DupShelf

DupShelf

A browser alternative to Czkawka for duplicate photos

Czkawka is one of the best open-source duplicate finders on desktop: fast Rust code, similar images, videos, music, empty folders, and huge disk scans. Many people discover it through Reddit or YouTube after a “free 160 GB” cleanup story. But Czkawka is not the right tool for every situation. If you want to clean one photo folder without installing software, without granting a desktop app broad disk access, or from a work laptop where installs are restricted, a browser workbench like DupShelf fills a different niche. This page explains when to use which—and how to combine them.

Open DupShelfHow it works

What Czkawka is built for

Czkawka (and tools like dupeGuru) assume you are willing to install native software and point it at drives, partitions, or home directories. Strengths include scanning millions of non-image files, similar-image detection, similar videos, and aggressive dedup across file types. Communities like r/DataHoarder and r/linux recommend it when the goal is “clean the whole machine” or archive drives with mixed media. If that is your job, keep Czkawka installed—it remains excellent.

  • System-wide or multi-drive scans
  • Similar images and videos (perceptual modes)
  • Very high throughput on native hardware
  • Offline desktop app; no browser tab limits

Where a browser tool fits instead

DupShelf targets a narrower, common scenario: you already have photos in one folder (Downloads, a Google Drive sync directory, an external HDD copy, a client delivery export) and you want exact duplicate cleanup with explicit browser permissions. You open a tab, choose that folder only, hash images with SHA-256, review groups, then move non-keepers to dupshelf-duplicate-images or export a CSV. Nothing is auto-deleted. No Rust install, no scanning paths you did not select.

  • One folder at a time—you choose the scope
  • Exact byte duplicates only (safest first pass)
  • Chrome/Edge folder picker with read/write for moves
  • Session restore if the tab closes mid-review

Side-by-side: Czkawka vs DupShelf

Neither tool is universally better—the comparison is about scope and install model.

  • Install — Czkawka: download app. DupShelf: visit a URL.
  • Scope — Czkawka: often whole disks or user home. DupShelf: single folder you pick.
  • Algorithms — Czkawka: exact + similar + more. DupShelf: exact (SHA-256) today.
  • File types — Czkawka: images, video, audio, etc. DupShelf: image formats only.
  • Actions — Czkawka: delete/move per app rules. DupShelf: move to subfolder or CSV; you delete later.
  • Best for — Czkawka: power users, hoarders, mixed libraries. DupShelf: laptop cleanup, restricted installs, one photo directory.

Scenario: work laptop, no install rights

You cannot install Czkawka on a corporate machine, but you can use Chrome. Copy project photos or Downloads to a folder you own, open DupShelf, scan, export CSV or move duplicates to a quarantine subfolder, and let IT policies stay happy. Czkawka would require admin approval; a static web app may not.

Scenario: external backup drive before Czkawka

You have a 2 TB external drive of family photos. Run DupShelf on the top-level Photos folder first to strip exact copies (often WhatsApp and backup duplicates). That shrinks the set before you point Czkawka at the whole drive for similar images and videos. Less work for the heavy desktop scan.

Scenario: photographer delivery folder

A client export folder may contain the same selects delivered twice with different filenames. Exact dedup is what you want—not similar-image grouping that might merge two different edits. DupShelf groups byte-identical files; you pick the master, move extras, and deliver a clean ZIP.

What DupShelf does not replace

DupShelf is not a Czkawka clone. It will not scan your entire SSD for duplicate PDFs, will not find similar videos, and will not match perceptually similar burst shots today. If you need those modes, use Czkawka or add a perceptual browser tool after DupShelf’s exact pass.

Getting started in the browser

Use Chrome or Edge on desktop, click Choose folder, and start with Downloads or a copied camera roll. Review each group, set keepers, then move or export. If the scan is large, keep the tab open until hashing finishes—you can restore results later without re-hashing.

Questions

Is DupShelf as fast as Czkawka?
Czkawka wins on huge cross-drive scans with native I/O. DupShelf is competitive for single-folder photo libraries (thousands of files) and avoids install and upload overhead. Expect hashing to take time on slow USB drives either way.
Can DupShelf find similar images like Czkawka?
Not in the current release. DupShelf groups byte-identical files. Similar-image detection is planned as an optional mode with clear labeling.
Can I use both on the same library?
Yes. Many users DupShelf first for exact copies, then Czkawka for similar images and other file types on the remaining data.
Does DupShelf need admin rights?
No install. You only need a modern browser and permission to read (and optionally write) the folder you select.
Is DupShelf open source like Czkawka?
DupShelf is a free browser tool from the Renderlog project. Czkawka is open source on GitHub. Choose based on workflow, not license alone.
Will DupShelf scan outside the folder I pick?
No. The browser only accesses the directory handle you grant. Czkawka can scan broader paths because it is a desktop app with OS-level access you configure.

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