Drive full of duplicate photos, empty folders and forgotten large files? The free Czkawka scans chosen folders for duplicates and other storage clutter. Its separate tools also cover similar media, large files, temporary files, and damaged or mismatched items.
Duplicate and folder scans
Czkawka offers separate scans for duplicate files and empty folders. Duplicate matching can use file names, file sizes, or hashes, so the search can focus on matching labels or compare file content. The empty-folder tool uses an algorithm to find directories without contents.
Other file checks cover zero-length files, temporary files, large files, broken files, and symbolic links that point to missing targets. The bad-extension scan flags files whose contents do not match their extensions, while Bad Names finds names that may be unwanted, such as ones containing special characters.
Similar media tools
The image scan looks for pictures that differ visually, including cases involving changed dimensions or watermarks. Similar-video searches compare video appearance, and the music tool can identify matches using tags or audio content.
Czkawka also includes an Exif remover for stripping metadata from supported file types. Its video optimizer can trim static portions and convert videos to formats that use space more efficiently.
Scan results and operation
Each task has its own scan criteria and results. Users can inspect the detected files and decide which ones to remove; the program does not apply a single automatic cleanup preset.
Czkawka is available with a graphical interface and a command-line interface. The command-line version supports automated scanning workflows, while the GUI presents the tools as separate tasks. A cache can speed up subsequent scans by reusing information from earlier runs.
Czkawka and Krokiet
Czkawka refers to the GTK-based graphical frontend in the project. That frontend has been superseded by Krokiet, a newer GUI for the same project; no further Czkawka binaries are planned.
Pros
- Duplicate searches can compare file names, sizes, or hashes
- Image and video tools detect visual similarities
- Later scans can reuse cached results
- A command-line interface supports automation
Cons
- The GTK frontend has been superseded, and no further Czkawka binaries are planned
What kinds of files and clutter can Czkawka find?
It scans for duplicate, empty, temporary, large, broken, or mismatched files, along with empty folders and invalid symbolic links. Separate tools find visually similar images and videos, and matching music.
How does Czkawka identify duplicate files?
Duplicate scans can compare file names, sizes, or hashes.
Can Czkawka remove image metadata or optimize videos?
Yes. The Exif tool removes metadata from supported file types, and the video optimizer trims static portions and converts videos to more space-efficient formats.
