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Doppelgone vs PhotoSweeper for Mac (2026 comparison)

Updated November 8, 2026 · 6 min read

PhotoSweeper, from Overmacs, is a duplicate photo cleaner for the Mac that works directly with Apple Photos, Lightroom Classic and Capture One catalogues, as well as ordinary folders and drives. If you keep your photos in Lightroom or Capture One, it is the better fit, and at $14.99 once in the US Mac App Store it is cheap. Doppelgone's Mac app cleans the Apple Photos library, folders and drives too, but it doesn't read Lightroom or Capture One catalogues. Where Doppelgone is different is the rest of your photos: its Chrome extension cleans Google Photos and iCloud Photos on the web, and it also has apps for Windows, iPhone and Android. PhotoSweeper is a Mac app.

We make Doppelgone, so for PhotoSweeper we've stuck to what Overmacs' website and the Mac App Store listing say, checked on 8 November 2026. Prices are from the US Mac App Store. Features and prices change, so check them before you buy.

Free options first

Apple's Photos app has a Duplicates collection under Utilities. Apple says duplicates appear there automatically, and Merge leaves one original in place of the group. Merged duplicates go to Recently Deleted, where you can recover them within 30 days. It only looks inside the Photos library, so it doesn't help with photos in folders, on drives or in a catalogue. Step by step: find duplicate photos on a Mac.

At a glance

Runs on Cloud library or local Price model What it keeps Privacy
Doppelgone Mac (macOS 14 or newer), Chrome extension, Windows, iPhone, Android Both. The Mac app cleans the Apple Photos library, folders and drives. The Chrome extension cleans Google Photos and iCloud Photos on the web Free: unlimited scans and 200 clean-ups. Pro: one payment of $9.99 for up to 3 libraries, no subscription The best shot of each set (eyes open, sharp, well lit), with the reason shown. You approve every clean-up Your photos never leave your device.
PhotoSweeper Mac only (macOS 10.15 or later) Local: Apple Photos, Lightroom Classic, Capture One, folders and drives. Overmacs' pages don't mention Google Photos or iCloud Photos on the web $14.99 one-time in the US Mac App Store. The trial on Overmacs' site removes 10 photos only Auto Mark rules decide which photo to keep in each group; you can also mark by hand Mac App Store label: developer reports it does not collect any data (not verified by Apple)

Where PhotoSweeper is the better choice

  • Lightroom Classic and Capture One. PhotoSweeper works with both. In Lightroom Classic it marks removed photos as "Rejected" and puts them in a special collection. In Capture One it moves files to the Trash. Doppelgone doesn't read either catalogue.
  • Auto Mark rules. Overmacs describes adjustable rules that decide which photo to keep in each group, and a Quality Score rule that uses AI ratings. You can also lock photos you've already sorted, so they're compared but never marked for removal.
  • Tuning the match. You can set a similarity threshold, search for exact duplicates, similar photos or "series of shots" with a maximum time gap, and find resized, rotated or filtered copies.
  • Videos. PhotoSweeper supports various video formats. Videos aren't part of Doppelgone's clean-ups.
  • A one-time $14.99. It's a single purchase in the Mac App Store, and Overmacs lists a free trial.
  • Older Macs. PhotoSweeper needs macOS 10.15 or later. Doppelgone's Mac app needs macOS 14 Sonoma or newer.
  • Review tools for photographers. There's an EXIF panel, Quick Look and several side-by-side review modes.

Where Doppelgone is different

Cloud libraries

PhotoSweeper works on photos on your Mac. Overmacs' pages don't mention Google Photos or iCloud Photos on the web. To use any Mac finder on Google Photos, you first export your library with Google Takeout, scan the download, then find and trash each result in Google Photos by hand. Deleting the downloaded copy changes nothing in the cloud. More in duplicate photo finders for Google Photos compared.

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.

Windows and phones

Overmacs lists PhotoSweeper for the Mac, and a separate PhotoSweeper Mobile for iPhone and iPad, which we haven't compared. Doppelgone has a Windows app (Windows 10 and 11), an iPhone app (iOS 17 or newer) and an Android app (Android 11 or newer). The Android app doesn't clean Google Photos in the cloud; the Chrome extension does.

Apple Photos on the Mac

Both clean the Apple Photos library. With Doppelgone, removed photos go to Recently Deleted for 30 days, and they leave your other devices too when iCloud Photos is on. Overmacs says PhotoSweeper moves removed Photos items to a special album. Whichever you use, read iCloud Recently Deleted, explained before a big clean-up.

Choosing the best shot

In each set Doppelgone keeps the best shot and says why. It never touches favourites, videos, motion photos and Live Photos, or photos shared with you. Sets it is less sure about are marked "Your call". You approve every clean-up.

Who should pick which

Pick PhotoSweeper if:

  • You manage your photos in Lightroom Classic or Capture One.
  • You want to write your own marking rules and tune the match.
  • You want to clean videos as well, or you're on an older macOS.

Pick Doppelgone if:

  • Your doubles are in Google Photos or iCloud Photos and you don't want to export your library.
  • You use Windows, an iPhone or an Android phone as well as a Mac.
  • You want the best shot picked for you, with the reason shown.

Use both if you have a Lightroom catalogue and a Google Photos library. Don't run two clean-ups on the same library at once.

Frequently asked questions

Is PhotoSweeper a one-time purchase?

Yes. The Mac App Store lists it at $14.99 in the US on 8 November 2026, with no in-app purchases mentioned. Doppelgone Pro is also one payment, $9.99 for up to 3 libraries, with no subscription.

Does PhotoSweeper work with Lightroom?

Yes, with Lightroom Classic. Overmacs says it marks removed photos as "Rejected" and moves them to a special collection. Doppelgone doesn't read Lightroom catalogues.

Does PhotoSweeper work with Google Photos?

Overmacs' pages don't mention it. PhotoSweeper scans photos on your Mac, so for Google Photos you'd need to export your library with Google Takeout and then remove the doubles in Google Photos by hand. Doppelgone's Chrome extension works on photos.google.com directly.

Is there a PhotoSweeper alternative for Windows?

PhotoSweeper is a Mac app, and Overmacs doesn't list a Windows version. Doppelgone has a Windows app from the Microsoft Store that scans folders and drives on the PC. There's a guide to finding duplicate photos on Windows 11.

Is it safe to delete the duplicates either app finds?

Yes, as long as one copy stays and you look at similar shots yourself, because those are different photos, not copies. Overmacs says PhotoSweeper never deletes files from a disk or media library, so they can be restored from the Trash. There's a checklist in is it safe to delete duplicate photos.

What to do next

For the Mac Photos library, folders or an external drive, get the Mac app from the download page and run a free scan. For Google Photos or iCloud Photos, add Doppelgone to Chrome. Nothing moves until you approve it, and Pro is one payment if you need more than 200 clean-ups.

Sources

Google Photos is a trademark of Google LLC; iCloud, Mac and Photos are trademarks of Apple Inc. Doppelgone is not affiliated with Google or Apple. PhotoSweeper is a product of Overmacs, and Doppelgone is not affiliated with Overmacs.