CleanMyMac review
An all-in-one Mac cleaning, malware-removal, and performance app for macOS users who want to reclaim disk space and speed up an aging Mac.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
CleanMyMac screenshots & video
CleanMyMac in 20 seconds
Best for: Mac owners who want one app to clean system junk, scan for malware, and speed up an aging Mac without using multiple separate tools.
Pricing: CleanMyMac starts at $3.33/month billed annually ($39.95/year) for one Mac, $9.95/month billed monthly, or $119.95 as a one-time perpetual license; multi-Mac plans (2 or 5 Macs) cost more per year.
- CleanMyMac is built by MacPaw and runs on macOS 11 or later, requiring 320 MB of disk space.
- Annual pricing starts at $39.95/year ($3.33/month) for one Mac, billed yearly.
- Monthly billing costs $9.95/month for one Mac, with a 14-day money-back guarantee versus 30 days on annual plans.
- A one-time perpetual license for one Mac costs $119.95 with no recurring subscription.
- MacPaw reports 29 million downloads and a 4.7-star average from 3,327 user reviews on the CleanMyMac product page.
- The app is notarized by Apple and its 'Smart Care' feature runs deep clean, malware scan, performance boost, software update, and storage decluttering in one action.
Limitations: Mac-only, with no Windows equivalent from the same vendor; Per-Mac pricing multiplies for households or small offices with several machines; Many core functions (cache clearing, app uninstalling, duplicate finding) are available for free through macOS itself or free third-party tools
Top alternatives: MacKeeper, CCleaner, DaisyDisk, OnyX, Cleaner One Pro — full list
What is CleanMyMac?
CleanMyMac is a macOS maintenance application built by MacPaw that combines disk cleanup, malware detection, app uninstallation, duplicate-file removal, and CPU/memory monitoring into one interface. It targets everyday Mac users who want to free up storage and keep their machine running smoothly without manually hunting through system folders.
CleanMyMac is a macOS utility from MacPaw that scans for system junk, duplicate files, malware, and performance bottlenecks, then removes or fixes them in a few clicks. It packages five routines — deep clean, malware scan, performance boost, software update, and storage decluttering — into a single "Smart Care" action. MacPaw reports 29 million downloads and the app is notarized by Apple, with a 4.7-star rating across 3,327 user reviews on its own site.
Standout feature: Smart Care: a single one-click routine that runs deep cleaning, malware scanning, performance boosting, software updates, and storage decluttering together instead of requiring five separate tools.
Biggest weakness: CleanMyMac is subscription-priced software for a job many advanced Mac users can do for free with Finder, Activity Monitor, and free tools like OnyX or AppCleaner; the per-Mac pricing also multiplies fast for households with several Macs (5-Mac annual plan runs $127.95/year versus $39.95 for one Mac).
CleanMyMac: pros and cons
Pros
- Single interface covers junk removal, malware scanning, uninstalling, and duplicate-finding instead of needing separate utilities
- Notarized by Apple and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee on annual plans
- One-time purchase option ($119.95 for one Mac) exists for users who refuse subscriptions
- 4.7-star rating across 3,327 reviews claimed on MacPaw's own product page
Cons
- Mac-only; there is no Windows version, so switching platforms means losing the tool entirely
- Pricing scales per Mac, so households or small teams with multiple machines pay significantly more (2 Macs: $63.95/year, 5 Macs: $127.95/year)
- Core cleaning tasks (deleting caches, uninstalling apps, finding duplicates) overlap with free built-in macOS tools and free third-party apps
- One-time license price ($119.95) is roughly 3x the first-year annual subscription cost, which can make the 'no subscription' option feel like a premium tax
CleanMyMac pricing
Free tier · paid from $9.95/mo · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly (1 Mac) | $9.95/mo | Billed monthly at $9.95/month for a single Mac; 14-day money-back guarantee. |
| Annual (1 Mac) | $39.95/yr | Billed $39.95 once a year, equivalent to $3.33/month for a single Mac; 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| One Time (1 Mac) | $119.95 once | One-time perpetual license for a single Mac, no recurring subscription. |
What reviewers say
No third-party review scores on file yet.