The best replacement for magnifying glass is microscope.

The best alternatives to magnifying glass are rated as following:
★★★★★  microscope
★★★  loupe
★  fresnel lens

Your alternative for magnifying glass is not listed? Suggest!
Speaking about magnifying glass, one probably shouldn't forget about light.

Other search terms related to magnifying glass and their ratings are:
★★★★★ light
★★★★ lamp
clamp
You have in mind a companion for magnifying glass and it is not yet here? Propose!



Google Trends

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of magnifying glass in all years. Click on graph for more.
magnifying glass
microscope
loupe