If your Mac is running low on storage and you’re not sure why, duplicate files are almost always part of the problem. Over the years I’ve seen clients with 10, 20, even 40GB of duplicate photos, documents, and downloads they didn’t know existed. It’s one of the most common things I find when I’m helping someone clean up a slow or full Mac.
The tool I reach for in those situations is Gemini 2 by MacPaw. I’ve been recommending it to clients for years, and it’s one of the few utilities I trust enough to use myself.
What Gemini 2 Does
Gemini 2 scans your Mac — or specific folders you choose — and finds duplicate and similar files. That second part matters. It doesn’t just catch exact copies; it also flags near-duplicates, like two versions of the same photo where one is slightly edited or resized.
Once the scan is done, it gives you a clear, visual breakdown of what it found. You can see how much space each group of duplicates is taking up, review what it recommends removing, and approve or override any decision before anything gets deleted.
That last part is important to me. I don’t like tools that make big decisions automatically. Gemini 2 shows you its work, and you stay in control.
What I Actually Use It For
The most common use case with my clients is photos. If you’ve been using a Mac for a few years and moved from iPhoto to Photos to iCloud, there’s a good chance you have duplicate images in multiple places. Gemini 2 handles this well — it can scan your Photos library without damaging it, which is something I’m always careful about recommending.
Beyond photos, I also use it to clean up Downloads folders, old project directories, and anything that’s been migrated from a previous Mac. Migration Assistant is great, but it doesn’t filter out the duplicates you already had.
The Interface Is Genuinely Easy to Use
One thing I appreciate about Gemini 2 is that it was designed for regular people, not just technically-minded users. The interface is clean and the workflow is simple: choose what to scan, run the scan, review results, confirm deletions. My less tech-savvy clients can figure it out without me walking them through it step by step.
That’s a higher bar than most utilities clear.
How Much Does It Cost?
Gemini 2 is available as a standalone purchase, but the best deal is through Setapp — a subscription that gives you access to 240+ Mac apps for one monthly fee. If you’re already using other apps in the Setapp library (BusyCal, CleanMyMac X, Bartender, and many others are all included), the value math works out very quickly.
I use Setapp myself and it’s genuinely one of the better software subscriptions available for Mac users.
My Take
If you’ve never done a duplicate scan on your Mac, you’ll almost certainly be surprised by the results. Gemini 2 is accurate, fast, and conservative enough that I trust it with client machines. It’s not going to delete something important without asking.
For most home users, running Gemini 2 once or twice a year is enough to stay on top of the clutter. If you’re already on Setapp, there’s no reason not to run it today.
This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up for Setapp through my link, I may earn a commission — at no cost to you. I only recommend tools I actually use.