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Bonniewest's avatar
Bonniewest
Bronze Contributor
Feb 20, 2025

Is there any good duplicate file finder on Mac?

I usually use Windows 11, but I occasionally use Mac for work. Recently, I found that the hard disk space of Mac is getting less and less. I want to clean it up. As a result, I found that there are many duplicate photos, videos, and PDFs, but it is too troublesome to find them in Finder.

I tried to use the "Storage Management" that comes with Mac, but it seems that it can't find duplicate files directly? I have seen some duplicate file finders on the Internet, but most of them are paid. I don't know how effective the free ones are.

So I want to ask everyone, is there any good duplicate file finder software on Mac? It is best to be free or trial version that can be used, and can filter and delete duplicate photos in batches. I don't want to find them manually one by one... Please recommend, thank you! ! 🙏

6 Replies

  • EstherMom's avatar
    EstherMom
    Iron Contributor

    This is a fast and effective way to find and delete duplicate files on Mac:

    https://www.pctipdaily.com/find-delete-duplicate-files-on-mac

    Use it on my Apple Silicon Mac with macOS Sequoia and works perfectly!

  • Tomasstes's avatar
    Tomasstes
    Iron Contributor

    If your Mac is running low on storage or cluttered with duplicate files, a duplicate file finder can help you quickly locate and remove redundant files. These tools scan your system, compare file contents, and allow you to safely delete duplicates. Here are two of the best free duplicate file finders for Mac. You can use them on an old Intel or new Apple Silicon Mac.

    1. dupeGuru for Mac

    dupeGuru is a powerful, open-source duplicate file finder that scans files based on name, content, or metadata. It works with all file types, including music and images, and offers a preview feature to prevent accidental deletion. Its smart algorithm ensures fast and accurate results, making it a great choice for advanced users. You can download it from dupeGuru's official site.

    2. Easy Duplicate Finder for Mac

    Easy Duplicate Finder is a user-friendly tool that helps Mac users remove duplicate files with a simple drag-and-drop interface. It uses advanced detection algorithms to compare files efficiently, allowing you to scan specific folders or entire drives. The software provides a preview option before deletion, ensuring safe file management. You can get it from Easy Duplicate Finder's website.

    Both Mac duplicate file finder tools provide effective ways to free up storage and organize your Mac more efficiently. If you prefer an open-source, feature-rich option, dupeGuru is the best choice, while Easy Duplicate Finder offers a more beginner-friendly experience. 

  • Tomilsonw's avatar
    Tomilsonw
    Iron Contributor

    I used Windows 11 before, and I used tools like best duplicate file finder for mac to find duplicate photos on mac. But after I switched to Mac, I found that there was no "Find Duplicate Files" option in Finder...😭 But later I found that Finder + Smart Folders can actually filter duplicate files manually. Although it is not as convenient as automatic scanning, it is still good to use.

    1. Open Finder and click "File" → "New Smart Folder" in the top menu.
    2. Click "+" in the upper right corner, and then select the search criteria, such as:
    3. File type (pictures, videos, documents, etc.)
    4. Creation date/modification date (find recently downloaded or copied files)
    5. File size (duplicate files are usually the same size)
    6. Change the sorting method to "Name" or "Size", so that the same files will be arranged together for manual deletion.

    I used this method to find a bunch of duplicate photos and videos in the Downloads folder. Although it is a bit more manual than software like best duplicate file finder for macbook, it does not require the installation of additional tools, and there is no need to worry about accidentally deleting important files. Suitable for those who don't want to install software but want to clean up their Mac hard drive! 🔥🔥🔥

  • Swawn's avatar
    Swawn
    Iron Contributor

    If you're looking for a free duplicate file finder for Mac, I recommend trying out DupeGuru. It's a user-friendly app that scans for duplicates across different file types and can help you reclaim precious storage space. Another good option is Gemini 2, which has a free trial version—though you may need to pay for the full version if you want all the features. Just remember, when removing duplicates, you’re risking some emotional turmoil.

  • Sideny_Strouth's avatar
    Sideny_Strouth
    Bronze Contributor

    A duplicate file finder is a tool that helps identify and remove duplicate files on your computer. These tools scan directories and compare files based on different criteria such as name, size, or checksum to detect duplicates. Removing duplicates helps free up disk space and organize files efficiently.

    You can use built-in command-line tools like find, md5, sha256sum, or fdupes to locate duplicate files in macOS. Now, generate checksums (unique file signatures) and look for duplicates.

    Open Terminal. Navigate to the directory you want to scan. Run the following command to list duplicate files based on MD5 checksums:

    find . -type f -exec md5 {} + | sort | uniq -w 32 -d

    This calculates the MD5 hash of all files in the directory. It then sorts the results and removes unique entries, leaving only duplicates. To get a list of duplicate file paths:

    find . -type f -exec md5 {} + | sort | uniq -w 32 -d | awk '{print $2}'

     

    In addition, you can used a third-party duplicate file finder for macOS called fdupes, a dedicated command-line tool for finding and deleting duplicate files.

    brew install fdupes
    fdupes -r /path/to/your/folder
    fdupes -r /path/to/your/folder
    fdupes -rd /path/to/your/folder

    These two methods efficiently help find duplicate files on macOS via the terminal. Let me know if you need more help on this.

  • RonaldWhite's avatar
    RonaldWhite
    Iron Contributor

    I usually use Windows 11, but I have to switch to Mac occasionally for work. Some time ago, I also encountered the problem of my hard drive being full of duplicate photos. Manual cleaning was too troublesome... After a round of research, I finally found several useful duplicate file finder for mac methods, sharing with you!

    Method 1: Use Finder + Smart Folder 
    Mac's built-in Finder can actually help you find duplicate files on mac. Although it is not smart enough, you don't need to install software.

    1. Open Finder and click File → New Smart Folder.
    2. Click the "+" sign in the upper right corner, and then filter by file type, date, and size.
    3. Manually compare the file name and size to find duplicate files.
    4.  Suitable for small-scale sorting, but if there are many files, this method is too time-consuming...

     

    Method 2: Use Terminal Command
    If you know a little about command lines, you can use Terminal commands to find duplicate files.
    Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities).

    Enter the following command to let Mac find duplicate files (for example, in the Downloads folder):

    find ~/Downloads -type f -exec md5 {} \; | sort | uniq -w32 -d


    This command will list the duplicate file paths according to the file MD5 checksum calculation.
    You can delete these duplicate files manually.

     Advantages: Pure Mac built-in function, no software installation required.
    Disadvantages: Need to know some terminal operations, and only list the file path, will not automatically delete.

     

    Method 3: Use Duplicate File Finder on Mac 
    If you are too lazy to toss and want to get it done quickly, then use a tool like Duplicate File Finder for Mac, scan + delete in one step.
    Recommend a few useful ones:

    • Duplicate File Finder (free version works, paid version unlocks more features)
    • dupeGuru (open source and free, the interface is a bit ugly but useful)
    • Easy Duplicate Finder (trial version can scan, but you have to pay to delete)

     

    If you have a lot of files, it is recommended to use a tool like duplicate file finder for Mac directly, which saves time and effort!

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