rdfind

Windows · Mac · Linux

Freedom report

Three barsScore 6.5

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

rdfind is ranked #7 of 38 in duplicate file finders on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. There is a free plan.

rdfind plans and pricing

All plans

rdfind Free GPLv2 or later rdfind.pauldreik.se · 9 Oct 2026

Compared on duplicate file finders

Free plan: Yes
Platform coverage: cross-platform
Scan locations: Directories and individual files supplied as command-line arguments
Match methods: File size; first bytes; last bytes; checksum; inode and device identity handling
Automatic selection: Yes
Recycle Bin / Trash: No

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The record

Purpose: rdfind finds duplicate files by comparing their contents rather than their names, and can help compress backup directories.
Recursive search: It finds duplicates within or across directories and searches directories recursively.
Checksum options: It supports MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-512, and xxh128 checksums; SHA-1 is the default.
Duplicate handling: By default, rdfind writes a results file and takes no action; options can delete duplicates or replace them with symbolic or hard links.
Safe preview: Its dry-run option prints what an enabled action would do instead of carrying it out.
File filtering: Options can ignore empty files and set minimum and maximum file sizes.
Linux installation: The official site says most Linux distributions have packages and gives apt and dnf installation examples.
Other platforms: The official site says Mac users can install through MacPorts and Windows users may use Cygwin.
Security guidance: The manual warns that changing directories during a run can make rdfind brittle and that deleting or linking can expose it to symlink attacks.
Ownership limitation: The manual says rdfind does not handle file ownership and permissions and is not recommended across directories with several owners.
Support: The site directs users to GitHub issues for bug reports and feature requests and invites suggestions and comments.
Maintainer: The site identifies Paul Dreik as rdfind's author.
Founded: 2006
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Duplicate File Finders in 2026#7 of 38

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Sources

rdfind.pauldreik.se· checked 9 Oct 2026
rdfind.pauldreik.se/rdfind.1.html· checked 9 Oct 2026