AppCleaner vs OnyX

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

OnyX

• Mac users who want maintenance and cache cleaning without Terminal commands
• People who want to change hidden Finder, Dock and Safari settings
• Owners of older Macs, since builds exist for many past macOS versions

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.

OnyX

• macOS only. Each major macOS version needs its own OnyX build, and the vendor warns against running a build made for an earlier system.
• The current version, 5.1.0, requires a Mac with Apple silicon on macOS Golden Gate 27; Intel Macs stop at OnyX 5.0.6 for macOS Tahoe 26.
• Builds for earlier macOS versions are discontinued and will not be updated, although they can still be downloaded.
• It is freeware, not open source: the license allows copying and sharing it but not modifying it for distribution.

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.

OnyX

System file verification

Checks the startup disk and the structure of its system files, a job that otherwise means typing commands in Terminal.

Maintenance tasks

Runs miscellaneous maintenance jobs and rebuilds various databases and indexes. The vendor's separate Maintenance app is a subset of this part of OnyX.

Cache and file cleaning

Deletes application, font and system caches and removes certain folders and files that are known to cause problems.

Hidden settings

Turns hidden options on or off in the Finder, Dock, Safari and other Apple applications, the same controls the vendor ships separately as Deeper.

Application uninstaller

Removes an application together with its related files and folders. The 5.1.1 release in progress lists an improved uninstaller.

A build for each macOS version

Version 5.1.0, released on September 15, 2026, targets macOS Golden Gate 27, and older builds stay downloadable for systems back to Mac OS X 10.2.

AppCleaner

• AppCleaner$0

  The full uninstaller, downloaded directly from the vendor's page. No price is listed, and donations are optional.

OnyX

• OnyX$0

  The complete utility, including the functions of the vendor's Maintenance, Deeper, CalHash and Schedulizer apps. No registration or license key.