Steg.AI vs Markedfile: Forensic Watermarking for Small Teams
Short answer: Steg.AI and Markedfile do the same core job: they hide a different invisible mark in each copy of a file so a leak can be traced to the copy it came from. Steg.AI is a broad platform (images, video, documents and audio, API and on-premises options, content credentials, deepfake protection) with a $10 per month entry plan and enterprise contracts for larger volumes. Markedfile is narrower on purpose: images and PDFs, self-serve, a free plan, and flat monthly prices from $9.99. If you need video or an API, look at Steg.AI. If you want to mark a few images or PDFs this afternoon, Markedfile is the lighter fit.
Last updated: October 9, 2026. Steg.AI details come from its public website and pricing page and may change; check them before you decide.
What they have in common
Both tools embed an invisible identifier in each copy you send, so that a copy found later (even a screenshot) can be matched to the recipient who received it. Neither replaces access control: they tell you which copy leaked, not how to stop the leak.
Side by side
| Steg.AI | Markedfile | |
|---|---|---|
| Content types | Images, video, documents and audio (per its site) | Images and PDFs |
| Visible watermarks | Yes | No, invisible only |
| Other features | Content credentials (C2PA), deepfake protection, API, web hooks, on-premises deployment | Web app focused on marking and detecting |
| Entry price | A $10 per month plan with 100 credits per month and $1 for 10 extra credits, per its pricing page | Free plan; Pro $9.99, Unlimited $19.99 per month |
| Larger teams | Enterprise plan, usage-based; an AWS Marketplace listing shows a $250,000 12-month contract | Enterprise $49.99 per month for one shared workspace |
| Free plan | Not listed on its pricing page | Yes: 5 active files, detectable for 6 months |
| What happens to your files | See Steg.AI's security and data-retention pages | Processed in memory and not stored |
Where Steg.AI is the better choice
- You need to protect video or audio, which Markedfile does not cover.
- You need an API, integrations with a DAM or drive, or on-premises deployment.
- You want visible watermarks or content credentials in the same product.
- You work at studio or media-company scale, with contracts and support to match.
Where Markedfile fits better
- Your files are images and PDFs: photos, decks, contracts, proposals, paid content packs.
- You are one person or a small team and want to start without a sales call or a contract.
- You want to test for free on a real file before paying anything.
- You prefer a simple flat price, and files that are processed in memory and never stored.
How it works with Markedfile
- Upload the original image or PDF and create one marked copy per recipient, labelled so you will recognise it later.
- Send each person their own copy by whatever channel you already use.
- If a copy leaks, upload what you found (a file or a screenshot) to Detect and read which recipient's copy it matches.
What to keep in mind
No watermarking tool can guarantee detection in every case, and Markedfile's detection is heuristic. A very small crop (below roughly 230 px of a detailed area), a heavy edit, or a copy that was never marked may not be identifiable. Small images and some heavily compressed ones use a more fragile mark that does not survive screenshots. Only a 90° rotation combined with strongly uneven stretch truly fails; an upright stretched image still detects. For PDFs, a screenshot of about a quarter of a page or more is detectable, only for PDFs marked from now on.
FAQ
Is Markedfile a Steg.AI alternative? For images and PDFs, yes. For video, audio, an API or on-premises use, no: Steg.AI covers those and Markedfile does not.
Which one is cheaper? For a small team marking images and PDFs, Markedfile's flat plans (free, $9.99, $19.99, or $49.99 per month for a shared workspace) are easy to predict. Steg.AI's pricing is credit-based, so the cost depends on how many items you mark; compare it with your own volume.
Can either one stop a leak? No. They identify which copy leaked. Knowing that copies are traceable also tends to make recipients more careful.
Do I need to install anything? No. Markedfile runs in the browser, and recipients receive normal files.
Can I trace a file I already sent? Not with either tool, unless that copy was marked before it was sent.
Mark each copy before you share it
Create a free account. You can mark 5 files and see whose copy leaked.