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.
OneCleaner app truly free to scan & clean. Could be a great app if didn't advertise as 'free'. 'free' gets you scan for duplicates and large files but no 'cleaning':-/ I prefer to pay those who don't falsely advertise. Found 'cleaner one' by Trend Micro. Installed and ran for duplicate & large files. Found 2X more than this app. Using the best Mac Cleaner apps is the best way to keep your Macbook clean and junk-free. You might think about clearing the junk manually, but that is far from being achievable on a regular basis. This is due to the fact that the junk piles up in various different files and folders.
| 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
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
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
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
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:
- '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.
These might also interest you:
Are you looking for a good Mac optimizer or storage Cleaner tool that you can use to get rid of the annoying junk and cache on your Mac? If yes, this post is specially written for you. Here, I will introduce you to the Best Mac Cleaner apps of the current time. You can pick either of these and use it to clean your Macbook efficiently.
Contents
- 1 11 Best Mac Cleaner Apps in 2020
11 Best Mac Cleaner Apps in 2020
After using your Mac and browsing through the web, your Mac can store up a lot of junk and cache files that you don’t need. These files consume up a lot of valuable space. This may slow down the overall speed and performance of your Mac. To clean such files, there are tools available that can clear them in a single click. Such files are known as Mac Cleaner apps and Using the best apps is the best way to keep your Macbook clean and junk-free.
You might think about clearing the junk manually, but that is far from being achievable on a regular basis. This is due to the fact that the junk piles up in various different files and folders. You cannot go through the explorer and clear it yourself. Therefore, here are the 11 Best Mac Cleaner apps that you can use in 2020.
1. MacBooster 8 Pro
MacBooster8 Pro is your one-stop solution for all your cleaning needs on Mac. The best part is that it is an overall maintenance tool for Mac. It is able to clean up 20 types of junk files and remove Mac malware and virus to protect your Mac. Also, MacBooster can optimize Mac hard disk to boost your Mac to the peak performance. You must try this tool once to know about its greatness better.
It Requires OS X 10.9 or later(compatible with macOS Catalina) to run efficiently. You can use it to clean all sorts of system junk files, internet cache, and duplicate files to free up precious space. Additionally, it will also maintain, manage, and protect your system.
2. Smart Mac Care
Smart Mac Care is the next tool on our list. It is an amazing cleaning app for Mac that can help you clear the junk and free up space. It is embedded with a lot of additional features and utilities that you can use to boost the performance and speed of your Mac. Apart from that, it also protects the system against the dreaded virus and malware.
One notable feature of this tool is its ‘Privacy scan.’ The privacy scan detects and removes all the unwanted cookies, internet history, and cache from your browsers to protect your privacy. You can get the app from the App Store. This signifies its legitimacy.
3. CleanMyMac X
CleanMyMacX is a very popular and one of the best Mac cleaner apps available out there. It is developed and published by a well-known Mac apps publisher, MacPaw. If you are looking for a good cleaner, this app is a complete package for you. It is able to clear all the system junk, cache, cookies, and duplicate files. Additionally, it also has a performance monitor and a malware remover to keep your Mac boosted and protected.
You can definitely give this tool a shot to understand it better. It is my guarantee that you won’t regret using it.
4. CCleaner (Mac version)
CCleaner is a very popular cleaner tool available for a number of operating systems. It is developed and published by Piriform. CCleaner’s Mac version is a very good cleaning utility for Mac. It is able to clean all the unnecessary files from your Mac and free up a notable amount of space. Also, you can customize which files or cookies you wish to keep.
The best part is that it is a freeware. Hence, anyone can use it for free without any hesitation.
5. DaisyDisk
DaisyDisk is the next mac cleaner on our list. It is a tremendous cleaning software and disk management tool for Mac. It is able to clean all sorts of unwanted files on your Mac like the junk, cache, and cookies. Additionally, you can use it to get a keen view of the system storage in the form of a chart. Then, you can study the chart to find the imperfections and vulnerabilities, and take the necessary actions accordingly.
DaisyDisk is also able to scan more than one disk at the same time at a remarkable speed. Just give this app a shot and you’ll realize that is quite worthy.
6. DiskDoctor
DiskDoctor is a well-known disk management and cleaner tool for Mac. It is able to clean all kinds of system junk files, unwanted cache, cookies, internet history, and duplicate files to free up space on your disk. You can also use this app to detect all the flaws on your disk and optimize it in the way you want.
This app got the ‘Mac Gem’ award by MacWorld in 2013. You can surely try it and see it becoming your favorite mac cleaner in a very short span of time.
7. Sensei- Mac Performance Tool
Sensei- Mac Performance Tool is the newest entry in our list. It is basically a performance management software for Mac. To enhance the performance, it frees up all the unnecessarily consumed space by junk files. It cleans all sorts of system junk, cache, logs, cookies, and large files.
It presents to you a crystal-clear image of how your Mac is currently performing and what you need to do in order to improvise it.
8. Mac Cleaner & Uninstaller Pro
Mac Cleaner & Uninstaller Pro is a wonderful disk cleaning utility for Mac. It is able to remove junk files, internet cookies, system logs, and unwanted apps to free up the needed space. You can use it to manage the extensions in a single click. Also, this app is able to reset apps by clearing their service files.
You can give this software a shot once, and know, how effectively it can clear all the trash files on your Mac.
Free Mac Cleaner App
9. Disk Clean Pro
Disk Clean Pro is one more Mac cleaner with a number of advanced tools to serve you better. It is able to get rid of all the junk and trash files in just a single click. So, you never run low on space. Additionally, you can also use it to manage the disk storage and keep everything organized on your Mac.
Mac Cleaner App Review
It is able to find duplicate files, unused old files, old downloads, and logs. Also, you can use it to delete crash reports that consume a lot of space.
10. Drive Genius
Drive Genius is a great mac cleaner app to get rid of the junk files occupying unwanted space on your Mac. It is able to clean all the trash and free up space to make sure the Mac keeps running smoothly. Drive Genius is your one-stop solution for cleaning, data recovery, and virus scanning.
It is often used by professionals for their Mac cleanup processes as it has a number of advanced features available.
11. Parallels Toolbox for Mac
Parallels Toolbox for Mac is a complete package of tools that you’ll ever need for your Mac. One of the tools from the toolbox is Clean Drive. It is able to detect and clean all the unwanted files, cookies, cache and apps. This is a very useful tool to keep your Mac junk-free so it is able to run at the maximum speed. If you don’t clean the junk, your Mac will get clumsy once it gets short on storage.
Other important tools of the toolbox include Uninstall Apps, Find Duplicates and Free Memory. You can use all of them to optimize your Mac in the best possible manner.
Final Words
Mac Cleaner Apple
These were the 11 best mac cleaner apps for you to use in 2020 and beyond. I hope this post helps you enough. For any queries, doubts, or suggestions, feel free to visit the comment box. I’ll be glad to listen and respond.