the question is specifically "is this file an unedited original from the claimed device" and you can license it. Choose Amped FIVE for enhancement, frame-accurate analysis and courtroom reporting. Use InVID for social-media context and keyframe reverse search, and MediaInfo/ffprobe whenever you need every technical field.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Capability | Max Intel Video Forensics Studio | Amped FIVE | Magnet Verify | InVID-WeVerify plugin | MediaInfo / ffprobe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price / access | ✔ Free, no accountmaxintel.org/video-forensics.html | ✖ Commercial licenceprice on request | ✖ Commercial licenceprice on request | ✔ Free browser extension | ✔ Free, open source (BSD-style licence) |
| Where the video is processed | ✔ In your browser; nothing uploaded | ✔ Workstation | ✔ Workstation | ◐ Some checks call a server (Analysis, Keyframes and Forensic tabs use remote InVID/CERTH services) | ✔ Local command line |
| Container / metadata parsing | ✔ MP4/MOV boxes and Matroska EBML: encoder, timestamps, codecs, fps, keyframes, edit lists, rotation, device, GPS, XMP, C2PA presence, box layout | ✔ Extensive, with format database | ✔ Core feature: structure compared with an encoding reference library to identify the source device or software and judge originality | ◐ Basic metadata | ✔ Complete technical metadata |
| Provenance findings in plain language | ✔ Re-encoder, generative service, stripped audio, re-timing, layout, zeroed timestamps | ✔ Expert workflow | ✔ Originality verdict | ◐ | ✖ Raw fields only |
| Temporal analysis (cuts, duplicates, flicker, motion) | ✔ Frame difference, block motion, luminance, duplicates over 24–96 sampled frames | ✔ Frame-accurate tools | ✖ | ◐ Keyframe extraction | ✖ |
| Per-frame spatial forensics | ✔ ELA, noise residual, block grid on any sampled frame | ✔ Many filters | ✖ | ◐ Via image-forensics service | ✖ |
| Frame export with hash | ✔ Native-resolution PNG with SHA-256 in the report | ✔ | ◐ | ✔ Keyframes (no hash) | ◐ ffmpeg can extract frames |
| Enhancement, stabilisation, measurement | ✖ | ✔ Core differentiator (140+ filters, deblurring, super-resolution, photogrammetry) | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Deepfake / AI detector | ◐ Optional on-device model, clearly labelled as a second opinion | ◐ Not stated on the public product page; listed under Amped Authenticate, not FIVE (checked 9 Oct 2026) | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| File hashes | ✔ SHA-256 / SHA-1 / MD5 before analysis | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ◐ Separate tools |
| Case / exhibit fields and report | ✔ Case, exhibit, examiner; printable PDF + JSON | ✔ Court-oriented reports | ✔ Reports | ✖ | ✖ |
| Codec-level frame structure analysis | ✖ Works on decoded, sampled frames | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ◐ Stream-level fields |
| Works offline | ✔ After first load (AI model excepted) | ✔ | ✔ | ◐ | ✔ |
✔ documented capability · ◐ partial · ✖ not offered. Max Intel entries describe engine 2.0.0 (methods & limitations).
Sources (all read 9 October 2026): Amped FIVE — product page (enhancement with 140+ filters, stabilisation, deblurring, super-resolution, photogrammetry, frame-by-frame encoding and macroblock analysis, automatic methodology report; "Request a trial" / "Contact us" rather than a list price). Magnet Verify — product page (structural analysis of image, video, audio and PDF files against an encoding reference library, generational history, source device or software identification, explainable reporting; "Speak to an Expert" rather than a list price). InVID-WeVerify plugin — InVID project (free, MIT-licensed extension; keyframes, reverse search, metadata, forensic filters served from CERTH-ITI, video rights) and WeVerify (Sep 2021). MediaInfo — MediaArea (BSD-style open source; GUI, CLI and library builds; container, video and audio fields). ffprobe — FFmpeg documentation.
Where Max Intel is weaker
- Sampled, not frame-accurate. We analyse 24–96 evenly spaced frames; a single inserted frame between samples is missed. Amped FIVE works frame by frame.
- Decoded frames only. We cannot see the compressed stream (GOP structure, quantisation per macroblock, motion vectors), which is how double-compression and splicing are detected at codec level.
- No device signature database. Magnet Verify compares a file's structure against what Magnet calls "the world's largest vetted encoding reference library" of device and application encodings; we report what the container says and flag inconsistencies, but cannot say "this layout matches an iPhone 15 recording".
- No enhancement. Deblurring, stabilisation, super-resolution and photogrammetric measurement are out of scope.
- Browser codec support. HEVC/H.265 and some MOV variants decode only in browsers with the right codecs; metadata is still read.
Where Max Intel is stronger
- Free and local. The only entry on this list that is both; the alternatives are licensed suites or tools that send data to a server.
- Container audit with explanations. ffprobe tells you the encoder is "Lavf60.16.100"; the studio tells you what that means for provenance, and does the same for zeroed timestamps, fast-start layout, stripped audio and mismatched track lengths.
- Evidence report by default. Hashes, findings, per-frame metrics, inspected frames and exported-frame hashes in one printable document.
- Honest AI detector. Off by default, on-device, and reported as an opinion rather than a verdict.
Other tools in this category
Also in the category, one line each from public descriptions: Cognitech Video Investigator (enhancement and photogrammetry), Griffeye Analyze DI (large-scale media triage and hashing), MotionDSP / Ikena Forensic (real-time enhancement), Deepware Scanner and Sensity (deepfake detection services), and ExifTool for container tags. For the pixel-level methods shared with still images see the photo forensics software comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there free video forensics software?
Yes, but little of it does analysis rather than metadata. Max Intel Video Forensics Studio is free and runs in the browser: it hashes the file, parses the MP4/MOV or WebM container, runs temporal checks for cuts and duplicated frames, inspects individual frames and exports a report. MediaInfo and ffprobe are free for technical metadata; the InVID-WeVerify plugin is free for keyframes and reverse search.
How is Magnet Verify different from Max Intel?
Magnet Verify compares a video file’s internal structure with a database of device and application signatures to judge whether it is an unedited original; it is commercial. Max Intel reads the same container structures and reports inconsistencies and software traces in plain language, but has no signature database and is free.
Can a browser tool detect an edited video?
It can find leads: an FFmpeg or editor encoder string, zeroed timestamps, a missing audio track, an abrupt frame-to-frame jump at a cut, runs of duplicated frames or a frame whose ELA and noise differ from its neighbours. It cannot prove editing or authenticity; frame-accurate and codec-level analysis need desktop tools.
Does the video leave my computer?
No. Hashing, container parsing, frame sampling, analysis and report generation all happen in the browser tab. The optional AI detector downloads a model once and also runs locally.
Why are the big video forensics suites not free?
They bundle enhancement, frame-accurate analysis, device databases, validation work, training and support for courtroom use, and are priced for laboratories. A free browser tool is a triage and documentation layer in front of them, not a replacement.