AlDente vs CleanMyMac
We give AlDente a 3.0 GPA and CleanMyMac a 2.4, out of 4.0. AlDente grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AlDente
Charge limiter and battery care app for MacBooks
CleanMyMac
Mac cleanup, malware removal and maintenance in one app
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAlDenteVery good | 2.4GPACleanMyMacFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $13.99 a year, or $24.99 once for a lifetime license. Both are cheap next to other paid utilities, and the lifetime price is less than two years of the subscription. One key activates on up to three macOS user accounts. | BBasic is $39.99 a year on the US Mac App Store, which MacPaw's site puts at $3.33 a month. That's about the going rate for a paid utility. Don't pay monthly, though, as that's $9.99 a month. Plus is $65.99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | BAlDente Free has the Charge Limiter and manual Discharge, which is the heart of it. But it can't control charging while the MacBook is asleep or shut down, so it can still fill to 100% with the lid closed. Everything else is Pro. | DThere's no free plan. The 7-day trial has full functionality, but on the App Store you're charged for the plan you picked when it ends. A week isn't long to judge a cleaner you'd only run now and then. |
| Features | AA charge limit, discharging while plugged in, Heat Protection that pauses charging when the battery's too hot, a Sailing Mode range, calibration, schedules, and stats on capacity and temperature. For looking after a battery, that's the whole job. | ASmart Care runs junk cleanup, a threat check, performance tasks, software updates and a storage declutter in one scan. There's also Space Lens to map your drive, an uninstaller, a duplicate finder, and clean-up for iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and a Gmail inbox. That covers the lot. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. It's a menu bar app: set a limit and it holds it. One thing to know is that Pro checks its license online at least once every 30 days, and switches to the free version after 30 days offline. | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. One Smart Care scan does five jobs, so you don't need to know what a cache file is. One catch: the App Store edition leaves out some system junk and maintenance tasks that the MacPaw Store and Setapp editions have. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMacBooks only, on macOS 12 Monterey through macOS 27. It works with Apple Shortcuts, and Pro comes with Setapp. But it's one kind of computer, and that's that. | DMac only, on macOS 11 or later. It reaches into iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Gmail to tidy those, and it's included in Setapp. But that's one operating system. |
| Best for | looking after a MacBook battery that's always plugged in | all-in-one clean-up and malware checks on a Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AlDente and CleanMyMac. How we grade
Where they differ
- AlDente starts at $13.99 / year, or $24.99 one-time for a lifetime license. CleanMyMac starts at $39.99 / year on the US Mac App Store (MacPaw's site: from $3.33 / month).
- AlDente has a free plan. CleanMyMac does not, though it has a free trial.
- CleanMyMac also covers disk cleanup.
At a glance
| AlDente | CleanMyMac | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $13.99 / year, or $24.99 one-time for a lifetime license | $39.99 / year on the US Mac App Store (MacPaw's site: from $3.33 / month) |
| Free plan | AlDente Free includes the Charge Limiter and manual Discharge. It cannot control charging while the MacBook is asleep or shut down. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial with full functionality |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | AppHouseKitchen GmbH | MacPaw Way Ltd. |
| Price read from | apphousekitchen.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
AlDente
- MacBook owners who keep the laptop plugged in most of the day
- People who want battery temperature, capacity and power figures in the menu bar
- Buyers who prefer a one-time lifetime license to a subscription
CleanMyMac
- Mac owners who want cleanup, malware scanning and app removal in one app
- People running low on disk space who want guided cleanup
- Setapp subscribers, since CleanMyMac is included in that subscription
Worth knowing
AlDente
- For MacBooks only, on macOS 12 Monterey through macOS 27; the site lists the supported models.
- AlDente Free cannot control charging while the MacBook is asleep or shut down, so it can still charge to 100% with the lid closed.
- AlDente Pro checks its license online at least once every 30 days; after 30 days offline it switches to the free version.
- Prices vary by country through Paddle: the page's own text shows 11,49 € and 23,99 €, and its price feed returns $13.99 and $24.99 for US buyers.
CleanMyMac
- macOS 11 or later only. The App Store edition omits some tools found in the MacPaw Store and Setapp editions, such as several system junk and maintenance tasks.
- There is no free plan: after the 7-day trial a subscription or a one-time purchase is required.
- A one-time purchase covers only the current major version; moving to a later major version is a paid upgrade.
- Plan prices here are from the US Mac App Store. MacPaw Store plans cover 1, 2 or 5 Macs, and its price list was not readable when checked.
Key features
AlDente
- Charge Limiter
- Sets the charge level a plugged-in MacBook holds. Once the limit is reached, charging pauses and the laptop runs from the adapter. Included in AlDente Free.
- Discharge
- Runs the MacBook on battery while it stays plugged in, to bring the charge down to the limit. Pro's Automatic Discharge starts this whenever the limit is below the current level.
- Heat Protection
- A Pro feature that pauses charging automatically when the battery gets too hot, since charging a hot battery speeds up wear.
- Sailing Mode
- A Pro feature that sets a range instead of a single limit: at 75 to 80%, the battery drifts down to 75% before it is charged back to 80%.
- Calibration Mode and schedules
- Pro charges to 100%, discharges to 10%, recharges and holds for an hour, then returns to the limit. Schedules can run this and six other actions on set days.
- Stats and Power Flow
- Pro shows battery capacity, temperature and system load, plus a live diagram of how power moves between the charger, the battery and the MacBook.
CleanMyMac
- Smart Care
- One scan that runs five routines together: junk cleanup, a check for threats, performance tasks, software updates and a storage declutter.
- Cleanup and Space Lens
- Removes system junk such as cache and log files, mail attachments and trash. Space Lens maps the drive as an interactive view of folders sorted by size.
- Malware protection
- Malware scans run on MacPaw's Moonlock Engine, with real-time monitoring and background scanning. Privacy tools clear browsing traces and review app permissions.
- App uninstaller and updater
- Uninstalls apps completely, clearing their leftover data and old installers, and updates installed software from inside CleanMyMac.
- Clutter, cloud and email cleanup
- Finds duplicates, similar images and large or old files, reviews files in iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox, and from version 5.7 scans a Gmail inbox for mail to remove.
- Menu bar monitors
- The CleanMyMac Menu stays in the menu bar with monitors for Mac health, protection status, storage, memory, battery, CPU, network and connected devices.
Plans
AlDente
AlDente Free$0
Charge Limiter and Discharge. The features page marks every other feature as part of AlDente Pro.
AlDente Pro: Subscription License$13.99
per year, billed annually (US price; page text shows 11,49 €)
All features, including Heat Protection, Sailing Mode, Calibration Mode and schedules. One key activates on up to three macOS user accounts.
AlDente Pro: Lifetime License$24.99
one-time purchase (US price; page text shows 23,99 €)
The same Pro features bought once instead of renewed yearly, with the same limit of three activations.
AlDente Pro via Setapp$9.99
per month (Setapp subscription)
AlDente Pro as part of Setapp, which the pricing page describes as including more than 240 other Mac and iOS apps.
CleanMyMac
Basic (yearly)$39.99
per year (US Mac App Store price)
Yearly subscription to the Basic plan in the App Store edition, charged after a 7-day free trial.
Monthly$9.99
per month (US Mac App Store price)
Month-to-month subscription, listed as CleanMyMac Monthly with a 7-day free trial. The listing does not name its feature plan.
Plus (yearly)$65.99
per year (US Mac App Store price)
Yearly subscription to the Plus plan in the App Store edition, charged after a 7-day free trial.
Plus (monthly)$15.99
per month (US Mac App Store price)
The Plus plan paid month to month in the App Store edition.
Ways to pay less
AlDente
- Lifetime license
Lifetime License for AlDente Pro
AlDente Pro can be bought once as a Lifetime License instead of the yearly subscription. The pricing page's feed returns $24.99 for US buyers.
- Education
Student discount through Student App Centre
The vendor's FAQ says a student discount is available through Student App Centre. It does not state the size of the discount.
- Other savings
Included with a Setapp subscription
The pricing page says Setapp, at $9.99 a month, includes AlDente Pro along with more than 240 other apps.
CleanMyMac
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs about a third of monthly
On the US Mac App Store, Plus is $65.99 a year or $15.99 a month, so twelve monthly payments ($191.88) cost almost three times the yearly price.
- Education
30% off for students and teachers
MacPaw gives teachers and students a 30% discount on CleanMyMac. Submitting a .edu email address returns a discount code.
- Lifetime license
One-time purchase with no expiration date
Sold at the MacPaw Store and the App Store. It includes updates and fixes for the current major version only; later major versions are offered at a special price.
- Other savings
30% loyalty discount for MacPaw customers
Anyone who has bought any MacPaw product gets 30% off purchases at the MacPaw Store. It does not apply to App Store or Setapp purchases.
- Other savings
40% off a one-year plan for switchers
Users of another Mac cleaning or protection app can request 40% off a one-year CleanMyMac subscription by submitting proof of purchase.
- Other savings
Up to 50% off upgrades from older versions
Owners of a paid earlier version, such as CleanMyMac X, can move to the current version at up to 50% off through the MacPaw Store.
