DustFox or the Duplicates album in Photos?
Photos already has a free duplicate finder. Here is what it does well, what it leaves out, and when you do not need DustFox at all.
Short answer: if your problem is exact copies, use the Duplicates album in Photos; it is free and does the job. If your library is full of bursts, retakes and near-identical shots, or the real weight is in videos, DustFox covers what Photos leaves to you.
Side by side
| Duplicates album in Photos | DustFox | |
|---|---|---|
| Exact copies | Yes, merged into one | Yes, always down to one copy |
| Same photo in another resolution or format | Yes | Yes, grouped by DCT fingerprint |
| Bursts and near-identical retakes | No | Yes |
| How the keeper is chosen | Highest quality version, details merged | Jury of sharpness, exposure, resolution and file size, with the vote shown |
| Blurry shots | No | Yes |
| Shrink videos without deleting | No | Yes, HEVC at the same resolution |
| Where it runs | On the device | On the device |
| Price | Free, built in | Free to download; Pro once or yearly |
What Photos does well
It is already on your phone, it needs no permission, and Merge keeps the best version while combining captions and keywords. For people who mostly have images saved twice, it is the right tool.
What Photos leaves to you
Three attempts at the same smile are different files, so they are not duplicates to Photos. Neither is a burst you forgot about, or the same scene taken seconds apart. Finding those means scrolling and comparing by eye. Photos also cannot sort by file size or re-encode a video.
What DustFox adds
Near-identical shots grouped by a 256-bit DCT fingerprint, a keeper picked by measurable quality with the reasoning visible, and methods beyond duplicates: blurry shots, heavy videos, screenshots and media from chats. Everything still runs on the device, and deleted items still go to Recently Deleted for 30 days.
Questions
Is the Duplicates album enough?
If your duplicates are exact copies, such as the same image saved twice, yes. It is free, built in and merges them well. It does not look for near-identical shots.
Can I use both?
Yes. Merging exact copies in Photos first and then using DustFox for similar shots, videos and screenshots works fine.
