App Directory: The Best Duplicate File Finder For Mac

App Directory: The Best Duplicate File Finder For Mac

Your photo library is a mess. Your downloads folder is a mess. Your music folders are riddled with so many duplicates that you can’t tell what’s new and what’s left over from Napster. We all have too many duplicate files on our computers we don’t need. To get rid of them on your Mac, we recommend Gemini.

Gemini

Platform: Mac
Price: $US10
Download Page

Features

  • Fast scanning algorithm
  • Integrates with iTunes and iPhoto libraries
  • Works with external drives and network volumes
  • Auto-selects files in bulk
  • Tons of filtering options
  • Data chart divides up your duplicates by type
  • Finder integration
  • Preview mode for double-checking files before removing
  • Ignore lists

Where It Excels

Gemini is easily the fastest duplicate file finder we tested on OS X, which alone is a great feature if you’re looking for duplicates often. Gemini is easy to use, no matter your skill level. Once you pick a hard drive or folder to scan, Gemini divides up your duplicates by file type so you can easily delete the unnecessary stuff. The search algorithm is smart enough that it will even pick up duplicate images that don’t share the same file name.

The deep OS X integration is also a bonus. You can search for duplicates right from Finder, preview selections from the app, and Gemini features a handy undelete option if you catch a mistake at the last second. Gemini also has a couple handy failsafes. If it catches a duplicate audio file, it will only delete the one not in your iTunes folder. The same goes for any iPhoto files.

Gemini is incredibly easy to use but still features enough options that advanced users can still customise it to fit their uses. Once you search out your duplicates, you can delete them and Gemini offers up a satisfying paper shred animation to let you know all those files are gone.

Where It Falls Short

Gemini has a ton of options, but it’s still not the most full-featured duplicate file finder out there. You don’t get a lot of minute controls, so if you’re searching for something very specific, Gemini won’t help you. Gemini’s auto-select tool is also a bit of a curse, as it’s easy to accidentally delete an important file if you’re not really paying attention. That’s the case with any of these duplicate finder tools, but Gemini seems to make it a bit easier to make a mistake.

The $US10 price tag might also be a turnoff for some, but Gemini tends to be on sale a lot or included in bundles, so it’s easy to pick up on the cheap (or even free) if you don’t mind waiting. You can also snag a demo version that will scan files but not delete them if you’re on the fence.

The Competition

You have a lot of options for finding duplicate files, but only a few really stand out from the rest. If Gemini’s $US10 price tag is too steep for you, dupeGuru (free) is easily the best free alternative (it also happens to be our pick on Windows). DupeGuru is a bit slower than Gemini, forces you to download three different editions for different file types, and doesn’t have the accessible interface, but it gets the job done.

If you’re more interested in a ton of filtering options, Tidy Up 4 ($US30) is pricey, but easily one of the most customisable file duplicate finders out there. You can search for files using just about any parameter you can think of, including file size, tags, time created and more. Chipmunk ($18.99) is similar and worth a look for the same reason.

If there’s just something about Gemini’s interface you don’t like, The Duplicate Finder ($3.79) does just about everything Gemini does with a slightly different interface.

It’s also worth noting CCleaner ($US25), which is more about system optimisation but also includes a duplicates finder if you’re not looking for anything too complex.


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