Best Free Mac Cleaner 2012

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 2021 cleaning your Mac is easier than ever. Which is why millions of people download free and low-cost Mac cleaning software.

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

RatingNameFeaturesInfo
1CleanMyMac XBest cleaning and antimalware functionality in one toolLink
2Disk DoctorQuick scan and deep cleaning of all kinds of junkLink
3Gemini 2Finds duplicate and similar files everywhere on your Mac, including Photos, iTunes, and external drives.Link

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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 2021.

Top 12 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.

Free

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 2021, 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.

The app has seen a major update in 2021 which included a real-time duplicate monitor. This new tool notifies you of duplicates the moment they are created on your Mac.

Price: $19.96
Free version
: Available here

4. 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

5. 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

6. Smart Mac Care

Best Free Mac Cleaner 2012

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

7. 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. The latest version of Drive Genius released in 2020 adds long-awaited support for macOS Big Sur.

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

8. 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

9. Sensei

The Sensei app is a relatively new app on the market, but it can be another useful tool for your Mac. 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

Free Mac cleaners review

The following Mac cleaning apps are either completely free or donation-based. You won’t find any trial limitations here. If you’re looking for a no thrill basic cleanup, these free Mac cleaners might help you.

10. 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

11. Clean me

This open-source app that only exists in the form of GitHub download is good enough for cleaning caches and logs. It’s so small its ZIP file weighs only 1.3 MB.
Clean me shows the size of each category of cache files. It analyzes such junk as Application Cache, User Cache, and more temporary files


The developer recommends that you start your cleanup with auto-selected options. Otherwise, you may delete something valuable by accident. So treat it as an analyzer and you’ll be safe.
Price: Free cleaner

12. Native macOS cleaner (Optimize Storage)

Your macOS has its own cleaner of sorts. You’ve probably come across it when checking your occupied disk space.
Go to Apple menu.
Now, click About this Mac > Storage > Manage.

In the sidebar you’ll see the main categories of files on your Mac. Going through Documents is likely to be the most fruitful option. Check the Size and click on Last Accessed. Now you’ve found all those movies gathering dust in your Downloads.
In the same way you can delete some old apps. This feature could be an alternative to a free Mac cleaner; the only problem is it works largely on the surface. You won’t be able to remove System Junk or analyze the grey areas occupied by “Other.”

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 the processor. 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 engine page

Be safe and happy cleaning.

/Mac Cleaner /Top 5 Free Mac Virus Cleaners in 2021 [Truly Free]

Apple’s operating system is considered to be invulnerable and there are new threats on Mac that had seemed to appear on a regular basis. Because of this, it a must that you consider keeping up with the security of your Mac.

Luckily, there is free Mac virus cleaners that you can use for you to give your Mac a boost from viruses, adware, and ransomware. You will also be able to prevent your Mac from any historic threats that are made by some big companies for you to have the best anti-virus solutions. Because of this, we have listed below a list of the best free Anti-Virus that you can have on your Mac.

Article GuidePart 1. Do I Need Anti-Virus for Mac?Part 2. What Can Mac Virus Cleaner Do for Your Mac?Part 3. What is The Best Free Antivirus for Mac?Part 4. Clean up Your Mac to Prevent Virus InfestationPart 5. Conclusion

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Part 1. Do I Need Anti-Virus for Mac?

Anti-virus software is made to prevent, search for, detect, or to remove any viruses. It is also made to prevent any malicious software on your PC such as trojans, worms, and adware and one of the most important software that you should have on your Mac. This is because without any protection of the antivirus software, then your Mac might get infected in just a few minutes once you get connected to the internet.

Nowadays, malware has the ability to change it appeared in a quick manner for it to become less detected by some antivirus software. These viruses have the ability to be programmed and can surely cause damage to your Mac. Free Mac virus cleaner can also prevent you from accessing any of your data or worst, to take control of your Mac.

Part 2. What Can Mac Virus Cleaner Do for Your Mac?

There are some companies who made antivirus and all of them performs a very useful function. Here are some of the things that a free Mac virus cleaner can do.

  • It can scan for any files or if there are any malware or known malicious patterns.
  • It will allow you to schedule when you want to set up a scan on your Mac.
  • It can remove any malicious code detected. There will also be times that you will be notified once have some infection and will ask you to remove it.
  • It can show you the health of your Mac.

REMINDER: You always have to make sure that you only have the best of the best and an updated security software. This is for you to be able to protect your Mac and other devices that you might get connected to it.

As what we have mentioned earlier, viruses can now be programmed to avoid any detection. Now, the main thing with how an antivirus software works is that it stores the example of some recognized malware that you have on your Mac. It can store its definitions in the cloud. Because of this, it will allow the software to scan faster, take less space, and maintain a threat-free library on your Mac.

Part 3. What is The Best Free Antivirus for Mac?

Here is a list of free Mac virus cleaners that you can get for you to protect your Mac from any malware or infections of viruses.

1. Avast! Free Mac Security

This is one of the most popular antiviruses. This program is very much effective and is free for non-commercial use. It can give you tools for you to use in making a full system scan and also can help you in sifting through some specific email threads, attachments, and some website activities. The main interface of this program is very much straightforward and have a navigational pane which contains the five primary buttons. It also has a graph that will allow you to see the overall status of your Mac.

Free System Cleaner For Mac

2. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac

Malwarebytes started as an adware removal program. However, it has already become a great tool for protecting your Mac from any malicious malware. This program is also very easy to use. All you have to do is to launch it and then click on the scan button. After that, this program will then notify you if you have any malware on your Mac.

This software is a lightweight installation because it is just like having three digital music files that you do not even notice that it is there. Even if this program does not have real-time protection, it can still remove any infections that are existing on your Mac.

3. Sophos Antivirus Mac Home Edition

The Sophos program gives you a basic utility but still gives you a quality antivirus software. Its features a custom, on-demand, and a schedule for scanning for some of your files, folders, and drive. The Sophos software can also give you a real-time protection for your Mac that will allow quarantining any unknown files that are giving a suspicious behavior. However, the Sophos software just takes a little more time during the scanning process compared to other antivirus software.

4. Bitdefender Virus Scanner

This program is considered to be a lightweight free malware detector which has the ability to locate and remove any virus on your Mac. This free Mac virus cleaner also has an interface that is straightforward which make it very easy to use.

You will be able to see on your screen the status of your Mac for you to become updated about your system. Even if the program looks very basic, it can surely give your Mac a clean touch. The Bitdefender also has the ability to give you an hourly update and its virus scanner always ensures that it has the latest version before it proceeds with the scanning process.

5. Avira Free Mac Antivirus

This software will block any latest malware before it can proceed to cause damages on your Mac. It has also the ability to give you a real-time protection and can quickly detect any threats on your Mac.
However, this free Mac virus cleaner does not have any web filtering, no network scanning or any other security extras because it is only focused on giving your Mac safe from any malware. One of the good features of this program is that it does not only protect your Mac from any threats, but it also has the ability to choose any PC-related malware which will make sure that you will not be able to share any files that may cause damage to your friends or colleagues.

Part 4. Clean up Your Mac to Prevent Virus Infestation

Of course, aside from having an antivirus installed on your Mac to have it protected, having a Mac cleaner will also become really handy. This is because having a Mac cleaner will ensure that you will be able to clean your Mac for you to boost its speed and have more storage space on your hardware. What we highly recommend you to have for you to be able to clean up your Mac and prevent more virus infestation is the iMyMac PowerMyMac.

The iMyMac PowerMyMac has the ability to boost the speed of your Mac by removing all unwanted files that you have. It can find and then remove any email attachments, iTunes backup, and even your multi-languages that you do not actually need. It also has the ability to scan and then delete your large and old files from your Mac.

Best Disk Cleaner Mac

Because of the said features of the iMyMac PowerMyMac, this will be a great help for any free Mac virus cleaner that you have installed on your Mac. It can help it remove all files that may be carrying any viruses that will cause damage to your Mac. And since you are removing files that you no longer need, then this means that you will free up more purgeable space for you to save or install other important files or applications that you may need.

We have provided below on how you can use the iMyMac PowerMyMac for you to be able to clean up your Mac.

  1. Go ahead and download the iMyMac PowerMyMac from the official website at www.imymac.com and then have it installed on your Mac, then run the program on your Mac.
  2. Choose one of the modules on the left side of the main interface, perform one at a time for you to clean your Mac completely.
  3. After choosing the module, go ahead and click on the “Scan” button. Wait for the program to finish the scanning process.
  4. Once that the scanning process is complete, the iMyMac PowerMyMac will then show you all the junk files that you have on your Mac by category. You will be able to see categories like Application Cache, Photo Cache, System Cache, Email Cache, System Logs, User Logs, and more.
  5. Go ahead and click on the categories that you want to remove.
  6. Choose all the data that you would want to remove and then go ahead and click on the “Clean” button.

Note: For the other modules that are under PowerMyMac: “Duplicate Finder” and “Large and Old Files”, the steps for you to be able to clean them up is the same with cleaning up the “Master Scan” module. Once that the iMyMac PowerMyMac is done cleaning up your junk files, most of the folders will have an indication that says “Zero Kb”. This means that those folders are all cleaned up by the program. However, there are some folders that will not have this indication even if it is all cleaned up. This is because those folders are considered to be an auto recreated folders.

Part 5. Conclusion

Having an free Mac virus cleaner installed on your Mac is one of the most important things that you should do and have on your Mac. This is for your Mac to become safe and protected from any malware infestations. Antivirus software has the ability to remove any threat and suspicious files, folders, or applications on your Mac. Having the iMyMac PowerMyMac is also a great thing to have installed on your Mac. Actually, both software can become a great partner in protecting the health of your Mac.

As the antivirus software eliminates any threat of malware or virus on your Mac, the iMyMac PowerMyMac can make sure that you can clean up any junks from your PC. Aside from cleaning, it can also help you de-clutter your Mac and remove all of your large and old files that you do not even need. Since the iMyMac has the ability to clean up your Mac, which means removing all the things that you do not need, this will give your Mac a better performance. This is because it can boost up your Mac’s speed and can also give you more space to store more important files.

You have the option to choose from the list of the best free Mac virus cleaner that we have mentioned above and then go ahead and check and protect your Mac from getting damaged. Plus, get the iMyMac PowerMyMac for free to make sure that you will be able to remove unnecessary things on your Mac. You also have the option now to regularly clean your Mac as one of a way of preventing any malware threat or viruses to come on your Mac.

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