Is SD Maid SE or Mopie better?

SD Maid SE is better for power users who want open source, deep system cleaning, app leftovers and optional root or Shizuku. Mopie is better for people who want a guided cleanup of photos, videos, blurry shots and WhatsApp media, with a Trash to undo deletes and no setup.

Do Mopie and SD Maid SE have ads?

No. Neither app has ads, and neither shares data with third parties according to their Google Play Data safety sections.

Comparison

Mopie vs SD Maid SE

Two privacy-respecting, ad-free cleaners with different audiences. SD Maid SE is a deep, open-source toolbox for power users; Mopie is a guided cleaner for the photos, videos and chat media that fill most phones.

Facts checked 26 October 2026 · By FourC Tech, the maker of Mopie

Quick answer: pick SD Maid SE if you're comfortable with settings, Accessibility or Shizuku and want to clean app leftovers, system files and caches, with open-source code you can inspect. Pick Mopie if you want to open the app and clear duplicates, similar or blurry photos, similar videos and WhatsApp media with no setup, and undo mistakes from a built-in Trash.

Side by side

	Mopie	SD Maid SE
Ads	No	No
Data shared with third parties	None	None (no data collected)
Open source	No	Yes (GPL-3.0)
Price	Free scan and 1 GB free cleaning; Pro 8.45 AED/mo, 67.60 AED/yr or 87.75 AED lifetime	Free scan; deleting caches and duplicates needs upgrade (one-time or subscription)
Duplicate files	Yes, by content	Yes, by checksum
Similar photos	Yes, on by default, Best Shot kept	Yes, off by default
Similar videos	Yes, Best Take kept	Yes, off by default (also similar audio)
Blurry photos	Yes	Not offered
WhatsApp media	Dedicated tab	Duplicates only
App leftovers, system cleaning	No	Yes (CorpseFinder, SystemCleaner)
Cache cleaning	Shows cache per app, opens App info	Yes, via Accessibility, Shizuku or root
Scheduled cleaning	No (scan reminders only)	Yes
Trash / undo	Yes (Android 11+)	Not documented; shows a preview before deleting
Setup	Grant file access and go	Accessibility or Shizuku for some tools; root optional
Google Play rating	New (2026)	4.7 · 1M+ downloads

Where SD Maid SE is better

Open source and available on F-Droid, with no data collected at all.
Deeper cleaning: leftovers from uninstalled apps, system filters, caches and a full app manager including system apps.
Automation: scheduled cleaning and configurable rules.
A mature, highly rated app from a long-running developer.

Where Mopie is better

No setup. No Accessibility, Shizuku or root needed.
Blurry photo detection and a dedicated WhatsApp tab (sent, old, large, duplicate and status media).
Similar-photo and similar-video detection on by default, with the best one kept locked.
Built-in Trash with free restore, so mistakes are easy to undo.
1 GB of free cleaning, including duplicates, not just scanning.

Built to fix common cleaner-app complaints

We read about 500 Google Play reviews of 14 cleaner apps before building Mopie. The top complaints, and Mopie's answer:

"Doesn't find duplicates" (33%): Mopie matches files by content, across photos, videos, music, documents and archives.
"Everything is paywalled" (22%): unlimited free scanning, review, restore and app manager; 1 GB of free cleaning.
"Can't scan the SD card" (12%): Mopie scans internal storage and SD cards.
"Deleted the wrong photos" (6%): originals and best shots are locked, and deletes can go to Trash.

Read the full study →

Verdict

These two respect your privacy equally. If you like to tinker and want the deepest clean, SD Maid SE is excellent. If you want a calm, guided way to clear photos, videos and WhatsApp media, with an undo, Mopie is made for that.

Try Mopie on Google Play See all 5 cleaners

Sources

SD Maid 2/SE on Google Play, viewed 26 October 2026
SD Maid SE FAQ, Deduplicator docs, GitHub
Mopie on Google Play

FourC Tech is not affiliated with the SD Maid developer. Corrections: support@fourctech.com.