Comparison · CleanMyMac alternatives
CleanMyMac alternatives: what to use instead, by what you need
If CleanMyMac isn’t for you, because of the cost, the subscription or simply because it does more than you need, there are good alternatives, starting with tools already on your Mac. Here they are by what you want done. We make AI Repair, so every fact about the other apps comes from their makers’ own pages, and we don’t print their prices, because they change.
In short
For routine upkeep, macOS’s own tools are free and already on your Mac: Storage settings, Activity Monitor and Login Items. For free junk and duplicate cleaning, CCleaner for Mac has a free version. For security tools and cleaning in one subscription, there’s MacKeeper. And when something is wrong, like a slow Mac, a printer that won’t print or Wi-Fi with no internet, AI Repair finds the cause and fixes it.
At a glance
| You want | Try |
|---|---|
| To see what fills your disk | macOS’s Storage settings, free |
| To find what slows your Mac down | Activity Monitor, free; or AI Repair, which also fixes it |
| To stop apps opening at login | macOS’s Login Items, free |
| Junk, browser data and duplicates cleaned | CCleaner for Mac’s free version |
| Antivirus, a VPN and cleaning in one app | MacKeeper, by subscription |
| A problem found and fixed, like a printer or Wi-Fi | AI Repair |
1. macOS’s own tools
Much of what cleaners sell is built into your Mac, for free. Apple menu › System Settings › General › Storage shows what takes up space and lets you review large files, store files in iCloud and empty the Trash after 30 days (on macOS 12 Monterey, Apple menu › About This Mac › Storage › Manage). macOS also clears caches and logs by itself when it needs space (Apple’s guide).
Activity Monitor, in Applications › Utilities, shows which app is keeping the processor busy and whether the Mac is short of memory. System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions lists the apps that open at login (General › Login Items on macOS 13 and 14; on macOS 12, System Preferences › Users & Groups › Login Items). And macOS has its own malware protection, XProtect, which Apple updates automatically.
Our guide Do you need a cleaner app? goes through each of them.
2. CCleaner for Mac
CCleaner for Mac, from the makers of the Windows cleaner, clears junk files and browser data, finds duplicates and large files, and removes apps (CCleaner’s page). Its free version covers the basics, which makes it the closest free alternative for occasional tidying. It has no malware protection. More in AI Repair vs CCleaner for Mac.
3. MacKeeper
MacKeeper overlaps with CleanMyMac on cleaning, uninstalling, duplicates and real-time malware protection, and adds a VPN, an ad blocker and identity-theft alerts, by subscription (MacKeeper’s page). It suits someone who wants security and privacy tools bundled with cleaning. More, including whether it’s safe, in AI Repair vs MacKeeper.
4. AI Repair, when something is wrong
AI Repair is a troubleshooter rather than a cleaner. You describe the problem in your own words, like “my Mac is slow” or “the printer won’t print”, or choose “Check my whole Mac”. It finds the cause, explains it in plain words and fixes it with repairs we tested, waiting for your OK unless you set that kind of fix to Auto. It clears caches, logs and old installers, and holds what it cleaned for seven days, so a clean can be undone.
It removes an app you name with its settings, held seven days too; it has no duplicate finder or malware protection, and it doesn’t look through your files. More in AI Repair vs CleanMyMac.
Common questions
What can I use instead of CleanMyMac for free?
macOS’s own tools: Storage settings for what fills your disk, Activity Monitor for what slows your Mac down, and Login Items for apps that open at login. For junk files, browser data and duplicates, CCleaner for Mac has a free version.
Is MacKeeper a good alternative to CleanMyMac?
If you want security and privacy tools, yes: it overlaps with CleanMyMac on cleaning and malware protection, and adds a VPN, an ad blocker and identity-theft alerts. It’s sold by subscription. If you only want to tidy up now and then, macOS’s own tools or CCleaner’s free version may be enough.
Is there a CleanMyMac alternative without a subscription?
macOS’s own tools cost nothing, and CCleaner for Mac has a free version. AI Repair’s Free plan includes one fix a month with no payment details. CleanMyMac itself can also be bought outright, as well as by subscription.