ExifCleaner alternative
ExifCleaner is a free, open-source desktop app for images, video, and PDF.
Strip metadata from this image
- 1 Select
- 2 Scrub
- 3 Verify & download
Free clean used
1 image free in this browser · Pro $9.99 one-time unlocks unlimited cleans + batch ZIP · How to use
Cleaning…
Clean every image with Pro
Unlimited images and folder ZIPs. Pay once.
Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay · No subscription
What their pages list
Read on 6 Oct 2026 from exifcleaner.com, the README, and release 4.5.0 (published 29 Sep 2026).
| ExifCleaner | This tool | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A desktop app. The README says free, open source (MIT), built with Electron on ExifTool’s stay-open mode. macOS 12+, Windows 10+, and 64-bit Linux. Drag in files or folders, including nested folders. You can keep orientation, save a copy, remove macOS extended attributes, and keep timestamps. | A browser page. No installer. The file is not uploaded to build the cleaned copy. |
| Files | README allowlist: JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, WebP, HEIC, HEIF, BMP, AVIF, SVG, and RAW types including CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, ORF, RW2, RAF, DNG, PEF, and SRW. Media: MP4, MOV, AVI, M4A, M4V, 3GP, WMV. Documents: PDF. The site’s shorter line is JPEG, PNG, WebP, TIFF, GIF, MP4, MOV, M4A, PDF, and more. RAF is refused and the source is left unchanged. The README also notes partial-removal reports for TIFF and AVIF. | JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, GIF, TIFF, and BMP. A PDF up to 100 MB is on the PDF page. Video and RAW are not opened here. |
| JPEG checks | Release 4.5.0 says JPEG content credentials are removed. With Save as copy on, PNG and JPEG copies use a built-in cleaner when it supports the settings you turned on, then ExifTool reopens the copy. If unexpected metadata remains, the copy is discarded and the original is left as it was. | Detected EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC, and C2PA / AI metadata, then the After report re-scans the cleaned bytes. AI only can leave camera EXIF. SynthID stays in the pixels. |
| The README says ExifTool writes a reversible PDF update, so the original metadata remains recoverable, and ExifCleaner cannot securely erase PDF metadata. | The PDF page rewrites the file and re-scans it. Encrypted PDFs are refused. Comments and attachments are reported and kept. Pages stay as they were. | |
| Privacy and price | The README says no automatic updates and no network traffic: zero telemetry, zero phone-home. The site says no network access and no telemetry. The README says 25 languages. The site says 24+. Builds are not code-signed, so the OS can warn on first open. Checksums are on the release. The app is free, with no file-count cap stated. | 1 free clean per browser, shared with the PDF and Word pages. Then Unlock Pro, paid once, for unlimited files and a batch ZIP. Does not write tags back. |
When to choose which
When ExifCleaner is the better choice
- You want a free desktop app with no file-count cap, folders, RAW, or video.
- You want open source, published checksums, and an app that states it makes no network requests.
- You want their JPEG content-credential removal and the ExifTool re-check of JPEG and PNG copies.
When this page is the better choice
- You cannot install software, or you are on a phone.
- You want a PDF rewrite that re-scans the bytes. Their README says PDF metadata is not securely erased.
- An unsigned-app warning would stop you from opening a desktop build.
How to clean a file here
Photos use the tool above. A PDF uses remove metadata from a PDF. A folder of images on a computer you control is what ExifCleaner is built for.
- Add the image. Use the tool on this page. Add one JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, GIF, TIFF, or BMP. A PDF is cleaned on the PDF page linked below.
- Pick a mode. Leave All metadata selected, or switch to AI only (camera EXIF can stay) or EXIF/GPS.
- Clean. Before a file is chosen the button reads Clean one file free. After one image is added it reads Clean this file. Press it.
- Read the After report. The report re-scans the cleaned bytes. Download when the rows you cared about are gone. A pixel watermark such as SynthID stays in the picture.
Related guides
- ExifTool alternative for the command-line tool ExifCleaner is built on.
- ExifTool remove all metadata, including what
-all=does to C2PA. - Bulk EXIF remover for a folder as one ZIP in the browser.
- Remove metadata from a PDF and re-scan the result.
- Remove C2PA from a JPEG, PNG, or WebP.
ExifCleaner questions
Is ExifCleaner free and open source?
The README says it is free and open source under the MIT license. The site says it is free. There is no file-count cap on those pages. This page allows one free clean per browser, then a one-time unlock.
Does ExifCleaner need an install?
Yes. It is a desktop app. The README says macOS 12+, Windows 10+, and 64-bit Linux. Release 4.5.0, published 29 Sep 2026, lists a Windows portable build, a Windows installer, macOS Apple Silicon and Intel DMGs, and Linux AppImage, deb, and rpm packages.
Does ExifCleaner securely erase PDF metadata?
The README says ExifTool writes a reversible PDF update, so the original metadata remains recoverable, and ExifCleaner cannot securely erase PDF metadata. The PDF page on this site rewrites the file and re-scans it. Comments and attachments are reported, not removed.
Does ExifCleaner remove JPEG content credentials?
The 4.5.0 notes say JPEG content credentials in APP11 are removed by the built-in cleaner, matching what the bundled ExifTool already removed. With Save as copy on, a cleaned JPEG or PNG copy is reopened and checked with ExifTool and discarded if unexpected metadata remains.
Why does the operating system warn about ExifCleaner?
The README and the 4.5.0 notes say the builds are not code-signed, so macOS and Windows can warn on first open. Checksums are published, and the notes say the app makes no network requests during normal use. This page needs no install.
Which languages does ExifCleaner list?
The README says 25 languages. The website says 24+ languages. Both say there is no network access and no telemetry.
Page last updated: