A Gemini Photos alternative, DustFox or CleanMyPhone?
Gemini Photos was MacPaw's photo cleaner. In 2024 it became CleanMyPhone, under the same App Store listing. Here is how it compares with DustFox today.
Short answer: Gemini Photos is now CleanMyPhone. Like DustFox, it works on the device and finds duplicates and similar photos, compresses videos and turns Live Photos into stills. The main differences are price and the privacy label: CleanMyPhone is mostly sold by the month or year, and its label lists data used to track you. DustFox can be bought once, and its label lists nothing used to track you.
Side by side
Prices and labels as shown on the US App Store on 30 September 2026. Prices differ by country and change often. Privacy labels are reported by each developer and are not verified by Apple.
| CleanMy®Phone (formerly Gemini Photos) | DustFox | |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Monthly Access $7.99; Yearly Access $36.99; older Gemini Photos plans still listed | Free download; Pro $19.99 once, or $9.99 a year |
| Free trial | 3 days on the yearly plan | 3 days on the yearly plan; free allowance to try every method |
| Data used to track you | Identifiers, Usage Data | None |
| Data linked to you | None | None |
| Where photos are analysed | On the device | On the device |
| Duplicates and similar photos | Yes | Yes |
| Video compression | Yes | Yes, HEVC at the same resolution and frame rate |
| Live Photo to still | Yes | Yes, still copied byte for byte |
| AI categories (travel, pets, documents) | Yes | No |
| Images from WhatsApp and other chats | Not in the listing | Sent to You, by app and by month |
| Similar contacts | Yes | No |
| Languages | 12 | 17 |
If you are looking for Gemini Photos
Gemini Photos was loved for making similar-photo review quick. CleanMyPhone keeps that idea and adds more. If you are searching for an alternative because of the subscription, the question is simple: do you want to keep paying for a tool you open when your phone is full? DustFox’s Lifetime purchase never renews.
Where they differ
- Privacy label: MacPaw reports identifiers and usage data used to track you, and nothing linked to you. DustFox reports nothing used to track you and nothing linked to you, only anonymous usage and purchase data.
- Price: CleanMyPhone is mostly a monthly or yearly subscription. DustFox is a one-time purchase, or a yearly plan if you prefer.
- Ways to free space: both compress videos and convert Live Photos. DustFox also converts JPEG to HEIC and builds a plan for a target size.
- Extras: CleanMyPhone sorts photos into AI categories and merges contacts. DustFox does neither.
A fair note
MacPaw is a long-established developer, and CleanMyPhone is a polished app. If you already pay for it and use it often, there is no urgent reason to switch. If you open it a few times a year, a one-time purchase is simply the better fit.
Questions
What happened to Gemini Photos?
MacPaw replaced Gemini Photos with CleanMyPhone in March 2024. It is the same App Store listing, and existing users were moved over automatically. Some older in-app purchases still carry the Gemini Photos name.
Is CleanMyPhone a subscription?
Mostly. On the US App Store it lists Monthly Access and Yearly Access, with a 3-day trial on the yearly plan, and an Unlimited access item whose length is not stated.
Does DustFox clean contacts like CleanMyPhone?
No. DustFox works only on photos and videos. CleanMyPhone also merges similar contacts.
