Best Mac Cleaner software: Boost performance and disk space with a Mac cleaner app

MacCleaner Pro from Nektony (version 3.3 at the time of our latest review) is divided into a core app and several module apps, namely App Cleaner & Uninstaller, Disk Space Analyzer, Duplicate File Finder, Memory Cleaner, and Funter. The core app can perform an overall disk cleaning and help free up storage space by eliminating extraneous files. 

The App Cleaner & Uninstaller module works well, and allows you to see the app you’re removing as well as its support files. This module has been improved compared to version 3, and now offers you easier access to startup programs and extension files, allowing you to enable, disable, or remove them. A Remaining Files feature allows you to chase down loose files, while an Open With feature lets you assign applications to open certain file types.

With Duplicate File Finder it’s easy to specify file types to look for, such as audio and photo files, with an impressive level of precise control. Memory Cleaner module offers an easy interface to show which applications and processes are consuming the most RAM. Funter module finds hidden files within your operating system. 

The Fast Cleanup option was able to clear up 11.4GB of drive space, most of these being application cache files, while the Deep Cleanup feature helped reclaim 65.4GB of drive space. 

We did have some peculiar instances in which a reminder poped up advising us to clear disk space for a macOS Sonoma (which was already installed). On another occasion when we paused scanning after half an hour we saw a request for full access to the hard drive. 

MacCleaner Pro is easy to install, runs well and has a good feature base. You can buy it on an annual or monthly subscription or as a one-time purchase.

The free trial version is fully functioning for two days and will actually perform some of the tasks you need to do, rather than ask you to buy the full version.

You can get MacCleaner Pro here.

CleanMyMac X is a catch-all utility designed to identify and clean out gigabytes upon gigabytes of unused system garbage. It grants you easy access to several handy utilities to clear up disk space, protect user privacy, optimize performance, update applications, uninstall software, and help prevent malware and adware.

The modules include Smart Scan, System Junk, Mail Attachments, Trash Bins, Malware Removal, Privacy, Optimization, Maintenance, Uninstaller, Updater, Extensions, Space Lens, Large & Old Files, and Shredder. Among these you will find tools for file cleanup, malware removal, privacy cleanup, easy access to system extensions, the app uninstaller, and the ability to down multi-GB files you forgot to delete and a quick means of deleting them.

Smart Scan is the overarching umbrella feature, hunting down extraneous files that can be deleted to clear drive space, performing a quick malware scan, and executing a speed test to look into optimization functions, such as freeing up RAM or quickly clearing system caches. The Disk Lens and Uninstaller offered a clear view as to which folders were consuming the most drive space and a quick means of removing applications. 

I was able to recover more than 30GB of drive space as the program found unused files and disk images galore. 

Our main criticism is that the developer overextends themselves by trying to be everything to everyone. Unfortunately, some features aren’t as good as others – particularly the Malware removal module and the Updater function, neither of which work as well as we hoped, even with the antivirus being updated to take advantage of the Moonlock Engine. 

CleanMyMac X is easy to download and install, and features a bright, friendly user interface and it’s exceptionally easy to see what’s gobbling up the most space on your Mac’s hard drive. The features are well-integrated. The software costs can be purchased on an annual subscription or a one-time purchase for a 1 Mac license.

There’s a free version available to download There is a free trial version available on the Mac App Store and from MacPaw’s website, but it restricts the app to only remove files up to a maximum of 500MB – and in the middle of deleting files it will demand you pay the license fee for the app. You can download that limited version and scan your Mac to see just now much space you can save before committing to buying the app.

MacPaw is currently running a 30% discount for students – submit your university email address and receive a download code here. 

You can get CleanMyMac X here.

Though not strictly a Mac cleaner, like other apps in this round-up, MacPaw’s Gemini 2 can certainly help you get back some disc space. It is a duplicate removal tool that focuses specifically on reducing the thousands of duplicate photos in your Photos library. It also hunts down duplicate files within Apple Music and across the macOS operating system. The app is available through Apple’s App Store and MacPaw’s SetApp application, which grants access to Gemini and other apps for $9.99 (£7.60) a month. It is easy to install and offers a seven-day free trial in exchange for either your credit or debit card information.

The app includes scripts for easy scanning of the Photos library and your Music library, as well as custom folders and external volumes that can be chosen from a menu or dragged, dropped, and quickly scanned. Other features include Menu Bar elements, whitelists that can be created that are exempt from being scanned, and a Duplicate Monitor feature that helps compare files and heads off duplicates before they begin to pile up.

In testing, Gemini 2 quickly sought out duplicates, offered the option to remove them, and eradicated them from our hard drive. This also applies to music files and other document types, and the Duplicate Monitor warns you about possible duplicates that have been carried over to your hard drive.

However, there are some caveats, such as confusion about account registration and permissions after downloading and installing Gemini 2 from the App Store. MacPaw is urging its clients towards SetApp subscriptions, which offer full access to the company’s apps for a given rate per month.

While Gemini 2 runs well, a scheduling feature for folder or volume scans would not go amiss. An improved filter for located duplicate items would be more helpful.

Despite some minor hurdles, Gemini 2 is well-written, sharp, helpful, fast, works well with all kinds of duplicates, and lends a good feature set to the macOS operating system without being overbearing. It hones in on its tasks and performs them well enough to earn the trust of users.

You can get MacPaw Gemini 2 from the Mac App Store or from MacPaw here.

Parallels Toolbox is a bunch of tools that can be used to perform various actions on your Mac – such as Download Video, Record Audio, Hide Desktop Files, Resize Image, Clipboard History, Find Duplicates, Free Memory, and even the ability to set alarms. Among all these tools is one that can be used to clean your Mac.

Mac cleaning tools provided in Parallels Toolbox that could also be useful when cleaning a Mac include Clean Drive, Uninstall Apps, Find Duplicates, and Free Memory. The Clean Drive tool scans your drive and then lets you choose what to delete.

You can delete applications by dragging them to the trash, but this doesn’t always completely delete them. Often files and folders can be left scattered around your system that were related to that now gone app. Parallels’s Uninstall Apps tool will remove apps and their associated files from your Mac.

Similarly, you can run Find Duplicates to dig out any identical files – even ones that have different file names.

Parallel’s Toolbox costs $24.99/£20.99 a year, but the free 14-day trial will actually delete files, free memory and do all those other useful things without you buying the app!

You can get an overview of Toolbox’s various features, and download the seven-day trial, from the company’s website.

You can get Parallels Toolbox here.

No one ever said tracking down and eliminating all the stuff that was devouring space on your Mac would be pleasant, but DaisyDisk succeeds in making it pretty simple. DaisyDisk is focused on file management, presenting what’s taking up invaluable disk space, and allowing you to work with it.

If all you need is to make some space on your Mac (perhaps because you are trying to update the macOS and it needs more space than you have) then you could go for a tool that simply finds and deletes unnecessary files for you. If this sounds like you then DaisyDisk ($9.99/£9.99 on the Mac App Store) is an excellent tool for seeing the contents of your drive in a colorful and interactive graph.

The files are sorted into various groups such as Large files, Documents, Music, and Downloads, each of which are allocated their own colors and spokes that show how much space that area is taking up.

It’s a good at-a-glance method for understanding where all your space has gone. Each section can be clicked to bring up another circular breakdown of its contents, with each sector representing a file. These can be previewed to see whether you want them or not, and if it’s a case of the latter then you simply drag them to the bottom of the screen where all your junk files are stored.

The point of DaisyDisk is that it will delete the files you don’t need for you – rather than you trying to locate them. A job that could take hours takes minutes and there is no danger of deleting something important.

If you visit the DaisyDisk site then you’ll be able to download a trial version that shows you how the app works. This is useful, but as the delete feature has been disabled you won’t be able to clear out any files. Instead, go for the full-blown version which costs $9.99/£9.99 – at least that’s not a yearly subscription.

You can get Daisy Disk here.

Also from Nektony, is the simple and easy to use App Cleaner & Installer. This lightweight app is actually bundled with MacCleaner Pro (above), but this version focuses on clearing out the broken links, files, and other gubbins that get left behind when apps are uninstalled.

It also, as the name suggests, allows you to uninstall apps cleanly from the get-go, and set which ones launch at start up.  

There is a free version that does most of these tasks, but if you pay $9.99/£9.99 for the Pro upgrade you’ll also be able to remove system extensions, executable parts of files, and uninstall apps, plus the ads that adorn the free version disappear.

Easy to recommend due to both its price and quality.

You can get App Cleaner & Uninstaller here.

There’s a reason Onyx from Titanium Software has been among the tools of choice for Mac techies for such a long time. It offers a great set of tools and an incredible level of customization. It’s also freeware, so you don’t have to pay a penny, although the developer Titanium Software appreciates donations.

Onyx also combines a unique, bare-bones approach to its user interface while offering an incredible level of customization as to what files are affected during a repair.

Onyx can repair permissions, rebuild databases, reorganize file structures, check hard disk structures, and restore indexes. It can even repaire Unix-level functions that would otherwise only be accessed through Terminal.

The main downside is that it’s not all that simple to use and it’s easy to make errors. Luckily there are handy FAQ links on the Titanium Software website for common issues.

There are versions of Onyx for each version of the macOS.

You can get Onyx here.

CCleaner from Piriform (acquired by Avast, which has subsequently merged with Norton) achieves what it sets out to do: help clean up gigabytes of cache files, internet history files, and locate and purge large files on your Mac, all with an impressive level of control.

It’s easy to both analyze a hard drive to determine how much space certain files might be taking up. Options include Uninstall, Startup, Erase Free Space, Large File Finder, and Duplicate File Finder. You can customize which cookies you want to save or purge and chose between Normal file deletion,” which is faster or “Secure file deletion,” which takes longer.

Our only nitpick is that the user interface makes it feel very much like a Windows port. In fact, CCleaner has had a similar look and feel for the better part of 20 years.

It’s freeware, but there’s an option to pay for a professional version for $29.95/£25.95 a year.

In 2017 CCleaner was used to distribute malware. Hackers had inserted malicious code in the legitimate program. This has been rectified.

You can get CCleaner here.

We have to start by addressing the fact that MacKeeper doesn’t have the best reputation, although in recent years the company’s new owner – Clario – has tried very hard to rectify that. MacKeeper’s poor reputation wasn’t helped by the fact that it was difficult to uninstall an used scareware tactics to encourage people to upgrade to a paid version.

Those issues should now be in the past. The software has received a good grade from AV-Test and has notarization from Apple, among other things, that should give users confidence.

In terms of what it can do, MacKeeper offers 11 tools including an antivirus scanner, adware remover, a cleanup feature, a duplicate file finder, and a smart uninstaller. There’s also a memory cleaner, a software update tracker, and a startup item locator. You’ll also find a ID theft guard, a VPN, and an online ad blocker.

There’s a free version, that gives you access to most of the tools, as well as a $5 a month for a year subscription. A subscription includes 24-7 tech support through which you can email, chat with, or talk to support staff.

You can probably find individual products—and in some cases, more robust products—for each of the features in MacKeeper. But having all these tools under one roof makes for ease and convenience. 

You can get MacKeeper here.