We clean our rooms and clothes so why not our Macs? But who can waste the entire day digging through folders and files? There are so many places like music, videos, apps and email downloads, and countless more locations on your Mac where junk and clutter accumulates. In 2020 cleaning your Mac is easier than ever. Which is why millions of people download free and low-cost Mac cleaning software.

• Lifehacker Best Clean Up App For Mac Catalina
• Lifehacker Best Clean Up App For Macbook Pro

To start off, we've made a quick comparison chart about best Mac cleaners for Mac.

There is a free trial version available on the Mac App Store, but it restricts the app to only remove files up to a maximum of 500MB - and in the middle of deleting files it will demand you pay. The Lifehacker Pack is an annual snapshot of our favorite, essential applications for each of our favorite platforms. For our always-updating directory of all the best apps, be sure to bookmark. Like any computer, Macs benefit from an occasional bout of physical and virtual cleaning. Here are some simple, easy–to-follow tips to give your trusted Mac a new spring in its step. This PC clean up tool comes from the renowned antivirus-maker Avast Technologies. Avast Cleanup can be a good choice for the users who want a reliable and easy to use PC cleanup software. Chances are, your Mac isn’t working as fast as it could, thanks to gigabytes of clutter and unnecessary files on your system. CleanMyMac helps you scan your Mac, monitor its health, and ultimately clean it up—so you can handle all your tasks that extra bit faster. A single license is $39.95. Download: CleanMyMac.

A handy cleaner may prove that your Mac is still alive and can actually perform at its best. In this article we’ve brought together some of the best Mac cleaning solutions around to clean, optimize, and maintain Macs that are available in 2020.

Top 10 best cleaners for Mac: Free and premium versions

1. CleanMyMac X

CleanMyMac X takes the first place with good reason — this cleaner combines features of both cleaning software and antimalware tool. Its Smart Scan promises a “nice and thorough scan of your Mac.” It does what it says, detecting junk like user cache files and system logs, checking your Mac for malicious software, and speeding up your MacBook. Looks like, there is a threat in my system, that I need to get rid of:

Frankly speaking, CleanMyMac X is Tesla Roadster among other Mac cleaners. And it does a great job revealing your junk and other clutter, uninstalling unneeded apps and their leftovers, and keeping your Mac’s system clean and optimized. Another pro is that CleanMyMac X is Apple-notarized, which means it’s safe for your Mac. You can download its free version right here.

Price: $39.95
Free version: Available here

2. Disk Doctor

Disk Doctor is developed in the UK and was awarded the 'Mac Gem’ award by MacWorld in 2013. CNET and other tech journalists also praise functionality. As of 2020, it still looks like a useful tool for Mac cleaning that removes junk slowing down and reducing the computing power of your Mac.

Price: $2.99
Free version: N/A

3. Gemini 2

Gemini 2 is the duplicate finder that allows you to free up gigabytes of storage and organize your files. In just a few minutes.

It quickly scans every corner of your Mac and weeds out useless copies. No matter what type of file it is: a photo, music track, or a doc… Gemini will definitely find it. And once the scan is done, you can remove the duplicates in a click. Or review results to make sure nothing important gets deleted.

If you remove something by accident, it takes just a click to put it back. And to make sure things like that never happen again, you can exclude specific files and folders from scan. Try out the free version right here.

Price: $19.96
Free version: Available here

4. Onyx

OnyX is a french Mac cleaning solution developed by Titanium software. It weighs only 5 MB but that doesn’t mean its capabilities are limited. OnyX is a tool that programmers will have a lot of fun with. With it, you can peek under the hood of your macOS and automate a whole list of jobs, like disk cleanup and cache removal. You can even tweak the color of folders on your Mac, and even make them invisible. Deservedly, it's among the best free Mac cleaners.

OnyX is one of the best Mac cleaners because it cleans many specific under-the-surface files, like inner databases and logs. If you know what is XPC cache is, you’ll probably like this app. But for us, ordinary Mac users who came here for the design and glossy buttons, OnyX will require some learning time.
Those who use OnyX say it is stable and reliable. There is no dedicated customer service (because OnyX is free software), but you shouldn’t be worried. The only likely damage is you accidentally deleting files by yourself.
Price: Free cleaner

5. DaisyDisk

DaisyDisk gives you a visual representation of your Mac folders, making it easy to see what is taking up space and delete the folders you don't need. All you need to do is select a drive, DaisyDisk will scan it, then you can delete everything that is wasting valuable space. It comes with a free and premium version.

Price:$9.99
Free version: Trial version available

6. AppCleaner & Uninstaller

If you only need to uninstall apps on Mac, AppCleaner is a good pick. AppCleaner only removes applications, plugins, and widgets, which are again, small apps. AppCleaner works in a familiar drag & drop mode. Its interface is also clean and easy to understand for a newbie.

After feeding the apps to AppCleaner, you should visit the Leftovers section of the app to erase their remains. Why we place AppCleaner & Uninstaller among free Mac cleaner tools? Because it is 100% free. Whether you will fully clean your Mac using it, is a different question.
AppCleaner & Uninstaller is created by FreeMacSoft, also the makers of LiteIcon, an icon customizer for Mac.
Price: Voluntary donation

7. Smart Mac Care

If you launch Smart Mac Care, it will look hauntingly familiar to other free Mac cleaner apps. Not only features will be called the same, everything up to the fonts, will be identical to some other app you’ve just used. That’s not a minus, though. You can still free up a lot of space with Smart Mac Care.

Smart Mac Care operates by a logic of “scans.” There is a Junk Scan, Malware Scan, Privacy Scan, etc. Just like Mac Booster, Smart Mac Care removes duplicates scattered in various locations on your Mac. There’s also a Memory Optimizer feature that promises to free up RAM on your Mac. In a word, Smart Mac Care resembles every other generic product whose only difference is in packaging. This is supported by the fact that we couldn’t find any credible third-party reviews for this app.

On another skeptical note: to uninstall Smart Mac Care you have to enter your admin password. This is not the case with other Mac cleaners we’ve used.
Price: $56.62 per year
Free version: Demo available

8. Drive Genius

Drive Genius is labeled a “Mac monitoring software.” It’s a whole suite of tools that provide powerful disk diagnostics. It’s hard to list a thing that this software doesn’t do. You can scan for malware, secure-erase files, customize icons — it’s dozens of apps in one body. What makes Drive Genius unique is, probably, its search for corrupted files and inconsistencies on your drive. If your Mac is an old one, keeping it in good health will be easier with Drive Genius.

In a free version, you can use just a fraction of tools, notably a DiskPulse utility. This is an automatic Mac health checker that notifies you before your hard drive fails. Unlike Mac cleaners that merely scan, it is able to repair damage on your disks, which makes it a real deal. Be prepared that hard drive scan may take some time, but the results are worth it. Also note that Drive Genius is not available for macOS Catalina (as of the beginning of 2020).

Price: $299 for Professional edition
Free version: Limited Lite edition is available

9. CCleaner

Originally created in 2004 by Piriform, CCleaner comes with a free and professional version, focusing on businesses and business customers. CCleaner is a cross-platform tool, for PCs, Macs, Android, and it has a Cloud, Network and Technician tool, depending on what you need and the platform/software you use.

The premium version comes with a lot more features, including real-time alerts, free updates, and dedicated support. Although created for PCs in the early days, CCleaner does well to identify unwanted files on a Mac, so that users can select and delete the files and folders they don't need to free up space. As a cleaner for Mac, customers are pretty happy with the results of CCleaner.
Price: $19.95
Free version: Available

10. Sensei

The Sensei app is a relatively new app on the market, but it can be another useful tool for your Mac. /best-app-to-take-notes-on-mac.html. The Sensei software developers call the app “Pro Mac Cleaner” on their website. I would call it a performance controlling tool.

Sensei presents a detailed picture of how your Mac performs. In the Dashboard, you can find out information about your MacBook, check your CPU’s current temperature, and see how much of your RAM is used. Cooling gives you exact information on your Mac’s fans' speed.

Its Clean option helps to get rid of user cache, logs, large files, etc. The Uninstaller feature allows you to delete apps from your Mac and remove their traces. It doesn’t list pre-installed apps from Apple, such as Safari or Calendar, but it shows every app you have installed on your Mac.

Surely, you can clean up your Mac manually, but using dedicated software will save you tons of time.

Price: $29 per year
Free version: Available

Frequently Asked Questions

Can’t my Mac clean itself?

Your macOS also has a built-in Mac cleaner, which Apple called Optimized Storage. Though its capabilities are limited, it gives you basic directions on where to start the cleanup. But for a thorough system cleanup and removing malware, you’ll need a dedicated Mac cleaner app.

Can Mac cleaner apps delete my important files?

Typically, best Mac cleaner apps have a protection built-in. They will usually select only those files that are safe for deletion.

Will Mac cleaners slow down my Mac?

Some cleaners try to get into your Login items, thus creating an extra burden on processor. Mac apps for messenger. On a flip side, the reliable Mac cleaner apps might even speed up your Mac. They remove all the outdated junk files giving your Mac an extra boost.

Mac cleaning apps you should avoid

Above we've touched the trusted Mac cleanup solutions but there are many that work on the dark side. Malwarebytes lists Advanced Mac Cleaner Pro and similar tools as unwanted applications. Here are some signs that should warn you against using scam Mac cleaners.
Signs of Mac cleaner scam:

• 'Your Mac is infected' intrusive message
• An app is installed as part of different app
• An app finds 2323 (the number is an example) threats on your Mac
• Mac cleaner redirects your search page

Be safe and happy cleaning.

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The thing that I always want to see in my Mac is the Speedy Performance. To prevent the junkies from piling up and making the computer sluggish, I make sure to eliminate the unnecessary files on a regular basis. However, tracking down the useless files and removing them is a bit time-consuming. That’s why; I take the help of the most trusted Mac cleaning software to quickly get rid of the redundant files.

Have you found your Mac running at snail’s pace? It’s high time to track down all the unwanted files and shoot them out right away to not just recover some valuable storage but also speed up the computer. Aside from purging out the useless files, many of these tools can also play a pivotal role in providing the needed safeguard to your personal info.

#1. Daisy Disk

“Daisy Disk” has been one of the most reliable Mac storage cleaners for long. It provides a visual breakdown of your disk space, thereby making it a bit easier to spot the space wasters. Therefore, capturing and purging unwanted files becomes pretty straightforward.

One notable feature of this software is the ability to scan multiple disks not just accurately but also fast. With the integrated QuickLook features, it lets you easily preview file content.

Besides, you can use Daisy Disk in several languages including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and more.

Lifehacker Best Clean Up App For Mac Catalina

Price: $9.99
Download

#2. CleanMyMac

“CleanMyMac” is second to none when it comes to wiping out the redundant files with ease. This software scans your entire system and suggests you clean up the files depending on their usability.

It also recommends you to delete all the useless contents related to an application. Hence, you don’t have to spend much time to track down what’s killing the storage.

With just a click, you can remove the entire unnecessary files including the large mail attachments, duplicate photos, cache, etc. and be able to recover plenty of valuable storage.

Price: Free
Download

Lifehacker Best Clean Up App For Macbook Pro

#3. OS Cleaner Master

Having put my hands on “OS Cleaner Master” and used it to flush out the junk files with ease, I can tell that this Mac cleaner works well. The app allows you to track down the redundant data and lets you get rid of them fast.

Plus, you can use the OS Cleaner Master to keep an eye on the CPU, storage, and memory. Take advantage of the adware doctor to nab the adware and malware. Keep a close watch on the app information like its version and size.

Check out the crashed apps and also find out the firewall status. Besides, you have the option to upgrade this Mac cleaner to unlock several useful features like removing mail attachments, duplicate, and large files.

Price: Free
Download

#4. OnyX

No list of top Mac cleaning software would be complete without OnyX. It’s been a highly trusted and efficient tool for deleting the useless files and keeping the computer clutter-free.

You can use this tool to quickly nab all the problematic files and folders that need to be purged soon. Having given it a long spin, I can say that it can live up to the demand fairly well.

One notable feature of this software is the accuracy with which it unearths junkies. That means there is less chance for the clutters to survive!

Price: Free
Download

#5. Disk Inventory X

Disk Inventory X is a lightweight software but very efficient in getting rid of the unneeded files. It’s up to the mark in scanning the disk and displaying the usage in the treemap format.

Thus, you are able to have a close look at all the files and folders that are of no use. And once you have tracked down the less important files, deleting them all is dead simple. You will really appreciate its simplicity.

Price: Free
Download

#6. MacCleanse

With “MacCleanse”, you are looking at an all-in-one solution. This software works with high proficiency in erasing various types of files like caches, empty logs, cookies, web histories. You will be able to locate useless and old files and clear them immediately.

MacCleanse comes with a unique feature that lets you instantly find out the unnecessary contents from a respective app. The software also offers detailed information about each file it deletes. Furthermore, it claims to delete files with the US Department of Defense level security.

Price: $19.99
Download

#7. EaseUS CleanGenius

Retrieve the precious disk space by wiping out the large files. “EaseUS CleanGenius” can keep your Mac clutter-free and also boost its performance.

This cleaner app scans through the entire computer to find out the system logs, caches, along with all the files that are hogging tons of storage. You can navigate through the storage hogging files and remove the ones that are useless or need to be cleaned up.

The app also lets you get rid of browser plug-ins, extensions, and cookies. However, it keeps the browsing history, bookmarks, as well as the downloaded files.

Price: $9.99
Download

#8. CCleaner

CCleaner can work exceptionally well in reducing the clutter of your Mac and making it run smoothly. Apart from letting you get rid of junkies and unused files, the software can also help you quickly spot the storage hogging apps.

This tool offers you the desired flexibility to pick and choose exactly what you want to keep or remove. After you have discovered the unwanted files, eliminating them all will hardly take a click or two.

CCleaner also wipes out the browser history to safeguard your personal history. As a result, you will be able to safely browse the web.

The free version of the app comes with limitation and you have to buy its premium version (around $30) to use all the features.

Price: Free
Download

#9. App Cleaner & Uninstaller

App Cleaner & Uninstaller is a fully-featured Mac cleaning tool. The quality that makes it exceptionally user-friendly is the ability to spot all the temporary files and leftovers of the apps you have already deleted. Thus, you are able to wipe out all the useless data that has cluttered the device or threatening to do so.

You can preview all the installed apps and extensions and be able to quickly remove the ones that are no longer needed. Check out login items and remove them if they are of no use.

Turn off launch agents and startup items to expedite the speed of the device. Furthermore, you can use it to take control of all of your files and optimize your Mac’s performance to run smoothly.

Price: Free/$19.90
Download

And that’s it, folks!

What’s your favorite cleaning tool?

Assuming you have found the right storage cleaner for your macOS device? Which one is it and what are the qualities you have found appreciable in it? It would be great to know your feedback in the comments.

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Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of iGeeksBlog.com who has a keen eye for news, rumors and all the unusual stuff that happens around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting contents on social media.

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