Every photographer, professional or amateur, finds themselves with duplicate photos at some point. To be clear, we call duplicate photos any two or more photos that look the same or almost the same regardless of their filenames, formats, resolutions, or metadata.
Maybe you used the burst mode or tried so hard to capture a moment or get the perfect focus that you ended up with more photos than you need. Or maybe you just set up the camera to store photographs in more than one file format and duplicated all the photographs taken in a photo session. It’s not hard to create duplicate photos, and sometimes it worth doing it. However, after they’ve served their purpose (e.g., focus stacking, creating animations, etc.), it’s time to free your storage space and get rid of duplicates. And for that, you need a good photo duplicate finder and remover app.
Easy Duplicate Photo Finder Apps to Download Now
If you already have an advanced image editor with digital asset management included, you probably have a duplicate finder and remover tool. But let’s face it, how many photographers can actually afford an expensive subscription and are ready to spend hours learning how to use complicated software? So we’ve put together a list of the best photo duplicate finder and removers to download right now.
Mylio
Mylio provides exquisite tools for organizing your images, creating backups, sharing photos, and even editing photos. It can gather your photos from computers, tablets, cloud-based storage sites, and social media and helps you keep all your photos in order. Furthermore, it provides access from multiple devices.
Mylio also provides two tools for finding and deleting unwanted duplicates called Photo DeDupe and Photo DeClutter. Photo DeDupe goes through your photo library and lists identical photos with the same size and resolution, even if they have different names or metadata or have the same name but are in different folders. Furthermore, when you delete a duplicate, Photo DeDupe allows you to merge metadata and ensures you don’t lose important information. You can also use filters to let the tool know where to look for duplicates, review duplicate sets and decide which one to keep, and use the Auto-check feature to decide the best photo version.
Photo DeDupe doesn’t mark similar but not identical photos as duplicates. That’s the job of Photo DeClutter. Photo DeClutter uses criteria like orientation, camera model, and taken within a specified timespan to find similar photos. The thumbnail preview and detailed displayed information help a lot in making a decision.
Pros: It is a complete photo organizing solution that runs on Windows, MacOS, iOS/iPadOS, and Android and manages photos from connected devices and photo storing sites.
Cons: Photo DeDupe is available only for paid subscriptions.
Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro
Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro is a dedicated photo duplicate finder and remover. The program can locate and remove identical photos but also similar-looking photos. Then, it categorizes them into groups so you can easily go through them, select the best shot, and delete the rest. You’ll have access to clear previews, metadata, and plenty of other information, such as the matching level.
Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro can scan your local drive, the camera’s memory card, or your Google Drive account. As a result, you can declutter and organize your photos before storing them.
Pros: Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro can identify similar photographs not just identical ones, which is very helpful when you used the burst mode and took long series of photos to get the perfect focus.
Cons: The free trial lets you remove only 15 duplicates and doesn’t provide access to email technical support.
VisiPics
VisiPics is a free photo duplicate finder and remover for PC. The best thing about VisiPics is that it gives you total control over the duplicates identification process. For example, you decide whether you want to identify identical photos, very similar ones, or slightly less similar ones. You can also let the app decide which duplicates to delete based on their size, resolution, and level of compression.
VisiPics supports most major image file formats and claims to scan 100,000 images summarizing approximately 15GB in about 3 hours. But you can start removing duplicates before the scan is over.
Pros: It is free and very easy to use.
Cons: It only supports Windows OS, and the interface is slightly outdated.
Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder
Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder is another free photo duplicate finder and remover for PC. It aims to be the easiest photo finder and remover app and helps you clean your photo library in just a few clicks. The program identifies identical photos but also very similar ones and can deal with color corrections. That means photos will still be considered duplicates even after contrast and color adjustments, a black and white conversion, or highlights and shadows retouches. You can decide which picture to keep by looking at them side by side and considering the similarity factor provided by the app.
Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder supports JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIFF, and CR2 (Canon RAW) file formats, which leaves out photographs in other RAW formats.
Pros: It is free and simple; everyone can learn to use it instantly.
Cons: It doesn’t support all RAW formats and runs just on Windows OS.
DupeGuru
dupeGuru is a free multi-platform photo finder and remover. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, is customizable, and supports 11 languages. The program can identify identical and similar photos very fast and lets you sort and filter the results. Furthermore, the scanning process is detailed and transparent, allowing you to see exactly how the matching algorithm works. You get access to the source code and can develop further improvements.
Pros: It’s free and compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.
Cons: It requires a learning curve as the documentation is more technical than intuitive.
Duplicate Cleaner 5
Duplicate Cleaner 5 is flexible and versatile. The program allows you to create an efficient search using criteria such as file types, file sizes, and dates and declutter fast by filtering and sorting the results. The search for duplicates covers geometrically altered photos (e.g., rotated), the most common image file formats, and both identical and similar duplicates. You can even scan zip archives. And if you have a passion for music alongside your photography passion, you’ll be happy to know Duplicate Cleaner 5 finds duplicate music files, too.
Pros: It scans computers and network drives, looks into zip archives, and works on any type of files.
Cons: The free version doesn’t include much-needed features, such as searching for similar images.
Duplicate Image Remover
ManyProg’s free photo duplicate finder and remover aims to identify duplicates quickly and remove the bad ones automatically. It detects identical and similar photos, deals with color corrections and rotations, and provides lists and previews of duplicate search results. You can set up the search engine to look for exact duplicates, identical images with different sizes, similar photos with tiny differences (e.g., watermarks, color corrections, etc.), and similar pictures with obvious differences (e.g., fragments of the same image).
Duplicate Image Remover is very easy to use, having a minimalist interface and a handful of controls.
Pros: It’s free, minimalist, and able to detect both exact duplicates and similar images.
Cons: It only runs on Windows OS
Duplicate Photos Finder
Duplicate Photos Finder is an Ashisoft product compatible with Windows OS. It can detect exact matches and similar photos, dealing with geometrical transformations, resizing, and color editing. Duplicate Photos Finder supports over 60 image file formats, including various RAW formats and HEIF.
The program lets you customize the scanning process and preview duplicates side-by-side before deciding which ones you remove. You can organize and mark the duplicates’ result list any way you like, such as based on metadata, subject matter, or resolution. After all, not all duplicates have to be removed as long as they are well-organized.
Pros: It has an intuitive interface and efficient customizable processes.
Cons: It only runs on Windows OS and isn’t free.
Quick Photo Finder
Quick Photo Finder is a smart tool for finding and removing photo duplicates on your computer and external devices. It allows you to use image matching criteria and customize the photo duplicates search process (e.g., matching level, dimensions, image size, GPS info, timespan, etc.), identifies exact matches and similar photos, and organizes the results in groups to make it easier for you to make a decision.
Quick Photo Finder is fast, intuitive, and user-friendly. Moreover, it comes with in-app tutorials to help you learn while using the program.
Pros: It provides group-oriented results and lets you customize the photo duplicates search process.
Cons: It only runs on Windows OS, and the free version removes just 15 duplicates.
PictureEcho
PictureEcho scans computers, external drives, and network locations, looking for identical images and similar photos. It provides four similarity levels, three that take into account the timespan between photo captures and one that uses matching algorithms. The first three levels are great for photos taken in burst mode or for focus stacking purposes. You can also set which file extensions and folders to include, filter the results before making a decision, and delete duplicates or move them to a new location.
Furthermore, PictureEcho can analyze Adobe Lightroom projects and identify duplicates within your Lightroom catalogs.
Pros: It’s free and finds duplicates within Adobe Lightroom projects.
Cons: It only runs on Windows, and similarity levels aren’t very accurate.
Glary Duplicate Cleaner
Glary Duplicate Cleaner is a free program that runs on Windows OS and finds duplicates in your photo library, music collection, and document archive. It allows you to set the matching conditions (e.g., file type, content, size, and capture date) and send the duplicates to Recycle Bin automatically. The scanning process is very fast, and the list of results is filtered by file type. The program has a straightforward interface; it won’t take you long to learn it.
Pros: It’s free and basic, and can be downloaded and used in no time.
Cons: The program provides a single functionality and isn’t photography-oriented.
Remo Duplicate Photos Remover
Remo Duplicate Photos Remover instantly declutters your computer, connected drivers, and mobile devices. If you think you don’t have duplicates in your WhatsApp, Facebook, or other messaging platforms, think again and check how much of your smartphone storage space is wasted on them.
Remo Duplicate Photos Remover features the proprietary intelligent De-Dupe algorithm and can identify both identical and similar photos. The program supports the most common image file types (e.g., JPG, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, etc.), lists the results in intuitive sets, allows you to customize the deleting process (e.g., by size, date, etc.), and displays the duplicates clearly to ensure you don’t remove the best shots.
Pros: It’s a multi-platform app (Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS) able to find and remove identical and similar photos.
Cons: It doesn’t scan network drives and only Android and iOS users get it free.
Similar Image Search
Similar Image Search is a free desktop photo duplicate finder able to identify exact duplicates and similar photos. It allows you to clean and organize your computer and connected drives (e.g., external hard disks, memory cards, etc.). Furthermore, you can save already scanned libraries and duplicate finds so you don’t have to scan them again.
However, Similar Image Search is packed as a JAR file, which means you need to have Java installed in order to run the app. As a result, you need some programming skills. But if you have them, you can take the next step and improve the app by writing your Java code.
Pros: It’s free, transparent, and customizable.
Cons: It requires Java programming skills, which not many photographers have.
Wise Duplicate Finder
Wise Duplicate Finder can manage any type of files not only photos and does a good job for all of them. For example, after finding duplicated pictures, the program organizes them into groups, offers previews, and lets you decide if you want to delete them yourself or allow it to delete them automatically. It also has a restore function for restoring images deleted by mistake and a backup function for saving what’s important. You can use a broad variety of filters and customize the search process.
Pros: It’s fast and straightforward and works with music and video files, too.
Cons: It works only on Windows OS, is not free, and the duplicates’ preview function is less efficient than in other similar products.
All-Dup
All-Dup uses a complex criteria system to find duplicates, including content, filename, extension, dates, and file attributes. It finds identical photos but also similar ones (and you get to set the similarity level), supports a broad range of image file formats (including RAW, PSD, and ICO), and lets you specify which part of the photos you want to compare. Yes, you can look for images that share the same middle area, for example, photographs of a building with similar compositions but taken at different times of the day.
You can also decide to look for duplicates among photos with the same name, extension, dimensions, orientation, or aspect ratio. Therefore, the duplicate removal task becomes much faster and easier.
Pros: It’s free and easy to personalize for every workflow.
Cons: It’s compatible only with Windows OS and may be harder to learn than other similar products.
So, How to Choose the Best Duplicate Photo Finder and Remover App for Your Needs?
Choosing the best photo duplicate finder and remover depends on the volume and diversity of your photo library, photo storage options (e.g., computer hard disk, external drives, and network drives), how often you’ll be using the program, your available hardware and software resources, your budget, and integration preferences. Some photographers prefer to use a single app for all their photo management tasks. Others look for free software regardless of how many programs they would have to install. So consider your workflow, preferences, and technical skills because if you struggle to use an app, it’s not the app for you regardless of how advanced the software is.
Mylio is one of the best duplicate photo finders because it helps you organize your photo library and keeps everything safe in one place. Mylio is a complete photo management solution. Not only that you can find and remove photo duplicates, but you can scan your entire photo collection, whether offline or online.
In addition, Mylio includes a photo editor for quick retouches and image adjustments. So you can evaluate duplicate photos, decide which one is the best, retouch and perfect it, save it safely in your Mylio Vault, and share it with whoever you want. All these are packed in one smart and easy-to-use app compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.
Sure, but it’s not browsing your entire photo library and eye-comparing your photos. The answer is dedicated photo duplicate finder software. You need programs that use matching algorithms and user-defined criteria to identify identical or similar pictures. They group the results and provide filters and previews to help you decide the best shot in each group. Algorithms can scan all your photos in no time, filter the ones that may be duplicated, and provide valuable insights such as similarity levels and metadata.
No, Google Photos doesn’t remove duplicates. If you want to declutter your Google Photos account, the best way is with external software (aka a plugin). For example, Mylio can inspect many photo storing locations, including cloud services such as Google. Each time you open the app, you see the images from all your devices and cloud services. And you can use Mylio’s Photo DeDupe and DeClutter tools to remove duplicates across them.
First, connect the external drive to a device with a photo duplicate finder and remover app installed. Make sure the app supports external storage as not all of them do. Then, configure the duplicates search process and tell the app to scan the external drive. Remember to set up all the criteria that refine your search, such as file type, extension, size, and similarity level. Then start the scanning and wait for the results.
No, Windows systems don’t have a preinstalled Duplicate Photo Finder, not even the newest ones. Therefore, you need to find a compatible program and install it on your computer. The good news is Windows 10/11 systems benefit from a broad range of duplicate photo finder apps, both free and paid. So you can take your pick. Remember to check other system requirements as well, such as available hard disk space, work memory, and processor speed.
Because Windows 11 doesn’t have a pre-installed photo duplicate finder and remover, you need to find a compatible program and install it. Check all system requirements and read the program’s manual to guide you through the installation process. It doesn’t hurt to choose a program with good customer support service.
Ensure you choose a program that supports the image file types you work with (e.g., RAW, JPG, PNG, etc.), allows you to customize the search process, and provides smart filters and previews of the duplicate list.
Adobe Lightroom includes digital asset management but not a photo duplicate search functionality. Therefore, you need dedicated software for this job. For example, Mylio photo manager is one of the best and cheapest options. Although Mylio includes its own photo editor, the program also lets you edit with an external photo editor like Adobe Lightroom. All you need to do is set up the Mylio Photos Lightroom plugin and you’ll benefit from the powerful photo management features of Mylio and the exquisite photo editing capabilities of Lightroom at the same time.