Moonlock and CleanMyMac's protection
(Updated: )Moonlock and CleanMyMac aren't competitors. They're teammates. Together, they make up an advanced care package for your Mac.
Both apps share the same Mac-first design philosophy: a familiar interface and a user-friendly approach to even the most complex issues.
So, what's the difference between Moonlock and the Protection module in CleanMyMac? This article is made to clear that up.
Deeper than cleaning
CleanMyMac cleans malware from all the files you can normally access on your Mac. But macOS keeps certain areas out of people's reach. For deeper checks, CleanMyMac needs a helper tool—optional for its operations and easy to miss or disable in settings.
Moonlock operates on a system level, using Apple's Endpoint Security and system extensions built specifically for security apps.
System extension allows Moonlock to detect threats that may be hiding deep within macOS. It also prevents malware from disabling Moonlock's anti-malware tech, guaranteeing continuous, uninterrupted protection.
Proactive protection
Moonlock Engine in CleanMyMac detects malicious files on macOS and alerts you to take action. If you get notification like that, better remove these files immediately, otherwise malware stays active and causes damage.
The Moonlock app acts proactively. Right after detection, malicious files get locked up in a digital jail we call Quarantine, where they cannot spy, steal, and affect the system. Finish your work, go for a jog, get some coffee—detected malware will be waiting in Quarantine tied up and completely toothless.
One very important thing: Moonlock moves malware to Quarantine but never removes it on a whim. You decide what happens next: erase the file for good or add it to Trusted Items if you're sure it's safe to keep.
All removed malware gets logged
CleanMyMac does a good job removing malware. Once it's gone, there's no record, no hint, no reminder that anything ever happened. Out of sight—and very much out of mind.
Whenever you allow Moonlock to remove infected files, it keeps a detailed record. You can find it in Detection History > Removed Malware. There, you can track trends in malware incidents and check if something you're missing wasn't deleted without your consent.
Most importantly, you can trace suspicious activity on your accounts or other devices back to the latest malware found, so you stay in control and can act fast if a new attack is brewing.
One-stop app for online security
CleanMyMac is, first and foremost, a Mac care and maintenance app—with an added layer of malware protection powered by Moonlock Engine. It can also wipe away traces of your activity—browsing history, cookies, download history, and recent items lists—keeping things private on your Mac.
But these are just some of the tools that make up basic security for Mac.
Moonlock, on the other hand, is a dedicated cybersecurity app. It goes far beyond reactive malware defense, offering an entire protective toolkit to help you stay safe online.
Alongside advanced protection from malware, Moonlock includes VPN and a filter of internet connections, adjusts Mac security settings to maximum protection, and helps you understand cybersecurity better.
On top of advanced security tech, Moonlock puts a big focus on learning and building safer habits. Our choices and behaviors online, our understanding of how cybersecurity works are as important as any protection tool. That's why Moonlock goes out of its way to describe and explain its every action. That mindset is at the core of Moonlock and it's what truly sets it apart from other security apps.
| Tool | Moonlock | CleanMyMac |
|---|---|---|
| Level of Mac health and recommendations | ❌ | ✅ |
| Quick-access Mac health monitors | ❌ | ✅ |
| Junk removal | ❌ | ✅ |
| Performance improvement tools | ❌ | ✅ |
| Applications overview | ❌ | ✅ |
| Clutter cleanup | ❌ | ✅ |
| Space Lens | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cloud cleanup | ❌ | ✅ |
| Malware scanner | ✅ (Instant block of malicious items) | ✅ (Malicious items stay untouched until user decides to remove them) |
| Malware removal | ✅ | ✅ |
| Background scanning | ✅ | ✅ |
| Depth of malware scans | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ignore list for malware scans | ✅ | ✅ |
| Block of malware in real time | ✅ | ❌ |
| Quarantine | ✅ | ❌ |
| Log of removed malware | ✅ | ❌ |
| Scheduled scans | ✅ | ❌ |
| Level of Mac protection and recommendations for improvement | ✅ | ❌ |
| VPN | ✅ | ❌ |
| Kill Switch (cut off internet connection if VPN drops) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Internet connection filter | ✅ | ❌ |
| macOS security checks | ✅ | ❌ |
| Library of cybersecurity habits for a safer life online | ✅ | ❌ |
Why a separate app?
Given that CleanMyMac already has a few protection tools available, why did we choose not to expand them and make a new app instead? The answer lies in MacPaw's commitment to user experience:
To preserve the CleanMyMac experience: Millions of users know and trust CleanMyMac as an insanely great Mac maintenance and optimization tool. Adding a full security suite would have changed its very nature of the simple, focused design people love it for.
To avoid complexity and product bloat: Both CleanMyMac and Moonlock are powerful, feature-rich apps. Fusing them into one would create an overloaded product at the cost of simplicity and ease of use.
To give cybersecurity the focus it deserves: We believe cybersecurity is too important and too complex to be treated as just another feature. A dedicated app lets us give it the full attention it needs and build something great without compromise.
To reimagine the security experience: Cybersecurity has long been shaped by fear and complexity. With Moonlock, we wanted to make cybersecurity approachable and genuinely human. Starting fresh allows us to bring that vision to reality and design security that feels as natural to use as your Mac itself.
