Comparisons
CLEANUAI COMPARED
Short answer
Among Mac cleaners, CleanUai is the one that brings together, for a one-time US$ 9.99, junk cleaning, a disk map, an uninstaller with leftovers, an app updater and a menu bar monitor, moving everything to the Trash first. CleanMyMac does more (malware scanning, for one), but it’s a subscription. DaisyDisk is best if you only want to see your disk. AppCleaner and Pearcleaner are free, but they only uninstall.
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MacPaw
CleanUai vs CleanMyMac
Subscription versus one-time payment. CleanMyMac has malware scanning; CleanUai sends everything to the Trash.
See the comparison → -
Software Ambience Corp.
CleanUai vs DaisyDisk
Same price, one-time. DaisyDisk only maps your disk; CleanUai also cleans, uninstalls and updates.
See the comparison → -
FreeMacSoft
CleanUai vs AppCleaner
AppCleaner is free and does one thing: uninstall. CleanUai uninstalls and does the rest of the cleanup.
See the comparison → -
alienator88
CleanUai vs Pearcleaner
Pearcleaner is free and source-available; development is on hold. CleanUai adds cleaning, a disk map and the menu bar.
See the comparison → -
Dr.Buho
CleanUai vs BuhoCleaner
Both have a lifetime license. BuhoCleaner has more tools; CleanUai costs less and has an app updater.
See the comparison → -
Clario Tech
CleanUai vs MacKeeper
MacKeeper is a subscription security suite. CleanUai is cleaning only, paid once.
See the comparison →
All side by side
| Feature | CleanUai | CleanMyMac | DaisyDisk | AppCleaner | Pearcleaner | BuhoCleaner | MacKeeper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | US$ 9.99 or R$ 34.90, once | US$ 39.99/year or US$ 9.99/month on the App Store; the site says “starting at $3.33/month” | US$ 9.99, once | Free, with donations | Free, with donations | Yearly US$ 39.99 (US$ 17.99 on sale); lifetime US$ 67.99 (US$ 25.99 on sale) | US$ 71.40/year (1 Mac) or US$ 14.95/month |
| How you pay | Lifetime license, 1 Mac, with 1 year of new versions | Subscription (yearly or monthly); one-time purchase covers the current major version only; also on Setapp | Lifetime license with minor updates, up to 5 personal Macs | Free | Free; source-available (Apache 2.0 with Commons Clause) | Yearly subscription or lifetime license; plans for 1, 3 or 10 Macs | Subscription only, auto-renewing |
| Free trial | Yes · 7 days, all unlocked, no card; scanning free forever | Yes · 7 days, all features; then scan only | Partly · Scans and shows the map; can’t delete | Yes · Not needed: it’s free | Yes · Not needed: it’s free | Partly · Removes up to 3 GB for free | Partly · One free fix per tool |
| App in Brazilian Portuguese | Yes | Yes | Not verified · “Portuguese” listed; variant not verified | Not verified | Not verified · “Portuguese” listed; variant not verified | Not verified · “Portuguese” listed; variant not verified | Not verified · “Portuguese” listed; variant not verified |
| Cleans junk and caches | Yes · System Junk | Yes · The App Store edition skips system caches and logs | No | No | Not verified | Yes | Yes |
| Visual disk map | Yes · Space Lens | Yes · Space Lens | Yes · The app’s core; also scans cloud drives | No | Not verified | Yes | Not verified |
| Large and old files | Yes · Large & Old | Partly · Deletes permanently, bypassing the Trash (MacPaw’s docs) | Partly · Through the map | No | Not verified | Yes · Duplicates too | Not verified |
| Uninstalls with leftovers | Yes · Uninstaller | Yes | No | Yes · Drag and drop | Yes · Also from the Finder and the command line | Yes | Yes |
| Leftovers of deleted apps | Yes · Leftovers | Yes | No | Not verified | Yes | Partly · Removes leftovers; a separate orphan scan not verified | Not verified |
| Updates other apps | Yes · Sparkle, App Store and Homebrew | Yes · Sparkle and custom updates; App Store updates detected only | No | No | Yes · App Store, Homebrew and Sparkle | Not verified | Yes · Sources not verified |
| Menu bar monitor | Yes · CPU, memory, disk, network, battery | Yes · CPU, memory, battery and a health score | No | No | No | Yes · CPU, temperature, memory, disk, fan, network | Partly · Menu bar dashboard; metrics not verified |
| Malware scanning | No | Yes | No | No | No | Partly · Removes “malicious apps”; no antivirus | Yes · Real-time antivirus, VPN and ad blocker |
| Cleanup goes to the Trash | Yes · Always; delete for good only by holding | Partly · Large & Old deletes for good; other modules not verified | No · Deletes for good, with 5 s to cancel | Not verified | Yes · With an undo history; permanent delete is optional | Not verified | Not verified |
| Works without an account | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Not verified |
● yes · ◐ partly · ○ no · ? not verified. Prices are list prices in US dollars, without promotions. Prices and features checked on the official sites on October 29, 2026. Prices change: check each app’s site before you buy.
How to pick a Mac cleaner
- What happens to what it deletes. Does it go to the Trash, where you can get it back, or is it gone for good? That changes everything in an app that touches files.
- How you pay. Yearly subscription, one-time payment or free. Add up three years before you decide.
- How much it does. An app that only uninstalls, one that only shows your disk, or one that does it all.
- Language and account. Whether the app speaks your language and whether it needs an account.
Without installing anything
macOS already shows storage by category in System Settings › General › Storage, with recommendations like emptying the Trash automatically. For many people that’s enough. A cleaner helps when you want to see folder by folder, find caches and app leftovers, and do it safely.
Questions
What is the best CleanMyMac alternative?
It depends on what you use it for. To clean junk, see your disk, uninstall and update apps while paying once, CleanUai. Only to see your disk, DaisyDisk. Only to uninstall, for free, AppCleaner or Pearcleaner. If you need malware scanning, CleanMyMac is still the all-in-one option.
Is there a Mac cleaner without a subscription?
Yes. CleanUai (US$ 9.99) and DaisyDisk (US$ 9.99) are one-time payments; BuhoCleaner has a lifetime plan; AppCleaner and Pearcleaner are free. CleanMyMac’s one-time purchase covers only the current major version, and MacKeeper is subscription only.
Which Mac cleaner is in Brazilian Portuguese?
CleanUai and CleanMyMac are in Brazilian Portuguese. DaisyDisk, Pearcleaner, BuhoCleaner and MacKeeper list “Portuguese” without saying whether it’s Brazilian or European.
All product names are trademarks of their owners. CleanUai is an independent app with no connection to any of the companies mentioned, and these pages are not sponsored or endorsed by them.