The short version
Free AI Wiper gives you a guided, browser-based check of selected supported AI and private metadata, followed by an output check. ExifCleaner is a free, open-source desktop application built for broad metadata cleaning and batch work. Both operate locally; choose based on the files and workflow you actually have.
Processing model
Free AI Wiper works in the browser without uploading the selected file. ExifCleaner runs on macOS, Windows and Linux and says it has no network access or telemetry. Its official site describes drag-and-drop files and folders, batch processing and a before-and-after metadata view. Free AI Wiper currently handles one file at a time and does not offer batch processing.
Inspection and choice
Free AI Wiper separates recognized portable AI provenance from optional private metadata, lets you choose the categories, and re-inspects its output for selected findings. ExifCleaner shows a metadata diff and offers privacy controls such as preserving orientation and saving copies. Its broader metadata removal may be preferable when you do not need AI-specific grouping.
Format coverage
Free AI Wiper supports the listed image, PDF, Office, video and text workflows, each with specific limits. ExifCleaner supports a wider set of image and media formats plus PDF; its published intake list and caveats are the better source for its current coverage. ExifCleaner does not list DOCX, PPTX, XLSX or a hidden-character text workflow there.
A PDF caveat worth checking
ExifCleaner documents that its ExifTool-based PDF changes may leave original metadata recoverable in an earlier PDF revision. Free AI Wiper handles supported information fields and catalog XMP, rejects signed or encrypted PDFs, and verifies selected findings after cleaning. Neither statement means every PDF secret or visible mark has been removed; read the PDF scope before relying on either tool.
Which should you choose?
Choose Free AI Wiper for a quick, selective check of a supported file when you want to see exactly what was found and rechecked. Choose ExifCleaner for many files, folders, or a format outside Free AI Wiper's current list. Keep an original copy when provenance matters.
Feature information was reviewed against ExifCleaner's website and source documentation in September 2026. This is a documentation-based comparison, not a controlled benchmark of both apps.