Software Alternatives & Startups

mat2 VS Hexloom

Compare mat2 VS Hexloom and see what are their differences

mat2

mat2 is a metadata removal tool, supporting a wide range of commonly used file formats.

Rating
0 reviews
Hexloom

See and remove hidden author data from Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium $4 / Monthly (Hexloom Pro (US and Canada), all tools; or $29 a year)
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, mat2 seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 15 times since March 2021.

social mentions
15 vs 0
Privacy popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
65 vs 6

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

mat2
Hexloom
Website 0xacab.org hexloomlabs.com
Pricing —
Freemium $4 / Monthly (Hexloom Pro (US and Canada), all tools; or $29 a year) Official pricing
Platforms —
Browser
Listed in

About mat2 and Hexloom

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

mat2
Hexloom

No description of mat2 yet.

Doc Scrubber shows what a Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF file says about you, then gives you a clean copy. In your browser, it lists the author, last modified by, company, comments, tracked changes and document properties, and removes them if you choose. Your file is not uploaded. It is read and...

Read more about Hexloom

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

mat2 5 features
Hexloom 5 features
  • Metadata Removal
    MAT2 effectively removes unwanted metadata from various file types, helping users protect their privacy by ensuring that potentially sensitive information is not inadvertently shared.
  • Support for Multiple Formats
    It supports a wide range of file formats such as images, documents, and audio files, making it versatile for different users' needs.
  • Open Source
    Since MAT2 is open-source software, it allows users to inspect the code, contribute to its development, and trust its operations without proprietary concerns.
  • Command-Line Interface
    For advanced users, MAT2 offers a robust command-line interface (CLI) that allows for efficient batch processing and integration into scripts and automated workflows.
  • Designed for Privacy
    MAT2 is specifically designed with privacy in mind, aiming to help users manage and protect their digital footprint efficiently.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve for Beginners
    The command-line nature of MAT2 might be intimidating for those unfamiliar with such environments, limiting accessibility for non-technical users.
  • Limited User Interface
    Unlike some other metadata tools, MAT2 may lack a graphical user interface, which can be a barrier for users who prefer or need GUI-based applications.
  • Not Foolproof
    While MAT2 is effective, it's possible that it might not support every single file format or metadata type, potentially leaving some metadata untouched.
  • Requires Regular Updates
    To ensure compatibility with new file formats and address security vulnerabilities, MAT2 needs regular updates, which can be a task for users to maintain.
  • Dependency on Python
    As a Python-based tool, MAT2 requires a Python environment to run, which might not be readily available or desirable for all users.
  • Found-in-your-file report
    Lists author, last modified by, company, comments, tracked changes and document properties before you download the clean copy
  • Runs in your browser
    Files are read and cleaned on your device; no request carries file data
  • Tracked changes are your choice
    Leave, accept or reject tracked changes in Word files; author names on what stays can be replaced
  • File types
    .docx, .xlsx, .pptx and .pdf (not .doc, .xls, .ppt or password-protected files)
  • Folder drop and zip download
    Hexloom Pro: unlimited files per batch and a zip of the cleaned copies

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
mat2
Hexloom
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing mat2 and Hexloom.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Hexloom's answer:

JavaScript that runs in your browser. The PDF engine is the open-source pdf-lib library, and the site is served by Cloudflare.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Hexloom's answer:

Choose it for a quick look-and-clean of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files with nothing to install and no file sent to a server. If you need to redact visible text, remove embedded files or macros, or handle the old .doc, .xls and .ppt formats, it is not the right tool, and the page says so.

What makes your product unique?

Hexloom's answer:

It pairs a plain "found in your file" report with the cleaning itself, and it runs in your browser, so the file is not uploaded; you can confirm that in the Network tab. It also lists what it does not remove (names in the body text, headers, footers, the file name, hidden rows and slides), so you know what to check yourself.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Hexloom's answer:

People who send files outside their organization and do not want their name, comments or tracked changes to travel with them: freelancers and consultants sending proposals, small agencies, recruiters and HR teams sharing resumes, paralegals and small law offices, and journalists.

What's the story behind your product?

Hexloom's answer:

Hexloom Labs builds small browser tools that work on your files without uploading them. Doc Scrubber covers one job: showing what a Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF file carries about its author, then giving you a copy without it. The tool and this text were made with AI assistance, and its behaviour is checked by running it against sample files.

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

mat2 15 mentions
Hexloom 0 mentions
  • How do I remove exif in linux?
    You could also use the privacy tool MAT 2. It is also available as a webapp (hosted by Systemli), although this may not be the best solution depending on your use case. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How do I remove exif in linux?
    Metadata Cleaner which makes use of Mat2. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How to prevent bsdtar from saving file permissions, owner, and group, etc
    Otherwise you're maybe better off copying the files first and sanitising them before you create the tar. Maybe something like MAT can help here or you could write a script that performs some preset actions to remove or replace any... Source: about 4 years ago

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Tracking Hexloom since Oct 2026.

Alternatives to mat2 and Hexloom

When comparing mat2 and Hexloom, you can also consider the following products.