Dup Detector vs dupeGuru

Dup Detector is a free, open-source desktop application for finding duplicate files and reclaiming storage space. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Smart hashing compares file sizes first, then partial content, and performs full content hashing when needed. The maker says smart hashing can scan 10,000 or more files per second. Multithreaded scanning is supported, and the app describes its memory footprint as minimal. Dup Detector identifies duplicates but does not remove them automatically, so users decide which files to keep or delete. The maker says the code is fully open source and welcomes inspection and contributions. It states that the app has no analytics, telemetry, or data collection. The Free plan costs nothing, is available forever, and includes cross-platform use. GitHub issues and Discord provide support and feedback channels.

dupeGuru is a desktop tool for finding duplicate files on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its Standard, Music, and Picture modes offer different ways to compare files. Filename scans can detect similar names, while Music mode can compare names or selected tags and show music-specific details. Picture mode looks for similar images, including different-sized images when that preference is enabled. Contents scans identify exact matches, first using file sizes to rule out files that cannot match and then comparing contents with MD5 hashes. A recursive contents scan can also locate duplicate folders. Users can filter and sort results, preview files, and delete, move, or copy marked duplicates. Reference folders and duplicate groups are designed to protect reference files and leave at least one item in each group. The documentation recommends checking results before deletion: similar-word matching can cause false positives and slow scans, and picture comparisons can be CPU-intensive. dupeGuru is free, with packages listed for Windows, macOS, Debian, RPM, Arch Linux, and Ubuntu PPA.