AppZapper vs OnyX (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OnyX grades higher than AppZapper: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
AppZapper grades higher on platforms. OnyX grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AppZapper
Mac uninstaller that finds an app's leftover files and deletes them
Free trial · from $18 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick AppZapper if
- Fits if you want to remove Mac apps and their leftover files in one drag
- Works for people who want a one-time price
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your Mac runs older than macOS 15.6, as the page lists no earlier builds
- Too light for you if you want disk cleanup beyond uninstalling
- Tight if you want to try it properly, since the trial is 3 zaps
- Watch out: it is Mac only, so Windows or Linux needs another tool
Pick OnyX if
- Fits if you want caches cleared and indexes rebuilt without opening Terminal
- Works for switching on hidden Finder, Dock or Safari settings
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only
- Not for you if you want open source, because it's freeware you can share but not modify for distribution
- Tight if you're on an older macOS, since those builds are discontinued and won't be updated
- Watch out: the current 5.1.0 needs Apple silicon on macOS 27, and Intel Macs stop at 5.0.6 for macOS Tahoe 26
- Watch out: you must pick the build for your exact macOS version, as the vendor warns against running one made for an earlier system
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAAppZapperFair | 2.8GPAOnyXGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$18 one-time for one Mac, with $29 for 5 Macs, under a year of this category's typical subscription. | AIt's free, and a download anyone can run. Titanium Software says all its applications are free and fully usable for as long as you want, calls them donationware, and the PayPal donation is optional. |
| Free plan and trial | DThe trial is 3 zaps and then a licence key is required, which runs out quickly. | AThe complete utility is free, with no registration and no licence key. There's no paid edition, so there's no limit to hit. |
| Features | CDrag-and-drop uninstalling and a Zap All button. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller one: no other cleanup features are described. | CMac housekeeping is its one job: disk and system file checks, maintenance tasks, cache cleaning, hidden Finder, Dock and Safari settings, and an app uninstaller, taking in what the vendor sells separately as Maintenance and Deeper. One job, covered, and nothing beyond it. |
| Ease of use | BDrag an app in and click. Nothing to set up. No store rating is on record. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: it swaps Terminal commands for buttons, which is the whole point. Just mind that each major macOS version needs its own build, and the vendor warns against running one made for an earlier system. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac only, and the home page lists macOS 15.6 or later. | DMac only, with no integrations listed. Version 5.1.0 needs Apple silicon on macOS 27, and Intel Macs stop at OnyX 5.0.6 for macOS Tahoe 26. Older builds go back as far as Mac OS X 10.2. |
| Best for | dragging a Mac app away with its leftovers | free Mac maintenance without Terminal commands |
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: AppZapper and OnyX. How we grade
Where they differ
- AppZapper can be bought with a one-time purchase.
In commonmacOSDisk cleanup
At a glance
| AppZapper | OnyX | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $18 one-time, for 1 Mac | Free |
| Free plan | None | The vendor says all its applications are free and fully usable for as long as you want, with no registration. It calls them donationware; a PayPal donation is optional. |
| Free trial | 3 free zaps before a license is needed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | AppZapper | Titanium Software |
| Price read from | appzapper.com | titanium-software.fr |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AppZapper
- The trial allows 3 zaps, after which a license key is required.
- Requires macOS 15.6 or later; the home page lists no builds for older systems.
- It is an uninstaller only; the vendor's pages describe no other cleanup features.
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.
Key features
AppZapper
- Drag-and-drop uninstalling
- Drag any app into the window and it finds the extra files the app installed, including caches, preferences and support files.
- Zap All
- Delete everything found for an app in one action, or pick files one at a time with the on-screen zapper.
- Themes
- The classic look is kept, and the vendor says new blaster themes can be applied in its place.
- Apple Silicon and Intel
- The vendor's help page says it runs on macOS 15 or later on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
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.
Plans
AppZapper
Single User$18
one-time, for 1 Mac
One license for one Mac.
Family Pack$29
one-time, for up to 5 Macs
One license covering up to 5 Macs.
Enterprise$99
one-time, for up to 25 Macs
One license covering up to 25 Macs.
OnyX
OnyX$0
The complete utility, including the functions of the vendor's Maintenance, Deeper, CalHash and Schedulizer apps. No registration or license key.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AppZapper or OnyX?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AppZapper starts at $18 one-time, for 1 Mac, and OnyX is free.
Which has a free plan, AppZapper or OnyX?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only OnyX has a free plan. AppZapper does not, though it has a free trial.
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.