Free Alternative to CleanMyMac X

OnyX is still the go-to free Mac maintenance utility. Titanium Software ships a separate build for each major macOS release; download the Tahoe-matched version, not an older build. It exposes verification, cache cleaning, Spotlight and Launch Services rebuilds, and hidden Finder/Dock/Safari parameters without a subscription. The UI is utilitarian, not pretty. It does not scan for malware or run a real-time health dashboard. For users who subscribed to CleanMyMac mainly for maintenance scripts, OnyX is the closest free peer.

AppCleaner from FreeMacSoft still does one job extremely well: drag an app onto its window and review every associated preference, cache, and support file before deletion. It remains tiny, free of ads, and available via Homebrew. SmartDelete watches the Trash when you drag apps there directly. It will not clean system caches, free RAM, or remove malware; pair it with OnyX if you need broader maintenance. For uninstall thoroughness, it often finds leftovers CleanMyMac's uninstaller misses.

Pearcleaner is a Swift native uninstaller and leftover scanner that many Apple Silicon users prefer to older tools. Version 5.4.3 (November 2025) remains available on Homebrew and GitHub, but as of August 2026 the developer has marked the project On Hold with no releases for roughly nine months: still under the 12-month abandonment bar, yet worth flagging. It still works well for finding Application Support debris and watching Trash drops, and Full Disk Access is required. Prefer AppCleaner if you want a more actively maintained classic uninstaller, or keep Pearcleaner if its leftover scanner already fits your workflow and you accept slower updates.