SpotlessSpotless vs Gemini 2 and PhotoSweeper
Spotless finds exact duplicate files in any folder or drive, counts the space you will really get back, and keeps the choice of which copy to keep with you. It does this inside a full Mac cleaner for $9 once. Gemini 2 and PhotoSweeper are dedicated duplicate finders. This page compares how each handles duplicates.
Where Spotless wins
- Honest numbers. Spotless is hard-link aware, so it does not count space that deleting a copy would not free. None of the vendor pages we read for Gemini 2 or PhotoSweeper states APFS clone or hard-link awareness.
- Nothing ticked for you. Gemini 2's Smart Cleanup pre-selects exact duplicates. In Spotless, you review each group and choose the keeper, or apply a keeper rule you set.
- Any folder or drive. Add any folder or external drive. Spotless scans Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Movies and Music by default.
- Photos library locked by default. Spotless never scans or cleans your Photos library unless you turn that on.
- Restore. Removed copies go to the Trash and the Recently Deleted list.
- More than duplicates. The same $9 covers caches, an app uninstaller, large files, developer storage and a space map. PhotoSweeper is $14.99 on the Mac App Store for duplicates alone.
Also in Spotless
- Photos, iCloud, cloud folders, AI-app data and active projects are locked by default. You can turn the lock off for any of them yourself.
- System Data split into named folders, with sizes you can check against macOS.
- Startup items, memory and a menu bar monitor for disk, memory, processor and network.
- Export what would be removed as a text list. Keyboard shortcuts for everything.
- Scheduled cleaning: weekly, every 2 weeks or monthly, Spotless moves only items marked Safe to the Trash and notifies you. Restore any of it from Recently Deleted.
Gemini 2 and PhotoSweeper and Spotless, feature by feature
| Feature | Gemini 2 and PhotoSweeper | Spotless |
|---|---|---|
| Exact duplicates | Both find exact copies | Exact copies in any folder or drive, with keeper rules |
| Space accounting | Hard-link and APFS clone handling not stated | Hard-link aware: counts only space that comes back |
| Default selection | Smart Cleanup pre-selects exact duplicates (Gemini 2) | Nothing ticked after a scan |
| Where removals go | Trash by default (Gemini 2) | Trash first, with Recently Deleted and Restore |
| Photos library | Scans Photos (Gemini 2); special album (PhotoSweeper) | Locked by default; you can turn the lock off |
| Beyond duplicates | Duplicate finding only | Caches, uninstaller, large files, developer storage, space map, menu bar monitor |
| Price | PhotoSweeper $14.99 on the Mac App Store | $9 once |
Price
PhotoSweeper is $14.99 on the Mac App Store (seen 2026-11-11). MacPaw lists Gemini 2 from $1.95 per month, with the billing term unclear. Spotless is $9 once and includes every feature. See Spotless pricing.
Switching from Gemini 2 and PhotoSweeper to Spotless
Open the Duplicates page in Spotless, choose your folders or drives and scan. Each group shows which copy is suggested as the keeper and why. You review before anything moves, and what you remove goes to the Trash.
See also: Duplicates, Review before you clean.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spotless good for finding duplicate files on a Mac?
Yes. It finds exact copies in any folder or drive, applies keeper rules and counts only the space that will come back.
Does Spotless delete duplicates automatically?
No. Nothing is ticked after a scan and you confirm each removal.
Does Spotless scan the Photos library?
No, not unless you turn that on. The Photos library is locked by default.
Where do removed duplicates go?
To the Trash, and to the Recently Deleted list in Spotless.
Keep comparing
- Spotless vs CleanMyMac: A one-time cleaner that ticks nothing for you against a larger subscription suite.
- Spotless vs CCleaner for Mac: A one-time cleaner with scheduled cleaning, a space map and undo against a tiered cleaner.
- Spotless vs DaisyDisk: A disk map that permanently deletes against a map plus a full cleaner with an undo.