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. Our favorite 3rd party app for cleaning up your folders: Folder Tidy. Folder Tidy — as the name suggests — is an application to clean and organize your mac folders automatically. To get started with Folder tidy, you can download the free version of the application from its website. Mar 01, 2021 In addition, some apps misbehave and “leak” memory, meaning they hog more than their fair share leaving less for other apps. The solution is to use a memory cleaning app to free up RAM. Here, we selected the top 10 best Mac memory cleaners that will help you control memory usage.
- Best Free App To Clean Mac Hard Drive
- Best Free App To Clean Mac Hard Drive
- Best Free App To Clean Mac
- Best Free App To Clean Mac Desktop
Cleaning up anything seems a very laborious task.
- Following the similar method, you can also use other junk files cleaners to clean junk files on PC. Best Junk File Cleaner for Mac to remove Junk files. Aiseesoft Mac Cleaner is a professional but easy-to-use tool for Mac users. It helps you remove junk files, unneeded files, large & old files to free up much space on Mac safely.
- 1.磊 Avira Free Antivirus for Mac — Best for Overall macOS Protection in 2021. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac is my favorite free antivirus for Mac — it provides lightweight cloud-based malware scanning as well as more free features than any other brand on this list, including real-time protection, intuitive system tuneup tools, a surprisingly good password manager, and even a VPN!
I remember how my mother used to bellow at me to clean my room.
But...
...I always had some lame excuse to keep this task at bay.
But unlike then, now it’s totally opposite with me.
Now that I use MacBook, I’m in constant scour for good cleaners for my device.
Keeping the computers and phones clean are not only important to free up space, but it also keeps them safe from Malware and viruses.
Read: Do You Need Virus Protection For Mac?
5 FREE Mac Cleaning Software
Being an Apple products aficionado, and to keep them in good condition, I’ve been using many cleaning apps for my iPhone and MacBook.
I’m listing some of the free Mac Cleaning Softwares and applications for you guys out there who have clogged up PCs and need some memory.
#1: AppCleaner
One of the easiest to use Cleaner of all is AppCleaner.
What you have to do in this application is to just to drag and drop the app that you want to uninstall.
AppCleaner waves its magic wand in two ways.
You can either drop the files manually into the app’s window
or...
...just use the smart delete feature of the app and it will automatically find the files or the data of the deleted files from the trash.
#2: Dr. Cleaner
If you want to speed up and optimize your Mac with just a click then this great app named Dr. Cleaner is just for you.
It cleans your Mac’s disk and frees up a lot of space thus enhancing its performance.
It not only deletes the unwanted files but also eradicates the cache files that are building over a period.
This app is a boon for the amateur Mac users and what else can one ask for but a free app and here you’re served with one.
#3: CCleaner
Want to give your Mac a new kick?
Then you should give a chance to CCleaner.
It’s an effective and simple to use app that makes the Macs fast without touching the privacy of your files.
In fact, it is designed to make the device more secure.
It has three elements - Cleaner, Tools and Options.
These elements remove the junk files, uninstall the programs and fixes or deletes the cookies respectively.
Its paid version has lots of other features
but...
if you just want the basics, then you should go for the free one.
#4: MacClean 3
Best Free App To Clean Mac Hard Drive
Why do you let your pretty Mac get cluttered with junk?
MacClean 3 cleans and frees your Mac’s hard drive with zero effort.
It works on the rule of three - Select, Scan and Clean.
It deletes all types of junk, for instance, Internet Junk, System junk, Development Junk etc.
It provides 10 different tools to clean your Mac’s unwanted things totally.
#5: Magican
If you think that buying a Mac frees you from every responsibility of making efforts in maintaining it, then you’re wrong my friend.
Just because the device seems to be working fine doesn’t mean that it don’t need any repair or maintenance.
An optimizer tool, Magican cleans the hard drive of the device from every unnecessary caches and data.
It keeps a check on the status of the system by showing CPU usage and Disk info.
It goes deeply into the stats, which is according to me an efficient feature.
Best Paid Solutions
Now that we’ve discussed the things for freeloaders let me also tell you about the applications, which are paid
but...
...are favorite of Pro Mac users and in which people don’t hesitate while spending, or let me say investing.
#1: CleanMyMac 3
This is my personal favorite and I’d like my readers to give this app a chance.
CleanMyMac 3 cleans gigabytes from the system in a matter of seconds.
It has been a very successful app since much time and now can also be supported by OS X 10.10 Yosemite.
There are many features on the app that helps you to clean the whole system in one click or choosing options from cleaning photo, iTunes, trash or other junk.
It is available for $39.95 per Mac license and in my view the cost is worth this beauty.
You can read the detailed review of CleanMyMac 3 here.
#2: Gemini 2
Gemini 2, that doesn’t actually clean the device but deletes the duplicate or much similar looking files is already a favorite of many users.
Based on an exclusive algorithm, it scans and removes the files that are alike and unnecessary.
It just requires a simple process - Drag and Drop.
Available at $19.95, this app is definitely one of its kinds.
You can read the detailed review of Gemini 2 here.
Final Words
I’m sure you also want your device to be absolutely cleaned and work without any lagging.
So, go in the world of these awesome Mac Cleaner apps and get awestruck by their features.
No.5 Free Mac cleaner: Dr. Cleaner – Free memory, disk, system cleaner. Cleaner is one free Mac cleaning app to offer Memory Optimization, Disk Cleaning and System Monitoring to keep your Mac optimized for the best performance. Smart and accurate selection for duplicates scan and remove on Mac with OS X 10.6.6 or later. How to Clean Mac Hard Drive Manually. If you never performed an automatic or manual system cleaning — it means that your Mac has been collecting unnecessary files and clutter for years. You can quickly clean up your Mac with these easy steps.
Easy Mac Care is undoubtedly the best free Mac cleaning software in 2020. It’s loaded with some powerful cleaning and optimizing tools such as cache manager, Miscellaneous cleaner, logs manager, performance booster, virus protection, and many others. AppCleaner is a free Mac cleaner that every Mac owner should consider. This app doesn’t come with as many features as other cleaning software but that doesn’t mean it lacks the ability to help clean up your computer. AppCleaner works by removing any unwanted files associated with uninstalled apps on your Mac. Download Malwarebytes AdwCleaner for free to remove adware, bloatware, unwanted toolbars, and other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) from your Windows PC.
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.
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
Best Free App To Clean Mac Hard Drive
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).
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
Cleaning Mac For Free Mac
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
Cleaning A Mac For Free
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
Cleaning My Mac For Free
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:
Cleaning Mac For Free
Best Free App To Clean Mac
- '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.