CleanMyMac Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Here is a quick guide article on CleanMyMac Review.

Along with GPU, RAM, and CPU, disk space is one of the most important resources of a computer. It’s what makes it possible to store important files and even temp files that the computer needs to operate properly. Unfortunately, as important as it may be, it’s rather easy to run out of disk space, especially when you deal with tons of files regularly. That’s why experts suggest performing cleanups every once in a while to free up disk space. Though there are several ways to go about cleanups, perhaps the most efficient way to do it is by using a cleanup tool. CleanMyMac is an excellent example of such a tool.

What Is CleanMyMac?

CleanMyMac is a cleaning tool developed by MacPaw, a company that has already developed several utility tools designed specifically for Mac users. It was founded on 2008 by a Ukrainian developer. CleanMyMac was developed 12 years after in November 2020. The software is designed to help users get rid of unnecessary files, hence the name. Now, going back to the question, is CleanMyMac worth it, or is it just another one of those scheming cleaner software with no actual value whatsoever? Find out as this article tackles four different aspects of CleanMyMac to decide if it’s truly worthwhile.

Factor #1: Reputation

Reputation is an important factor since it typically has to do with how well past customers liked the software. It may not be an accurate measure of how great the software is, but it’s still a measure nonetheless. There are two types of reputation, the reputation of the developer of the software, and the reputation of the software itself. Let’s start with the first type:

• Is MacPaw a legitimate company?

MacPaw is actually one of the most legitimate companies that develop Mac utilities. The brand was already featured on many prominent sites like Forbes and TechCrunch. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that MacPaw is indeed a legitimate company. It’s even one of the most recognized companies in certain countries, like European countries.

• Is CleanMyMac a legitimate software?

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said with the software itself. CleanMyMac has a rather bad reputation among tech experts. Of course, this is just baseless, since the software is actually quite decent. The main reason why it has a bad reputation is that cleaner tools in general have a bad name due to tools like MacDefender that have had a reputation of being a scam. So, it’s not that CleanMyMac itself has a bad name. It applies to most cleaner tools.

Overall, we’d say CleanMyMac is on the higher end in terms of reputation simply because of the prominence of MacPaw.

Factor #2: Price

CleanMyMac, just like any other software, has several pricing plans for users. Here’s a look at the available prices:

• $34.95/year for 1 Mac
• $54.95/year for 2 Macs
• $79.95/year for 5 Macs

Unfortunately, in this regard, CleanMyMac is a bit too expensive, since there are certain cleaner tools with the same price but for a lifetime subscription. Meanwhile, these pricing plans only give you one year of license. They do offer lifetime subscriptions, though it’s already more expensive:

• $89.95 for 1 Mac
• $134.95 for 2 Macs
• $199.95 for 5 Macs

Factor #3: Features

Despite being specifically designed for deleting unnecessary files, CleanMyMac has additional features that set it apart from other tools. Malware Removal and Updater are two of these features. Malware Removal eliminates malware, while Updater performs patches and updates on the operating system. As helpful as these features are, they can be a bit lackluster and may often cause issues. However, apart from these two, the other features work perfectly. So, while the additional features are much appreciated, they’re not as helpful as they’re marketed, but that’s not an issue if you won’t use them in the first place.

Factor #4: User Interface

The user interface of the software is very nice. It’s neat, modern, and the buttons and text are readable. The main issue is the pink color scheme, which may not be preferred by many people. So, for aesthetics, it’s decent, and for the readability, it’s clearly top-notch. Put simply, CleanMyMac has one of the best user interfaces we’ve seen in a cleaner tool.

Factor #5: Speed

When it comes to speed, CleanMyMac has a clear advantage over other cleaning tools. It can scan files rather quickly, and delete them just as fast. Therefore, it works perfectly when you’re dealing with a ton of files. It can scan several GBs worth of files within seconds, and it shows you in real time what the software is currently doing, so it’s a bit interactive. You can also Review Details while waiting so you can check what’s already detected by the software, which is always a plus.

Verdict: Is CleanMyMac Worth It?

Overall, we’d say CleanMyMac is worth it, though it still depends. If you’re looking for cheaper software just to delete junk files, then it might be not for you, especially since it’s a bit expensive and you don’t even know if you’ll use all of its features. So, while it does have numerous features, you might end up just paying for it without ever using it for your purposes.

Alternative: Mac Cleaner

As useful as a cleaning app can be, it’s important to remember that not all apps are the same. Certain apps are worth every penny, but others are not even worth mentioning. That’s why it’s important to look at reviews of the cleaning apps so you know if it belongs to the former or the latter. And as this guide has established, CleanMyMac is one of the few cleaning apps that are worth their price, though admittedly, it only barely makes the list. Mac Cleaner, however, is a different case.

Mac Cleaner is a cleaning software much like CleanMyMac. It has the basic functionalities of a cleaner app, as it should, but it has a much simpler interface and even is easier to use. With that said, here’s how you can use the software:

Step #1: Download, Install, and Open Mac Cleaner

Before anything else, you must open a browser and visit the Mac Cleaner download page. There, you have to click Download Now to download a DMG file. That file will serve as the installer, and you must open it to run the installer. After that, follow the onscreen instructions. The software will automatically open once the installation is complete.

Step #2: Pick from Six Modules

Mac Cleaner has a total of six modules. You can find them on the left side of the software. Each module has its own uses, so you must pick the right option for your purposes. For that, you must learn what each module does.

• Clean Up Junk scans your computer for any junk file it can find, such as System Junk, App Junk, and Trash.
• Delete Large Files detects any file with a size equal to or larger than 50MB and allows you to delete them.
• Delete Duplicate Files looks at all files within a specified directory and scans the entirety of your Mac if any of those files have an extra copy somewhere on the computer. It then allows you to delete those copies or duplicates.
• Erase Private Data scours your computer for files that contain “private” data and allows you to delete them.
• Speed Up Your Mac can perform various actions that can help boost the performance of your computer.
• Manage Apps & Extensions allows you to uninstall apps and remove browser extensions.

To select a module, you simply have to click on it from the left sidebar of Mac Cleaner’s interface.

Step #3: Click Scan/Start Now/View Items

Once you select a module, the interface will change accordingly. The next step would also vary according to what module you chose. But the main idea behind step 3 is scanning for files. Here’s what you must do to scan for files for each module:

• Clean Up Junk: The software will have two sides: Quick Clean and Deep Clean. Quick Clean scans the computer for System Junk, App Junk, Trash Bin, and iTunes Junk. Deep Clean scans for those as well as the Downloads folder, iOS Junk, and Unused Disk Images. Select between the two and click the Scan button at the bottom of the interface.
• Delete Large Files: Click the Scan button.
• Delete Duplicate Files: Click the Browse button located at the center of the interface beside the Select a File Directory field. Navigate to the folder you want to scan. Click the Scan button once you’ve selected a directory.
• Erase Private Data: Click the Scan button.
• Speed Up Your Mac: Click the Start Now button.
• Manage Apps & Extensions: The software will have two sides, Uninstall Applications and Remove Extensions. Select between the two and click the View Items button underneath the option or side you chose.

Step #4: Choose Item/s

The software will take you to the next screen where you can find a list of items. The items may vary according to the module you chose, and the same goes for the steps you must follow. Regardless, the idea behind step 4 is to select certain items.

Here’s what you need to do to select items for each module:

• Clean Up Junk: The list on the left side consists of file categories (e.g., System Junk, Downloads, Trash Bin, Unused Disk Images, etc.). When you select a file category, another list will appear on the right side of the software, which should consist of actual files. Select a file from this list by clicking on its corresponding checkboxes.
• Delete Large Files: Select an item (e.g., file, folder, disk image, archives, etc.) from the list.
• Delete Duplicate Files: Select an item from the list (e.g., image, document, audio, video, etc.).
• Erase Private Data:  The list on the left side consists of five options, including Online Traces, Usage Traces, Chat Data, Photo Junk, and Mail Attachment. When you select an option from this list, you’ll get another list on the right side that consists of apps or files that belong to the selected option. If you select Mail Attachment, for instance, you’ll get a list of mail attachments. You simply have to select an item or items from this list to proceed.
• Speed Up Your Mac: The interface will look similar to Erase Private Data, except there will only be four options, namely Disable Login Items, Deactivate Heavy Consumers, Remove Launch Agents, and Free Up RAM. Select an option from this list and as always, you’ll see another list on the right side, from which you must select as well.
• Manage Apps & Extensions: The software will show you a list of applications or extensions, depending on the option you chose. If you selected Uninstall Application, you can select from a list of applications. But if you selected Remove Extensions, the software will instead show you a list of browsers. Simply choose a browser to get a list of extensions currently installed on that specific browser. Upon selecting a browser, you’ll then find a list of extensions on the right side of the software. Select an item from that list to proceed.

Regardless of the module, you can always click the checkbox for Select All if you want to include all items in the list.

Step #5: Click the Blue Button

There will always be a blue button somewhere on the interface. It’s typically found in the upper right corner of the interface, though in some modules, the location might be different. Click that button to finalize the process. The button should be one of the following: Clean, Delete, Erase, Deactivate, Uninstall, and Remove. It does exactly what it says.

There are a lot of things you can do with a Mac Cleaner. You can free up space on your computer, delete problematic and corrupted files, uninstall unused apps and extensions, prevent data leaks by deleting private data, and more.

Parting Words

A cleanup is imperative if you want to keep a computer’s health in check. It gets rid of files that are causing problems on your computer as well as frees up disk space for more important files. While it might be time-consuming, the results can definitely be worth it. However, for people who deal with a lot of files, a cleaning app is more suitable as it saves you a lot of time by automatically freeing up space. Since there are numerous apps out there, this CleanMyMac review should help you decide whether the software is for you or not. This should save you a lot of time checking the software yourself.