CleanMyMac Alternatives 2026: 5 Free Options
CleanMyMac alternatives: AppCleaner, Pearcleaner, Mole, DaisyDisk and 1 more. Prices and licenses checked October 23, 2026.
•3 min read•Browsers & System Utilities
Verdict:Leave CleanMyMac if you pay mainly to find big files and uninstall apps cleanly. Its pricing page says from $3.33 a month, and there are free tools for the two jobs people use it for most. AppCleaner removes an app and its leftovers and costs nothing. Pearcleaner does the same with more options, but it is source-available rather than open source and its maintainer has paused work. Mole is a free GPL command-line tool that clears caches and logs and shows disk usage, for people happy in Terminal. DaisyDisk is the cheap paid option at $9.99 once and gives you a clear picture of what is taking space. macOS itself can empty the Trash on a schedule and clear safe caches without any extra software. The trade-off is that you assemble several single-purpose tools instead of one dashboard with scheduled scans and a malware check. Many Mac users are fine with that, since the system already manages its own caches. Stay with CleanMyMac if you want one app that does everything and you value its interface; leave if the monthly fee buys you an uninstaller you could get free.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AppCleaner | Free (Free download with optional donations; page states no price) | macOS | Removing apps completely | Docs only |
| Pearcleaner | Free (Free) | macOS | Developers who want a free uninstaller | Docs only |
| Mole | Free (Free open-source CLI; a separate proprietary app exists with price not stated) | macOS | Terminal users who want free deep cleaning | Docs only |
| DaisyDisk | Free (Free trial; length and limits not stated); paid from $9.99 per lifetime license, one-time | macOS | Finding what fills the disk | Docs only |
| macOS Storage settings | Free (Built into macOS; iCloud storage plans are separate) | macOS | Basic space recovery with nothing to install | Docs only |
| CCleaner | Free (Free version covers basic cleaning) | Windows, macOS, Android | PC cleaner | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You just want to remove apps and their leftovers (AppCleaner is the pick)
- You like working in Terminal (Mole is the pick)
- You need to see what is filling your disk (DaisyDisk is the pick)
- You want no extra software at all (macOS Storage settings is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on CleanMyMac features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
CleanMyMac today: Paid from $3.33 per month (starting at, billing period not stated) (CleanMyMac pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Why people look for CleanMyMac alternatives
CleanMyMac is sold as a subscription: the homepage advertises it from $3.33 a month with a 7-day trial, but does not say how long that price lasts, how many Macs it covers or what it renews at. The FAQ mentions a 30-day money-back guarantee, and also refers to both a trial and a free version, so the real cost is hard to judge before checkout. macOS storage settings and free uninstallers already cover part of the job.
AppCleaner
Compared with CleanMyMac: Free app that uninstalls an app together with its leftover files, covering one of CleanMyMac's main jobs. It does nothing else: no system cleanup, malware check or maintenance tools. Newer versions need macOS 15.
Price: Free (Free download with optional donations; page states no price) (AppCleaner pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: macOS. Proprietary freeware (not stated).
Best for: Removing apps completely.
Pearcleaner
Compared with CleanMyMac: Free, source-available uninstaller with an orphaned-file search and Homebrew management. Its Commons Clause licence means it is not open source, and the maintainer has paused development, so expect no fixes.
Price: Free (Free) (Pearcleaner pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: macOS. Apache 2.0 with Commons Clause (source-available).
Best for: Developers who want a free uninstaller.
Mole
Compared with CleanMyMac: GPL-3.0 command-line tool that cleans caches and logs, uninstalls apps and analyses disk use on macOS 12 or newer. There is no window, so it suits people who are comfortable in a terminal.
Price: Free (Free open-source CLI; a separate proprietary app exists with price not stated) (Mole pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: macOS. GPL-3.0 (open source).
Project activity: 73.1k GitHub stars · latest release V1.65.0 (Oct 27, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026
Best for: Terminal users who want free deep cleaning.
DaisyDisk
Compared with CleanMyMac: One-time $9.99 licence for a visual map of disk usage, against CleanMyMac's price from $3.33 a month. It only shows and deletes large files and does no automatic cleaning.
Price: Free (Free trial; length and limits not stated); paid from $9.99 per lifetime license, one-time (DaisyDisk pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: macOS. Proprietary.
Best for: Finding what fills the disk.
macOS Storage settings
Compared with CleanMyMac: Built into macOS, with Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, automatic Trash emptying and automatic clearing of safe caches. It is free apart from iCloud storage plans and has no uninstaller.
Price: Free (Built into macOS; iCloud storage plans are separate) (macOS Storage settings pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: macOS. Proprietary.
Best for: Basic space recovery with nothing to install.
Other popular options (paid)
CCleaner
Compared with CleanMyMac: CCleaner has a free version covering basic cleaning, where CleanMyMac offers only a 7-day trial, plus a paid Professional edition with prices on its site. It is the name Mac cleaner roundups most often put first as the free option.
Price: Free (Free version covers basic cleaning) (CCleaner pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Which one to pick
- You just want to remove apps and their leftovers: AppCleaner
- You like working in Terminal: Mole
- You need to see what is filling your disk: DaisyDisk
- You want no extra software at all: macOS Storage settings
Limits of this review
Docs-only for AppCleaner, Pearcleaner, Mole, DaisyDisk, macOS Storage settings: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from CleanMyMac. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-23: CleanMyMac, AppCleaner, Pearcleaner, Mole, DaisyDisk, macOS Storage settings, CCleaner. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.