As with any piece of advanced technology, deepfake can be used for nefarious purposes. However, in this particular scenario, the technology is currently being used primarily for entertainment purposes. For example, using it to change photo into cartoon online. And hopefully, it stays that way. With that in mind, in this article, we’re going to cover a few excellent deepfake makers that will allow you to create your own videos, GIFs, and even memes. But before we delve into deepfake apps or websites, let’s take a closer look at the deepfake technology and what you can do with VanceAI tools before swapping a face.
What is Deepfake?
Deepfake technology allows a person to manipulate various elements in a piece of media such as a photo or a video. The technology has numerous possible applications such as deepfake video generator, Toongineer Cartoonizer and etc., but it seems to be mainly used for comedic purposes at the moment in the form of face swapping.
Free software deepfake maker recommended tools
Making a deepfake video of your own may seem difficult due to the complexity of the technology but it’s actually not that hard with the right deepfake video software. Sure, your deepfake videos won’t be perfect and might be easy to spot if you’re using conventional tools, but the point here is to have some fun with the technology. So if that’s what you’re after, here are some good recommendations:
|
Price
|
Quality
|
Feature Options
|
Support
Device
|
User-
Friendly
Grades
|
DeepFaceLab
|
Free
|
Considered the most popular and
advanced free deepfake maker
software.
Allows users to create extremely
realistic-looking videos.
|
Advanced, powerful, and
realistic-looking videos
|
Windows,
Linux,
MacOS
|
Difficult to use,
requires tutorials and
steep learning curve
|
Zao
|
Free
|
Very easy to use.Has tons of
clips to play around with.
Features an audio component that
lets you modulate voices.
|
Easy to use, tons of clips,
audio components for
voice modulation
|
iPhone,
Android,
Windows
Phone,
Blackberry
|
Very user-friendly, but
currently only
available in China
|
FaceSwap
|
Free
|
Considered an advanced deepfake
Maker.
Good community support and
Helps users learn this type of
technology works.
|
Open-source, support for
Windows, Linux, MacOS,
good community support
for tutorials
|
Windows,
Linux,
MacOS
|
Advanced, difficult to
use, but good for
learning deepfake
technology
|
1. DeepFaceLab
This is hands down the most popular free deepfake maker software available at the moment. And probably the most advanced one as well. The vast majority of the deepfake videos you see floating around the internet are created using this deepfake video software. The good news is that DeepFaceLab has a deepfake software windows version entirely for free. There is no premium version or any sort of restriction as this is open-source software.
The bad news is that DeepFaceLab is far from being user-friendly. There is no easy to use 1-click installer so you’ll have to download the files from GitHub and figure things out from there. There are of course plenty of tutorials online that can help you get started but you should still expect a pretty steep learning curve. If you do manage to wrap your head around it, however, this free deepfake video maker will allow you to make extremely realistic-looking videos. If your computer hardware is up for the task, that is.
2. Zao
Zao is an extremely powerful deepfake generator online free and available on iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, and even Blackberry devices according to its developers. The deepfake app became a huge sensation in China back in 2019 and has continued to rise in popularity ever since. Unlike DeepFaceLab or other similar deepfake software, Zao is extremely easy to use, allowing anyone to swap their face with that of their favorite celebrity in just a few seconds. Zao has tons of clips to play around with and even features an audio component that lets you modulate voices. In addition, if you are looking for a similar service to convert your photos to line drawing, stencils, sketches, and anime in a few seconds, you can try VansPortrait provided by VanceAI.
The only real drawback of Zao at the moment is that the app is currently only available in China. If you don’t mind jumping through a couple of hoops, you can download and use Zao even if you’re located in a different country. Your mileage may vary, however. The AI that powers Zao was trained exclusively on the faces of Chinese people, so the results may look a bit off if you’re not Chinese. But given the massive success, Zao had in its home country, it’s probably only a matter of time until the developers come up with a western version. There are already a couple of Zao copycats out there but there’s no word just yet regarding an official version.
3. FaceSwap
If you’re familiar with DeepFaceLab you already know what to expect here since FaceSwap works on a similar principle. This deepfake software is also open-source and needs to be downloaded from GitHub. In addition to developing a deepfake software windows version, it also has support to work on Linux and MacOS. For the most part, FaceSwap has the same pros and cons as DeepFaceLab. This deepfake creator is very powerful but not exactly easy to use. Luckily, FaceSwap has very good community support so finding helpful tutorials shouldn’t be a problem. In addition, you can use the official forums if you need extra help.
Given that FaceSwap is considered an advanced deepfake maker, its main purpose is to help users learn how this type of technology works. If you’re looking to quickly make your own deepfake videos, you’re better off using Zao or one of the other user-friendly deepfake video software. If you’re more interested in training yourself to be an expert at making realistic deepfakes, on the other hand, FaceSwap is definitely the way to go. Just keep in mind that FaceSwap is very resource-intensive so it won’t work on any old PC. Make sure you have a somewhat decent GPU before you attempt to use the software.
Online deepfake maker recommended tools
The most powerful deepfake software needs to be installed locally and requires a lot of resources but luckily there are some alternatives that are gentler on your system. Shortly after the DeepFake craze started, a number of deepfake websites started to pop up everywhere and while they weren’t very efficient at first, some of them are certainly impressive now. Here is a couple of the best deepfake maker online tools around:
|
Price
|
Quality
|
Feature Options
|
Support
Device
|
User-
Friendly
|
Faceswap
Web
|
$2 per
hour
|
High
|
Upload own videos,
cloud-based computing
|
Web-based,
compatible with
any browser
|
Moderately user-
friendly, learning curve
|
Machine
Tube
|
Free
|
Moderate
|
Upload own videos and
images, intuitive
interface
|
PC-based,
compatible with
any browser
|
Very user-friendly, pre
-made templates
|
1. Faceswap Web
We’re not quite sure if Faceswap Web has any connection to the aforementioned FaceSwap app but it does seem to get the job done just as well. Only in this case, everything happens online. The tool is more user-friendly than typical deepfake software but there is a bit of a learning curve you’ll have to surpass. You’ll need to sign up for an account before you can start using the tool and you’ll also need to upload your own videos, which may take some time depending on their quality and your internet connection. Typically the entire process of creating a deepfake video takes anywhere between 30 minutes and 4 hours on the site. The quality of the output can vary depending on a number of factors but you can increase your chances of success by uploading high-quality videos. Also worth noting is that the tool isn’t free.
Pricing: The price is $2 per hour and given that creating a video takes several hours, things can get a bit expensive. But the results are generally well worth it, though.
2. MachineTube
If you find Faceswap Web to be a bit too expensive for your taste we recommend checking out MachineTube instead. The website has a few drawbacks compared to our first pick but you can use it entirely for free on any compatible browser. Once again, you’ll need to create an account in order to use the tool, as well as upload your own videos and images. There are some pre-made templates but not as many as we would have liked.
While Faceswap Web uses cloud-based computing to power its deep learning algorithms, MachineTube uses your PC’s resources, just like the tools we talked about in the first section, but doesn’t eat up quite as many of them. Another difference is that the website does much of the heavy lifting for you by providing an intuitive interface and resources that you don’t have to find and download yourself.
What should we do before making DeepFake?
Choose your base material
When choosing a picture or video, it is best to have clear facial features, so that the algorithm system of face changing can recognize your facial contour and distribution of facial features, and improve the success rate of face changing.
Use VanceAI Image Enhancer to improve the clarity of pictures
The sharpness of the film is also an important factor affecting the effect of face changing. In order to make your face change more realistic, you'd better improve the clarity of your photo before using face change software, which will help you greatly improve the reality of face change and get better results. For improving the clarity of photos, you can choose VanceAI Image Enhancer. It is an online image upgrading software, which can process light, object outline, sharpen and improve clarity with one click. It can be said that it is a very suitable preparation tool before changing the face.
How to spot a deepfake video generated by deepfake video maker
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to recognize deepfakes created by various deepfake software, however, a keen eye cannot be fooled by them. Here are some of the most important things to look out for when trying to spot a deepfake:
1. Unusual facial expressions and features
Probably the easiest way to spot a deepfake is to pay close attention to the eyes of the person. Replicating things like eye movement and blinking in a way that looks natural is very difficult. The same thing can also be said about the area around the mouth. While a lot of deepfakes have good lip-syncing, something will inevitably start to look odd sooner or later. Deepfaked people tend to have rather static - sometimes downright robotic - facial expressions and often look considerably more emotionless when compared to a regular person.
2. Blurring and coloring
A lot of deepfake videos don’t do a great job of matching a person’s face to another person’s body. That’s why you’ll often see blurring or other strange effects in the area surrounding the face, particularly near the hairline and neck. Another thing to look out for is color. Finding a person that has the exact same skin tone as another isn’t easy and deepfake creators don’t always account for those differences. In some instances, it is simple to spot a deepfake video simply by looking for mismatching skin tones. Or even, some images and videos are processed by a VanceAI Image Cartoonizer to make the face looks like a cartoon, which is remarkably simple to spot. Click to check out some best alternatives to selfie2anime to automatically turn your photos into anime characters.
3. Audio cues
Deepfake technology is primarily used for manipulating video rather than audio. Because of this, you often see scenarios where person A has the face of person B but the voice is still that of person A. Since technology is usually used to deepfake famous people, it’s pretty easy to tell when something doesn’t sound right. As mentioned earlier, there are ways of replicating someone’s voice but these are far from perfect. Paying attention to things like intonation, accent or timber can help you spot a fake.
4. Tech vs Tech
Shortly after deepfake software started to become popular, several companies started working on technology that can help you spot such videos. First off, popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter ban malicious deepfakes so you’re unlikely to find them there very often. If you suspect you’re looking at a deepfake video, you can use Google’s text-to-speech tool to help you identify the original speaker. Meanwhile, researchers at multiple noteworthy universities and agencies, including DARPA, are working as we speak on technology that automatically spots deepfakes for you. Keep an eye out for tools like that as many of them are bound to be open to the public in the near future.
Conclusion
Deepfake maker apps, software, or websites are all the rage these days and it’s easy to see why. What started out as a novelty is quickly becoming one of the most interesting technologies of the 21st century. We hope this article has helped you learn more about it, but don’t forget that the best way to learn is to experience these tools yourself. Start making your own deepfakes and have fun! Click to know more details about How to Enlarge YouTube Thumbnail Without Being Blurry.
FAQ
1. What is deepfake?
In short, technology lets you manipulate the digital persona of someone in order to make it look and sound like somebody completely different. The deepfake software currently available is already pretty impressive so imagine what people will be able to achieve with this technology in just a few years.
Deepfake technology can also be applied to change your voice. Related article: Top 10 Deepfake Voice Software & Online Tools Review.