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Best EXIF and photo metadata remover tools, compared

There are many ways to strip metadata from photos. The right one depends on your system, how many photos you have, and whether they may leave your computer. This is an honest look at the main options — including their limits.

Updated October 18, 2026

The tools

Windows File Explorer

Windows · built in · free

Good for: Zero install. Right-click → Properties → Details → Remove Properties.

Watch out: Mainly JPEG; may not handle PNG or HEIC and can leave some edit history behind.

macOS Preview

Mac · built in · free

Good for: Quick way to remove the GPS location from one photo (Cmd+I → GPS tab).

Watch out: Removes the location only. Other tags stay.

ImageOptim

Mac · free, open source

Good for: Drag and drop. Can strip metadata and optimise file size together.

Watch out: Overwrites the originals, so work on copies. Mac only.

ExifCleaner

Windows, Mac, Linux · free, open source (MIT)

Good for: Simple drag-and-drop, batch processing, built on the ExifTool engine.

Watch out: A cleaner only — it does not blur faces or hide text.

ExifTool

Windows, Mac, Linux · free

Good for: The most thorough and flexible; scriptable for big libraries.

Watch out: Command line. Easy to overwrite originals by mistake.

Online EXIF removers

Browser

Good for: Nothing to install.

Watch out: Some upload your photo to a server, some say they work inside your browser. Either way you must trust the website — and it is not fully offline.

MyPixelGuard

Mac and Windows · free to download · offline

Good for: Shows what a photo is hiding first, then cleans folders in one click, verifies the result, and also blurs faces and text, removes backgrounds, converts, resizes and compresses.

Watch out: A newer app from an independent publisher, so macOS and Windows show a first-run warning (we explain why on the download page).

Which one should you pick?

  • One photo, right now, on Windows: File Explorer.
  • One photo, location only, on Mac: Preview.
  • Hundreds of photos and you like the command line: ExifTool.
  • Folders of photos and you want a simple app: ExifCleaner or MyPixelGuard.
  • You also need faces blurred, text hidden or the background removed: MyPixelGuard does it in the same app, offline.
  • Anything private or sensitive: prefer a tool that works offline, so the photo never leaves your computer.

A note on trust

Product names belong to their owners and MyPixelGuard is not affiliated with any tool listed here. Details change, so check each project’s own site before you rely on it. If you want to see how MyPixelGuard works before installing, read our guide on removing EXIF and GPS data from photos.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free offline EXIF remover for Windows and Mac?

Yes. ExifCleaner and ExifTool are free and cross-platform, and MyPixelGuard is a free-to-download offline app for both systems.

Which EXIF remover also blurs faces?

Most metadata tools only remove metadata. MyPixelGuard includes a Redact tool that finds faces and text on your computer so you can blur them.

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