Uninstalling Cinema 4D on your Mac is simple, right? Just drag the application icon from your Applications folder to the Trash, then empty it and it's gone, right? Sadly not. While that removes the application binary itself, there are lots more files related to Cinema 4D left on your Mac. These include caches, support files, preference files, and files related to Cinema 4D renders. To completely uninstall Cinema 4D you need to remove all these files. In reality, there are three ways to uninstall Cinema 4D completely: use Maxon's Cinema 4D uninstaller (quick, but might not remove everything); manually track down all the files (good but slow and difficult to do); use CleanMyMac's Applications feature to track down and remove all the files for you. In this article, we'll show you how to uninstall Cinema 4D using each method and demonstrate the pros and cons of each.

Cinema 4D app on Mac
Source: Maxon

Why uninstalling Cinema 4D is more than just dragging it to the Trash

When you install an application on your Mac, it doesn't just put one file inside your Applications folder. It stores support files in multiple locations in your user Library folder and the main macOS Library folder. As you use the application, these files are added to and grow in size. In Cinema 4D's case, it stores files in /Library/Application Support/, ~/Library/Preferences/, ~/Library/Caches/, ~/Library/Logs/, and ~/Library/Saved Application State/. These files all have filenames that contain the identifier net.maxon.cinema4d.

While Cinema 4D's minimum system requirement is 5GB worth of storage, this can grow quickly as you add to its libraries and it caches render files. And if you're one of those Cinema 4D users who likes to keep multiple versions on your Mac simultaneously, the amount of space needed to host all those files will be even greater. So, while dragging the Cinema 4D icon to the Trash will free up some space, it won't free it all and you will be left with files quietly consuming storage in the background. This is exactly the problem that CleanMyMac’s Applications feature was designed to solve.

How to uninstall Cinema 4D

Use CleanMyMac

This is the method we recommend. That's because CleanMyMac’s Applications feature scans your Mac and looks for all files associated with Cinema 4D, including app bundle, preferences, caches, support files, and saved states. It then shows you what it has found before doing anything else, giving you control of what is deleted. That additional user involvement means that it is both safe and transparent.

And, better still, if you've already tried to uninstall Cinema 4D by dragging its icon to the Trash, CleanMyMac will hunt down the leftover files. Finally, it's just as easy to uninstall multiple versions of Cinema 4D with this method as it is one version.

  1. Quit Cinema 4D and the Maxon App completely — check Activity Monitor to confirm no background processes are running.
  2. Open CleanMyMac (get your free trial here), select Applications in the sidebar, and click Scan. When the scan is complete, click Manage My Applications.
  3. Find Cinema 4D (or Maxon Cinema 4D) in the app list — it will show the total size of the app and all associated files combined.
  4. Review the list of files CleanMyMac has found — toggle between All Files and Service Files to see exactly what will be removed.
  5. Click Uninstall and confirm.
  6. Restart your Mac to ensure all processes have fully cleared.
All apps selected in the Uninstaller module of CMM

CleanMyMac finds files across every Library location in one scan — no manual hunting across four different hidden folders, no risk of missing the net.maxon.cinema4d preference files.

Use the Maxon app’s uninstaller

If you have version 2025.4.2 or later of Maxon's app installed, you can use it to uninstall Cinema 4D.

  1. Launch the Maxon app.
  2. Click Products in the sidebar.
  3. On the Cinema 4D card, click the three dots.
  4. Choose Uninstall and type in your admin password when prompted.
  5. Cinema 4D will be uninstalled.

This is a very simple method. However, it only works if you have version 2025.4.2 of the Maxon app installed. There's also a possibility that it might not catch all Library support files, caches, and preference entries. To be absolutely sure, it's a good idea to use CleanMyMac's Applications feature to scan your Mac and look for leftovers.

Remove Cinema 4D manually

If you're the kind of person who likes to have full control and do things manually, and you don't mind putting in a bit of time and effort, this is the method for you. It's important if you use this method that you follow the steps below carefully and type or paste the exact file and folder paths, so that you don't remove the wrong files. You should also make sure that you follow every step so that you drag all files associated with Cinema 4D to the Trash.

  1. Quit Cinema 4D if it's running. Open Activity Monitor and check for any Cinema 4D or Maxon processes still running in the background; use the X button in the toolbar to quit them.
  2. Open Finder, go to Applications, find the Maxon Cinema 4D [year] folder, and move it to the Trash.
  3. Click on the Finder icon in the Doc, then on the Go menu and choose Go to Folder.
  4. In the text box, paste each of the paths below, one at a time, pressing Return after each one. At each location, delete any files or folders with net.maxon.cinema4d or Maxon in their name.
    ~/Library/Application Support/

    ~/Library/Preferences/

    ~/Library/Caches/

    ~/Library/Logs/

    ~/Library/Saved Application State/
  5. Repeat step 4 for files in the main Library folder (that is, use the same paths but without the ‘~’ before the first slash)
  6. Empty the Trash and restart your Mac.
How to remove Cinema 4D using Finder

Manual removal works well if you do it correctly. If you don't, however, you won't completely uninstall Cinema 4D. And if you have multiple versions of Cinema 4D installed, you will need to remove all the files for each version.

Tip: As you can see, you can uninstall any app manually, but the locations in which to look for residual files may differ. Check out this guide to learn more about complete app removal.

How to check for leftover files no matter which uninstall method you use

Whichever uninstall method you use, it's possible that a few files could slip through the net. This is particularly true if you had older versions of Cinema 4D installed. Typically, these include files that are stored outside the normal location in your Library folder, but can also include orphaned preferences files or old render state caches. The solution to removing these files is to use the Leftovers feature in CleanMyMac to find and remove them.

  1. In CleanMyMac, choose Applications and click Scan > Manage My Applications.
  2. In the Leftovers pane, click Remove. Or click Review to see what it has found and then Remove.
CMM Application's Manager - Leftovers

Once you’ve done that, all the leftover files will be cleared out.

Cinema 4D is a large and complex application and even after you drag the main application to the Trash and empty it, it will leave behind a significant footprint. Using Maxon's own uninstaller is a good way to uninstall recent versions. But the fastest and easiest method to uninstall all versions of Cinema 4D is CleanMyMac's Applications feature — one scan, one review, and one click is all it takes. If you prefer more control, you can use the manual method but it's time-consuming and requires a great deal of care to make sure you get every file. Whichever method you use, the Leftovers feature in CleanMyMac allows you to remove any remaining stray files. And if your reason for removing apps is the need to free up space, there’s a lot more you can do — learn here.