What is the best free Mac cleaner?

For most people, MacDiskCleaner: it scans your whole Mac for junk, duplicates, large and old files for free and lets you clean up to 2 GB in total with no time limit. Advanced users who want free maintenance scripts often add OnyX.

Are free Mac cleaners safe?

The ones listed here are, provided you download them from the developer’s own site. Prefer tools that show exactly what they will remove and move files to the Trash instead of erasing them, and avoid apps that pop up scary “your Mac is infected” warnings.

Does a Mac need a cleaner at all?

macOS manages a lot by itself, but it doesn’t remove duplicates, old downloads, leftovers from deleted apps or developer caches. A cleaner helps you find those quickly; you can also do it by hand with Finder and Storage settings.

No. CleanMyMac offers a 7-day free trial, after which it is a paid subscription (or a one-time licence for the current major version).

Do free Mac cleaners slow down my Mac?

A well-built one shouldn’t. Avoid tools that run constant background “optimisation”; MacDiskCleaner, for example, only scans when you ask it to (or on a schedule you choose with Pro).

Best Free Mac Cleaners in 2026: 8 Genuinely Free Tools Compared

No trials and no “free scan, paid clean”. Eight Mac cleaners that actually clean for free — what each one does, its limits, and which to choose.

A lot of apps marketed as “free Mac cleaners” are really free trials: the scan is free, but the clean button is locked behind a payment. This list only includes tools where real cleanup works without paying anything — and is honest about what each one can’t do.

How we chose

Every tool below meets three rules:

No time limit. A real free tier doesn’t stop working after 7 or 14 days.
It actually removes or frees space — not just shows you a chart and asks for money.
It is still available from its developer’s own site (or the Mac App Store / Homebrew). Always check that a tool supports your macOS version before installing it.

The 8 best free Mac cleaners

Tool	Best for	Free limits
MacDiskCleaner	All-in-one cleanup for beginners	2 GB total cleanup; scanning unlimited
OnyX	Maintenance scripts, cache clearing	None (fully free)
GrandPerspective	Visual map of disk usage	None (free from the developer)
OmniDiskSweeper	Drilling down by folder size	None
AppCleaner	Uninstalling apps with leftovers	None
Pearcleaner	Open-source app uninstaller	None (development paused since late 2025)
macOS Storage settings	Built-in recommendations	Basic
Photos “Duplicates”	Duplicate photos in your library	Photos library only

1. MacDiskCleaner — best all-round free tier

MacDiskCleaner scans your whole Mac (or just the folders you choose) and shows every result for free: junk and caches, exact duplicate files, large and old files, old downloads and developer data such as Xcode DerivedData or node_modules. You can clean up to 2 GB in total for free, forever — not a trial — and everything goes to the Trash first, so mistakes can be undone.

Limits: after 2 GB of cleanup, the app asks for Pro ($12.99 once, no subscription), which also adds an app uninstaller, privacy cleaner, startup manager and scheduled scans. See exactly what’s free.

2. OnyX — best free maintenance toolbox

OnyX by Titanium Software is a long-standing free utility that runs maintenance scripts, clears system and user caches, rebuilds Spotlight and other indexes, and exposes hidden macOS settings. Download the build that matches your macOS version — there is one per major release.

Limits: no duplicate finder, no large-file finder and very little explanation of what each task does. Great for confident users; compare it with MacDiskCleaner.

3. GrandPerspective — best free disk map

GrandPerspective draws a treemap where every file is a rectangle sized by how much space it uses, so huge files jump out at a glance. You can delete or reveal items from the map. The download from the developer’s site is free; the Mac App Store version is a paid convenience build.

Limits: it shows you where space went but doesn’t tell you what is safe to remove.

4. OmniDiskSweeper — best for drilling down by size

From The Omni Group, OmniDiskSweeper lists folders sorted by size so you can click down to whatever is eating your disk. It is simple, fast and free.

Limits: no cleanup suggestions, and updates are infrequent — check that it runs on your macOS version.

5. AppCleaner — best free app uninstaller

Drag an app onto AppCleaner and it lists the preferences, caches and support files the app left in ~/Library, so you can remove them together. It is free and runs natively on Apple Silicon.

Limits: it only uninstalls apps; the latest release dates from 2023.

6. Pearcleaner — open-source uninstaller

Pearcleaner is a free, open-source app cleaner inspired by AppCleaner, with support up to macOS Tahoe. Download it only from its GitHub page or Homebrew — fake download sites exist.

Limits: its developer paused development at the end of 2025, so future macOS releases may not get fixes.

7. macOS Storage settings — built in

Open System Settings → General → Storage for Apple’s own recommendations: store files in iCloud, empty the Trash automatically, and review large files and downloads. It’s free and safe.

Limits: it doesn’t find duplicates, caches or app leftovers, and “System Data” stays a mystery number. Our System Data guide explains what’s inside.

8. Photos “Duplicates” album — for photo libraries

Since macOS Ventura, the Photos app detects duplicate photos and videos and lets you merge them from the Duplicates album in the sidebar.

Limits: it only covers your Photos library. See our duplicate photos guide for everything else.

Do it in one scan with MacDiskCleaner

Finds junk, duplicates and large files across your Mac, shows everything for free, and moves what you choose to the Trash first — so nothing is lost by mistake.

Version 1.1.2 · 4.8 MB · macOS 14 or later · Apple Silicon & Intel

Download Free

What free Mac cleaners usually leave out

Almost every free tier holds back the same things: a full app uninstaller, scheduled automatic scans and unlimited cleanup. That’s fair — they’re what power users pay for. If you only need to free a few gigabytes now and then, a genuine free tier like MacDiskCleaner’s, combined with the built-in Storage settings, is usually enough.

Red flags to avoid

“Your Mac is infected!” pop-ups or scans that find hundreds of “problems” in seconds.
Cleaners that delete immediately instead of using the Trash.
Download sites that bundle installers. Get apps from the developer’s own website, the Mac App Store or Homebrew.
Constant background “optimisation”. macOS manages memory itself; a cleaner should run only when you ask.

Our recommendation

Start with whichever free tool gives you the most without a time limit. For most people that means running a free MacDiskCleaner scan to see where your space actually went, then using OnyX or GrandPerspective if you want to dig deeper. If you later need unlimited cleanup or an uninstaller, Pro is a one-time $12.99 — compare plans.