What are the alternatives to CleanMyMac X?

You probably already know about some of the great things that CleanMyMac X can do and how it can save space on your Mac, as well as improve its performance and protect it from malware.

You’re probably also the kind of person who likes to do their research before deciding to buy a product or service. Allow us to help. While we encourage you to do your own research, we’ve listed some of the alternative options below to help get you started.

Naturally, we hope that when you consider the alternatives, you’ll come to the same conclusion as we have done – that CleanMyMac X is the best all-round solution for uninstalling apps, getting rid of junk files, freeing up disk space, making your Mac run faster and getting rid of the malware. But that’s up to you.

Here’s the list of what we think are the closest CleanMyMac alternatives.

1. OnyX

OnyX is a multi-function application – think of it as a Swiss army knife – for your Mac. It can verify the structure of system files, perform maintenance and cleaning tasks, and configure parameters that you would normally have to use Terminal to manage.

It has lots of terrific features such as the ability to change the file format and default location for screenshots, or manage the Open Recent command in the File menu of applications. And, of course, it can help clean up your Mac by getting rid of junk files.

It’s not as user friendly as CleanMyMac X, though. Its user interface may seem a little daunting for new users, and its options aren’t as well explained. Also, it doesn’t have tools to uninstall or reset applications, get rid of malware or show you visually which files are taking up most space on your Mac.

2. Gemini 2

Gemini’s mission is to identify duplicate files and show them to you to decide whether to get rid of the duplicates or move them to an archive. For example, if you have multiple copies of the same song in iTunes, it will show them to you.

It can also identify similar but not identical files, such as copies of documents that you’re working on or photos of the same scene in your Photos library. Once it’s found them, you can tell Gemini 2 to move the files to the Trash. Once they’re there, it’s up to you whether you delete them permanently or not.

Gemini 2 doesn’t have several of the other disk cleaning tools that CleanMyMac has, such as an app uninstaller and system cleaner. But it does a great job of identifying similar and duplicate files.

3. Stellar SpeedUp

Stellar SpeedUp has a friendlier interface than OnyX – though it is still not as easy to navigate as CleanMyMac X. You can tell its primary function from its name: its goal is to speed up your Mac. It does that by cleaning up junk and duplicate files, getting rid of login items, and uninstalling apps you no longer need. And it allows you to run its functions on external disks, as well as your boot drive.

However, it doesn’t have any tools to protect your Mac from malware, nor does it dive deep into protecting your privacy the way CleanMyMac X does with its tools for removing browser files, Recent Items, and its file Shredder.

4. DaisyDisk

DaisyDisk scans your disks and presents a colorful graphical illustration of the files that occupy most space. Clicking on an element in the diagram reveals the file’s size, and you can then preview it using Quick Look. If you decide you don't need it, you can drag it to the collection area at the bottom of the window. And when you’ve collected all the files you want to get rid of, you can delete them at the touch of a button. It’s a neat tool and an easy way to identify large files. It can also scan multiple disks simultaneously, so it is pretty quick.

However, it is very similar to just one of CleanMyMac X’s tools – Space Lens. And CleanMyMac X also has many other tools that allow you to improve the performance of your Mac, get rid of thousands of small files and free up gigabytes of space, as well as securely delete data and protect your Mac from malware.

5. MacFly Pro

MacFly Pro is probably the most similar of all the tools here to CleanMyMac X, thanks to its friendly interface and its Smart Assistant. The Smart Assistant scans your Mac and then recommends cleaning routines based on what it finds.

MacFlyPro also has a file shredding tool to securely erase data, as well as utilities for uninstalling applications, finding duplicates, cleaning up system files, and managing Mail attachments. Its privacy tools are pretty good, too. It can remove unwanted browser extensions, and get rid of browsing data like history and downloads.

However, it doesn’t have a malware removal tool, as CleanMyMac X does, so it doesn’t offer real-time protection against malware. 

There are lots of tools that look like a CleanMyMac X alternative. And most of them do a very good job at what they are designed to do. Gemini 2 is an excellent duplicate finder, and OnyX is a brilliant way to access parameter controls that you would typically have to use the Terminal for. All these apps serve different purposes, and they are as great as they are. However, none of the other options has the full range of tools that are available in CleanMyMac X. That’s why we believe that CleanMyMac X really is the best all-round disk cleaning tool for your Mac.