The duplicate photos on your computer can be annoying. Unnecessary duplicates waste storage space and make it harder to organize photos. Manually looking for and getting rid of them is not easy. What is the best way to find and delete duplicate photos in Windows 10 or 11 then? The answer is using a good duplicate photo finder for Windows 10 or 11.
In this article, I list the best apps to identify and remove duplicate pictures in Windows 10 and Windows 11. I also discuss the built-in duplicate finder in Microsoft Photos, although it may not be efficient enough for practical use.
Cisdem Duplicate Finder
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
Free Download macOS 10.11 or later
Microsoft Photos (or simply Photos) is a built-in app in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft Photos has a free, built-in duplicate finder feature.
Note: If the app on your computer is Microsoft Photos Legacy instead of Microsoft Photos, you can get Microsoft Photos. The said feature is not available in Photos Legacy.
The feature only detects duplicate photos in the folders added to Microsoft Photos. It automatically looks for duplicates in and across added folders and displays a Duplicate icon in the top left corner of the thumbnail for each detected duplicate. Note that this feature can only find exactly identical photos, which means it will miss duplicates that have different file names.
I believe that the biggest disadvantage of this duplicate finder is that it doesn't help you do removal. Because you have to manually select unwanted duplicates for removal one by one (which can be time-consuming and tedious, especially if there are many duplicates). The good news is that photo deduplication software can make this task quick and easy.
A set of duplicate images is two or more images that are exactly the same (regardless of the file name). In addition, there are similar images, including photos that look identical to the naked eye but differ in size or format and photos that look similar.
A duplicate photo finder, cleaner, or remover is software designed to automate the process of identifying duplicate photos (and, in some cases, similar ones) and facilitate their removal. We tested a dozen well-known duplicate photo finders for Windows and picked the eight best ones.
These apps can be different in features, ease of use, speed, customization options, or other aspects. Here's a brief comparison of them (followed by a review of each app). When you decide which one to choose, you can consider your specific needs and the feature(s) that matter the most to you.
| Find duplicate images | Find similar images | Remove duplicates | Ease of use | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisdem Duplicate Finder | Great | Yes | Great | Great |
| Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro | Great | Yes | Great | Good |
| Duplicate Photo Cleaner | Good | Yes | Great | Good |
| Duplicate Cleaner | Great | Yes | Great | Fair |
| dupeGuru | Good | Yes | Good | Good |
| Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder | Good | Yes | Fair | Good |
| Visual Similarity Duplicate Image Finder | Good | Yes | Good | Fair |
| Easy Duplicate Finder | Good | No | Good | Good |
Compatibility: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7; 64-bit required
Latest version: 3.0.2, released in February 2024
Our take: Excel at finding and removing duplicate photos and all other duplicate files
Cisdem Duplicate Finder can find duplicate images, videos, audio files, documents, archives, and all other types of duplicate files on your PC and external storage devices. You can also use it to find duplicates in cloud storage like OneDrive. It’s easy to use for everyone.
This duplicate photo finder supports all popular image formats, including camera RAW image formats. It can accurately and quickly identify all duplicate photos in a folder (such as the Pictures folder) or drive or within and across multiple locations.
The app displays found duplicate photos, allowing you to easily sort, search, preview, and examine them. It automatically selects all but one photo for deletion in each set of duplicates, enabling you to remove all duplicates at once. Alternatively, you can manually select files or choose from predefined selection rules.
In addition, this app finds similar photos, such as burst mode photos, pictures taken from slightly different angles, and slightly edited versions (such as resized, rotated, or cropped). You can adjust the similarity levels for comparing images.
Compatibility: Windows 11, Windows 10, 8.1, 8 and 7; both 32- and 64-bit
Latest version: 1.3.1086.659
Our take: A dedicated Windows duplicate picture finder to scan folders for duplicate pictures
If you are a photography lover or photo editing enthusiast and want to get rid of the tons of duplicate images and similar images on your PC’s hard drive, Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro is worth checking out.
This app provides two comparison methods: Exact Match and Similar Match.
The Exact Match method can scan one or multiple folders for photos that are exactly the same. The scan results window lets you view the found duplicates. You can manually select duplicates to eliminate or let the Auto Mark feature do it for you.
The Similar Match method can find certain visually similar images based on your settings.
There are four main settings. The Matching Level slider determines how much similarity Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro finds between images, which is the most important setting. In the test, this app didn’t find as many similar photos as Cisdem Duplicate Finder did. You can use the Bitmap Size slider to adjust the balance between speed and accuracy. Adjusting the Time Interval slider can help you find photos taken in burst mode.
Compatibility: Windows 11, Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP
Latest version: 7.19.1.51, release in August 2024
Our take: A dedicated duplicate image finder and remover with support for Lightroom Classic
Duplicate Photo Cleaner can be one of the best duplicate photo finders for Windows 10 and 11 for photographers, designers and users in general.
There are seven scan modes. The primary one is the Standard mode, which can scan a folder on your computer for identical photos. The Folder Comparison mode can compare folders for duplicate photos. Its support for various RAW image formats and the Lightroom Classic mode make it a good choice for professionals.
There is an important scan setting called Similarity Threshold. If you set the threshold to less than 100%, this app will also scan for similar photos. A lower threshold will find more similar photos but also more false positives. You need to find a balance. More scan settings are available in Settings.
There are four ways to view duplicate photos, the Table view being the default one. We recommend the Tree view and the MultiView view. Photo preview and metadata, such as such as camera manufacturer and exposure time, are provided. There are several preset rules to help you effortlessly mass select unwanted copies for removal. Or, you can do it manually.
Compatibility: Windows 11, Windows 10, 8 and 7
Latest version: 5.23, release in August 2024
Our take: A sophisticated app to find and remove duplicate photo files and other types of duplicate files on Windows
Duplicate Cleaner offers some features and options and is very configurable. If you know about tech or computer, you may feel this app powerful. But, if you are not that comfortable with tech or you are new to duplicate file finder software, this app can feel overwhelming to you.
Duplicate Cleaner has two editions: Free and Pro. If you are just looking for an easy way to eliminate duplicate photos, the Free edition is sufficient. It has fewer settings and options, making it easier to use.
The Pro edition provides an Image mode, which is dedicated to handling image files, including RAW images. It supports BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PCX, TGA, ICO, HEIC, WEBP and more. This mode allows you to find photos that are exactly the same, very similar, or simply similar, based on your settings.
This duplicate photo cleaner displays the groups of found duplicate image for you to view and offers several view modes. With dozens of options, the Selection Assistant feature can help you quickly select unwanted duplicates for deletion, though you may need to spend time exploring the various options available.
Compatibility: Windows 11, Windows 10, 8 and 7
Latest version: 4.3.1, release in July 2022
Our take: The best free duplicate photo finder for Windows 10 and 11, which is also open source
dupeGuru used to be commercial and went open source later. It’s one of the best free duplicate file finders available for Windows operating systems.
This app offers three modes: Standard, Music, and Picture. The Standard mode can find duplicate photo files as well as other types of duplicate files.
The Picture mode specializes in handling images and can identify identical photos and certain similar photos. In this mode, you can adjust the Filter Hardness to set the image similarity level for image comparison.
The Standard mode is recommended for the purpose of finding duplicate photos only. In the test, this mode successfully found all duplicates, while the Picture mode missed two sets of duplicates and was slower.
The results window displays duplicate photos and similar photos along with file information, including name, size, path, format, and EXIF timestamp. However, the preview feature, which is essential for duplicate image finder software, is not user-friendly in the Picture mode and missing in the Standard mode.
Compatibility: Windows 11, Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, 2003, XP and 2000
Latest version: 1.2.1, released in September 2023
Our take: A free duplicate photo finder with reliable performance and a simple interface
Are you in search of a good app to find and delete duplicate photos on Windows 10 or 11 for free? Check out Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder.
Despite being freeware, it has all the makings of a good basic duplicate picture finder. In addition to supporting four major image formats, it supports CR2, a Canon RAW format.
This free app excels at finding duplicate images and can also detect similar images. In testing, it successfully found compressed or recolored photos but failed to find other similar photos. Thanks to the preview feature, you can easily preview and compare found photos side by side.
The biggest drawback is that you have to manually select undesired duplicates for removal one by one, as there is no way to automate the process or mass select duplicates. This can make the cleanup process tedious and time-consuming.
Compatibility: Windows 11, Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista; both 32- and 64-bit
Latest version: 9.1.0.2
Our take: A feature-rich Windows duplicate photo finder that finds identical and similar photos
Visual Similarity Duplicate Image Finder is a feature-rich and highly customizable duplicate photo finder for Windows 11, 10, and earlier. It can help users find both duplicate and similar images. However, the interface may be confusing for beginners.
The app scan scan folders and Lightroom Classic for duplicate or similar photos, depending on your settings. There are four scan methods. We recommend the first two: Visual Compare and 100% Identical Files (Fast). If you only want to search for exactly identical photos, choose the 100% Identical Files (Fast) method.
With Visual Compare, you can find exactly identical photos, very similar photos, and other similar photos. You can adjust the Similarity level, which is 95% by default.
This app has a sophisticated feature to help users select duplicate photos for elimination. For example, in each group of duplicates, you can set it to select the smaller or newer one(s) to delete, or specify an image format (such as .jpg).
There is a Standard edition (enough for most personal users), a Pro edition and a Corporate edition.
Compatibility: Windows 11, Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and XP
Latest version: 7.29.0.62, released in September 2024
Our take: A pretty easy-to-use app to look for and clear duplicate photos on a PC
Thanks to the straightforward and easy-to-navigate interface, this app is indeed easy to use, even for beginners.
The app offers several scan modes, with the default mode being the best for scanning for duplicate photos on your computer. By default, the scan searches for all duplicate files. But you can set it to focus solely on images and skip other file types.
When the scan is complete, you will be presented with the results window, which neatly displays the found duplicates. There’s a built-in preview feature, which is hidden by default. You can make it visible with a simple click.
This duplicate photo remover has an efficient selection feature, which makes the removal process quick and efficient. It offers three sets of preset selection rules, each set containing several rules. In most cases, the Select all duplicates rule is sufficient. However, if you have specific preferences for which files to keep or delete, you can choose a rule that best meets your needs.
The good news is that the Microsoft Photos app has a feature to identify duplicates. But the feature is not that helpful in removing them. Luckily, there are other choices, which are discussed in this article. The article can help you find the duplicate photo finder for Windows 10 or 11 that suits you the best.
It’s a good idea to get rid of the existing duplicates in your digital photo collection, which enhances organization and frees up storage space. It’s also a good idea to figure out why they are there. There are several possible reasons. If unnecessary duplicate photos are caused by moving or importing photos, you can be more mindful in the future. If certain settings constantly cause duplicate photos, you can take care of the settings.
With a passion for tech and writing, Sarah joined Cisdem, where she focuses on creating articles about using utility tools to enhance file management and simplify contact management.
Diana
Thanks to this article, I cleaned up many duplicate files scattered on my computer, especially duplicate pictures, which take up a lot of space and make my computer run slower.
Antje Conradi
I have thousands of photos on my computer and there’re too many duplicates. Now I got back over 3 GB of space after using the first software you recommended. Thanks so much!!