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mac-cleanup-py or macleanup.

An open-source Python command-line script under Apache 2.0 that clears caches and deletes logs through a list of named modules.

Last checked

Check mac-cleanup-py yourself

PRICES AS READ2026-11-07
mac-cleanup-py
Open source$0

Apache License 2.0

Source,

macleanup
Free$0 always
Pro$4 a month

or $36 a year

Team$3 a seat a month

from 3 seats · $30 a seat a year

From our pricing page

Plan names as each maker writes them

Who each one serves better.

Better served by mac-cleanup-py

Choose mac-cleanup-py if you already run Python and want a module-per-tool cache cleaner you can install with pip or Homebrew.

Better served by macleanup

Choose macleanup if you want no Python or Node needed for a checkout run, orphaned app data and unused apps covered, Trash-first removal where it applies, and a desktop app that runs the same script in a window.

Feature by feature.

Each mac-cleanup-py answer is what its own pages state; follow the source to read it. Our answers come from the script and the app.

Whatmac-cleanup-pymacleanup
Clears cachesYes sourceYes Sections 3, 5 and 19.
Clears logsYes sourceYes Section 7.
Finds orphan files from removed appsNot stated on the pages we checkedYes Section 12.
Uninstalls appsNot stated on the pages we checkedYes Section 21, moved to the Trash.
Disk usage mapNot stated on the pages we checkedPartial A text report from section 26. No visual map.
Free to useYes sourceYes The command line has no limit. The app has a Free plan with a monthly run limit.
Mac App Store or notarisedNot stated on the pages we checkedNo Not notarised by Apple and not on the Mac App Store.
Open sourceYes sourcePartial The command line is MIT and public. The desktop app source is private.

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.

Moving from mac-cleanup-py.

The guide maps what you use there to numbered sections, with a preview before anything changes.