Pearcleaner vs AppCleaner

AppCleaner is highly effective at finding the immediate files associated with an app bundle (PLISTs, caches, containers). However, it generally only scans for the app you are currently deleting and does not have a dedicated mode for hunting down 'ghost' files from previous uninstalls.

Uses a helper called 'Sentinel'. It is extremely lightweight (approx. 2-5MB RAM) and watches the Trash folder. When you delete an app via Finder, Sentinel instantly prompts to clean the leftovers. It is opt-in and respects privacy.

Features 'SmartDelete', the original background monitor. It is incredibly reliable and has near-zero impact on system resources. It activates only when an app is moved to the Trash, making it the benchmark for unobtrusive monitoring.

Does not have a native Finder extension context menu. You must either open AppCleaner and drag the app in, or rely on SmartDelete to catch the app after you move it to the Trash.

The interface is timeless but dated. It uses a simple drag-and-drop window that hasn't changed much in 10 years. It fits in, but lacks the visual polish and information density of modern counterparts.

Purely a consumer uninstaller. It lists Widgets and Plugins in a separate tab, but lacks any advanced developer-centric cleaning tools or binary stripping capabilities.

Closed source with opaque development. Updates are rare (sometimes 12+ months apart) and usually only arrive when a new macOS version breaks something. However, it is historically very stable.

Closed source, but has a decade-long reputation for absolute safety. It has never been known to include malware or delete system critical files, but you cannot verify the code yourself.