# Doppelgone vs dupeGuru for photos (2026 comparison) > Doppelgone vs dupeGuru for photos, compared fairly: free open source versus a photo cleaner, Picture mode, Google Photos and iCloud, and where each is better. Updated November 8, 2026 ยท https://doppelgone.app/guides/doppelgone-vs-dupeguru dupeGuru is a free, open-source tool (GPL-3.0) that finds duplicate files in folders on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it has a Picture mode for near-matches. If your photos are in folders on your computer and you're happy to pick the keepers yourself, it costs nothing and is a sound choice. It works on local folders only, so Google Photos and iCloud Photos need a download first. Its latest release, 4.3.1, is from July 2022, and its README asks for maintainers. Doppelgone has Windows and Mac apps for folders and drives, and a Chrome extension for Google Photos and iCloud Photos. We make Doppelgone, so for dupeGuru we've stuck to what its own website and GitHub page say, checked on 8 November 2026. We haven't tested dupeGuru on a current Mac or PC. Features and prices change, so check them before you commit. ## At a glance | | Doppelgone | dupeGuru | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free: unlimited scans and 200 clean-ups. Pro: one payment of $9.99 for up to 3 libraries, no subscription | Free and open source (GPL-3.0) | | Runs on | Windows 10 and 11, Mac (macOS 14 or newer), Chrome extension, iPhone, Android | Windows, macOS and Linux | | Works on | Folders and drives (Windows and Mac apps), the Apple Photos library (Mac app), Google Photos and iCloud Photos on the web (Chrome extension) | Local folders on the computer | | Finds | Exact copies, lookalikes and burst shots | Files by name or content. Picture mode matches pictures fuzzily, with a threshold you set | | What it keeps | The best shot of each set (eyes open, sharp, well lit), with the reason shown | You choose. Reference folders protect the originals from deletion | | Who decides | You approve every clean-up | You mark and delete | | Removed files | Wait 30 days, with one-click Undo | Sent to the Trash, or deleted straight away if you choose that option | | Privacy | Your photos never leave your device. | Runs on your computer. It's open source, so you can read the code | | Latest release | See the [download page](https://doppelgone.app/download) | 4.3.1, 9 July 2022 | ## Free options first dupeGuru itself is the free option here, and it's a good one. For photos on a phone or in a library, the built-in tools come first: Apple's Photos has a Duplicates album, covered in [delete duplicate photos on iPhone](https://doppelgone.app/guides/delete-duplicate-photos-iphone) and [find duplicate photos on a Mac](https://doppelgone.app/guides/find-duplicate-photos-mac). On Windows, see [find duplicate photos on Windows 11](https://doppelgone.app/guides/find-duplicate-photos-windows-11). ## Where dupeGuru is the better choice - **Price.** It's free and open source under GPL-3.0. Doppelgone's free version cleans up 200 photos in total, then Pro is $9.99 once. - **Linux.** dupeGuru lists Linux builds. Doppelgone has no Linux app, although its Chrome extension works in Chrome on Linux. - **Any file type.** It finds duplicate files in general, and has a Music mode for tags. Doppelgone is for photos, and videos aren't part of its clean-ups. - **Tuning.** In Picture mode you set a match threshold. Its documentation says a threshold of 100 means identical pictures, and suggests 99 for very similar ones. - **Reference folders.** You mark a folder as Reference and dupeGuru won't let you delete files from it. It's a simple way to protect an archive. - **Open code.** You can read it, build it and change it. ## Where Doppelgone is different ### The cloud libraries dupeGuru scans folders on your computer. Its site and README don't mention Google Photos or iCloud Photos. To use it on Google Photos you'd export the library with Google Takeout, scan the download, then find each photo in Google Photos and remove it by hand. Deleting the downloaded copy changes nothing online. The steps are in [Google Takeout and duplicates](https://doppelgone.app/guides/google-takeout-duplicates). Doppelgone's Chrome extension works on photos.google.com and icloud.com directly, in Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux or ChromeOS. Removed photos wait 30 days in Google Photos' trash or iCloud's Recently Deleted, with one-click Undo. See [delete duplicate photos in Google Photos](https://doppelgone.app/guides/delete-duplicate-photos-google-photos). ### Folders and drives Doppelgone's Windows app (from the Microsoft Store) and Mac app scan the folders and drives you pick: camera imports, old phone backups, the Pictures folder or an external drive. They scan on the computer itself, and iPhone HEIC files are read as they are. dupeGuru's pages don't mention HEIC, so check that before you rely on it. On Windows, files that exist only in OneDrive are skipped, so nothing is downloaded. ### Choosing the best shot In each set Doppelgone keeps the best shot and says why. Sets it is less sure about are marked "Your call". With dupeGuru you decide every pick. That's more control, and more clicking on a large library. ### Maintenance dupeGuru's latest release on GitHub is 4.3.1, from 9 July 2022. The README says it still needs help with macOS maintenance, Linux maintenance, translations and documentation. GitHub's data shows the repository was pushed to on 7 September 2026, so the project isn't dormant, but there's been no release since 2022. Its download page lists macOS 10.12 or later, so test it on your own machine before you trust it with a big clean-up. ## Who should pick which **Pick dupeGuru if:** - Your photos are in folders on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer. - You want free, open-source software and you're happy to choose the keepers yourself. - You also need to find duplicate music or other files. **Pick Doppelgone if:** - Your doubles are in Google Photos or iCloud Photos and you don't want to export your library. - You want the best shot picked for you, with the reason shown, and a 30-day Undo. - You use an iPhone or Android phone as well as a computer. **Use both** if you have an old archive on a Linux machine and a Google Photos library. Don't run two clean-ups on the same folder at once, and always keep one backup. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is dupeGuru a good alternative for photos? Yes, for photos in folders on your computer. It's free and has a Picture mode that finds similar pictures. You choose what to delete yourself, and it doesn't reach Google Photos or iCloud Photos. ### Is dupeGuru still maintained? Its latest release is 4.3.1 from 9 July 2022, and the README asks for help with maintenance. GitHub shows the repository was last pushed to on 7 September 2026. Check that it runs on your system before a big clean-up. ### Does dupeGuru work with Google Photos? Not directly. dupeGuru scans local folders, so you'd download your library with Google Takeout first and remove the doubles in Google Photos by hand. Doppelgone's Chrome extension works on photos.google.com directly. ### Is dupeGuru free? Yes. The project is open source under GPL-3.0. Doppelgone is free to scan, with 200 clean-ups, and Pro is one payment of $9.99 with no subscription. ### Is there a dupeGuru alternative for Windows or Mac? Yes. Doppelgone has a Windows app from the Microsoft Store and a Mac app (macOS 14 or newer), both for folders and drives. The Mac app also cleans the Apple Photos library. ## What to do next For folders and drives, get the Windows or Mac app from the [download page](https://doppelgone.app/download) and run a free scan. For Google Photos or iCloud Photos, [add Doppelgone to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/pabeloccfbcecmhfagdjmdiekfcfadgb). Nothing moves until you approve it, and [Pro](https://doppelgone.app/pricing) is one payment if you need more than 200 clean-ups. ## Sources - dupeGuru, [website](https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net/), [FAQ](https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net/help/en/faq.html) and [scanning help](https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net/help/en/scan.html), checked 8 Nov 2026 - GitHub, [arsenetar/dupeguru](https://github.com/arsenetar/dupeguru) and its [releases](https://github.com/arsenetar/dupeguru/releases): licence, README and release date, checked 8 Nov 2026 - Doppelgone, [download](https://doppelgone.app/download) and [pricing](https://doppelgone.app/pricing), checked 8 Nov 2026 *Google Photos is a trademark of Google LLC; iCloud and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc. Doppelgone is not affiliated with Google or Apple. dupeGuru is an open-source project, and Doppelgone is not affiliated with it.* --- **Clear the duplicates in Google Photos and iCloud Photos.** Doppelgone finds exact duplicates, similar shots and bursts and keeps the best one. Removed photos wait 30 days, so you can undo. It works on Google Photos and iCloud Photos in Chrome, and as an app for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. Your photos never leave your device. https://doppelgone.app/download