7 Best Mac Cleaner Software Tools 2022.
In terms of performance, Macs are beasts. Compared to Windows devices, Mac computers are generally less vulnerable to virus and malware attacks. So safety is also great. However, contrary to popular belief, macOS can be infected with various types of malware. The Malwarebytes 2021 Malware Status Report is compelling evidence.
Malware infection is not the only reason for slow Mac performance. Other factors are outdated software and hardware, slow login applications, and limited hard drive space. Diagnosing or fixing these issues manually can be difficult. That’s why you should scan your Mac from time to time with cleaner software.
These applications can free up disk space on your Mac by removing junk files, duplicate files, temporary cache files, and other redundant large files. Some cleaner apps even come bundled with antivirus tools so you don’t need to install separate antivirus software for macOS.
This article brings together some of the best Mac cleaners to help improve your device’s performance.
1. AVG Cleaner
This software was developed by AVG Technologies, creators of the popular AVG antivirus tool. It’s available for free on the Apple App Store, so it’s relatively safer than cleaning tools available outside of the App Store. The interface is simplified and very easy to use. We also found incredibly fast disk scanning speeds on our test MacBook.
There are two options on the application toolbar: Disk Cleanup Tool and Duplicate Finder. Disk Cleaner scans your Mac’s hard drive for application cache (temporary files), junk files, downloads, and log files.
Duplicate Finder, on the other hand, looks for duplicate files in specific folders. Unfortunately, this tool cannot scan the entire Mac disk for duplicate files – you will have to assign a folder to scan manually.
AVG Cleaner is one of the best free Mac cleaner apps on the market. It’s lightweight and gets the job done. But there are better (paid) alternatives with advanced disk cleaning and performance optimization features.
2. CCleaner
CCleaner is a well-known name in the cleaning software ecosystem. In the “Tools” section, you will find utilities to uninstall unnecessary applications and remove large files and duplicate files. You can configure Duplicate File Search to search the entire drive or specific user folders. Large File Finder can also be configured to find applications of a certain size (for example, files larger than 2 GB, 500 MB, etc.).
In the Cleaner section, you can remove Safari data, internet cache files, application cache, and other system files taking up disk space. Make sure you use the Analyze button to check how much potential storage CCleaner can free up before running the cleaner.
Interestingly, CCleaner‘s cleaning features are free to use. However, you will need to upgrade the app (one-time payment of $24.95) to use advanced features such as smart cleaning, automatic browser cleaning, etc.
3. MacCleaner Pro 2
MacCleaner Pro 2 has one of the best user interfaces you will find in any cleaning software. The app scanned our test Mac in less than 30 seconds and presented a neatly categorized report of likely performance issues, junk files, and files taking up a lot of disk space. Things get even more interesting when you open the Clean Up Mac section in the sidebar.
The cleanup tool consists of four cleanup options and also displays a preview of the free storage space below each option.
Turn on “Expert Mode” to access advanced cleaning options to remove unwanted junk such as app cache files, old screenshots, app logs, and browser cache files.
While MacCleaner Pro 2 is free to install, new users are given a two-day trial period after which you’ll need to pay ($44.95) for continued use. A fee is also required to use professional features such as Duplicate Finder, Memory Cleaner, etc.
4. App Cleaner & Uninstaller
When you uninstall apps on Mac using the standard uninstall method, they usually leave residual files (also known as residual files) on your computer. These files and folders are often hidden and can take up gigabytes of disk space. You can manually clean up the remaining files, but this is a lengthy process and not the best way to use your time. That’s why we recommend removing apps from your Mac using dedicated uninstallers or app cleaners.
If you uninstall apps from your Mac from time to time, App Cleaner & Uninstaller is a must. This is a separate version of the uninstall tool built into MacCleaner Pro 2.
App Cleaner and Uninstaller scanned our test MacBook in less than 10 seconds and presented a summary status of apps, extensions, installation files, and leftover files taking up disk space. You can also view and change your Mac’s launchers directly from within the app.
In the Remaining Files section, App Cleaner & Uninstaller indexes all files left over from apps removed from your Mac. This is what the app does best: it cleans up the files and folders associated with the app during uninstallation. It doesn’t look for duplicates or large files, but does a great job of deleting leftover files on macOS.
It should be noted that App Cleaner & Uninstaller is also a paid app ($19.90). But you can use the app for free for two days without paying.
5. MacKeeper
This software includes several tools to help improve the performance of your Mac. With MacKeeper, you get security-focused utilities (antivirus and adware remover), disk cleanup features (spam cleaner, duplicate finder), and other performance optimization tools.
The one-click Smart Scan feature will scan your Mac’s system drive for security vulnerabilities, remove junk files, identify issues and performance issues.
MacKeeper is a paid app that works on a subscription model (starting at $5.95/month). However, the free trial gives you access to malware scanning, real-time antivirus protection, and other disk cleaning features for a month.
6. MacBooster
Fire up MacBooster and you’ll find a suite of nine tools designed to optimize your Mac. The system junk remover scans for application cache files, corrupted login items, leftover files, system log files, iTunes cache files, etc. The application uninstaller does a thorough job as well. It quickly scanned the applications installed on our Mac and presented all the settings and support files associated with the application.
If your Mac takes a few minutes to boot, use the MacBooster startup optimization tool to increase boot speed by removing unnecessary startup or login items. Fun fact: MacBooster found more startup items on our test MacBook than the other cleaner software on this list.
Although MacBooster is a subscription-based app (starting at $2.49 per month), we can access all the features in the trial/free version. No information was found on the developer’s website. However, we expect the free trial to expire in a few days.
7. CleanMyMac X
This is another reputable cleaning software with disk cleanup tools, speed optimization options, malware removal tool, and storage management features. CleanMyMac is an all-in-one tool with all the features that a cleaning program should have. This is a paid app ($39.95 per year), but you can sign up for a free trial to test its features.
Read our CleanMyMac X review to learn more about the app, its features, disadvantages, and how it compares to other macOS cleanup tools.
To a Safer and Faster Mac
While these cleaning apps can help prevent attacks and free up your device’s memory, they can pave the way for hackers and other malware. So make sure you only install trusted apps, preferably from the App Store. Also, read the latest software reviews before downloading or installing. You may discover new attacks or vulnerabilities that the software presents to your Mac, if any.
7 Best Mac Cleaner Software Tools 2022
7 Best Mac Cleaner Software Tools 2022