dupeGuru alternative: Peekaboo vs dupeGuru
By Vishva Variya · Updated
dupeGuru is the free, open-source answer to duplicate files, and it’s more flexible than it looks: fuzzy matching on file names, exact matching on contents, a picture mode for near-identical images and a music mode that reads tags. Reference folders let you say “never touch anything in here.” Its latest release, 4.3.1, is from 2022. Peekaboo costs money, covers fewer matching modes, and puts the duplicates inside a file app with search, a disk map and a cleanup you can take back.
Looking for dupeGuru itself? It’s at dupeguru.voltaicideas.net.
- dupeGuru price
- Free and open source (GPL-3.0)
- dupeGuru requires
- macOS 10.12 (version 4.3.1) or later
- Peekaboo
- $24.99 one-time, 14-day trial, macOS 14+
dupeGuru figures from dupeguru.voltaicideas.net (home and help pages) and github.com/arsenetar/dupeguru, verified 2026-11-02.
Why pick Peekaboo over dupeGuru?
One click to put it all back
dupeGuru sends marked files to the Trash, where finding and putting them back is up to you. Peekaboo records each cleanup as a session, so the whole batch goes back where it came from in one click.
Look-alikes through Apple Vision
dupeGuru’s picture mode compares images fuzzily. Peekaboo groups look-alike photos with Apple Vision feature prints, on your Mac, and shows what each set of extras is worth.
A native Mac app
Peekaboo is written for macOS 14 and later. dupeGuru’s Mac build is a cross-platform Qt app, and its project is looking for help with macOS maintenance.
Peekaboo vs dupeGuru, job by job
| Job | dupeGuru | Peekaboo |
|---|---|---|
| Exact duplicates | Contents scan: grouped by size, then MD5 | Size buckets first, then SHA-256 |
| Similar pictures | Picture mode, fuzzy matching | Look-alike photos via Apple Vision feature prints |
| Names and music tags | Fuzzy filename scan; music mode reads tags | Not offered; exact contents only |
| Protecting originals | Reference folders are never touched | Keeps the best copy; you can change which one |
| Removed copies | Trash, move, copy, or replace with links | Trash, restored in one click from the Undo timeline |
| Price and platforms | Free, GPL-3.0; Mac, Windows, Linux | One-time, 14-day free trial; macOS 14 or later |
The honest verdict
dupeGuru is the better choice if you want a duplicate finder that costs nothing, runs on Windows and Linux too, or matches songs by tag and files by similar names, and its reference folders are a genuinely good safety net. Peekaboo is worth paying for if you want a native, current Mac app where the whole cleanup can be undone at once, and where the duplicates sit next to search and a map of the disk.
dupeGuru vs Peekaboo: questions
Is dupeGuru free?
- Yes. It’s open source under the GPL-3.0 licence, with a macOS download (version 4.3.1, for macOS 10.12 and later) on dupeguru.voltaicideas.net, as of November 2, 2026.
Is dupeGuru still updated?
- Its latest GitHub release is 4.3.1, from 2022, and the project’s page asks for help with macOS maintenance, as of November 2, 2026.
Does dupeGuru delete files permanently?
- Not by default. “Send Marked to Trash” moves them to the Trash; a “Directly delete files” option skips it. Peekaboo always uses the Trash and records the cleanup so it can be undone.
Can Peekaboo match songs by their tags like dupeGuru?
- No. Peekaboo matches files by contents, so two copies of a song with different tags or encodings aren’t grouped. dupeGuru’s music mode is the tool for that.