Free Alternative to CleanMyMac

PearCleaner is a free, source-available Mac app cleaner that goes beyond simple app removal. It finds leftover files that standard uninstalls leave behind, manages Homebrew apps, and includes Sentinel monitor to watch for apps sent to Trash. Written in SwiftUI with a modern native interface optimized for Apple Silicon Macs.

AppCleaner is the tried-and-true free app uninstaller that has been trusted by Mac users since 2007. Drag an app onto it or use the browser to see all installed apps, and it finds associated files for complete removal. SmartDelete can automatically offer to clean apps you drag to Trash, making uninstallation seamless.

OnyX is a multifunction utility for system maintenance and cleaning. It verifies system file structure, runs maintenance scripts, clears caches, rebuilds databases and indexes, and accesses hidden macOS settings. Been around since 2003 and trusted by Mac power users and IT professionals for deep system maintenance.

GrandPerspective is a completely free and open-source disk space visualizer that shows your files as colored rectangles sized proportionally to disk usage. The treemap visualization makes it instantly clear which files and folders consume the most space, allowing you to make informed decisions about what to delete.

OmniDiskSweeper is a completely free disk space analyzer from Omni Group (makers of OmniFocus and OmniGraffle). It scans your drives and presents files and folders in a simple column-based interface sorted by size, making it easy to identify and delete space hogs.

CCleaner is the Mac version of the popular Windows cleaning tool. The free version focuses on removing junk files, clearing browser data, and managing startup items. While the Windows version has faced controversy, the Mac version remains a lightweight option for basic cleaning tasks.

Disk Inventory X is an open-source disk space visualizer inspired by WinDirStat. It uses treemap visualization to show file distribution and makes it easy to identify large files consuming space. While development has slowed, it remains functional on modern macOS.

macOS includes several maintenance tools that many users overlook. Storage Management (Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage) provides recommendations for freeing space, Disk Utility handles disk repair, and automatic maintenance scripts run daily to keep your system healthy. For many users, this is sufficient without third-party tools.

For users comfortable with Terminal, macOS includes built-in maintenance commands that replicate much of what paid cleaners do. The periodic command runs system maintenance scripts, while manual cache clearing and other operations give you complete control without GUI overhead.

Maintenance is a free app that provides a simple graphical interface for running macOS maintenance scripts and common cleaning tasks. It wraps Terminal commands in an easy-to-use interface, making system maintenance accessible to users who aren't comfortable with command-line tools.

Monolingual is a free, open-source tool that removes language files you don't use from macOS and installed applications. Many apps include 50+ language translations that consume significant disk space. Removing unused languages can free several gigabytes, especially after major macOS updates.

While not a cleaner, Malwarebytes for Mac offers free on-demand malware scanning—one of CleanMyMac's key features. The free version lacks real-time protection but effectively removes adware, potentially unwanted programs, and malware when you suspect an infection. No subscription required for basic scanning.