Top 5 Duplicate File Finders for Mac

Duplicate files are a massive burden for computers as they waste precious space with no use at all. Finding a duplicate manually is almost the same as finding a needle in a haystack - you would spend an enormous amount of time if you were to do that by yourself. With so many duplicate file finders available both as paid and free versions, it’s hard to make a choice when it comes to specialized software, especially if you’ve never used one before. In this article, we will bring you five duplicate file finders exclusive to Mac that are definitely worth your attention and are, in our opinion, the best duplicate file finders.

Duplicate File Finder

Duplicate File Finder is a truly powerful duplicate file remover that is able to remove duplicates in a matter of seconds. Unlike other duplicate file remover solutions, it also has a search algorithm that allows finding similar photos, something especially useful if you’re a photographer or someone who takes pictures on a regular basis. If you support the developers and go for the PRO version, the other features that stand out from most other duplicate cleaner apps on the market are the ability to also remove duplicate folders, select duplicates, particularly folders in bulk, merge folders and recover removed duplicates.

Pricing:

• Free with most of the functions available.
• Upgrade to the PRO version ($19.99) for additional features.

Pros:

1. User-friendly interface that competes well with other apps and is easy to use
2. Outstanding scan speed
3. Ability to scan for similar folders, a rare feature amongst duplicate finders.
4. Ability to scan for similar photos - another great way of selectively getting rid of bad pictures and keeping the best ones
5. Ability to organize your duplicate files in an orderly fashion through the Merging Folders feature. This allows you to mark all the duplicates inside the folder and any duplicates that relate to the contents of the folder as well
6. “Select Duplicates in Folder” feature for quick selection of all duplicates in one go in a specific folder without the need to select each duplicate separately in the folder - a fast and simple procedure
7. Ability to review the full history of deleted files and optionally restore them in case you deleted one by accident
8. Advanced features to select and delete duplicate files in bulk. This is especially effective if you want to get your duplicates organized on your Mac, external desks and even cloud storages such as Dropbox, Google Drive and others
9. Option to save all duplicate file search sessions, which means you can get back to it anytime and not waste time waiting for the duplicate cleaner app to search for them again
10. Free version of the app - more than enough for the average Mac user looking to clear his disk of junk. Buying the product is optional, and only if you need the additional PRO features

Cons:

1. Preference settings aren’t so straightforward and can be confusing.
2. The PRO version goes for $19.99, which can be expensive for some audiences.
3. The feature that allows locating similar files is only available for locating photos in the Photos Library.

Customer Support Review:

We contacted their support team with a question on how to use one of their features to organize our files. The response came through impressively fast - within 2 hours - and they offered several step-by-step solutions to help us out.

Gemini 2

Gemini 2 is another popular and effective duplicate file finder for Mac. It is well respected for its slick user-friendly interface, that looks very similar to and has the same feel as Apple’s Finder design. This duplicate file remover app is able to scan all types of files, including but not limited to, documents, videos, photos, and music files. However, the popularity and high rating comes at a cost - Gemini 2 requires users to pay on a yearly subscription model, or purchase a permanent license, which is significantly higher than the previous subscription. Nevertheless, with multiple scan filters and optional removal setting features, Gemini 2 is most definitely favored by many Mac users worldwide.

Pricing:

• The starting price is $19.95 on a yearly basis for a license that is exclusive to only one Mac.

Pros:

1. Slick interface, undoubtedly considered one of the best designs ever made for a duplicate file finder
2. Great scan speed
3. Saving of any of your previous duplicate file searches separately as sessions - another feature that is hard to come by in most duplicate file finders
4. iTunes and Photos synchronized and supported.
5. Advanced features allow deleting large files in bulk quickly
6. Supported by 11 languages, making it very appealing for international users.Ability to look for similar photos, a great feature in itself to organize all of your pictures

Cons:

1. On the pricey side for a product, especially if you are looking to buy the permanent license rather than having to pay every year
2. Uses plenty of memory, particularly when you are actively using it
3. Smart Cleanup doesn’t always target the right duplicates for removal.

Customer Support Review:

The company behind is Gemini 2 is Macpaw - we contacted them to see if they could help us us restore some deleted files. Conveniently, their support was fast and they offered a simple solution to see if it works for us.

MacClean

MacClean is a Mac cleaning software that allows for malware detection, cache cleaning and duplicate files finding. You can use it to scan for duplicates and also free up app history logs, saved information on the internet, clear off malicious cookies and other types of internet junk. What’s most interesting about this app is that not only does it clear out the files you don’t need, it can also target malware and act as an anti-virus software on your Mac. That’s superb for a product that has everything included in one price.

Pricing:

• The starting price is $19.99 on a yearly basis for a license that is exclusive to only one Mac.

Pros:

1. Unlike other duplicate file finders, has other important functions such as cache cleaning, malware detection and space optimization
2. Great customer support reported by users worldwide
3. Decent scan speed for all of its features, such as viruses, cache and duplicates
4. Wide range of filters to use when removing unneeded files

Cons:

1. Some users have argued that the search is flawed and it fails to locate all types of files in their respective category.
2. In comparison to other finders, the interface needs improvement.
3. With so many features in one app, it can be somewhat confusing to start using right away.
4. Not much options for the removal of a large number of duplicates. You will have to selectively delete them one by one or hope that the correct files are deleted.

Customer Support Review:

Their customer support replied the next day on the weekend and apologized for the delayed response. Although they did say that after files are deleted, they are permanently gone, they did offer a third party solution to restore data on Mac, which can be helpful for some users.

Duplicate Detective

Your own private detective for duplicate files - this app is also the cheapest option when it comes to duplicate file finders. For just a few dollars, you possess an elegant, easy-to-use duplicate file finding software that will scan not only your hard drive but any other external storage device such as your USB, SSD, and others. Duplicate Detective is a great option for Mac users that don’t want to spend a whole lot on a duplicate cleaner but need an efficient, straightforward solution to get rid of identical files.

Pricing:

• Free trial, full version requires a one time purchase of $4.99.

Pros:

1. Not only good at finding duplicates but also the cheapest option out of all the previously reviewed
2. Good scan speed
3. Minimalistic interface, making it very easy to use since it does not contain any other features.

Cons:

1. Lacks preference settings and other features most duplicate file removers have.
2. The design doesn’t stand out compared to other finders.
3. Lacks any decent features that allow quick removal of large files.
4. Smart Select’s very limited and basic option is clearly not as smart as the other options.

Customer Support Review:

We received a response from one of their customer support agents within the same hour. They offered a fairly simple and straightforward solution to our problem, but did not display much empathy towards us as a customer.

Dupeguru

Dupeguru is a software that locates duplicate files. It was originally created by a standalone developer named Virgil Dupras. He made this program free, which is great if you are the type of person that doesn’t like to pay for your apps. What’s best about this application is that it’s customizable - you can adjust the algorithm to locate the duplicates that you need to find. This is a pretty unique feature that you won’t find in other duplicate file finders. Speaking of features, you can also search for similar photos and other look-alike files that are not identical.

Pricing:

• Free.

Pros:

1. Supported in 11 languages, which is convenient for international users.
2. Free! An app this sophisticated that comes for free is a goldmine in the world of software.
3. A fully customizable search engine that allows for searching the exact duplicates that you need.
4. Finding similar photos, similar file names and other similarities is made possible in this app by default.

Cons:

1. No longer maintained or updated, which means it likely does not do as good of a job as other paid options, unless you tweak it yourself.
2. Not really competent when it comes to deleting a large number of files.
3. Scan speed is rather slow, especially compared to other paid options.
4. Dupeguru serves its purpose with a basic design - no fancy stuff for a free app.
5. No customer support - you will have the help section, but it won’t answer all of your questions. Figuring it out by yourself may take some time.

________________________________________________

Conclusion

Finding duplicates on your own isn’t the best way to go about it especially when you have so many products available. No matter which duplicate file remover you choose to go with, we would still recommend that you backup your files thoroughly before scanning and deleting your duplicates. However, one thing is for sure - once you clear out the duplicates, you will see a dramatic change in your Mac’s performance, storage space, as well as the relief of finally getting rid of all the unnecessary junk.