AppCleaner vs CleanMyMac
We give AppCleaner a 3.0 GPA and CleanMyMac a 2.4, out of 4.0. AppCleaner grades higher on value for money and the free plan. CleanMyMac grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AppCleaner
Small Mac utility that uninstalls apps and their leftover files
CleanMyMac
Mac cleanup, malware removal and maintenance in one app
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAppCleanerVery good | 2.4GPACleanMyMacFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ANo price is listed anywhere. You download it straight from the vendor's page with no purchase step, and the only payment link is an optional PayPal donation. | 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 | AThe full uninstaller is the free download. There's no paid version and no trial on it, so nothing gets switched off later. | 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 | BIt finds the small files an app leaves around the system and removes them with the app. That's the one job, and it does it. But the vendor's page describes no other clean-up or maintenance tools, and shows no documentation or changelog to tell you more. | 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 hard to picture anything simpler: drop an app onto the window, see what it found, click delete. Just pick the right build, as version 3.7 is for macOS 15 and later. | 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 | DMac only. Version 3.7 is for macOS 15 and later, with older builds kept for systems back to macOS 10.10. No integrations are listed. | 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 | uninstalling Mac apps along with their leftovers | 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: AppCleaner and CleanMyMac. How we grade
Where they differ
- AppCleaner is free. CleanMyMac starts at $39.99 / year on the US Mac App Store (MacPaw's site: from $3.33 / month).
- AppCleaner has a free plan. CleanMyMac does not, though it has a free trial.
- CleanMyMac can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- CleanMyMac also covers menu bar app and system monitor.
At a glance
| AppCleaner | CleanMyMac | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $39.99 / year on the US Mac App Store (MacPaw's site: from $3.33 / month) |
| Free plan | The vendor's page offers the app as a direct download with no price or purchase step. The only payment link is an optional PayPal donation. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial with full functionality |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | FreeMacSoft | MacPaw Way Ltd. |
| Price read from | freemacsoft.net | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
AppCleaner
- Mac users who want an app's support files removed along with the app
- People who want a single-purpose uninstaller at no cost
- Older Macs: builds are kept for macOS 10.10 and later
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
AppCleaner
- macOS only. The current version, 3.7, is for macOS 15 and later; earlier systems need one of the older builds.
- It uninstalls apps and their related files; the vendor's page describes no other cleanup or maintenance functions.
- The vendor's site is a short description with downloads. It shows no documentation, changelog or price list.
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
AppCleaner
- Drag-and-drop uninstalling
- Drop an application onto the AppCleaner window and it searches for the files that belong to that app.
- Related-file search
- Looks for the small files an installation distributes throughout the system, which otherwise keep using disk space after the app is gone.
- Review before deleting
- Found files are shown before anything is removed. A 2015 Macworld walkthrough describes checkmarks beside each file and says removed items go to the Trash.
- SmartDelete
- According to the same Macworld walkthrough, switching on SmartDelete in Preferences makes AppCleaner look for related files whenever an app is dragged to the Trash.
- Builds for older macOS versions
- The vendor lists version 3.7 for macOS 15 and later, 3.6.8 for macOS 10.14 up to 15.6, 3.6 for macOS 10.13 and 3.4 for macOS 10.10 up to 10.12.
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
AppCleaner
AppCleaner$0
The full uninstaller, downloaded directly from the vendor's page. No price is listed, and donations are optional.
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
AppCleaner
No public discounts listed.
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.
