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Other Mac cleaners, side by side.

We read each maker's own pages and wrote down what they state, with the link and the date. If a page did not state something, the row says so.

Last checked

Mac cleaners.

  1. CleanMyMacA paid all-in-one Mac maintenance app from MacPaw that cleans junk, checks for malware and manages performance.$39.95 a year1 Mac, annual2 more on the page
  2. DaisyDiskA disk space analyser that draws your disk as a sunburst map so you can find and delete the largest files yourself.$9.99 onceMac App Store edition
  3. OnyXA donationware maintenance utility from Titanium Software with one build per macOS version, covering cleaning, system checks and hidden settings.$0Donationware
  4. AppCleanerA small drag-and-drop uninstaller from FreeMacSoft that finds the files an app spread around your Mac and deletes them with the app.Price not statedDownload
  5. CCleaner for MacThe Mac edition of CCleaner from Gen Digital, with a free tier for junk, duplicates and uninstalls and a paid tier for photo analysis and scheduled browser cleaning.$0Free1 more on the page
  6. PearcleanerA free, source-available Mac app uninstaller with an orphaned file search, a Homebrew manager and a development environment manager.$0Free
  7. SenseiA paid system monitor from Cindori with a cleaning tab, an uninstaller, drive health reports and benchmarks.$29 a yearSensei Plan, up to 3 Macs1 more on the page
  8. MacKeeperA subscription Mac suite from Clario that bundles cleanup and an uninstaller with antivirus, a VPN, adware blocking and identity monitoring.$10.95 a month1-month plan, 1 Mac2 more on the page
  9. GrandPerspectiveAn open-source utility under the GPL that draws disk usage as a tree map and lets you delete files and folders from the view.$0Sourceforge download1 more on the page
  10. MacCleaner ProA paid bundle of six Nektony cleanup tools, including an app uninstaller, a disk space analyser and a cache and log cleaner.Price not statedSubscription or one-time purchase
  11. BuhoCleanerA paid Mac cleaner from Dr. Buho with a one-tap Flash Clean, an app uninstaller with leftover removal, a disk space analyser and startup item controls.$17.99 a year1 Year Subscription, 3 Macs2 more on the page
  12. mac-cleanup-pyAn open-source Python command-line script under Apache 2.0 that clears caches and deletes logs through a list of named modules.$0Open source

Where macleanup falls short.

Read these before you choose it.

  • Not notarised by Apple, and not on the Mac App Store. The first time you open the app, macOS stops it and you choose Open Anyway in Privacy & Security. The steps
  • A text disk report, not a visual map. Section 26 prints folder sizes for your home folder and ~/Library.
  • No undo. Sections 12, 21 and 24 move items to the Trash. Anything else deleted directly needs a backup to recover. What gets deleted
  • A run limit in the app. The Free plan gives 15 real runs a month on each Mac. The command line has no limit.
  • The app's source is private. The command line is MIT licensed and public; the desktop app is not.

Run the preview first.

npx macleanup --dry-run --all lists the paths and deletes nothing, whichever cleaner you use today.