Krokiet (Czkawka): free tool to find duplicate files and clutter
Scoped recheck: 24 October 2026. Official documentation and policy review; no install, account, application, deletion or hardware test. Original publication date retained.
Krokiet scans your folders for duplicate files, similar photos and other clutter. Its README says it is free and open source, with no ads and no internet access.
Official Krokiet media
What it is
Krokiet is the main screen (the graphical front end) for Czkawka, a tool that scans your folders for clutter: duplicate files, empty folders, big files, temporary files, similar photos and more. The project's README calls Krokiet a "new generation GUI frontend, simple, multiplatform, fast and free app to remove unnecessary files from your computer". It is not an AI tool.
Is it free?
The current README says free, open source and without ads. It now states the licence split: repository code is MIT, while the complete Krokiet and Cedinia applications are GPL-3.0-only because of Slint requirements; Czkawka GTK and CLI applications remain MIT. Images and audio are CC BY 4.0. Do not treat the whole Krokiet application as MIT merely because most source code is. No paid tier/account was required on the pages read; this is not a software audit.
What it does, per the README
- Duplicates: finds duplicates by file name, size or hash.
- Similar images: finds photos that are "not exactly the same" (for example a different size or a watermark).
- Others: empty folders, empty files, big files, temporary files, similar videos, similar music, broken files, wrongly named file types, and an Exif remover that strips photo metadata.
- The README says second and later scans "should be much faster" because of caching.
- It runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD and Android (the Android front end is called Cedinia).
How to get it
- Go to the project's GitHub releases page. The latest release we saw was 12.0.2, published 9 September 2026.
- The Krokiet README says prebuilt binaries are available for Windows 10 and 11, Mac and Ubuntu, with no required extras. The Windows list has several Krokiet files with different graphics options. The README says the releases page has recommendations on which to choose.
- The similar videos tool needs ffmpeg installed, per the README. Some photo formats (HEIF, RAW) are not in the prebuilt Windows files.
- The older Czkawka screen (GTK) is "superseded by Krokiet", and the README says version 12.0 is the last release with its binaries.
What to watch out for
- It can permanently delete files. Current instructions distinguish Delete (permanent) from Trash (system trash). On SMB/NFS, Trash can fail without a usable trash location. Do not switch to permanent deletion merely to bypass that failure: stop and protect an independent backup. Review every match and retained original; no recovery path was tested.
- Choose a maintained source. The current README identifies this repository, prebuilt binaries, crates.io and Flathub as directly maintained by the author. It warns there is no official project website. A search ad or look-alike download site is not an official source. No store package, installer or binary was tested.
- Pick the right file. The release page lists many files. Our advice: follow the project's own recommendations.
Current instructions support reference paths for Duplicate Files, Similar Images, Similar Videos and Same Music: reference files are used for comparison but protected from automatic modification, moving and deletion. This is not a substitute for an independent backup. Filename/size matching is not proof of identical content, and perceptual similarity is not proof that either photo is disposable. Review the result and retained original before any destructive action.
Privacy and data
- The README says: "No spying - Czkawka does not have access to the Internet, nor does it collect any user information or statistics". That is the project's statement. We did not test it.
- It scans folders you choose and keeps a cache for faster later scans, per the README.
India
- We saw no region limit. We did not test downloads from India. We quote no INR price.
Frequently asked questions
Is Krokiet free?
The release page still lists 12.0.2 dated 9 September 2026. Current Krokiet README lists Windows 10/11, Mac and Ubuntu 22.04 base or 24.04 with additional libraries, or distributions with matching/newer glibc/libraries. Choose CPU architecture and renderer from the release recommendations, not just the first file. Prebuilt binaries have no mandatory runtime dependencies, but similar-video tools need ffmpeg; optional HEIF/HEIC, RAW and AVIF support depends on build features/native libraries. HEIF and RAW features are not in standard prebuilt Windows binaries. No binary was downloaded, installed or tested.
Local cache is not just a speed setting: current instructions describe hashes, thumbnails, parsed metadata and video signatures shared across frontends. Configuration is separate per frontend. Removing an application is not proof those directories were removed. The no-spying statement does not audit downloads, ffmpeg, optional packages or external links. The maintainer says this project has no official website and identifies this repository, prebuilt binaries, crates.io and Flathub as directly maintained sources; distrust look-alike download sites.
What is the difference between Krokiet and Czkawka?
Krokiet is the new screen. Czkawka is the project and its older screen.
Is there an Android version?
The README lists Cedinia, an Android front end. We did not check it further.
Sources: Czkawka on GitHub, Krokiet README, Releases. Checked 19 October 2026.
Scoped recheck: reference protection and shared local caches · separate permanent Delete and Trash actions · network-share trash and match/review limits. Checked 24 October 2026. Official source claims, not hands-on software, application or hardware tests.
Independent guide, not affiliated.