The Best Mac Cleaner Software

Does your cluttered Mac take ages to load web pages? Is your startup disk full of apps you don't even know about? It's time to take Mac cleaning seriously. Find the best disk cleaner for Mac that fits your needs and get started now — because a little dust today is a pile of dirt tomorrow.

This Article Contains:

This Article Contains:

See all Performance articles

This Article Contains:

Find the best cleaning software for Mac

Some Mac cleaners offer a free, no-frills cleanup tool. Others, like Avast Cleanup, provide bloatware and junk file removal, registry cleanup, early warning signs for problematic storage usage, and a duplicate photo finder — for a full disk cleanup.

You may already know how to clean up your Mac by manually finding and deleting temporary files, but a specialized cleanup tool can automatically hunt down every remnant of digital junk. The same goes for speeding up your browser by regularly clearing the cache on your Mac — an automated tool takes care of all this for you.

The best Mac cleaning software will be both easy and enjoyable to use, matching your level of tech expertise and personal preferences. Here's a list of the best Mac tuneup tools available, listed alphabetically.

Avast Cleanup

Avast Cleanup is one of the best all-in-one solutions for finding and safely deleting the day-to-day junk that piles up on your Mac. The biggest benefit of this Mac cleaning software is that it goes beyond a one-time cleanup tool.

Your first scan safely clears out all the accumulated junk, like leftover system files and traces of deleted apps. And when used regularly, Avast Cleanup monitors your browser cache, unneeded downloads, log files, and crash reports.

Pros:

• Multiple cleanup features in one tool — disk cleaner, automatic maintenance, and bloatware removal.

• Find and delete duplicate files and low-quality images.

• Easily find and uninstall apps you never use or that take up too much space.

Cons:

• Malware scanner and removal tool is offered as a separate, but free, product.

• No monthly payment option.

Cost:

• Free 30-day trial (no credit card needed).

• $44.99 annual subscription.

System requirements:

• macOS 10.10 Yosemite or later.

AVG TuneUp

AVG TuneUp offers a multilayered system for making your Mac cleaner and faster. This Mac cleaner identifies junk files you didn't know were hidden, while highlighting accidental copies of downloads, app leftovers, and duplicate photos. And AVG TuneUp’s automatic cleanup feature makes it the safest set-it-and-forget-it version of Mac cleaners.

Pros:

• Great tool for safely automating Mac cleanup.

• Simple installation and user interface with helpful guidance.

• Quick results — reviews say that initial cleanup speeds up boot time significantly. 

Cons:

• Subscription-based pricing model only. 

• Shows promotions for related tools, but this can be turned off.

Cost:

• Free 30-day trial (no credit card needed). 

• $44.99 annual subscription.

System requirements:

• macOS 10.10 Yosemite or newer.

CCleaner

On the market since 2003, CCleaner has proved itself as one of the best disk cleaners out there. Windows users may already be familiar with CCleaner, as it’s widely renowned as a top PC cleaning tool. But the Mac Cleaner is no slouch when it comes to speeding up your Mac.

Pros:

• Handy online browsing features: clears cookies, clears your browsing history, and saves passwords.

• Speeds up boot times with Startup item management. 

• Available in 55 languages.

Cons:

• No dark mode — bright background only.

• Browsing cleanup feature is limited to Firefox, Safari, and Chrome.

Cost:

• Free version available. 

• $19.95 annual subscription for CCleaner Pro.

System requirements:

• macOS (OS X) 10.10 and above.

• Works with Intel-based Macs.

CleanMyMac X

CleanMyMac X makes this list of the best Mac cleaners because it handles cleanup, protection, and speed. CleanMyMac X’s ability to replace several standalone tools places it here among the best Mac optimizers — use it to manage apps, remove all types of malware, and deep-clean macOS.

Pros:

• All-in-one Mac cleaner software with cleanup mode and anti-malware scan.

• Space Lens feature gives visual and textual information about disk usage. 

• Simple user interface that matches Apple’s aesthetic.

Cons:

• Lacks duplicate-file removal.

• Adds itself to the auto-startup list (you can disable this in your system preferences).

• Different features are available depending on download source — on the App Store, not all features are available.

Cost:

• Free version available (only cleans up to 500 MB of data).

• $34.95 annual subscription (with free automatic updates). 

• $89.95 lifetime purchase (with no free updates).

System requirements:

• macOS 10.10 and higher.

• Legacy versions available for older Macs.

DaisyDisk

One of the best Mac cleaners for those who like to see their disk usage displayed visually, DaisyDisk arranges files into categories such as Documents, Music, Downloads, and Large files. Each category is represented by a unique color on a handy sunburst diagram to show how much space it takes.

Pros:

• Award-winning user interface for visual drive exploration. 

• Quickly shows you what's taking up space. 

• Collection drawers let you prepare files for deleting, so you have a fallback option before wiping them clean.

Cons:

• Free trial doesn't let you delete anything.

• Some reviews note the lack of advanced partitioning features. 

• DaisyDisk may let you delete essential files needed for applications or your system, so proceed with caution.

Cost:

• Free trial available. 

• $9.99 one-time payment.

System requirements:

• macOS 10.10 or higher.

• Legacy versions available for older Macs.

Drive Genius

Drive Genius offers a strong collection of features for advanced Mac users, but it comes at a hefty annual subscription fee. The advanced warning feature of this Mac cleaner helps spot problems before they cause headaches, and Drive Genius also guards against accidentally deleting essential files needed to run apps.

Pros:

• Includes a malware scanning feature. 

• Proactive monitoring to warn of upcoming problems. 

• Protects against data loss and includes a data-recovery feature. 

• Lets you resize, rename, and reformat disk partitions.

Cons:

• Less intuitive than competing options.

• Significant community pushback because of compatibility issues with macOS Catalina and the paid upgrade system from Drive Genius v5 to v6.

• More expensive than other Mac cleaners.

Cost:

• No free version.

• $79 annual subscription.

System requirements:

• macOS 10.12 and later.

Gemini 2

Gemini 2 is for all the Mac owners who have duplicates of everything — but that's about it, which is why this Mac cleaner is often purchased as a bundle with a more supportive Mac cleaning tool. But Gemini 2 quickly locates and removes similar or duplicate download files, music files, and photos.

Pros:

• Great simple tool if you have lots of similar photos but never delete or organize them. 

• Detects duplicate or similar files. 

• Good navigation and interface.

Cons:

• Needs to be paired with an additional Mac cleaner tool to really clean your Mac. 

• Some complaints of really long scanning times and apps crashing during scans. 

• “Gamification” features can be more distracting than helpful.

Cost:

• Free version available (only cleans up to 500 MB of data).

• $19.95 annual subscription.

System requirements:

• macOS 10.12 and later.

Nektony's App Cleaner & Uninstaller

Nektony's App Cleaner & Uninstaller is seen as one the best Mac cleaner programs for its simplicity and ease of use. It’s a solid app cleaner, but may struggle to deliver if you’re looking for more functionality, like anti-malware protection or a deeper Mac cleaner.

Pros:

• Great at catching all remaining files when uninstalling apps on your Mac. 

• Simple and intuitive user interface. 

• Easy to configure the startup programs that open when your computer boots up.

Cons:

• Free version doesn’t actually let you delete many types of files. 

• Narrowly focused on cleaning apps, no advanced features.

Cost:

• Free 7-day trial with all features.

• Feature-limited free version. 

• $19.90 Pro upgrade.

System requirements:

• macOS 10.10 or higher.

OnyX

OnyX is one of the best-known free Mac cleaners. You won’t find any automation, and it’s not the easiest to use, but you’ll get a powerful cleaning tool for Mac that can dig deep to find hidden or overlooked bloatware and junk files. It's the go-to choice for the best free Mac optimizer.

Pros:

• Tons of features for a free Mac cleaner, including startup disk verification, system file structuring, and more.

• Great overall Mac optimization tool.

Cons:

• Not for beginners. Requires the use of Mac Terminal, Apple's command line system, to use all functions.

• Strictly a cleanup app without any advanced automation or security-related features.

Cost:

• Free, no paid version.

System requirements:

• Mac OS X Jaguar 10.2 and higher.

• OnyX puts out a new version for each version of macOS.

FAQs

Do I really need cleaning software for my Mac?

Yes, you really do need cleaning software for your Mac — especially if you want your Mac to work like new. Macs don't need a PC optimization tool as much as Windows, but everyday activities like downloading files, installing apps, and browsing the web all leave behind useless clutter that builds up over time. 

Take care of the “Other” Mac storage space and speed up your browser by clearing cache on your Mac — a Mac cleaner keeps your machine running smoothly.

Are Mac cleaners safe?

Yes, Mac cleaners from reputable companies are definitely safe to use. But before you use a Mac cleaner, get an idea of what it’ll do and what types of files and documents it’ll delete, especially before you let it run on autopilot. 

What’s unsafe is to ignore all the clutter building up on your Mac. You might need a bloatware remover tool or a junkware removal tool, but daily scanning with trustworthy Mac cleaning software, like all the tools listed above, can keep excess files to a minimum.

Does cleaning software really work on Macs?

Yes, cleaning software for Macs really does work. You can clean junk manually by learning how to uninstall apps on a Mac or by using separate applications like a browser cleaning tool for cache clearing, but you’ll get faster and better results with a dedicated Mac cleaning app. 

Will cleaning my Mac speed up my computer?

In many cases, yes, using one of the best cleaners for Mac will make a noticeable difference on computer speed and performance. With more free space on your drive, your computer is more efficient. 

There are several ways to speed up a Mac, and using dedicated Mac cleaning software is one of the best. After you’ve got your Mac running clean, it’s time to clean up your iPhone.

Get the best cleaning software for Mac: Avast Cleanup

Which Mac cleaning software is best for you? If you want to try one of the best Mac cleaners out there — packed with helpful features like duplicate file finders, automated alerts, disk optimization, and a powerful app uninstaller — we humbly encourage you to start with Avast Cleanup.

Get started now and enjoy a cleaner, faster Mac with a free trial of Avast Cleanup.