ExiFox vs Photo Metadata Editor
ExiFox
skulkworks.devPhoto Metadata Editor
github.comSide by side
| Figure | ExiFox | Photo Metadata Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Photo Metadata Editors | 7.9 (#7) | 7.8 (#10) |
| Distribution | The maker offers a direct DMG download and Homebrew installation; it says the direct version is the one being updated. | The repository documents a Windows MSI installer and a portable ZIP release, along with SHA-256 checksums. |
| Local processing | Reads and writes run locally on the Mac; the maker says files are not uploaded and the app works offline without an account or server. | The application processes files locally and says it does not upload photos or metadata or download OCR models at runtime. |
| Maker | Skulkworks describes itself as an independent studio built by solo developer Andy Miller; the ExiFox page lists its location as Colorado, USA. | The repository credits HaoXiang Huang as the author. |
| Purpose | ExiFox reads, edits, strips, and reapplies photo and video metadata, including EXIF, IPTC, XMP, and GPS tags. | Photo Metadata Editor is an offline Windows desktop editor for EXIF, XMP, IPTC, and QuickTime metadata, powered by a bundled ExifTool runtime. |
| Signing | The downloaded app is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple. | Public release artifacts are unsigned when no trusted code-signing certificate is configured, and SHA-256 checksums do not verify publisher identity. |
Plans
In their own words
ExiFox
ExiFox is a free native Mac app for reading, editing, removing and restoring photo and video metadata. It handles EXIF, IPTC, XMP and GPS tags through a bundled ExifTool binary. Files can be dragged, pasted or browsed into the app, with thumbnails shown in a sidebar. Metadata is grouped and filterable, with inline change indicators and one-click revert or save. EXIF and GPS details can be stripped from one file or a batch. Reusable presets add, change or remove fields and can be exported as JSON, YAML or TOML. Favorite tags help narrow long metadata lists. Processing happens locally; the maker says files are not uploaded and the app works offline without an account or server. ExiFox supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 14 Sonoma or newer. Distribution is through a direct DMG or Homebrew, with the direct version receiving updates. The app checks for signed HTTPS updates, and the download is Apple Developer ID-signed and notarized. It is free with all features included and no in-app purchases.
Photo Metadata Editor
Photo Metadata Editor is a free Windows desktop app for editing EXIF, XMP, IPTC, and QuickTime metadata in photos and videos. It opens JPG, PNG, TIFF, HEIC, HEIF, WEBP, MOV, and MP4 files, using a bundled ExifTool runtime. Editable fields include titles, descriptions, keywords, creator and copyright details, capture time, camera and software information, GPS, and location. It also displays read-only details such as dimensions, megapixels, lens, ISO, focal length, aperture, and shutter speed. Camera and GPS presets, a dark theme, Chinese and English interface options, and optional local OCR date detection are included. OCR depends on local Windows OCR languages, Tesseract, or installed PaddleOCR resources; there is no cloud fallback. The project says files are processed locally and not uploaded. Writes keep ExifTool _original backups by default and check important fields by reading them back. Restores create a verified _before_restore copy and can roll back after failed verification. Readable files are not necessarily writable: support depends on the file, permissions, and ExifTool tag tables. Windows downloads include an MSI and portable ZIP; release artifacts may be unsigned.