Gemini 2 by MacPaw vs PhotoSweeper: Which Duplicate Finder Fits Your Mac?

Gemini 2 by MacPaw at a Glance

Gemini 2 comes from MacPaw, the company behind CleanMyMac. According to its Mac App Store listing, it finds duplicate files of any type, including documents, music and images, and can also find duplicate folders. It scans external drives and network volumes, finds duplicates and similar pictures in the Photos library, and spots duplicate and similar tracks in the Music library.

Gemini 2 can automatically select which copies to remove using Smart Selection rules, lets you restore a removed duplicate, move duplicates to another folder or drive, or replace copies with hard links. Its Duplicates Monitor watches your Mac or chosen folders for new duplicates. It is a free download with in-app purchases; on the US Mac App Store, Gemini 2 Yearly Access is $19.99 as of November 2, 2026.

PhotoSweeper at a Glance

PhotoSweeper, made by Overmacs (listed on the App Store under developer Maksym Cherniaiev), focuses only on photos and videos. Its listing says it works with Apple Photos, Lightroom Classic and Capture One, as well as images in any folder or on external drives. It has three search modes (Duplicates, Similar Photos and Series of Shots), an adjustable similarity threshold, and Auto Mark rules that choose which photo to keep in each group.

It can find edited, resized and rotated versions of the same image, supports video formats such as AVI, MKV and WMV, and includes AI-based photo quality scoring. Removal depends on the source: files go to the Trash, Photos items go to a special album, and Lightroom photos are marked as Rejected. PhotoSweeper costs $14.99 on the US Mac App Store as of November 2, 2026, and the developer offers a trial download on its website.

Side-by-Side Comparison (as of November 2, 2026)

The points below come from each app's App Store description and official website on that date. Check the current listings before you buy, because features and prices change.

• Main focus: Gemini 2 finds duplicate files of all types. PhotoSweeper is built for photo libraries.
• Apple Photos library: both apps scan it.
• Lightroom Classic and Capture One: PhotoSweeper supports both. Gemini 2's listing does not mention them.
• Music library: Gemini 2 finds duplicate and similar tracks. PhotoSweeper's listing does not mention music.
• Duplicate folders and any file type: Gemini 2 only.
• Similar photos: both apps detect them. PhotoSweeper adds a Series of Shots mode and a similarity slider.
• Automatic selection: Gemini 2 has Smart Selection rules; PhotoSweeper has Auto Mark rules.
• Ongoing monitoring: Gemini 2's Duplicates Monitor watches for new duplicates.
• Price: Gemini 2 is free to download with a $19.99 yearly plan on the US Mac App Store. PhotoSweeper is a $14.99 one-time purchase on the US Mac App Store.
• Privacy label: Gemini 2 lists Data Not Linked to You; check PhotoSweeper's current listing for its label.
• Minimum macOS on the Mac App Store: Gemini 2 lists macOS 10.13, PhotoSweeper lists macOS 10.15.

Who Should Choose Gemini 2

Gemini 2 is the better fit if your duplicates are not only photos. If you have copied folders, repeated downloads, duplicate documents or a messy Music library, a general file finder saves you from running several tools. The Duplicates Monitor also suits people who want to catch new copies as they appear.

Who Should Choose PhotoSweeper

PhotoSweeper is the better fit for photographers. If you work in Lightroom Classic or Capture One, its library integration means you can clean duplicates without exporting or reorganizing anything, and removals follow each app's own rules. Its fine-grained settings and Series of Shots mode help with large shoots, and a one-time App Store price may suit you better than a subscription.

A Third Option: Vision AI - Photo Cleaner

Vision AI - Photo Cleaner is our Mac app. It finds exact duplicate and similar photos, and also reviews blurry photos, screenshots, burst shots, Live Photos and RAW + JPEG pairs. It also finds duplicate and similar videos, lists your largest videos, and includes a video compressor that saves smaller copies or replaces originals only after the new file passes a safety check. Neither of the other two listings mentions video compression.

Analysis runs on your Mac; photos and videos are not uploaded to an external analysis server, and no account is required. It scans the Photos library, Mac folders, iCloud Drive and Finder folders synced by Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive. Nothing is removed automatically: local files go to the Trash and Photos items go to Recently Deleted. It requires macOS 14.6 or later and its App Store label is Data Not Collected. It is free to download; Premium on the US Mac App Store is $3.99 per month, $19.99 per year or $24.99 lifetime as of November 2, 2026.

Choose Vision AI if your storage problem is as much about videos as photos, or if you want one review-first tool for your whole media library. Choose PhotoSweeper if you depend on Lightroom Classic or Capture One, and Gemini 2 if you need to find duplicate documents, folders or music.