Free CleanMyMac alternatives: 7 honest options for your Mac

By Pruneo TeamPublished: October 28, 2026Updated: October 28, 2026

Search for “free CleanMyMac alternative” and almost every top result comes from a company selling its own cleaner. This page also comes from a company with a cleaner, Pruneo, so we’re saying it up front. The difference is that Pruneo is free, and here you’ll also see where the other options win.

All third-party facts (prices, licenses, versions) were checked on 10/28/2026 on their official websites, linked in each section. They can change, so check them before you download.

What CleanMyMac gives you without paying

CleanMyMac is a good product, but it isn’t free:

• Free to download, paid to clean. On the Mac App Store it’s listed as free with in-app purchases. On the US store, CleanMyMac Monthly costs US$9.99, CleanMyMac Yearly US$39.99, CleanMyMac Plus Yearly US$65.99, and there’s a one-time purchase at US$89.99. MacPaw’s website advertises plans starting at US$3.33 a month.
• A 7-day trial that renews on its own. The App Store listing offers a 7-day trial with any plan and says you’re charged for the chosen plan when it ends unless you cancel.
• Without a plan, you can only scan. MacPaw’s help page on the trial (written for CleanMyMac X) says that without a plan you can scan with any module, but cleanup, maintenance and optimization are locked. The malware module detects threats but doesn’t remove them.

If the subscription is worth it to you because you use the malware protection, the app updater and the other modules, CleanMyMac is still a solid choice. If all you want is to free up space, there are truly free alternatives.

The free alternatives, one by one

1. macOS Storage settings (built in)

In macOS Ventura 13 or later, open Apple menu > System Settings > General > Storage. Apple explains it in Change Storage settings on Mac and Free up storage space on Mac.

• What it does. Shows space by category, lists your large documents and offers recommendations such as storing in iCloud or emptying the Trash automatically.
• What it doesn’t. It doesn’t clean caches, leftovers from uninstalled apps or developer folders. System Data only shows how much it takes, without letting you see or delete what’s inside.
• Who it’s for. Everyone, as a first step. Nothing to install.

2. AppCleaner (uninstaller)

AppCleaner, by FreeMacSoft, is a free download from its website, which only asks for donations.

• What it does. Uninstalls apps along with their preference, cache and support files. You drag the app onto its window and it shows you what it will delete.
• What it doesn’t. It doesn’t clean general caches, analyze your disk or look for large files.
• Who it’s for. People who just want to uninstall properly. Watch the version: AppCleaner 3.7 needs macOS 15 or later, and for macOS 10.14 to 15.6 its website offers 3.6.8.

3. GrandPerspective (visual disk map)

GrandPerspective is open source (GPL license) and a free download from SourceForge. On the Mac App Store it costs US$2.99, but it’s the same app. GrandPerspective 3.8.1 came out on 09/13/2026 and needs macOS 14 or later.

• What it does. Draws your disk as a map of rectangles: the bigger the rectangle, the bigger the file. It’s the fastest way to see at a glance where your space went.
• What it doesn’t. It doesn’t know what’s junk and what isn’t. It shows you where the space is and you decide what to delete.
• Who it’s for. Visual thinkers who want to find huge files and folders.

4. OmniDiskSweeper (list by size)

OmniDiskSweeper is made by The Omni Group, which released it as freeware in 2009. Today its website offers OmniDiskSweeper 1.16.

• What it does. Lists the files and folders on your disk from largest to smallest and lets you move them to the Trash or open them.
• What it doesn’t. Like GrandPerspective, it doesn’t tell junk apart from important files.
• Who it’s for. People who prefer a sorted list to a map.

5. OnyX (deep maintenance)

OnyX, by Titanium Software, is free and has been developed since 2003. OnyX 5.1.1, for macOS 27, came out on 10/11/2026 and needs a Mac with Apple silicon.

• What it does. Verifies system files, deletes caches, rebuilds indexes and databases, runs maintenance tasks and changes hidden settings in the Finder, the Dock or Safari. For maintenance it goes further than most cleaners, Pruneo included.
• What it doesn’t. It doesn’t tell you which large files or leftovers are filling your disk, and it doesn’t rate items by risk. Many options are technical.
• Who it’s for. Experienced users. Each macOS release has its own OnyX version: use the one that matches your system.

6. Mole (terminal, open source)

Mole started as a free, open-source command-line tool (GPL-3.0 license). You install it with brew install mole and it runs on macOS 12 or later. Its desktop app is a different thing: it costs US$19 once for 2 Macs, scanning is free and each paid tool can be used twice without a license.

• What it does. The CLI cleans caches, logs and app leftovers, uninstalls apps, analyzes your disk interactively, removes build artifacts from your projects and shows system status.
• What it doesn’t. There’s no free graphical interface. According to its website, the app deletes caches permanently by default, and sending them to the Trash is an option in its Settings.
• Who it’s for. People at home in the terminal who value open source. We compare it in depth in Pruneo vs Mole.

7. Pruneo (full cleaner, free)

Pruneo is our app. It’s free, with no account, no subscription and every feature included. If you want to support the project, there’s an optional one-time tip. It takes 10.4 MB and needs macOS 14 or later.

• What it does. Cleans system junk, browser and app caches, Downloads, duplicates, large files, local Time Machine snapshots and app leftovers. It includes an uninstaller and a disk map. It also finds developer junk (Xcode, Node, Docker, Python) and junk from video, photo and music apps.
• What it doesn’t. It doesn’t protect against malware or update apps. It isn’t open source. It’s a new app, with much less track record than CleanMyMac, OnyX or OmniDiskSweeper.
• Who it’s for. People who want a free all-in-one cleaner with a safety net.

Summary table

How to combine them

You don’t have to pick just one. A free combination that works well:

1. Check macOS Storage settings to see which category takes the most space.
2. Use GrandPerspective or OmniDiskSweeper to find huge files.
3. Uninstall what you don’t use with AppCleaner or Pruneo’s uninstaller.
4. Clean caches and leftovers with Pruneo or the Mole CLI.
5. If you’re experienced and want deeper maintenance, OnyX.

Summary

1. CleanMyMac is a free download, but cleaning requires a paid plan after a 7-day trial.
2. macOS Storage settings are free and the first step.
3. AppCleaner uninstalls, GrandPerspective and OmniDiskSweeper show what takes up space, OnyX does maintenance and the Mole CLI cleans from the terminal.
4. Pruneo brings cleanup, an uninstaller and a disk map together in a free app with a quarantine.

If you still don’t know where your space went, start with How to free up space on Mac.

CleanMyMac, AppCleaner, GrandPerspective, OmniDiskSweeper, OnyX and Mole are trademarks of their respective owners. Pruneo has no relationship with them and uses no affiliate links.

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