Stop guessing how people feel. Start measuring it.
FaceReader
A facial expression is a powerful signal, and FaceReader captures it with scientific precision. Measure responses in real time or from video, with no calibration or complex setup. FaceReader also brings eye tracking, voice analysis, vital signs, and more into the same analysis. Pair that data with your knowledge of the context to discover what truly drives a reaction.
Effortless setup All you need is a webcam
Multimodal insights Capture emotion in context
Proven accuracy Trusted in peer-reviewed research
Three ways to work with FaceReader
Every frame, every muscle movement, every heartbeat. FaceReader gives you the full depth of facial analysis, for studies where every detail counts.
Test large groups remotely, wherever they are. Participants only need a laptop with a webcam, and you get results fast. Ideal for measuring responses to ads, products, and websites.
Analyze the facial expressions of infants, based on Baby FACS. Get objective insight into how babies respond to the world around them, long before they can tell you themselves.
What can I do with FaceReader?
Recognize expressionsarrow_forward
Understand how people feel by analyzing expressions like happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, and fear.
Capture vocal emotionarrow_forward
Measure voice intensity and speech patterns to uncover how people really feel, beyond their words.
Analyze multiple facesarrow_forward
Speed up research and capture richer, more natural group responses and shared emotional dynamics.
Track eye gazearrow_forward
See exactly where people look, with clear heatmaps and gaze plots. No extra hardware required.
Measure consumptionarrow_forward
Catch every bite, sip, and subtle reaction. Spot micro-actions that reveal honest, unconscious responses.
Pick up body signalsarrow_forward
Track heart and breathing rate, contact free. Measure stress, excitement, or focus with just a webcam.
Classify Actions Unitsarrow_forward
Understand the subtle mechanisms underneath facial expressions by measuring the activity of individual muscles.
Control your studyarrow_forward
Mark key events, compare groups, generate clear reports, and save time by automating repetitive analysis.
Get FaceReader for your lab
Plug-and-play software for a complete, contact-free view of facial expressions, vital signs, and gaze direction. Proven accurate and validated in research.
Essential
€ 2.000
excl. tax | incl. 1 year NoldusCare
Analyze the six universal expressions
Capture valence & arousal: a response’s direction & intensity
Detect facial states & subject characteristics
Advanced
€ 9.000
excl. tax | incl. 1 year NoldusCare
Everything in Essential, plus:
Measure action units and compare groups with project analysis.
Study infants aged 6 to 24 months with Baby FaceReader
Premium
€ 12.500
excl. tax | incl. 1 year NoldusCare
Everything in Advanced, plus:
Capture vital signs and voice analysis and consumption behavior
Use webcam based eye-tracking and multiple face analysis
Not sure which package fits your needs?
Compare FaceReader editions
See which features are included in each FaceReader edition and choose the one that fits your research.
| Feature | Essential | Advanced | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic facial expressionsRecognizes happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, disgusted, neutral, and contempt.What you gain: Get objective emotion data, without relying on self-report. | check_circle | check_circle | check_circle |
| Valence and arousalShows whether a response is positive or negative, and how strongly people react.What you gain: Get a quick read on the overall emotional response. | check_circle | check_circle | check_circle |
| Gaze direction and head orientationTracks where participants look and how they position their head.What you gain: Understand attention and engagement alongside emotion. | check_circle | check_circle | check_circle |
| Age and gender estimationEstimates age and gender from the face.What you gain: Add participant context without extra questionnaires. | check_circle | check_circle | check_circle |
| Live or recorded analysisAnalyzes in real time or from existing video files.What you gain: Fit any study design, from live sessions to video archives. | check_circle | check_circle | check_circle |
| Action UnitsMeasures specific facial muscle movements, based on FACS.What you gain: Detect subtle expressions that basic emotions miss. | remove | check_circle | check_circle |
| Project AnalysisGroups, compares, and visualizes results across participants and stimuli.What you gain: See patterns across your whole study, not one recording at a time. | remove | check_circle | check_circle |
| Baby FaceReaderAnalyzes the facial expressions of infants aged 6 to 24 months, based on Baby FACS.What you gain: Study early emotional development objectively. | remove | check_circle | check_circle |
| Webcam eye trackingShows where participants look on screen.What you gain: Link emotion to exactly what people see. | remove | remove | check_circle |
| Vital signsMeasures heart rate, heart rate variability, and breathing rate from the face.What you gain: Add physiological insight to your emotion data. | remove | remove | check_circle |
| Multiple face analysisAnalyzes several faces in one video.What you gain: Study group dynamics and social interaction. | remove | remove | check_circle |
| Voice analysisMeasures voice intensity and speech patterns alongside facial data.What you gain: Pick up emotional cues the face alone may not show. | remove | remove | check_circle |
| Consumption behaviorDetects eating and drinking behavior, such as chewing.What you gain: Measure responses to food and drinks while people consume them. | remove | remove | check_circle |
All editions include 1 year of NoldusCare. Prices exclude tax.
Purdue University
Harvard University
TNO
University of Washington
Danish Technological Institute
Universität Leipzig
B-com
WUR
LSE
Purdue University
Harvard University
TNO
University of Washington
Danish Technological Institute
Universität Leipzig
B-com
WUR
LSE
Measure facial behavior precisely
Features that simplify your work
FaceReader is designed to fit seamlessly into your workflow, so you can start quickly, collect reliable data, and scale as your projects grow. No fragmented tools, just one continuous path from capture to analysis.
Real-time emotion tracking
See emotional responses as they happen. Perfect for live testing, training sessions, or interactive studies.
Everything in one system
Facial expressions, eye gaze, and physiological signals are captured and synchronized within one integrated environment, creating a streamlined workflow from recording to analysis. No need for separate tools or complex integrations.
Analyze recorded sessions
Upload existing video files and automatically extract facial expression data. No need to rerun sessions or rely on manual coding. Save time. Reduce bias.
Clear visual reports
See patterns instantly, export data seamlessly, and turn your analysis into findings you can confidently share and defend.
Try FaceReader yourself
Objective, automated facial expression analysis for behavioral research.
Get more out of FaceReader
Insights from researchers and our product experts
Western University
Social behavior lab
FaceReader helped a social behavior lab analyze interactions faster and more accurately.
FaceReader Masterclass
Combining research tools
Dr. Amy Harrison presents research on using FaceReader, The Observer, and physiological measurements to study eating disorders.
Methodology and validation
7 FaceReader essentials
How does FaceReader classify expressions, and how accurate is it? Real user questions, answered by our experts.
Frequently asked questions
About FaceReader
FaceReader requires only a webcam and installation of the software. No facial markers or calibration sessions are needed. You can start your first recording within minutes.
FaceReader has been validated against the Amsterdam Dynamic Facial Expression Set and achieves around 99% accuracy in recognizing basic facial expressions. It is also widely cited in hundreds of peer-reviewed research.
Yes. FaceReader can integrate with additional signals such as physiological data and eye tracking, allowing for multimodal analysis within one synchronized workflow.
Yes. You can upload existing video files and automatically extract emotion data, making it easy to analyze past sessions without re-running studies.
FaceReader Online enables you to test large groups of participants remotely, making it easy to collect facial expression data from anywhere in the world. Perfect for when you want to study participants in their homes or on their mobile phones.
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