BleachBit vs dupeGuru (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BleachBit and dupeGuru share a 3.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on whether you care more about ease of use, where BleachBit grades higher, or features, where dupeGuru does.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
dupeGuru
Free open-source tool that finds duplicate files by name or content
Free
Which one is for you
Pick BleachBit if
- Fits if you're on Windows or Linux and want disk space back at no cost
- Works for administrators who script clean-ups across many machines from the command line
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac, as macOS support is experimental with limited features
- Not for you if you want updates to install themselves, since you download each one by hand
- Tight if you're on Linux and want the winapp2.ini cleaners, because that import is Windows only
- Watch out: the current installer is for Windows 10 and 11; XP, Vista, 7 and 8 need the older 4.7.0 release
- Not for you if you want it on a phone or in a browser, as it's a desktop program only
Pick dupeGuru if
- Fits if you want a free duplicate finder on Mac, Windows or Linux
- Works for sorting duplicate music and pictures
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want an actively updated site: the copyright line reads 2018 and recent downloads are on GitHub
- Not for you if you have an Apple silicon Mac and want a native build, as none is listed
- Watch out: fuzzy scans at a low threshold return false duplicates you must check yourself
- Watch out: the site's own text disagrees about which platforms it runs on
How we grade them
| 3.0GPABleachBitVery good | 3.0GPAdupeGuruVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing, and the site calls it free forever. A plain download, no registration, no license activation, no ads and no upsells. The code is open source under GPLv3, and donations are optional. | AFree under GPL-3.0, with no paid edition. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free. The features page says every user has the "Pro" version, so there's nothing to unlock. | AThe whole program is free to download on every platform listed. |
| Features | CClearing out junk is one job and BleachBit covers it: cleaners for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, VLC and dozens more, a preview of every file first, shredding, free-space wiping, a command line and cleaners you can write. It's that one chore, and the winapp2 import is Windows only. | BFilename and content scans, music and picture modes, and delete, move or copy. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record, but nothing needs setting up: tick what to clean, hit preview, delete only what you want, so nothing vanishes by surprise. Updates aren't automatic, mind. The app can tell you there's a new version, then you download it by hand. | CScan modes and a fuzzy threshold to tune, and results to review by hand. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA program for computers and nothing else: Windows and Linux, no web version, no phone apps, and macOS listed as experimental with limited features. It brings a command line for scripting and cleaners for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, VLC and LibreOffice. | CMac, Windows and Linux, computers only. No phone or web version, and no ARM Mac build is listed. |
| Best for | free disk cleaning on Windows and Linux | finding duplicate files for free |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BleachBit and dupeGuru. How we grade
Price against what you get
BleachBit has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. dupeGuru has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than BleachBit for less, and none scores higher than dupeGuru for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- dupeGuru also covers file management.
In commonFree planWindowsLinuxOpen sourceDisk cleanup
At a glance
| BleachBit | dupeGuru | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Every feature is free, with no registration, license activation, ads or upsells; the site describes it as free forever. Donations are optional. | The vendor's site lists downloads for each platform and no price or paid edition; the source is under GPL-3.0. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Andrew Ziem | dupeGuru open-source project |
| Price read from | bleachbit.org | dupeguru.voltaicideas.net |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BleachBit
- There is no regular macOS version: the download page lists Mac OS X support as experimental with limited features.
- The current Windows installer is for Windows 10 and 11; Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 need the older 4.7.0 release.
- Importing winapp2.ini, which adds thousands of extra cleaners, is available on Windows only.
- New versions are not installed automatically; the app can notify you, and updates are downloaded from the website by hand.
dupeGuru
- The vendor's site is sparse and its copyright line reads 2018; recent downloads are on GitHub releases.
- The Mac download is listed for macOS 10.12 or later, and the page lists no ARM-specific build.
- Fuzzy scans at a low threshold can return false duplicates that you have to review by hand.
- The site's own text is inconsistent about platforms: one paragraph also says it runs only on Mac OS X and Linux.
Key features
BleachBit
- Junk and cache cleaning
- Removes temporary files, browser caches, logs and other junk, using built-in cleaners for Google Chrome, Edge, Firefox, VLC, system logs and many other targets.
- Privacy cleaning
- Erases browsing history, cookies, saved passwords and application traces across several browsers in one step. A cookie manager for keeping chosen cookies is new in the 5.1.0 beta.
- Preview before deleting
- You tick the items to clean, click preview to see every file that would be removed, and then delete only what you want.
- Shredding and free-space wiping
- Shreds sensitive files so their contents cannot be read, and overwrites free disk space to hide files that were deleted earlier.
- Command line and custom cleaners
- A command line interface supports scripting and automation, advanced users can write cleaners in CleanerML, and Windows users can import winapp2.ini for thousands more.
- Linux system cleaners
- On Linux it can clear memory and swap, delete unused localizations and broken shortcuts, and clean the APT, Pacman, Snap, Yum and DNF package managers.
dupeGuru
- Filename and content scans
- Scans either filenames or file contents. The filename scan uses fuzzy matching, so similar names are found as well as identical ones.
- Music mode
- Scans music tags and shows music-specific information in the duplicate results window.
- Picture mode
- Scans pictures fuzzily to find images that are similar but not exactly the same.
- Safety features
- A reference directory system and grouping system are meant to stop you deleting files you did not mean to.
- Delete, move or copy
- Duplicates can be deleted, moved or copied elsewhere, and results can be filtered and sorted to weed out false matches.
Plans
BleachBit
BleachBit$0
The complete cleaner for Windows and Linux, open source under GPLv3. The features page says every user has the "Pro" version.
dupeGuru
dupeGuru$0
Free download for Windows, macOS and Ubuntu, with source code on GitHub.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BleachBit or dupeGuru?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both BleachBit and dupeGuru are free to use.
Which has a free plan, BleachBit or dupeGuru?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both BleachBit and dupeGuru have a free plan.
Which platforms do BleachBit and dupeGuru run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only dupeGuru lists a macOS app. Both list Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.