---
title: "DuplicateDuster and the alternatives, side by side · DuplicateDuster"
description: "The three well-known duplicate finders we compared it with, and how they line up."
url: "https://royalsoftworks.com/products/duplicate-duster/compare/side-by-side/"
source: "https://royalsoftworks.com"
format: "markdown"
note: "Markdown rendering of the HTML page at `url`. Same content, same canonical URL."
---

Compare · 1 of 2

# DuplicateDuster and the alternatives, side by side.

The three well-known duplicate finders we compared it with, and how they line up.

## What we compared it with

### [dupeGuru](https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net/)

A free, cross-platform duplicate finder with fuzzy file-name, music and picture modes.

### [AllDup](https://www.alldup.de/)

Freeware duplicate finder for Windows with many search methods, free for companies too.

### [Duplicate Cleaner Pro](https://www.digitalvolcano.co.uk/duplicatecleaner.html)

DigitalVolcano's paid Windows duplicate finder, strong on similar photos and audio.

## Side by side

Checked on 5 October 2026 against each product’s own site (sources below). “Not stated on its site” means we could not find it there — read it as unknown, not as no.

| Question | DuplicateDuster | dupeGuru | AllDup | Duplicate Cleaner Pro |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What does it cost? | Free to scan without limit; cleanups of more than 50 files a run need Pro, €20 once (VAT included). | Free; the source is on GitHub. | Freeware, for private users and companies. | $39, a perpetual licence per user, with version 5 updates included. |
| Which systems does it run on? | Windows 10 and 11; the Linux build follows. | Windows, macOS and Linux. | Windows 7 to 11 and Windows Server. | Windows. |
| How does it decide two files are duplicates? | By content only: SHA-256, byte-for-byte identical. No fuzzy matching, by design. | By content, or by fuzzy file name; plus music and picture modes. | Identical or similar content, images, sound, names, size and dates. | Exact content, plus similar images and audio — even edited or resized photos. |
| Can it replace copies with hard links? | Yes — same drive only; nothing is deleted. | Not stated on its site | Yes, or with shortcuts. | Yes, or with shortcuts or symbolic links. |
| Does it re-check the disk before deleting? | Yes — it walks the folders again and re-hashes every candidate, acting only on matches it confirms itself. | Not stated on its site | Not stated on its site | Not stated on its site |
| Does it keep a record of each cleanup? | Yes — a readable report per run naming what was kept, what was removed and both hashes. | Not stated on its site | Not stated on its site | Scans and settings can be saved and loaded. |

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