FluidGhost vs ExifTool vs free online EXIF removers
Three ways to deal with the metadata inside your photos, what each one is actually for, and when the free option is the right one.
Every photo you take carries more than its pixels: the camera or phone model, the time, often the exact GPS position, sometimes the editing app that last saved it. Before you post, sell or send a picture, you may want to read that data, remove it, or both.
There are three common ways to do it: ExifTool, the free command-line reference; free online EXIF removers, the web pages you find when you search "remove EXIF data online"; and web apps like FluidGhost, which handle metadata as part of a bigger job. They are built for different people. This comparison tries to be fair about that, including where the free option is simply the better choice.
The short answer
- You want to read or strip metadata on your own computer, for free, with full control: use ExifTool.
- You have one photo, no software, and the location is the only worry: your phone's share options may already do it. On iPhone, tap Share, then Options, and turn off Location [4].
- You want a quick look without installing anything: an online checker works, but pay attention to where your file goes (more below).
- You produce many files for several accounts and want metadata handled inside that workflow, with video and a team: that is what FluidGhost is for.
ExifTool: the reference tool
ExifTool is a platform-independent Perl library and command-line application by Phil Harvey [1]. It is free software, distributed under the same terms as Perl, and the author says donations are "really not necessary" [1]. Downloads include a Windows executable that bundles Perl and a macOS package [1].
What it does well:
- Reads almost everything. EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, ICC profiles and maker notes for many camera brands, and it can read C2PA data too [1].
- Writes and edits almost everything. HEIC, MOV and MP4 are among the formats it can write, not just JPEG [1].
- Batch work. It processes whole directory trees, and the
-roption recurses into subfolders [1][2]. - Precise deletes.
-all=deletes all metadata;-GROUP:all=deletes one group, soexiftool -gps:all= photo.jpgremoves only the GPS block [2]. You can also delete everything except a group, for example-all= --exif:all[2]. - Safe by default. Unless you add
-overwrite_original, it keeps your original file with_originalappended to its name [2].
Its limits are honest ones. It is a command-line tool: the only GUI path on the official site is dragging files onto the Windows executable [1]. And the documentation itself warns that "ExifTool is not guaranteed to remove metadata completely" [1], with format-specific notes: for JPEG, delete-all removes all APP segments except Adobe APP14, plus trailers; for TIFF some EXIF can stay in IFD0; for MOV and MP4, "most" top-level metadata goes [1].
That JPEG detail matters for HDR photos. Ultra HDR JPEGs keep a normal image first and store an HDR gain map as a second image in the same file, using the multi-picture format (MPF) [3]. A blanket delete that removes APP segments and trailers can take that gain map with it. If you only care about location, deleting the GPS group is the gentler choice.
Free online EXIF removers
These are web pages where you drop a photo and download a cleaned copy. They are convenient: nothing to install, works on any device.
We are not going to rank individual sites here, because they vary and change. What you should check before using one:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Does the file upload to a server, or is it processed in your browser? | If the reason you are removing metadata is privacy, sending the original, GPS and all, to someone else's server works against you. |
| What does the privacy policy say about storage and retention? | "Deleted after processing" and "kept for X days" are very different. |
| Is the image re-encoded? | Some tools rebuild the JPEG, which can cost quality or drop HDR data along with the metadata. |
| Which formats work? | HEIC from iPhones and video files are often not supported. |
| Can you see what was removed? | A before-and-after list lets you confirm the result instead of trusting it. |
If a site cannot answer the first question clearly, an offline tool is the safer choice.
FluidGhost: metadata inside a production workflow
FluidGhost is a web app for creators and social media teams that turns one photo or video into many fresh copies, each its own file. Metadata handling is one part of that job, not the whole product. The honest description of what it does with metadata:
- Reads metadata, free and without an account. The free check reads a JPEG, HEIC, PNG or WebP file in your browser, without uploading it, and lists camera and editor tags, GPS and time zones, JPEG and HEIC structure. An optional forensic read sends the file to our server for a metadata, container and C2PA provenance read; that file is measured and not stored.
- Removes metadata. Clean wipe strips EXIF, GPS, timestamps and device data. Under the hood it runs ExifTool with its delete-all options, including file trailers. That also means it removes a JPEG's HDR gain map, the same trade-off as ExifTool's own delete-all.
- Writes new capture metadata. Instead of wiping, a job can keep the original's metadata or stamp a fresh set: a device, a place and a time, chosen per job.
- Batches and video. One photo or a whole batch, JPG, PNG, HEIC, AVIF, WebP and TIFF, plus MP4 and MOV video. The Studio's Quick mode makes up to 20 copies at a time; Bulk mode and the API take much larger runs.
The trade-offs are real too. Your files are processed on FluidGhost's servers and stay in your account until you delete them. It is a paid product beyond the free tier. And it is not a general-purpose metadata editor: ExifTool can write any individual tag you name; FluidGhost exposes the choices its workflow needs.
Side-by-side
| Feature | ExifTool | Free online EXIF removers | FluidGhost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reads metadata | Yes, the broadest coverage [1] | Usually a summary | Yes, free check in the browser; deeper read on request |
| Removes metadata | Yes, all or by group [2] | Yes, usually all at once | Yes, Clean wipe (all, set per job) |
| Writes new capture metadata | Yes, any tag, by hand [1] | Rarely | Yes, keep the original's or stamp a fresh device, place and time |
| Batch | Yes, whole folders, recursive [1][2] | Varies, often one file | Yes, batches in the Studio and the API |
| Video | Yes, MOV and MP4 among others [1] | Varies, often images only | Yes, MP4 and MOV |
| Keeps HDR gain maps when stripping | Targeted deletes leave them; delete-all removes JPEG trailers [1][3] | Varies, check for re-encoding | No: Clean wipe removes trailers, gain map included |
| Live Photos | Edits the still and the video as separate files | Varies | Not claimed here |
| Where your file goes | Stays on your computer | Often uploaded to the site's server; check | Free check: stays in your browser. Processing jobs: our servers, kept in your account until you delete them |
| Price | Free [1] | Usually free; check what pays for it | Free plan at $0 a month with files billed from $0.020 per photo; video 5× the photo rate |
Which one should you use?
For most people who only want to remove location or camera details from a few photos, ExifTool or your phone's built-in share options are the right answer, and they cost nothing. If you want something visual without installing software, an online tool is fine as long as you know where the file goes.
FluidGhost makes sense when metadata is one step in a larger routine: many files, several accounts, video as well as photos, a team sharing one workspace, and a need to choose per job whether files are wiped, kept or given fresh capture data.
Where FluidGhost fits
If you are curious what your own photos carry, start with the free check: no account, and the basic read never leaves your browser. If your work is producing fresh copies of the same photos and videos for several accounts, the FluidGhost homepage explains the rest.
FAQ
Is ExifTool free?
Yes. ExifTool by Phil Harvey is free software you can redistribute and modify under the same terms as Perl. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and donations are optional.
Are online EXIF removers safe?
It depends on the site. Many work by uploading your photo to a server, which means a copy of a file you want to make private leaves your device. Check whether the tool processes in the browser, read its privacy policy, or use an offline tool such as ExifTool or your phone's own share options.
Does removing all metadata affect HDR photos?
It can. Ultra HDR JPEGs store their gain map as a second image inside the file, and ExifTool's delete-all option removes all JPEG APP segments and trailers. Deleting only the group you care about, such as GPS, leaves the rest of the file alone.
How do I remove only the location from a photo?
On iPhone, tap Share, then Options, and turn off Location before you send. With ExifTool, the command exiftool -gps:all= photo.jpg deletes the GPS group and leaves other metadata in place.
Does FluidGhost use ExifTool?
Yes. FluidGhost's metadata engine runs ExifTool through the exiftool-vendored library, including for its Clean wipe option. What FluidGhost adds is the workflow around it: batches, video, team accounts and new copies of each file.