When you’ve ever seen one thing whereas looking and puzzled what it was or the place to get it, you are in the identical boat as me. Fortunately, browser imaginative and prescient instruments like Google Lens in Chrome and Microsoft Copilot Imaginative and prescient in Edge are right here to assist—however which one is healthier?
Google Lens is constructed into Chrome and can be out there as a smartphone app. Up till June 12, 2025, Copilot Imaginative and prescient was equally restricted to Microsoft Edge, solely accessible by way of the Copilot Imaginative and prescient flag. Nevertheless, Microsoft’s Copilot Imaginative and prescient replace now means you need to use its AI imaginative and prescient device throughout Home windows 10 and Home windows 11, although it’s restricted to US-based customers on the time of writing.
I ran the identical webpages by way of Google Lens and Copilot Imaginative and prescient to match how shortly and precisely they determine objects and provide useful strategies. I used a weblog put up on shirt supplies and a plant put up shared in a Fb group. For the weblog put up, I centered on the part on the Oxford fabric.
Each Google Lens and Copilot Imaginative and prescient acknowledged the objects instantly, figuring out the plant as a Moringa plant; nevertheless, there have been variances in how they described the Oxford shirt. Google Lens described it as a Nylon Black Oxford Cloth, whereas Copilot Imaginative and prescient known as it an Oxford Shirt and Cloth.
The true distinction confirmed up in what they did subsequent.
Google Lens is much extra useful in the event you’re looking for or purchase what you are taking a look at. It steered comparable objects, supplied clickable product hyperlinks, and directed me to shops and weblog posts the place I might be taught extra or make a purchase order. The format, with all outcomes showing in a sidebar, made it straightforward to browse with out leaving the web page.
Copilot Imaginative and prescient does not provide product strategies or direct you to exterior sources. It acknowledges what’s on the web page and might reply any questions you might have about it. It was fairly enjoyable studying in regards to the well being advantages of Moringa oleifera, as recognized within the Fb put up. I requested if I might plant it in my lounge, and it stated, “In all probability not.” In that, Copilot Imaginative and prescient could be very helpful in the event you simply need to perceive one thing you are taking a look at, however not nice in the event you’re hoping to find or purchase it.
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Copying, Translating, and Asking Questions About Textual content
Subsequent, I examined each instruments on duties involving textual content, similar to copying, translating, and asking follow-up questions. I used a dual-language German-English studying PDF and a scanned picture of the again of one among my ID playing cards to see how properly every device dealt with textual content in varied codecs.
Google Lens excels at extracting and translating textual content from photos and paperwork. I used to be in a position to copy textual content from the picture and immediately translate it within the sidebar, which is nice in the event you’re coping with international language paperwork or need to seize a telephone quantity, title, or ID quantity with out typing it out. It’s also possible to use the sidebar to discover search outcomes, get fast definitions, or enter extra key phrases to seek for associated data. The whole lot occurs within the facet panel, and it is simple to see what you are highlighting.
Then again, Copilot Imaginative and prescient, as an app, does not assist you to copy textual content and solely presents verbal translations, which means you can’t copy or observe it down as you possibly can with the translations supplied by Google Lens. But it surely was surprisingly good at dealing with real-time interactions with the textual content. For example, after I opened my ID picture (which I purposely confirmed the wrong way up), I requested Copilot Imaginative and prescient to learn what was on the web page. It steered rotating it and zooming in. As soon as I did that, it learn out the textual content and even supplied a German translation after I requested it to.
Relating to follow-up questions in regards to the textual content on the web page, Copilot Imaginative and prescient can present any clarification you want about what you are taking a look at. You will must ask your questions and get solutions verbally (by way of on-screen, conversational responses), although.
Nevertheless, Copilot Imaginative and prescient’s June 12 replace is prone to change all of this. In accordance with Microsoft, Copilot Imaginative and prescient now contains “Highlights,” which to me sounds very very similar to Google Lens’ outcomes web page, docked to the suitable of your display. Highlights additionally appears to take this a step additional, and might floor helpful content material out of your apps, browsers, and paperwork; principally, something in your PC that you simply share with Copilot Imaginative and prescient. Microsoft states that you simply will not even must immediate Copilot Imaginative and prescient to assist—it will counsel related actions and recordsdata based mostly in your exercise.
Sadly, on condition that this device is simply out there within the US on the time of writing, I have been unable to check it.
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Which App Affords Higher Insights Into Webpages and PDFs?
Copilot Imaginative and prescient actually stood out after I tried analyzing full webpages. I examined each instruments on a full PDF e book and a YouTube video web page, particularly MKBHD’s WWDC impressions, to see how properly they may summarize and supply insights on broader content material.
Google Lens is generally restricted to the person components you click on on (textual content, objects, and pictures). When you spotlight one thing, it might present you extra data or comparable outcomes, however it does not course of your entire web page or PDF. So, I might solely spotlight the title of the e book or the quilt web page to get comparable outcomes.
In the meantime, Copilot Imaginative and prescient is designed to interpret every little thing on the web page without delay. It answered my query in regards to the creator’s primary level, navigated to the important thing part, and even highlighted the related sentence (though it started to glitch and decline additional requests after this occasion, probably as a result of massive file measurement).
Its efficiency often lags with massive recordsdata, however it’s clearly constructed for interacting with complete pages and bigger content material.
After I examined the video web page, Copilot Imaginative and prescient summarized what MKBHD stated and the way the video was being obtained. It even supplied stats like views and likes. In distinction, I might solely spotlight MKBHD’s image or the video title with Google Lens to carry out a search.
Google Lens vs. Copilot Imaginative and prescient: Which One Is Greatest for You?
Each Google Lens and Microsoft Copilot Imaginative and prescient are highly effective instruments, however they serve essentially totally different functions. Fairly than one being universally higher, the suitable selection will depend on how you utilize your browser imaginative and prescient device.
Select Google Lens if you wish to:
- Immediately determine merchandise, garments, or crops and discover out the place to purchase them
- Copy and translate textual content instantly from photos, webpages, or paperwork
- Use a clear, sidebar-based format to browse hyperlinks and definitions with out leaving the web page
- Get fast visible search outcomes and Google’s AI overviews with out a lot interplay
It is easy, easy, and best for getting fast solutions about what you see whereas looking.
Select Copilot Imaginative and prescient if you wish to:
- Work together with complicated paperwork, movies, or full webpages
- Ask detailed follow-up questions on what you are studying or watching
- Summarize, interpret, or talk about textual content with a pleasant AI chatbot
- Use a docked interface (Highlights) that gives extra data based mostly on what’s in your display (once more, in case you have the latest replace)
Copilot Imaginative and prescient does not simply determine what you are taking a look at. It needs to have a full-blown dialog with you about it.
By way of availability and entry, Google Lens is free and totally built-in into Chrome with out utilization restrictions. Copilot Imaginative and prescient, alternatively, requires Microsoft Edge with the function enabled, and you may solely be capable of use it a number of instances per day until you think about upgrading to Copilot Professional.
As for me, I discover myself utilizing Google Lens extra typically, and it is the one I would decide as the most effective general. More often than not, I simply need to determine one thing shortly and transfer on, whether or not it is a product, a phrase, or a picture. Google Lens does that immediately, with none friction. The truth that it is free, straightforward to entry in Chrome (and as a smartphone app), and requires no additional setup makes it essentially the most sensible device for on a regular basis looking. Whereas Copilot Imaginative and prescient has its strengths, Google Lens wins due to its simplicity.
