ExifTool

Command-line tool and Perl library for reading, writing and editing file metadata.

Open sourceMetadata viewers and cleaners

Verified facts: 5 of 5
Alternatives ranked: 2
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About ExifTool

ExifTool, written and maintained by Phil Harvey for more than two decades, is the reference tool for metadata. It reads, writes and edits tags in a very wide range of files, covering EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, ICC profiles and ID3, plus the proprietary maker notes from most camera brands. Photographers use it to fix dates, add copyright or geotags in bulk, and rename files from their capture time; developers and forensic analysts use it to pull everything a file reveals. It can also strip metadata entirely. ExifTool is a command-line program and a Perl library, with a Windows executable and a macOS installer for people who don't want to set up Perl; many photo apps and GUIs call it behind the scenes. It is free software distributed under the same terms as Perl. The trade-off is the interface: there is no official graphical app, so you either learn its options or use a third-party front end.

Best for: Photographers and technical users who need to read, fix or strip metadata in bulk.

What works

Supports a huge range of metadata formats and camera maker notes
Can write and remove tags, not just read them
Scriptable for batch renaming, date shifting and geotagging
Free, actively maintained, with frequent releases

Why people leave

No official graphical interface; command-line options take time to learn
Easy to overwrite data by mistake without backups
Output for video streams is less readable than MediaInfo's

Top ExifTool alternatives

See all 2

1
MediaInfo
Clearer, more detailed reports on video and audio streams, with a GUI.
62.6
2
digiKam
Photo manager with a built-in metadata editor, for people who'd rather edit tags inside a library app.
51.2

Why people left ExifTool

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ExifTool: common questions

Is ExifTool free?

Yes. ExifTool is free, open-source software.

Is ExifTool open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at exiftool/exiftool.

What platforms does ExifTool run on?

ExifTool is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to ExifTool?

The highest-ranked ExifTool alternatives right now are MediaInfo and digiKam. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 2 ExifTool alternatives

ExifTool facts

5 of 5 verified

Type: Command-line app and Perl library; Checked Oct 30, 2026exiftool.org(opens source in a new tab); “28, 2026 ExifTool is a platform-independent Perl library plus a command-line application for reading, writing and editing meta information in a wide variety of files .”
Formats: EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, ID3 and more; Checked Oct 30, 2026exiftool.org(opens source in a new tab); “ExifTool supports many different metadata formats including EXIF , GPS , IPTC , XMP”
Platforms: Windows executable, macOS package, Perl; Checked Oct 30, 2026exiftool.org(opens source in a new tab); “ExifTool is also available as a Windows executable and a MacOS package”
License: Same terms as Perl; Checked Oct 30, 2026exiftool.org(opens source in a new tab); “Williams and Hayo Baan for their help with the ExifTool Forum License This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself .”
Developer: Phil Harvey; Checked Oct 30, 2026exiftool.org(opens source in a new tab); “ExifTool by Phil Harvey ExifTool by Phil Harvey Read , Write and Edit Meta Information!”