The quick answer
You probably don't need an all-in-one cleaner to get space back. Most of the space on a full Mac is in a handful of big things: videos, old downloads, phone backups, developer files, app data. A tool that shows you those things clearly, and lets you decide, gets you most of the way. The rest is free tools you already have.
What all-in-one cleaners do
Apps like CleanMyMac bundle many jobs into one window. MacPaw's own product page describes a Smart Care routine that combines cleaning, threat scanning, performance tasks, app updates and storage decluttering, plus separate tools for removing apps with their leftovers, finding large and old files, and spotting duplicates and similar photos. It offers a free trial. Check the developer's site for current pricing.
That bundle is convenient, and some people like having one place to go. The question is whether the one-click part suits you.
The risk with one-click cleaning
This applies to any cleaner, not one product. When an app offers to clean a whole category at once, you trust its rules about what is safe. Those rules are usually careful, but they can't know your situation. A few things can go wrong:
- Caches come straight back. Apps rebuild most caches the next time they run. Clearing them frees space for a day or two, then it fills up again, and apps can feel slower while they rebuild. The cache guide covers which caches are worth clearing.
- Logs and old files can matter. A log you deleted might be the one you need to report a crash. An "old" file might be the only copy of something you forgot about.
- Big numbers can mislead. A large "junk" total can include things that free nothing in practice, such as caches that regrow or files that share disk blocks with other files. APFS clones are a good example, explained in the duplicate files guide.
- Permanent deletion has no undo. If a tool skips the Trash, a mistake is hard to reverse.
None of this means cleaners are bad. It means you get the safest result when you can see each item, and when removal goes through the Trash first.
Free tools built into macOS
Open System Settings > General > Storage. At the top you get recommendations that cost nothing:
- Store in iCloud keeps full files in iCloud and only recent ones on your Mac.
- Optimize Storage removes Apple TV movies and shows you already watched. You can download them again.
- Empty Trash Automatically deletes items that have been in the Trash for 30 days.
- The info button next to Documents lists large files and old downloads.
To remove an app, drag it from Applications to the Trash. That leaves its settings and caches in your Library folder. They are often small, but for some apps they reach gigabytes.
For a step-by-step walk through these, read how to find large files on a Mac.
Free alternatives that show you what they remove
freedisk.space
This is our app, so read with that in mind. It is free and open source under the MIT license, about 11 MB, for macOS 14 and later.
It covers the storage side of an all-in-one cleaner. An Overview splits your disk by category. There are pages for Caches, Old Downloads, Large Media, Forgotten Files, Duplicates, Developer Storage and Applications with their leftovers. A treemap and five other map views show the whole disk at once, so you can find large folders no category catches.
Nothing is deleted directly. You add items to a Cleanup list, review it, confirm, and they move to the Trash. You can Put Back from inside the app. It runs fully offline and needs no account.
What it does not do: it does not scan for malware, change performance settings, or update your other apps. It is a young project, and the Mac app is not notarized yet, so the first launch needs a one-time approval in System Settings > Privacy & Security.
GrandPerspective
A free, open source treemap app that is still maintained. Version 3.8.1 needs macOS 14 or later. It is good for seeing where the space is. It has no categories or uninstaller. See its official site.
OmniDiskSweeper
A free download from The Omni Group. It lists folders and files largest to smallest and lets you open them or move them to the Trash. Simple and quick to learn.
AppCleaner
A small utility from FreeMacSoft for removing apps. You drop an app on its window, it finds the related files, and you choose what to delete. The current version, 3.7, needs macOS 15 or later, and older versions are offered for older systems.
For a closer comparison of the disk map tools, see free DaisyDisk alternatives.
Download apps only from the official site
Whatever cleaner you use, get it from the developer's own website or the Mac App Store. In March 2026, Malwarebytes reported a fake site imitating CleanMyMac that told visitors to paste a command into Terminal, which installed password-stealing malware. The site had no connection to the real app. As Malwarebytes points out, legitimate apps almost never ask you to paste a Terminal command to install them.
How to choose
- You want one paid app that does storage, malware checks and updates: an all-in-one cleaner may suit you. Review what each clean will remove before you run it.
- You only need disk space back: a disk analyzer plus the built-in Storage settings is usually enough, and free.
- You want to remove apps cleanly: AppCleaner, or the Applications page in freedisk.space.
- You want to see every item before it goes, with an undo: pick a tool that uses the Trash and a review step.
If your Mac is already full and you need a safe order to work through, start with what to delete first.
Questions people ask
- Is there a free alternative to CleanMyMac?
- For freeing disk space, yes. The built-in Storage settings plus a free disk analyzer such as freedisk.space, GrandPerspective or OmniDiskSweeper cover most of it, and AppCleaner handles app removal.
- Do I need a cleaner app on my Mac?
- Most people don't. Space usually goes to a few large things like videos, downloads, backups and developer files, and you can find and remove those yourself with free tools.
- Is it safe to clear all caches on a Mac?
- Clearing app caches rarely breaks anything, but most of them come straight back as apps rebuild them. It frees space only briefly, so look for large files you no longer need first.
- How do I remove an app and its leftover files on a Mac?
- Dragging an app to the Trash leaves its settings and caches in your Library folder. A tool like AppCleaner or the Applications page in freedisk.space finds those related files so you can remove them too.
- How do I avoid fake CleanMyMac downloads?
- Download apps only from the developer's official website or the Mac App Store. Be wary of any site that asks you to paste a command into Terminal to install an app.