Comparison · MacKeeper
AI Repair vs MacKeeper: what each one does, and which to choose
MacKeeper, from Clario Tech, is an all-in-one subscription: cleaning, antivirus, a VPN, an ad blocker and identity-theft alerts in one app. AI Repair is a different kind of app: an AI troubleshooter that finds the cause of the problem you describe and fixes it with tested repairs. We make AI Repair, so we’ve kept to facts from MacKeeper’s own pages, and we say where MacKeeper is the better choice.
In short
Choose MacKeeper if you want security and privacy tools, real-time antivirus, a VPN and an ad blocker, bundled with cleaning in one subscription. Choose AI Repair if something is wrong, like a slow Mac, a printer that won’t print, Wi-Fi with no internet, battery drain or a full disk, and you want the cause found and fixed, with your OK before each change. They do different jobs, so the right choice depends on what you need most.
At a glance
| MacKeeper | AI Repair | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A security, privacy and cleaning bundle | An AI troubleshooter for the problem you describe |
| Made by | Clario Tech | A&S LOMOND LIMITED |
| Works on | macOS 10.15 or later | Apple silicon, macOS 12 or later |
| Free | A free check, and one free fix with each tool | One fix a month; asking and checking are always free |
| Junk cleaning | Yes | Caches, logs and old installers, held for seven days so a clean can be undone |
| Uninstaller and duplicates | Yes | No |
| Antivirus | Yes, real-time | No; macOS has its own protection |
| VPN, ad blocker, ID theft alerts | Yes | No |
| Memory cleaner | Yes | No, on purpose |
| Printer, Wi-Fi and battery problems | No tools; chat with its support staff | Diagnoses and fixes them |
| Price | A subscription, monthly or yearly | Free: 1 fix a month. Plus: $7.99 a month. Family: $14.99 a month |
What MacKeeper does well
- One subscription for security and privacy. Antivirus with real-time protection, an adware cleaner, a VPN, an ad blocker and identity-theft alerts, if you want all of those from one company.
- Independent testing. The lab AV-TEST certified MacKeeper’s antivirus in March 2025 (AV-TEST’s result).
- People to talk to. MacKeeper offers chat with its support staff, and sells a remote-help service on top.
- Cleaning tools. A cleaner, an uninstaller that removes leftovers, a duplicate finder and a login-items list.
What AI Repair does differently
- It starts from your problem. Type “my battery drains fast” or “my printer won’t print”, and it runs the checks that matter for that problem, then tells you in plain words what it found.
- It fixes more than files. Resuming a paused printer, renewing your Wi-Fi address, switching DNS, turning on Low Power Mode, quitting the app that’s slowing your Mac.
- Only tested repairs. The AI picks from a fixed catalog of repairs we wrote and tested. It can’t run commands, scripts or code of its own.
- You stay in charge. Each change waits for your OK unless you’ve set that kind of fix to Auto, risky ones always ask, and the card says whether a change can be undone.
A word on memory cleaners
MacKeeper includes a memory cleaner, as several Mac utilities do. AI Repair leaves it out on purpose. macOS uses spare memory to keep things you might need ready, and Apple’s own guide says freeing memory doesn’t necessarily improve performance; what matters is memory pressure (Apple’s guide). Our guide Why is my Mac so slow? shows how to check it.
Which one should you choose?
- You want a VPN, an ad blocker and antivirus from one subscription: MacKeeper. AI Repair has none of those.
- Something isn’t working, a printer, the Wi-Fi, the battery, a Mac that’s suddenly slow: AI Repair, which finds the cause and fixes it.
- You’d like to try without paying: both have a free option. AI Repair’s Free plan has no time limit.
Common questions
Is MacKeeper safe?
Today’s MacKeeper comes from Clario Tech, which has owned it since 2019. Clario says Apple has notarized every version since late 2019, which means Apple’s automated check found no known malware, and its antivirus was certified by the lab AV-TEST in March 2025.
Its earlier history is mixed. In 2015 its first developer, ZeoBIT, settled a US class action for $2 million over claims that the app reported problems that weren’t there, without admitting fault (the court record). Whether it’s worth paying for comes down to whether you want its bundle of security and privacy tools.
Is AI Repair an alternative to MacKeeper?
For fixing problems, yes: a slow Mac, battery drain, printers, Wi-Fi and a full disk. For antivirus, a VPN or an ad blocker, no: AI Repair doesn’t do those.
Does a memory cleaner make a Mac faster?
Apple’s guidance is that freeing memory doesn’t necessarily improve performance, because macOS uses spare memory on purpose. If your Mac is slow, check memory pressure in Activity Monitor: green means memory isn’t the problem.
Compared on 18 October 2026 using MacKeeper’s own pages. Features and prices change, so check there before you buy. MacKeeper is a trademark of Clario Tech; AI Repair isn’t affiliated with Clario Tech.