AppCleaner vs Latest (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AppCleaner and Latest share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
Free
Which one is for you
Pick AppCleaner if
- Fits if you want an app's leftover files removed along with the app
- Works for older Macs too, since builds are kept for systems back to macOS 10.10
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not on a Mac, as it's macOS only
- Too light for a full clean-up, because it only uninstalls apps and their related files
- Not for you if you like release notes and a manual, since the site shows no documentation or changelog
- Watch out: version 3.7 needs macOS 15 or later, so on older systems you have to find the matching older build
Pick Latest if
- Fits if most of your Mac apps come from outside the App Store
- Works for people who want release notes next to each update
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Not for you if your apps use their own updaters, as only App Store and Sparkle apps are checked
- Too light for managing installs, since it only checks and updates apps
- Watch out: it is a one-person open-source project with no paid support
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAAppCleanerGood | 2.8GPALatestGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. Free, and a real program rather than something you have to host. | AFree and open source under GPL-3.0, with an optional donation. That is under 60% of the cheaper quarter. |
| 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. | AFree outright with no cap and nothing locked. |
| Features | CUninstalling is a small job, and AppCleaner does that bit fully: it finds the files an app scattered around the system, shows them for a look, and SmartDelete catches apps you drag to the Trash. The vendor's page describes no other clean-up or maintenance work, and no documentation or changelog either. | CLists updates with release notes and updates apps from the list. It covers only App Store and Sparkle apps, so apps with their own updaters are missed. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: 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 on record. Open it and it lists your updates, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, which is one operating system. 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, with Touch Bar support. No Windows, phone or web version. |
| Best for | uninstalling Mac apps along with their leftovers | seeing which Mac apps need updating |
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 Latest. How we grade
Price against what you get
AppCleaner has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Latest has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than AppCleaner for less, and none scores higher than Latest for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Latest is open source, according to its own site.
- AppCleaner also covers disk cleanup.
- Latest also covers file management.
In commonFree planmacOS
At a glance
| AppCleaner | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| 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 | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | FreeMacSoft | max.codes |
| Price read from | freemacsoft.net | max.codes |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Latest
- Covers only Mac App Store apps and Sparkle-based apps; other updaters are not checked.
- Mac only, and the site lists no paid support tier.
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.
Latest
- Update overview
- Lists which installed apps changed, with a summary of what is new in each.
- One-window updating
- Update apps right from the list, or update all apps at once.
- Installed update notes
- Shows release notes for updates already installed, such as one from yesterday.
- Store and Sparkle apps
- Supports apps from the Mac App Store and apps that use the Sparkle updater.
- Touch Bar support
- Browse updates and update all apps from the Touch Bar.
- Source available
- The source code is public on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license.
Plans
AppCleaner
AppCleaner$0
The full uninstaller, downloaded directly from the vendor's page. No price is listed, and donations are optional.
Latest
Latest$0
Free and open source; the site offers an optional donation.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AppCleaner or Latest?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both AppCleaner and Latest are free to use.
Which has a free plan, AppCleaner or Latest?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both AppCleaner and Latest have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.