PruneoPruneo vs BuhoCleaner: speed, real junk and price compared
Pick BuhoCleaner if you want a file shredder and like the option of a one-time lifetime license. Pick Pruneo if you want a free cleaner whose scan took seconds instead of minutes in our test, that separates safe items from items to review, and that lets you undo any cleanup.
BuhoCleaner, from Dr.Buho, is a Mac cleaner with a long list of utilities, from duplicate finding to startup items and RAM tools. Pruneo is a free cleaner focused on getting disk space back quickly and safely, including the space taken by development and creative apps.
The two apps are close in how light they are on your Mac. They are very far apart in scan time, and the junk numbers need some explanation. Here is what we measured, where BuhoCleaner is ahead, and how each app handles safety.
The numbers, side by side
| Pruneo 1.0.3 | BuhoCleaner 1.17.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Scan time (median warm; first cold scan) | 4.2 s (12.4 s) | 546.0 s (9 min 6 s) |
| Junk to clean, general use | 18.0 GB safe (31.2 GB total) | 24.3 GB (without purgeable space) |
| Idle CPU | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Peak memory while scanning | ~160 MB | 392 MB |
| Installed size | 10.4 MB | 72 MB |
| Helper processes | 0 | 2 |
| Can be undone | Yes, from quarantine | Not verified |
MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro, 16 GB, macOS 27, 10/21/2026. Pruneo 1.0.3, BuhoCleaner 1.17.0. Median warm scan.
What the table says, in plain words:
- Scan time. This is the largest gap. Pruneo’s median warm scan took 4.2 s. BuhoCleaner’s took 546 s, which is about 9 minutes. That makes Pruneo about 130 times faster in a warm scan. On the very first scan, with nothing cached, Pruneo took 12.4 s, still about 44 times faster.
- Weight on your Mac. Pruneo is lighter. At rest, it used 0.1% CPU and BuhoCleaner 0.6%. Peak memory while scanning was about 160 MB for Pruneo and 392 MB for BuhoCleaner. Installed, Pruneo takes 10.4 MB and BuhoCleaner 72 MB. In our test Pruneo ran no helper processes in the background (just its menu bar icon); BuhoCleaner ran 2.
About BuhoCleaner’s junk number
On our test Mac, BuhoCleaner showed 68.45 GB of junk. But 44.18 GB of that was purgeable space. Purgeable space is storage that macOS already manages and frees by itself when it needs room, for example with local copies of files that are also stored in iCloud. Apple explains how a Mac can make storage available automatically. Because macOS takes care of it, we do not count it as real junk.
Without purgeable space, BuhoCleaner found 24.3 GB. Pruneo found 18.0 GB that it marks as safe, and 31.2 GB in total once you count what it asks you to review. So in general use the two are in the same range: BuhoCleaner’s figure sits between Pruneo’s safe and total amounts. If you want to understand why the storage bar on your Mac shows so much “System Data”, read our guide on what System Data is on a Mac.
Where Pruneo pulls ahead: professional sections
The gap in found space opens with Pruneo’s work sections, which show up based on what you use: Development (projects, Xcode, Node, Python, Docker, local AI, editors), Design, photo and video (Adobe, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom, Figma, CapCut) and Music and audio (Logic, Ableton, GarageBand). With those profiles on, Pruneo found 79.2 GB on the same Mac, 40.4 GB of it marked safe, in 7.1 s. BuhoCleaner does list an Xcode cache cleaner on its official page, so it is not blind to developer files; Pruneo’s Development profile simply covers more tools in one place.
Where BuhoCleaner wins, and where Pruneo is weaker
- File shredder. The official BuhoCleaner page lists a shredder that deletes files beyond recovery. Pruneo does not have one: everything it cleans goes to quarantine first, precisely so you can get it back. Its other utilities (large file and duplicate finders, disk analyzer, uninstaller with leftover cleanup, startup items, RAM and CPU monitor, Spotlight and DNS cache) are also in Pruneo.
- More junk than Pruneo’s “safe” group. In general use, BuhoCleaner’s 24.3 GB (without purgeable space) is more than the 18.0 GB that Pruneo marks safe without review. Pruneo reaches 31.2 GB only when you include the items it asks you to check.
- A one-time license option. If you prefer to pay once, BuhoCleaner sells a lifetime license (see the price section). That matters to people who dislike subscriptions.
- Pruneo is newer and needs macOS 14 or later. Pruneo is a recent app (current version 1.5.2), with much less time in real use. We could not confirm BuhoCleaner’s minimum macOS version on its official site, so check it there if you have an older Mac.
Safety and undo
BuhoCleaner
We did not find information on BuhoCleaner’s official page about restoring files after a cleanup, so the table says “Not verified”. That means we could not confirm it, not that it is missing. Like other shredders, its Secure File Shredder is meant to delete files for good, so use it only on files you are sure about.
Pruneo
Pruneo marks every item with a traffic light: green is safe, yellow means review it first, and a padlock means it is protected and will not be touched. Everything Pruneo cleans goes to a quarantine first, so you can bring it back. Emptying the Trash is the only exception, and Pruneo asks you to confirm it first.
Pruneo never touches the system, SSH and GPG keys, credentials, Keychain, iCloud Drive, Mail, Messages, .git folders, .env files, certificates, your Photos library, the Docker disk, the root of git projects or the Spotlight index.
From the terminal, you can preview a cleanup before doing it and restore it later:
pruneo scan # see what can be cleaned
pruneo clean <sections> # without --yes it only simulates
pruneo clean <sections> --yes # cleans, and items go to quarantine
pruneo quarantine restore # bring items back from quarantineScheduled cleanups only touch green items. More details are on our security page.
Price
Checked on Oct 22, 2026, on BuhoCleaner’s official store, in US dollars. These are sale prices, and they change with promotions.
- BuhoCleaner. The official store page shows a Yearly Plan at $17.99 (regular price $39.99), a Lifetime Plan at $25.99 (regular price $67.99) and a Business Plan for 10 Macs at $69.99 (regular price $189.99). The yearly and lifetime plans offer 1 Mac or 3 Macs; the page did not make clear whether the 3 Mac option costs more. The store states a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Pruneo. Free, with no account and no subscription. If you want to support the project, there is an optional one-time contribution from $5.
Which one should you choose?
Choose BuhoCleaner if:
- You want a shredder to delete files for good.
- You prefer a paid lifetime license over a free app.
- You do not mind waiting several minutes for a full scan.
Choose Pruneo if:
- You want scans that finish in seconds.
- You want a clear split between what is safe to clean and what you should review first.
- You work with code, video, photos or music and want to reclaim the space those tools leave behind.
- You want a quarantine so any cleanup can be undone.
You can also see how Pruneo compares with CleanMyMac, Cleaner One Pro and Mole. To try Pruneo, go to the home page.
CleanMyMac, Cleaner One Pro and BuhoCleaner are trademarks of their respective owners. Pruneo has no relationship with them. In our benchmark, CleanMyMac and Cleaner One Pro were measured in their App Store versions, which have less disk access than their web versions.
FAQ
Why does BuhoCleaner show so much more junk than other cleaners?
In our test it showed 68.45 GB, but 44.18 GB of that was purgeable space, which macOS frees on its own when it needs room. Without it, BuhoCleaner found 24.3 GB.
Is BuhoCleaner a one-time purchase?
Its official store offers both a yearly plan and a lifetime license. Pruneo is free, with no account and no subscription.
Which one is faster?
In our test, Pruneo's median warm scan took 4.2 s and BuhoCleaner's took 546 s, a bit over 9 minutes. Pruneo's first cold scan took 12.4 s.