There are several apps out there that promise to clean your Mac while scaring you for an instant about the “virus” that’s on your computer. It is always recommended to steer clear of apps and software like this as it could potentially pose a security threat to the contents of your Mac.
This guide outlines the top 7 free mac cleaners that will speed up your Mac and reclaim disk space.
Keeping this in mind, it always makes sense to go with the best in the business for something as important as cleaning up your Mac. While there aren’t a lot of options out there, we’ve managed to narrow down eight great apps/software for macOS laptops and computers. So let’s have a look at some of the best free Mac cleaners available in 2024.
Why You Need a Free Mac Cleaner?
Over time, your Mac accumulates gigabytes of useless junk files, caches, logs, and other digital debris. This slows down your Mac’s performance substantially. A dedicated Mac cleaner can swiftly remove all this unnecessary clutter.
Free mac cleaners provide powerful optimization benefits:
- Speed Up Your Mac – By removing junk you increase available system resources.
- Reclaim Disk Space – Deleting unneeded files frees up valuable storage room.
- Remove Malware – Some free cleaners scan for and eliminate malware and adware.
- Uninstall Apps – Easily delete unwanted apps and all associated files.
- Fix System Errors – Diagnose and repair disk problems and other issues.
Now let’s explore the top free tools for cleaning and optimizing your Mac in 2024.
1. CleanMyMac X – Popular All-in-One Mac Cleaning Solution
CleanMyMac X is one of the most popular free macOS cleaners. It combines a robust junk cleaning engine with other optimization features like malware scanning and performance monitoring.
The free version allows cleaning up to 500 MB of unwanted files. It scans system logs, caches, user clutter and more. An attractive interface displays exactly how much space you will reclaim.
The full paid version unlocks unlimited cleaning plus additional tools like uninstalling apps, shredding files, optimizing speed and more – for $39.95 per year.
Overall, CleanMyMac X offers an effective way to clean and speed up your Mac for free. And you can upgrade to a stronger optimization suite.
2. MacBooster – Free Mac Optimizer With Antivirus
MacBooster goes beyond just cleaning junk files – it aims to fully optimize your Mac. Key highlights include:
- Junk Cleaning – Find and delete gigabytes of unneeded files.
- Startup Optimization – Speed up boot time by managing login items.
- Antivirus – Scan for Mac malware and viruses.
- Performance Monitoring – Check CPU, RAM usage, and hardware temps.
This free Mac cleaner provides in-depth optimization. The paid version removes ads and expands tools for $59.99. If you want antivirus protection plus multi-faceted optimization, MacBooster is a great choice.
3. Disk Doctor – Simple Free Mac Cleaning
Prefer minimalism? Disk Doctor is a streamlined free Mac cleaner focusing only on reclaiming disk space. With one click, it scans then displays files you can safely delete.
Disk Doctor locates and removes cache files, downloads, system logs, incomplete installations, trash bin content and more. You get a detailed list of all unnecessary files before confirming deletion.
While basic, Disk Doctor excels at freeing up disk space on your Mac through clutter removal. And the simple one-window interface is easy to use.
4. DaisyDisk – Free Disk Usage Visualizer
DaisyDisk visualizes your disk usage via an interactive graphic. This lets you easily spot and delete large unused files.
The free version scans your Mac and presents files and folders as colorful pie chart segments representing their size. You can dig deeper into each segment to explore contents and preview files.
While you can’t delete files in the free trial, the visual interface highlights exactly what’s consuming space on your Mac. This insight makes manual cleanup easier.
5. CCleaner – Popular Cross-Platform Free Mac Cleaning
Available for Windows too, CCleaner is a popular free disk cleaner and optimizing utility for macOS. It swiftly cleans unwanted files and fixes system performance issues.
CCleaner scans then allows deleting caches, logs, broken downloads, trash contents, and more. You can also disable unwanted startup apps and services with a click.
While CCleaner lacks the bells and whistles of paid suites, its free core cleaning and optimizing tools work well. An ad-free paid version with scheduled cleaning is available.
6. Onyx – Free Mac Maintenance and Optimization
Onyx is a free Mac maintenance tool for advanced users containing dozens of repair and optimization functions.
Onyx deletes cache files and performs other cleaning tasks. But it really shines for technical fixes like repairing disk permissions, rebuilding databases, verifying disks, and fixing system errors.
While complex, Onyx is extremely powerful for technically optimizing and troubleshooting a Mac free of charge. It offers tools you can’t get elsewhere for free.
7. AppCleaner – Uninstall Apps Completely
Sometimes you just need to cleanly uninstall unwanted apps from your Mac. AppCleaner excels at this while also removing all hidden associated files.
Simply drag and drop the apps you want to uninstall onto AppCleaner. It then detects all linked files so the apps are completely removed. This prevents clutter buildup when deleting apps.
AppCleaner focuses on one task – fully uninstalling apps – and does it well for free. The premium version adds real-time monitoring and other perks.
Get a Faster, Cleaner Mac with These Free Tools
These 7 free Mac cleaners all provide great optimization benefits. CleanMyMac X is the most comprehensive all-in-one solution. While AppCleaner, Onyx and DaisyDisk are more specialized.
Carefully review each free Mac cleaner’s capabilities to decide which best fits your needs. Then download it and start optimizing your Mac’s performance today.
With regular cleaning, your Mac will run faster, boot quicker and have ample free disk space. No need to pay anything!