I spent hours testing both free and paid fake ultrasound options. The short answer: you get what you pay for. Free options work for some uses. Here is my breakdown of when to save money and when to spend it.
Free Fake Ultrasound Options (The Honest Truth)
Free options exist, but they come with significant trade-offs. I tested every free route I found. Here is what I learned.
1. Free Online Generators
Several websites offer free ultrasound generators. The most notable include:
Baby Maybe’s free ultrasound generator with name lets you select from 8 designs (8 weeks through 20 weeks, plus twins), add a patient name, and choose a date. The limitation: free versions include a watermark and lower resolution than their premium products. You cannot customize the hospital name on free versions.
FakeaBaby’s “free” 2D and 4D generators are misleading. These are not free online tools. They are paid products ($8.99 on sale from $29.95) that include customization. You select pregnancy stage, add fictional doctor and hospital names, and choose delivery format (digital or printed). The “free” branding is not true, and is only meant to drive search engine traffic.
What you get with true free options:
- Basic ultrasound-looking image
- Name and date customization
- Instant download
- Multiple gestational age choices
What you do not get:
- Custom hospital names
- High-resolution files
- Watermark-free images
- Print-quality output
Realism score: 4/10 for true free options. Anyone who examines the image will spot the watermark or low resolution.
2. Free Mobile Apps
Apps like “Baby Ultrasound Spoof” and “UltraSound Spoof” are available for iOS and Android. I reviewed these in detail in my fake ultrasound generator apps breakdown.
The App Store reality: Baby Ultrasound Spoof has a 1.5 out of 5 rating from 23 reviews. UltraSound Spoof on Android scores 3.5 out of 5 with 72 reviews and 25,000+ downloads. Users complain about broken save buttons, mislabeled gestational ages, and poor image quality.
Realism score: 3/10 at best. Anyone who has seen a real ultrasound will know instantly.
3. DIY with Photo Editing
The most time-intensive free option: find reference images online and create your own using Photoshop, GIMP, or Canva.
Pros:
- Complete customization control
- No cost if you have the software
- Results depend on your skills
Cons:
- Takes hours of work
- Requires graphic design skills
- Easy to get proportions, fonts, and formatting wrong
- Limited by source image quality
Realism score: 5-7/10 depending on skill level. I cover this more in my how to make a fake ultrasound guide.
Paid Services: What You Get for Your Money
When you pay for a fake ultrasound service, you pay for expertise and attention to detail.
What Quality Paid Services Include:
- Custom baby positioning that matches your specified gestational age
- Accurate measurements like crown-rump length and head circumference that match the date
- Proper medical formatting with correct font styles, data field layouts, and machine branding
- Realistic grayscale patterns that mimic the static look of real ultrasounds
- Hospital-style headers either generic or custom to your preferences
- Print-ready files with proper resolution and sizing
Price Range: What I Found in the Market
I researched the top providers to give you accurate pricing:
FakeUltrasound.com offers products from $9.99 to $18.99. Their 3D ultrasounds (8-9 weeks or 10-12 weeks) cost $9.99. A 2D prank ultrasound (11-13 weeks) or 4-6 week strip costs $18.99. They email images within 24 hours. Customer reviews mention that “no one even realized it was a fake until I told them.”
FakeaBaby lists regular prices of $19.99-$29.95 but runs frequent sales at $8.99. They offer same-day email delivery and USPS shipping options. Reviews on their Judge.me page average 4.9 out of 5 from over 400 customers. One review: “Look so real and they feel real. 100% would buy again.”
Baby Maybe offers digital fake ultrasounds in addition to prints with medical-grade thermal printers on real thermal 100x75mm paper. Customer feedback: “Could not pick out which one is the fake one and which one is the real one.”
| Service Level | Price Range | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Budget Paid | $8.99-$10 | Template with name/date customization, digital delivery |
| Mid-Range | $15-20 | Custom positioning, measurements, multiple images |
| Premium | $20-35+ | Full customization, thermal paper prints, twins, 3D/4D style |
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Free Options | Paid Services |
|---|---|---|
| Realism | Low (3-4/10) | High (8-10/10) |
| Customization | Basic (name/date only) | Full (hospital, measurements, positioning) |
| Time Investment | Minutes (generator) to Hours (DIY) | Minutes (order and receive) |
| Print Quality | Low-res with watermarks | Print-ready, thermal paper available |
| Close-Up Scrutiny | Fails | Passes |
| Technical Details | Generic or missing | Accurate measurements |
| Support | None | Customer service included |
| Cost | $0 (watermarked) | $9-35 |
When Free Works
Some situations make free options acceptable. Do not spend money if:
- It is a quick joke between close friends. If your friend will laugh for 2 seconds and move on, free is fine.
- No one will look closely. Background prop in a photo? Free works.
- You have graphic design skills. If you DIY something convincing, go for it.
- It is for yourself. Testing out how a prank might work? Start free.
- The stakes are low. If being caught would not matter at all.
When You Should Pay
Spend the money when:
1. Pregnancy Announcements
Your partner, parents, or in-laws will examine every detail. Grandma is going to frame this thing. Free options will be spotted and ruin the moment. For announcement ideas, check out my pregnancy announcement guide.
2. Social Media Posts
Photos get zoomed, screenshotted, and shared. Low quality is obvious on Instagram. Plus, the comments section will call you out if it looks fake.
3. Elaborate Pranks
If you go all-in on a prank, the ultrasound needs to hold up. Nothing kills a prank faster than “wait, that looks fake.” See my prank ideas for inspiration.
4. Film and Theater Productions
Camera close-ups reveal everything. HD video shows every imperfection. Productions need print-quality files. My film props guide covers this more.
5. When You Want Twins or Specific Details
Free options rarely offer twin configurations or specific gestational ages beyond basic templates. Custom work requires paid services.
6. Gift-Giving
If it is part of a gift (gag or otherwise), quality matters. No one wants to give an obvious fake prop.
My Recommendation
After testing both sides, here is my advice:
Start with free if:
- You are unsure if you even want to do this
- It is low-stakes
- You have time and skills for DIY
Go paid if:
- Anyone will look at it for more than 3 seconds
- It is for an announcement or meaningful prank
- You want it done right without hassle
- It needs to photograph or print well
We are talking about a $10-30 difference in most cases. If the use case matters enough to research, it matters enough to spend money on.
For more details on where to order, check out my best fake ultrasound websites comparison and my complete fake ultrasound guide. My top pick for paid services is Baby Maybe’s Fake Ultrasounds for their thermal paper quality and customization options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are free fake ultrasound apps safe to download?
Most are safe but loaded with ads. Stick to apps with decent reviews and avoid anything asking for unnecessary permissions. See my app reviews for specific recommendations.
Is a good result under $10 possible?
Yes. FakeaBaby runs sales at $8.99, and FakeUltrasound.com offers 3D options at $9.99. These are template-based with name and date customization. For full customization and thermal paper prints, expect to pay $15-25.
Is there a middle ground between free and premium?
Yes. Budget paid services ($8.99-$10) offer more customization than free generators without the watermarks. This works for casual uses where close inspection is unlikely.
What if I try free first and then decide to pay?
Valid approach. Test with the free ultrasound generator to see if the concept works, then order a quality version for the reveal or prank.
Do paid services offer refunds if I am not happy?
Baby Maybe Shop and most reputable services offer satisfaction guarantees. I have used Baby Maybe’s customer service to get edits and refunds on orders where I mistyped the hospital name, etc. Check the policy before ordering.
Can I tell if someone used a free template?
Often, yes. Free templates get reused constantly. If you have seen a few fake ultrasounds online, you will start recognizing the same baby image appearing everywhere. Watermarks are also a dead giveaway.
