CCleaner vs Pearcleaner
We give CCleaner a 3.8 GPA and Pearcleaner a 3.2, out of 4.0. CCleaner grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Pearcleaner grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CCleaner
Junk cleaner and PC optimizer for Windows, Mac and mobile
Free plan · from $44.95/yr
How we grade them
| 3.8GPACCleanerExcellent | 3.2GPAPearcleanerVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $44.95 a year for 1 PC, about the going rate for a paid utility. It's a subscription, though, not a one-time license. Got a Mac or an Android phone as well? Then it's Pro Plus at $64.95 for up to 3 devices, with Recuva Pro and Speccy Pro thrown in. | AFree, from the GitHub releases page or Homebrew. The license, Apache 2.0 with the Commons Clause, stops anyone selling it or a modified version. |
| Free plan and trial | ACCleaner Free does standard cleaning, standard privacy protection and a basic Health Check, and that's the main job. There's a 14-day trial of Professional too, with no personal or card details needed. Automatic cleaning and the Driver Updater are paid. | AEvery feature is free and there's no paid tier. Nothing is held back for an upgrade. |
| Features | AJunk and browser cleaning, a registry cleaner, startup control, a Health Check, driver and software updates, and a Cloud Drive Cleaner that hunts duplicates in OneDrive and Google Drive. That's the whole clean-up job and then some. | AUninstalls with related files, an orphaned file search, and a small monitor that cleans up when an app hits the Trash. Then there are managers for Homebrew, PKG installers and services, an Update All button, and tools that strip unused languages from apps. For an uninstaller, that's a lot. |
| Ease of use | AIts iPhone app averages 4.6 from about 3,100 App Store ratings. On a PC, Health Check analyzes the machine and recommends quick fixes, so you aren't left guessing which boxes to tick. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Drag an app in or pick it from a list, and a Finder extension adds uninstalling to the right-click menu. It does need Full Disk Access, plus a privileged helper for system folders. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, Android and iOS, and it reaches into Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive to clean those too. The PC app needs Windows 8 or later, and it won't run on S mode or RT editions. | DMac only. The support table lists macOS 13 Ventura through 26 Tahoe, and macOS 27 doesn't appear in it. It works with Homebrew and Steam, and has a command line and deep links for automation. |
| Best for | clearing junk off a Windows PC | free Mac uninstalls that take the leftovers too |
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: CCleaner and Pearcleaner. How we grade
Where they differ
- CCleaner starts at $44.95 per year for 1 PC (CCleaner Pro). Pearcleaner is free.
- Only CCleaner lists Windows, Android and iOS apps.
- CCleaner also covers system monitor.
In commonFree planmacOSDisk cleanup
At a glance
| CCleaner | Pearcleaner | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $44.95 per year for 1 PC (CCleaner Pro) | Free |
| Free plan | CCleaner Free: standard cleaning, standard privacy protection and a basic Health Check. Performance Optimizer, Driver Updater and automatic cleaning are paid. | The whole app is free, from the GitHub releases page or Homebrew. Its license, Apache 2.0 with the Commons Clause, prohibits anyone from selling it or a modified version. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of CCleaner Professional, with no personal or card details needed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gen Digital Inc. | Alin Lupascu |
| Price read from | web.archive.org (not the vendor's own page) | github.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
CCleaner
- Windows users who want junk cleaning, browser cleanup and startup control in one app
- People who want driver and software updates handled by the same utility
- Households covering several PCs, Macs and Android devices with one plan
Pearcleaner
- Mac users who want leftover files removed when they uninstall an app
- Homebrew users who want packages and app updates in one window
- People who want a free cleaner whose source code they can read
Worth knowing
CCleaner
- Performance Optimizer, Driver Updater, software updates, automatic cleaning and the complete Health Check all need a paid plan.
- CCleaner Professional is sold as an annual subscription, not a one-time license, and the Pro plan covers a single PC.
- The site prices by visitor location. The US dollar prices here come from a copy of the plans page archived on May 11, 2026.
- The PC app needs Windows 8 or later and excludes S mode and RT editions.
Pearcleaner
- Development is on hold: the README says work stopped at the end of 2025 and that issue replies, pull request reviews and new releases are paused indefinitely.
- macOS only. The support table lists macOS 13 Ventura through 26 Tahoe; earlier versions are unsupported and macOS 27 does not appear in it.
- It needs Full Disk Access to search for files and a privileged helper to act on system folders.
- The developer calls the license source-available and fair-code rather than open source: the Commons Clause bars selling the app.
Key features
CCleaner
- Junk and browser cleaning
- Removes unused files and deletes browsing data, cookies and trackers from the major browsers. Standard cleaning and privacy protection are in the free version.
- Health Check
- Analyzes the PC, recommends quick fixes and then tries to tune and update it. The free version has a basic Health Check and paid plans the complete one.
- Performance Optimizer
- A paid feature aimed at a PC's speed and battery life. The vendor's pages describe temporarily freezing apps while you are not using them.
- Driver Updater and Software Updater
- Paid plans update out-of-date hardware drivers and installed apps, the latter to close security holes in old software.
- Registry Cleaner and startup control
- Clears errors and broken settings from the Windows registry and lets you disable programs that run when the computer starts.
- Cloud Drive Cleaner
- Scans Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive for duplicates and large or old files, shows how much space can be freed and lets you choose what to delete. Paid plans only.
Pearcleaner
- App uninstall with related files
- Apps are dragged in or picked from a list or grid view, with badges for web and iOS apps, and a Finder extension adds uninstalling to the right-click menu.
- Orphaned file search
- A separate search looks for orphaned files. Search sensitivity is adjustable, and directories can be included in or excluded from searching.
- Sentinel Monitor
- A small background monitor, listed at about 2 MB of RAM, starts a cleanup automatically when an app is moved to the Trash.
- Homebrew, PKG and services managers
- Built-in views manage Homebrew packages, PKG installers, plugins and services, and an apps updater has an Update All button with progress shown in the toolbar.
- Slimming installed apps
- Prunes unused app translations, keeping only preferred languages, and strips unneeded architectures from universal apps without the lipo binary from Xcode tools.
- Command line and deep links
- The app has command-line support, including a command that lists orphaned files, plus deep links for automation, and it can export app bundles and file lists.
Plans
CCleaner
Free$0
Standard cleaning and privacy protection with a basic Health Check, for one device.
Pro$44.95
per year for 1 PC, annual subscription
Complete Health Check, Performance Optimizer, Driver Updater, software updates, cloud drive cleaning, automatic cleaning and priority support.
Pro Plus$64.95
per year for up to 3 devices
Everything in Pro for up to 3 devices, plus Recuva Pro and Speccy Pro and the Pro versions of CCleaner for Mac and Android.
Premium Bundle$89.95
per year for up to 5 devices
Everything in Pro Plus for up to 5 devices, plus Kamo and 24/7 premium technical support. Shown discounted to $64.95 for the first year.
Pearcleaner
Pearcleaner$0
Every feature, with no paid tier. It needs Full Disk Access to search for files and a privileged helper for actions on system folders.
Ways to pay less
CCleaner
- Other savings
Premium Bundle at $64.95 instead of $89.95
The plans page showed the Premium Bundle at $64.95 against a crossed-out $89.95, with no end date. The vendor's checkout lists $89.95 as the yearly fee after the first 12 months.
Pearcleaner
No public discounts listed.
