We clean our rooms and clothes so why not our Macs? But who can waste the entire day digging through folders and files? There are so many places like music, videos, apps and email downloads, and countless more locations on your Mac where junk and clutter accumulates. In 2020 cleaning your Mac is easier than ever. Which is why millions of people download free and low-cost Mac cleaning software.
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Mac Cleaner & Uninstaller Pro is a wonderful disk cleaning utility for Mac. It is able to remove junk files, internet cookies, system logs, and unwanted apps to free up the needed space. You can use it to manage the extensions in a single click. Mac cleaning tools provided in the Toolbox that could also be useful when cleaning a Mac include: Clean Drive, Uninstall Apps, Find Duplicates, Free Memory. Oct 01, 2011 As a recently converted mac user I am interested to see if there is a Mac equivalent to pc's 'disk cleanup' and a defragger. I know mac's are far more robust than pc's but they surely need a clean every so often. I have seen many apps such as Mac Keeper, Mac Cleanse, CleanMyMac and more. Which is the best? One of the best Mac cleaner apps, Dr. Cleaner heals your processing system by cleaning out and removing cache files, trash files, and junk left behind by uninstalled apps. It is an apt choice to speed up Mac as it offers Disk Cleaning, System Monitoring, and Memory Optimization for a smooth performance. Another incredible uninstaller for mac that effortlessly deletes apps from your Mac is “App Cleaner and Uninstaller”. Use it to recover space on your mac, remove supporting files along with system junk, residual files, cache and much more. To remove a particular application, simply select it from the application list and uninstall it.
To start off, we've made a quick comparison chart about best Mac cleaners for Mac.
| Rating | Name | Features | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CleanMyMac X | Best cleaning and antimalware functionality in one tool | Link |
| 2 | Disk Doctor | Quick scan and deep cleaning of all kinds of junk | Link |
| 3 | Gemini 2 | Finds duplicate and similar files everywhere on your Mac, including Photos, iTunes, and external drives. | Link |
A handy cleaner may prove that your Mac is still alive and can actually perform at its best. In this article we’ve brought together some of the best Mac cleaning solutions around to clean, optimize, and maintain Macs that are available in 2020.
Top 10 best cleaners for Mac: Free and premium versions
1. CleanMyMac X
CleanMyMac X takes the first place with good reason — this cleaner combines features of both cleaning software and antimalware tool. Its Smart Scan promises a “nice and thorough scan of your Mac.” It does what it says, detecting junk like user cache files and system logs, checking your Mac for malicious software, and speeding up your MacBook. Looks like, there is a threat in my system, that I need to get rid of:
Frankly speaking, CleanMyMac X is Tesla Roadster among other Mac cleaners. And it does a great job revealing your junk and other clutter, uninstalling unneeded apps and their leftovers, and keeping your Mac’s system clean and optimized. Another pro is that CleanMyMac X is Apple-notarized, which means it’s safe for your Mac. You can download its free version right here.
Price: $39.95
Free version: Available here
2. Disk Doctor
Disk Doctor is developed in the UK and was awarded the 'Mac Gem’ award by MacWorld in 2013. CNET and other tech journalists also praise functionality. As of 2020, it still looks like a useful tool for Mac cleaning that removes junk slowing down and reducing the computing power of your Mac.
Price: $2.99
Free version: N/A
3. Gemini 2
Gemini 2 is the duplicate finder that allows you to free up gigabytes of storage and organize your files. In just a few minutes.
It quickly scans every corner of your Mac and weeds out useless copies. No matter what type of file it is: a photo, music track, or a doc… Gemini will definitely find it. And once the scan is done, you can remove the duplicates in a click. Or review results to make sure nothing important gets deleted.
If you remove something by accident, it takes just a click to put it back. And to make sure things like that never happen again, you can exclude specific files and folders from scan. Try out the free version right here.
Price: $19.96
Free version: Available here
4. Onyx
OnyX is a french Mac cleaning solution developed by Titanium software. It weighs only 5 MB but that doesn’t mean its capabilities are limited. OnyX is a tool that programmers will have a lot of fun with. With it, you can peek under the hood of your macOS and automate a whole list of jobs, like disk cleanup and cache removal. You can even tweak the color of folders on your Mac, and even make them invisible. Deservedly, it's among the best free Mac cleaners.
OnyX is one of the best Mac cleaners because it cleans many specific under-the-surface files, like inner databases and logs. If you know what is XPC cache is, you’ll probably like this app. But for us, ordinary Mac users who came here for the design and glossy buttons, OnyX will require some learning time.
Those who use OnyX say it is stable and reliable. There is no dedicated customer service (because OnyX is free software), but you shouldn’t be worried. The only likely damage is you accidentally deleting files by yourself.
Price: Free cleaner
5. DaisyDisk
DaisyDisk gives you a visual representation of your Mac folders, making it easy to see what is taking up space and delete the folders you don't need. All you need to do is select a drive, DaisyDisk will scan it, then you can delete everything that is wasting valuable space. It comes with a free and premium version.
Price:$9.99
Free version: Trial version available
6. AppCleaner & Uninstaller
If you only need to uninstall apps on Mac, AppCleaner is a good pick. AppCleaner only removes applications, plugins, and widgets, which are again, small apps. AppCleaner works in a familiar drag & drop mode. Its interface is also clean and easy to understand for a newbie.
After feeding the apps to AppCleaner, you should visit the Leftovers section of the app to erase their remains. Why we place AppCleaner & Uninstaller among free Mac cleaner tools? Because it is 100% free. Whether you will fully clean your Mac using it, is a different question.
AppCleaner & Uninstaller is created by FreeMacSoft, also the makers of LiteIcon, an icon customizer for Mac.
Price: Voluntary donation
7. Smart Mac Care
If you launch Smart Mac Care, it will look hauntingly familiar to other free Mac cleaner apps. Not only features will be called the same, everything up to the fonts, will be identical to some other app you’ve just used. That’s not a minus, though. You can still free up a lot of space with Smart Mac Care.
Smart Mac Care operates by a logic of “scans.” There is a Junk Scan, Malware Scan, Privacy Scan, etc. Just like Mac Booster, Smart Mac Care removes duplicates scattered in various locations on your Mac. There’s also a Memory Optimizer feature that promises to free up RAM on your Mac. In a word, Smart Mac Care resembles every other generic product whose only difference is in packaging. This is supported by the fact that we couldn’t find any credible third-party reviews for this app.
On another skeptical note: to uninstall Smart Mac Care you have to enter your admin password. This is not the case with other Mac cleaners we’ve used.
Price: $56.62 per year
Free version: Demo available
8. Drive Genius
Drive Genius is labeled a “Mac monitoring software.” It’s a whole suite of tools that provide powerful disk diagnostics. It’s hard to list a thing that this software doesn’t do. You can scan for malware, secure-erase files, customize icons — it’s dozens of apps in one body. What makes Drive Genius unique is, probably, its search for corrupted files and inconsistencies on your drive. If your Mac is an old one, keeping it in good health will be easier with Drive Genius.
In a free version, you can use just a fraction of tools, notably a DiskPulse utility. This is an automatic Mac health checker that notifies you before your hard drive fails. Unlike Mac cleaners that merely scan, it is able to repair damage on your disks, which makes it a real deal. Be prepared that hard drive scan may take some time, but the results are worth it. Also note that Drive Genius is not available for macOS Catalina (as of the beginning of 2020).
Cleaner Apps For Mac Catalina
Price: $299 for Professional edition
Free version: Limited Lite edition is available
9. CCleaner
Originally created in 2004 by Piriform, CCleaner comes with a free and professional version, focusing on businesses and business customers. CCleaner is a cross-platform tool, for PCs, Macs, Android, and it has a Cloud, Network and Technician tool, depending on what you need and the platform/software you use.
The premium version comes with a lot more features, including real-time alerts, free updates, and dedicated support. Although created for PCs in the early days, CCleaner does well to identify unwanted files on a Mac, so that users can select and delete the files and folders they don't need to free up space. As a cleaner for Mac, customers are pretty happy with the results of CCleaner.
Price: $19.95
Free version: Available
10. Sensei
The Sensei app is a relatively new app on the market, but it can be another useful tool for your Mac. The Sensei software developers call the app “Pro Mac Cleaner” on their website. I would call it a performance controlling tool.
Sensei presents a detailed picture of how your Mac performs. In the Dashboard, you can find out information about your MacBook, check your CPU’s current temperature, and see how much of your RAM is used. Cooling gives you exact information on your Mac’s fans' speed.
Its Clean option helps to get rid of user cache, logs, large files, etc. The Uninstaller feature allows you to delete apps from your Mac and remove their traces. It doesn’t list pre-installed apps from Apple, such as Safari or Calendar, but it shows every app you have installed on your Mac.
Surely, you can clean up your Mac manually, but using dedicated software will save you tons of time.
Price: $29 per year
Free version: Available
Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t my Mac clean itself?
Your macOS also has a built-in Mac cleaner, which Apple called Optimized Storage. Though its capabilities are limited, it gives you basic directions on where to start the cleanup. But for a thorough system cleanup and removing malware, you’ll need a dedicated Mac cleaner app.
Can Mac cleaner apps delete my important files?
Typically, best Mac cleaner apps have a protection built-in. They will usually select only those files that are safe for deletion.
Will Mac cleaners slow down my Mac?
Some cleaners try to get into your Login items, thus creating an extra burden on processor. On a flip side, the reliable Mac cleaner apps might even speed up your Mac. They remove all the outdated junk files giving your Mac an extra boost.
Mac cleaning apps you should avoid
Above we've touched the trusted Mac cleanup solutions but there are many that work on the dark side. Malwarebytes lists Advanced Mac Cleaner Pro and similar tools as unwanted applications. Here are some signs that should warn you against using scam Mac cleaners.
Signs of Mac cleaner scam:
- 'Your Mac is infected' intrusive message
- An app is installed as part of different app
- An app finds 2323 (the number is an example) threats on your Mac
- Mac cleaner redirects your search page
Be safe and happy cleaning.
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Far too many Macs are full of apps people don't need. Removing apps is not the easy task many would assume. Apps have a way of taking up space all over your Mac, which means simply deleting them won’t always clear up as much memory as you would hope.
With the right app cleaner, you can delete apps in a few clicks and give your Mac some much-needed extra memory. In this article, we are going to cover the best app cleaners for Mac.
Another way to delete apps is to search manually for the component parts, then drag and drop them into trash. But your application folder isn’t the only place that Mac apps hide. You will also find traces in download folders, and often, in browsers. Plugins can be deleted, but make sure they aren't leaving cache files, cookies, and other pieces of junk cluttering up your macOS.
If you don't want to delete apps the manual way and look for an effective app cleaner, here are some other options.
| Rating | Name | Features | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CleanMyMac X | Powerful app remover that is notarized by Apple | Link |
| 2 | AppDelete | Elegant tool for basic level app deletion | Link |
| 3 | AppZapper | Drag & drop software that also removes app leftovers | Link |
Top 5 app cleaners for Mac
Below are 5 great apps for uninstalling software. Choose the one that works best for you.
1. CleanMyMac X
CleanMyMac X does so much more than just remove unwanted apps and free up valuable space.
With 4 million users worldwide - and counting - we are delighted that over 10.5 million apps have been removed, with millions more files and folders that were taking up disk space and reducing the processing speed of Macs. With the Uninstaller tool, you can clean up old leftovers and delete apps safely.
Plugins and add-ons are also easily removed, with all of the extensions visible in a single dashboard, so you won’t need to open the app they are tied to. System junk, iOS backups, and email downloads are also easily removed with a few clicks, making this one of the most powerful app cleaners around, with hundreds of positive reviews from Mac users, tech bloggers, and experts. Powerful and efficient: CleanMyMac X is the only Mac app cleaner you will ever need.
Cleaner App For Mac
2. AppDelete
Cleanup Apps For Mac
Created by an independent software developer in California, AppDelete is an app uninstaller that deletes apps, widgets, and other related files. Before deleting files, it shows you them for a few seconds to make sure the right apps are going to be deleted — with the option that you can undo a removal, so you don't need to worry about deleting something important accidentally.
Once you are confident the right apps have gone, AppDelete removes the garbage files to free up space. This app remover for Mac serves a useful purpose for users that want to free up space.
3. AppZapper
AppZapper is a ‘drag and drop’ app cleaner that makes it easy to remove unwanted apps.
Deleting an app isn’t as easy as dragging it out of your applications folder into trash. Apps keep files and folders scattered about your Mac; however, finding them is the hard part, which is why so many people hope to find a free app cleaner to remove them without any difficulties. Usually, good app cleaners aren't free, but they will get the job done.
AppZapper locates the files related to the apps you want to delete. Shows you them first, and when you are confident the right files and cache folders have been located, you can Zap them with one click.
4. TuneupMyMac
TuneupMyMac is another Mac app cleaner known for removing unwanted apps quickly. Designed for macOS up to OS 10.7, TuneupMyMac is compatible with the latest version of macOS. You can download it for free to scan your Mac and find the files you need to delete — although there is no information whether it will delete these files, or you need to pay before it will perform that function. This Mac app remover looks like this:
Dr Cleaner App For Mac
The only potential problem with TuneupMyMac, unlike the others mentioned in this article, is there are dozens of forum discussion posts and web pages urging users to avoid it. Some claim it is potential malware or another form of cyber virus, despite several five-star app cleaner reviews. It might be worth approaching with caution and not downloading until you’ve done your own homework.
5. App Cleaner & Uninstaller
Free Apps For Mac Computer
A lightweight free app cleaner for those who download, capable of finding unwanted apps and deleting related files, including login items and launch agents. Deleting apps safely to ensure Macs have more space and computing power is the work of App Cleaner & Uninstaller. It comes with several positive reviews from those who've downloaded.
Cleaner Apps For Mac Windows 10
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