Trademark and patent searching is free because the registries are public: the USPTO, EUIPO’s TMview, WIPO’s Global Brand Database and Madrid Monitor, the UK, Canadian and Australian offices, Google Patents, Espacenet and Lens cover every major jurisdiction at no cost, several with image similarity search. What costs money is what sits on top — similarity algorithms across 190 countries (Markify, Corsearch) and watch services — and the free commercial sites (Trademarkia) exist to sell you a filing. Prices are USD and were checked on 23 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free IP search tool that fits
- US name or logo clearance: USPTO Trademark Search — the TESS replacement with field tags, regex and design codes; sign in optional.
- One search across many countries, with image similarity: WIPO Global Brand Database.
- EU and partner offices in one place: TMview — free, every EU national office plus EUIPO and many non-EU offices.
- Patent prior art: Google Patents for speed, Espacenet for EPO depth, Lens.org to link patents and papers.
- Tracking an international registration: WIPO Madrid Monitor — with AI image search.
Which trademark & ip search tools tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every tool below searches a public register at no charge with no end date, and none of the official ones takes a card or requires an account to search. Image search is stated by WIPO’s Global Brand Database, Madrid Monitor, the UK IPO, Canada (Vienna codes and design search) and IP Australia (upload a logo for visual similarity); the USPTO describes design search codes rather than image upload. Alerts are stated by almost none of them — watching a mark is the paid product everywhere.
The commercial layer is where money changes hands. Trademarkia’s search is free and leads to $499 filing packages and $99-a-quarter monitoring; Markify offers a trial of its 240-database similarity search and publishes no prices; Corsearch is enterprise-only and excluded. Copyright.gov is included for completeness as the US copyright register. NameCheckr and Namechk, which check social handles and domains, were not reviewed.
The table shows coverage, image search and the Free Score; Core job weights jurisdiction coverage and image search. Open a row for the page we checked.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W |
Free forever | Multi-office · image similarity · free | No | 92 | Scorecard ↓ |
| U |
Free forever | US federal · design codes · sign-in optional | No | 88 | Scorecard ↓ |
| T |
Free forever | EU national offices + EUIPO + partners · free | No | 86 | Scorecard ↓ |
| I |
Free forever | Australia · image upload · TM Checker | No | 80 | Scorecard ↓ |
| U |
Free forever | UK · keyword, phrase or image · weekly journal | No | 78 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Free forever | Canada · Vienna codes · design & colour search | No | 76 | Scorecard ↓ |
| E |
Free forever | Worldwide patents from 1782 · free | No | 76 | Scorecard ↓ |
| M |
Free forever | Madrid registrations · AI image search | No | 76 | Scorecard ↓ |
| G |
Free forever | Worldwide full text · non-patent literature | No | 74 | Scorecard ↓ |
| E |
Free forever | EU trade marks & designs · owners · bulletins | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| L |
Free forever | 200M scholarly records · 100+ patent offices · limits unverified | No | 66 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Free forever | US copyright registrations 1870–present | No | 62 | Scorecard ↓ |
| T |
Free forever | Free search · $499 filing · $99/quarter monitoring | No | 50 | Scorecard ↓ |
| M |
Trial d | Trial on request · 240 databases · no prices | No | 30 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 23 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free IP search tool plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1W
WIPO Global Brand DatabaseInternational · Madrid marks, Lisbon GIs, 6ter emblems, INNs and national and regional office collections in one search, with image similarityFree foreverMulti-office · image similarity · freeNo card92⌄
- What’s free
- Search Madrid international marks, Lisbon geographical indications, Article 6ter emblems, INNs and participating national and regional office collections; image similarity search
- Hard limits
- None stated · record and office counts, alerts and account requirements not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None mentioned
- Best free for
- A first screen of a name or logo across many countries at once
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · wipo.int/reference/en/branddb
2U
USPTO Trademark SearchUS · the federal register’s search system, successor to TESS, with field tags, regular expressions and design search codesFree foreverUS federal · design codes · sign-in optionalNo card88⌄
- What’s free
- Federal trademark search with field tags, regex and design search codes; signing in is optional and helps during heavy traffic
- Hard limits
- None stated · image upload search not described, design codes only · alerts not mentioned · ‘free’ not explicitly stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- US clearance before filing with the USPTO
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · uspto.gov/trademarks/search
Why it ranks here. Authoritative for the US and more powerful than TESS was; no logo upload and no alerts keep it a notch below WIPO for a visual mark.
3T
TMviewEU · search registered and pending marks free across every EU national IP office, EUIPO and many non-EU partner officesFree foreverEU national offices + EUIPO + partners · freeNo card86⌄
- What’s free
- Search for registered trade marks free of charge: applications and registrations from all EU national IP offices plus EUIPO and many non-EU offices
- Hard limits
- None stated · image search, alerts and account not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Clearing a name for the EU market in one query
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · euipo.europa.eu
Why it ranks here. The EU equivalent of WIPO’s database and explicitly free on EUIPO’s page; image search is not stated, which is the deduction.
4I
IP Australia Trade Mark SearchAustralia · registered and pending Australian marks with logo upload for visual similarity and a free TM Checker preliminary checkFree foreverAustralia · image upload · TM CheckerNo card80⌄
- What’s free
- Registered and pending trade marks in Australia; image upload with visual-similarity results; TM Checker free preliminary check
- Hard limits
- None stated · results ‘should not be relied upon’ · no alerts mentioned
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Australian clearance of a logo as well as a name
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · search.ipaustralia.gov.au
Why it ranks here. The best-designed national search on the list, with real image upload; single-country by nature.
5U
UK IPO trade mark searchUK · search by number, owner, keyword, phrase or image, with the weekly online journal and links to the Jersey and Guernsey registersFree foreverUK · keyword, phrase or image · weekly journalNo card78⌄
- What’s free
- Search by number, owner, keyword, phrase or image; weekly online journal; Jersey and Guernsey registers linked
- Hard limits
- None stated · alerts not mentioned · ‘free’ not explicitly stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- UK clearance, including figurative marks
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · gov.uk/search-for-trademark
Why it ranks here. Image search stated, journal included; UK only.
6C
Canadian Trademarks DatabaseCanada · trademarks, certification marks, GIs and official marks with Vienna code, design, colour and 3D search; data current to two days before our checkFree foreverCanada · Vienna codes · design & colour searchNo card76⌄
- What’s free
- Search trademarks, certification marks, geographical indications and official marks; Vienna classification, design, colour and 3D search; last updated 21 Oct 2026
- Hard limits
- None stated · alerts not mentioned · the government disclaims accuracy of externally sourced information
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Canadian clearance with figurative search
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · ised-isde.canada.ca
Why it ranks here. Thorough figurative search by code rather than upload; Canada only.
7E
EspacenetEU (EPO) · free access to patent information from 1782 to today with worldwide coverageFree foreverWorldwide patents from 1782 · freeNo card76⌄
- What’s free
- Free access to information about inventions and technical developments from 1782 to today, worldwide coverage
- Hard limits
- None stated · alerts and account not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Patent prior-art searching with the EPO’s classification and family data
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · epo.org
Why it ranks here. The reference free patent database; core job is scored for trademark clearance, which it does not do.
8MWIPO Madrid MonitorInternational · detailed information on every mark registered through the Madrid System, with AI-powered, concept-based image searchFree foreverMadrid registrations · AI image searchNo card76⌄
- What’s free
- Detailed information on all trademarks registered through the Madrid System; AI-powered, concept-based image search
- Hard limits
- None stated · alerts not explicitly described
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Tracking the status of an international registration and its designations
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · wipo.int/madrid/monitor
Why it ranks here. Narrower than the Global Brand Database — Madrid marks only — and the right tool once you have filed internationally.
9G
Google PatentsUS · full-text search of patents from around the world plus an index of non-patent literature for prior artFree foreverWorldwide full text · non-patent literatureNo card74⌄
- What’s free
- Search and read the full text of patents from around the world; prior art in non-patent literature
- Hard limits
- None stated · office count, alerts and account not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- The fastest first look at whether an idea is already patented
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · patents.google.com (minimal page text)
Why it ranks here. Faster and friendlier than Espacenet, less structured; a patent tool on a trademark list.
10E
EUIPO eSearch plusEU · comprehensive information on EU trade marks, designs, owners, representatives and bulletinsFree foreverEU trade marks & designs · owners · bulletinsNo card72⌄
- What’s free
- Comprehensive information on trade marks, designs, owners, representatives and bulletins
- Hard limits
- None stated · free status, account, image search and alerts not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Checking an EU trade mark or registered design in detail after TMview finds it
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · euipo.europa.eu
Why it ranks here. The EU register itself, including designs, which TMview does not cover.
11L
Lens.orgAustralia · over 200 million scholarly records and patents from more than 100 countries, linked; free-tier limits could not be readFree forever200M scholarly records · 100+ patent offices · limits unverifiedNo card66⌄
- What’s free
- Over 200 million scholarly records; patent documents from over 100 countries; registration; a separate commercial-use agreement
- Hard limits
- Not stated · export and alert limits on the free tier unverified · commercial use and API are paid
- Time limit
- None stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- API or commercial use
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated
- Best free for
- A researcher linking patents to the papers behind them
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · about.lens.org
Why it ranks here. Unique in joining patents and literature; scored down because the free tier’s limits are unknown.
12C
Copyright.gov Public RecordsUS · the Copyright Public Records System for 1898–1945 and 1978 to the present, with the Virtual Card Catalog and Catalog of Copyright Entries for earlier yearsFree foreverUS copyright registrations 1870–presentNo card62⌄
- What’s free
- Copyright Public Records System (1898–1945 and 1978–present), Virtual Card Catalog (1870–1977), Catalog of Copyright Entries (1891–1978)
- Hard limits
- None stated · free status not explicitly stated · a fees page is linked for services
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None for searching
- Best free for
- Confirming who registered a work in the US
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · copyright.gov/public-records
Why it ranks here. Copyright, not trademark — included because the question comes up alongside and the register is free.
13T
TrademarkiaUS · a free search of millions of marks on a site whose business is $499-plus filing packages and $99-a-quarter monitoring after a free monthFree foreverFree search · $499 filing · $99/quarter monitoringNo card50⌄
- What’s free
- Explore millions of trademarks with a free search; filing in 180-plus countries
- Hard limits
- None stated for search · a commercial upsell site
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Filing or monitoring
- Cheapest paid step
- Entry filing $499 plus government fees ($350 a class); monitoring free for a month then $99 a quarter
- Best free for
- A quick lookup when you are already going to pay someone to file
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · trademarkia.com
Why it ranks here. The search is a lead form; the official registers above give the same data without the funnel.
14M
MarkifySweden · a trial of similarity and image search across 240 databases and 190 countries, with a weekly watch, granted on request; no prices publishedTrialdTrial on request · 240 databases · no pricesNo card30⌄
- What’s free
- Request a free trial via a form; access granted depending on the user’s needs
- Hard limits
- Not stated
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Ordering or contacting sales
- Cheapest paid step
- Not listed
- Best free for
- Evaluating a professional similarity search before paying for one
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · markify.com
Why it ranks here. The professional tool, on trial; listed so readers know what the paid layer is called.
Which free IP search tool has no credit-card requirement?
None of the official registers takes a card or requires an account to search; the USPTO says signing in is optional. Trademarkia and Markify do not state it; Lens.org asks for registration. Nothing here converts to paid on its own.
The condition on every register is the disclaimer: IP Australia says results should not be relied upon and Canada disclaims external data. A free search clears a name only as far as the register’s own records and your own reading of similarity; it is not a legal opinion.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free IP search tool fits your situation?
US startup choosing a name
USPTO Trademark Search, then WIPO.
Selling into the EU
TMview, then eSearch plus for the detail.
Logo-led brand
WIPO Global Brand Database, IP Australia or UK IPO image search.
Checking an idea for patents
Google Patents, then Espacenet.
Filed internationally, tracking status
Madrid Monitor.
Academic or R&D team
Lens.org.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, checking whether a name, logo or invention is already registered in the markets you care about, before filing or launching. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 23 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections to the Kurums editorial team.
How did we verify these free tiers?
We opened each office’s or vendor’s information or search page and recorded coverage, image search, alerts, account requirements and any paid tier. For the USPTO, TMview and EUIPO eSearch, the offices’ information pages were used; Lens.org’s row uses its about page; Trademarkia’s and Markify’s pricing could not be confirmed. Corsearch was excluded as enterprise-only; NameCheckr and Namechk were not reviewed.
Prices are USD where stated. A clear search is not a legal opinion; every register says so in its own words.
Frequently asked questions
Is the USPTO trademark search free?
Yes — the Trademark Search system that replaced TESS is free to use, with optional sign-in. The USPTO’s page does not state image-upload search; it uses design search codes.
Which free trademark search covers the most countries?
WIPO’s Global Brand Database, which combines Madrid marks with national and regional office collections and offers image similarity search. TMview covers all EU national offices, EUIPO and many non-EU partners.
Can I search a logo for free?
Yes — WIPO’s Global Brand Database and Madrid Monitor, IP Australia (upload), the UK IPO and Canada (Vienna codes) all offer image or design search free.
Is Trademarkia free?
Its search is free; its business is filing packages from $499 plus government fees and monitoring at $99 a quarter after a free month.
Where do I search patents for free?
Google Patents (worldwide full text), Espacenet (EPO, from 1782) and Lens.org (patents linked to 200 million scholarly records).
Do any free tools alert me when a similar mark is filed?
Not the official registers. Trademarkia and Markify sell watch services; alerting is the paid layer of this category.
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