The best CleanMyMac alternative depends on what you used CleanMyMac for. To see what fills your disk, use macOS's own Storage settings or DaisyDisk. To remove apps completely, AppCleaner is free. For caches and maintenance, OnyX is free. If you write code, Xcode, Docker and node_modules are usually the biggest culprits, and DevCleaner (free, Xcode only) or Shedi (one-time, every developer cache) are built for them.
I make Shedi, one of the apps below, so weigh my pick accordingly. Every fact about the others comes from their own sites, linked at the bottom, checked on 26 October 2026.
The short answer
- Free, already on your Mac: System Settings › General › Storage.
- See where the space went: DaisyDisk.
- Remove apps and their leftovers, free: AppCleaner.
- Caches and maintenance scripts, free: OnyX.
- Apps, updates and login items in one place: App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
- Xcode only, free: DevCleaner for Xcode.
- Every developer cache, explained, files to the Trash: Shedi.
Compared
| App | Price | Best at | How it removes files |
|---|---|---|---|
| macOS Storage settings | Free, built in | Large files, the Trash, iCloud offloading | You choose each item |
| DaisyDisk | $9.99 once, 5 Macs | Seeing what's big, as a map of rings | Permanent |
| AppCleaner | Free | Removing an app with its leftover files | Not stated |
| OnyX | Free (donations) | Caches, maintenance scripts, system settings | Not stated |
| App Cleaner & Uninstaller | Free download, paid full version | Uninstalls, app updates, login items, extensions | Shows every path first |
| Pearcleaner | Free, open source | Removing apps and orphaned files | Not stated |
| DevCleaner for Xcode | Free, optional tip | Xcode's DerivedData, archives, device support | Not stated |
| Shedi | $19.99 once (1 Mac) | Xcode, Docker, node_modules, package caches | Trash |
| CleanMyMac (for reference) | From $39.99/year, or $89.99 once (App Store) | All-in-one cleanup, malware, maintenance | Not stated |
"Not stated" means the app's own page doesn't say, not that it's missing.
macOS Storage settings
Start here, because it's free and already installed. In System Settings › General › Storage, macOS shows what uses your disk by category, offers to store files in iCloud, empties the Trash after 30 days, and lists large files and old documents with a More Info button. It doesn't explain the System Data category, which is where app and developer caches end up.
DaisyDisk
DaisyDisk draws your disk as rings, so the biggest folders jump out and you decide what goes. It isn't a cleaner in the CleanMyMac sense: it doesn't label caches or say what's safe, and it deletes permanently. $9.99 once for up to 5 Macs, with a free download to try.
AppCleaner
AppCleaner by FreeMacSoft does one job: drop an app on its window and it finds the files the app spread around your Mac, then removes them together. Free. Version 3.7 runs on macOS 15 and later, and older versions stay available for older systems.
OnyX
OnyX by Titanium Software is a free maintenance utility that has been around since 2003. It clears caches, runs maintenance scripts, rebuilds indexes and exposes hidden Finder, Dock and Safari settings. There's a separate version for every macOS release: OnyX 5.1.1 for macOS 27 and 5.0.6 for macOS 26. It's powerful and less friendly than the paid apps, so read each option before you run it.
App Cleaner & Uninstaller
App Cleaner & Uninstaller by Nektony removes apps with their caches and support files, found by bundle ID, and shows every path before anything is removed. It also manages app updates (including Homebrew), login items, background apps and extensions. Free to download, with a paid full version.
Pearcleaner
Pearcleaner is a free, open-source app remover with around 15,000 stars on GitHub. Its developer has marked it "On Hold" and says development has mostly stopped since the end of 2025, so it may not keep up with new macOS releases.
DevCleaner for Xcode
If you write code for Apple platforms, Xcode is often the single biggest user of your disk. DevCleaner for Xcode clears its device support files, archives, DerivedData and old logs. Free on the Mac App Store with an optional tip, and open source. More options in DevCleaner alternatives.
Shedi
Shedi is the one I make, for developers. A 10-second scan groups what it finds largest first: Xcode DerivedData and old simulators, Docker images and build cache (volumes kept apart as your data), node_modules project by project, ten package managers' caches, AI models, app caches and logs. Each item says what it is, whether it's safe and whether it comes back. Only safe items are pre-selected, and files go to the Trash.
Good to know: $19.99 once for 1 Mac, $27.99 for 2, $34.99 for 3, with a 14-day refund. macOS 15 or later. It isn't notarized yet, so the first launch needs Open Anyway once. It doesn't scan for malware or update your other apps.
How to choose
- Look first. Open System Settings › General › Storage, or DaisyDisk, and find out what's actually big.
- Big apps you don't use? Remove them with AppCleaner so their leftovers go too.
- Mostly System Data? That's caches. OnyX clears the general ones; on a developer's Mac, use DevCleaner or Shedi for the Xcode, Docker and package manager ones.
- Want one app for everything, including malware scanning? That's still CleanMyMac. See Shedi vs CleanMyMac for how the two differ.
Sources
- Free up storage space on Mac, Apple Support
- DaisyDisk
- AppCleaner by FreeMacSoft
- OnyX by Titanium Software
- App Cleaner & Uninstaller by Nektony
- Pearcleaner on GitHub
- DevCleaner for Xcode on GitHub
- CleanMyMac by MacPaw and the Mac App Store listing (prices checked October 2026)