BleachBit vs Glary Utilities (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BleachBit grades higher than Glary Utilities: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BleachBit grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Glary Utilities grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Glary Utilities
Windows maintenance suite with registry, junk-file and startup tools
Which one is for you
Pick BleachBit if
- Fits if you're on Windows or Linux and want disk space back at no cost
- Works for administrators who script clean-ups across many machines from the command line
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac, as macOS support is experimental with limited features
- Not for you if you want updates to install themselves, since you download each one by hand
- Tight if you're on Linux and want the winapp2.ini cleaners, because that import is Windows only
- Watch out: the current installer is for Windows 10 and 11; XP, Vista, 7 and 8 need the older 4.7.0 release
- Not for you if you want it on a phone or in a browser, as it's a desktop program only
Pick Glary Utilities if
- Fits if you want one free Windows program for cleanup, startup and privacy jobs
- Works for people with up to 3 PCs who would take Pro yearly
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, as only Windows is listed
- Tight if you want automatic scheduled maintenance, because that is Pro
- Pricey if you'd rather not subscribe: Pro is $39.95 a year, and Technician is $169 a year
- Watch out: the vendor calls its registry cleaner safer, and the site gives no independent test of that
- Watch out: the Pro trial length isn't stated
How we grade them
| 3.0GPABleachBitVery good | 2.8GPAGlary UtilitiesGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing, and the site calls it free forever. A plain download, no registration, no license activation, no ads and no upsells. The code is open source under GPLv3, and donations are optional. | AThe free edition covers the core tools. Pro is $39.95 a year for up to 3 PCs, which is a subscription rather than a one-time licence. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free. The features page says every user has the "Pro" version, so there's nothing to unlock. | BFree with one-click maintenance and core cleanup, privacy and optimization tools. Scheduling and the deeper registry scan are Pro. |
| Features | CClearing out junk is one job and BleachBit covers it: cleaners for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, VLC and dozens more, a preview of every file first, shredding, free-space wiping, a command line and cleaners you can write. It's that one chore, and the winapp2 import is Windows only. | BDisk cleanup, registry repair, startup control, a duplicate finder, file recovery and shredding. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record, but nothing needs setting up: tick what to clean, hit preview, delete only what you want, so nothing vanishes by surprise. Updates aren't automatic, mind. The app can tell you there's a new version, then you download it by hand. | BOne-click maintenance, though it has many tools to find your way around. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA program for computers and nothing else: Windows and Linux, no web version, no phone apps, and macOS listed as experimental with limited features. It brings a command line for scripting and cleaners for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, VLC and LibreOffice. | DWindows only. Version 6.50 is listed, with no Mac or phone edition. |
| Best for | free disk cleaning on Windows and Linux | a Windows cleanup suite with a free edition |
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: BleachBit and Glary Utilities. How we grade
Price against what you get
BleachBit has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Glary Utilities starts at $3.33 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and BleachBit starts $3.33 a month lower. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than BleachBit for less, and 9 score higher than Glary Utilities 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
- BleachBit is open source, according to its own site.
- Glary Utilities also covers file management.
At a glance
| BleachBit | Glary Utilities | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $39.95 per year, for up to 3 PCs |
| Free plan | Every feature is free, with no registration, license activation, ads or upsells; the site describes it as free forever. Donations are optional. | The free edition of Glary Utilities, with the one-click maintenance and core cleanup, privacy and optimization tools. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of Pro offered on the Pro page; its length is not stated |
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Andrew Ziem | Glarysoft |
| Price read from | bleachbit.org | glarysoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BleachBit
- There is no regular macOS version: the download page lists Mac OS X support as experimental with limited features.
- The current Windows installer is for Windows 10 and 11; Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 need the older 4.7.0 release.
- Importing winapp2.ini, which adds thousands of extra cleaners, is available on Windows only.
- New versions are not installed automatically; the app can notify you, and updates are downloaded from the website by hand.
Glary Utilities
- Windows only; the vendor's page lists version 6.50 for Windows and no Mac or mobile edition.
- Pro is a 1-year subscription covering up to 3 PCs, not a one-time license.
- Automatic scheduled maintenance and the deeper registry scan are Pro features.
- The vendor's own pages describe the registry cleaner as safer; the site gives no independent test of that.
Key features
BleachBit
- Junk and cache cleaning
- Removes temporary files, browser caches, logs and other junk, using built-in cleaners for Google Chrome, Edge, Firefox, VLC, system logs and many other targets.
- Privacy cleaning
- Erases browsing history, cookies, saved passwords and application traces across several browsers in one step. A cookie manager for keeping chosen cookies is new in the 5.1.0 beta.
- Preview before deleting
- You tick the items to clean, click preview to see every file that would be removed, and then delete only what you want.
- Shredding and free-space wiping
- Shreds sensitive files so their contents cannot be read, and overwrites free disk space to hide files that were deleted earlier.
- Command line and custom cleaners
- A command line interface supports scripting and automation, advanced users can write cleaners in CleanerML, and Windows users can import winapp2.ini for thousands more.
- Linux system cleaners
- On Linux it can clear memory and swap, delete unused localizations and broken shortcuts, and clean the APT, Pacman, Snap, Yum and DNF package managers.
Glary Utilities
- One-click maintenance
- Runs junk-file cleanup, error fixing, privacy-record clearing and performance optimization together from one button.
- Disk cleanup and space analysis
- Finds temporary files, logs, caches and error reports to delete, and a disk space analyzer shows which folders take the most room.
- Registry repair and startup control
- Cleans Windows registry errors and lets you disable startup programs. Pro adds a deeper registry scan.
- Duplicate finder and file recovery
- Locates duplicate files for deletion and tries to restore deleted files, including after the Recycle Bin is emptied.
- Privacy tools and file shredding
- Removes browsing history and recent-file traces, and deletes files so that they cannot be recovered.
- Automated maintenance
- Pro runs cleanup on a schedule and clears usage traces such as browsing history after shutdown.
Plans
BleachBit
BleachBit$0
The complete cleaner for Windows and Linux, open source under GPLv3. The features page says every user has the "Pro" version.
Glary Utilities
Free$0
Free download with the main cleanup, privacy, startup and disk tools.
Pro$39.95
per year, for up to 3 PCs
Adds deeper registry scanning and automatic scheduled maintenance. A 1-year subscription.
Technician$169
per year
Edition for service providers who maintain other people's PCs.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BleachBit or Glary Utilities?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BleachBit is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $3.33 a month when paid by the year for Glary Utilities. BleachBit is free, and Glary Utilities starts at $39.95 per year, for up to 3 PCs.
Which has a free plan, BleachBit or Glary Utilities?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both BleachBit and Glary Utilities have a free plan.
Which platforms do BleachBit and Glary Utilities run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only BleachBit lists a Linux app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.