With a moment
The expert’s rating
Benefits
- Improved interface and ease of use
- Wide range of cleaning tools
- Subscription or one -time purchase available
Disadvantages
- More expensive than some rivals
- Limited malware features
- Some technical knowledge is still needed
Our judgment
Cleanmacmac is a good multifunctional tool for the macOS operating system, and its bright, friendly user interface provides easy access to more practical tools to clear disk space, protect users’ privacy, optimize services, update applications, uninstall software and help prevent malware and adware.
Price when reviewed
This value shows the geolocated pricing text for product that is undefined
Best prices today
Macpaw (first year, 1 device)
£ 35.40
Macpaw (once purchase)
£ 101.95
Price when reviewed
£ 35.40/one year for 1 Mac, £ 101.95 for 1 Mac (once purchase)
Best prices today:
Macpaw (first year, 1 device)
£ 35.40
Macpaw (once purchase)
£ 101.95
There are plenty of clean -up apps available that claim to speed up your Mac by getting rid of old files that may clog your Mac’s drive, delete duplicate photos or uninstall apps and software completely so that they do not leave any old files that are no longer needed. However, few of these clean -up apps are as extensive as Cleanmymac from MacPaw, which was updated to version 5.0 (and fell ‘x’ from its name when version 4 was called Cleanmymac X) back in 2024.
In this review, we will run through what you can do with Cleanmymac, what we associate with it and what we are not so eager for and we explain what is in the latest update. See how CleanMyMac compares to other Mac cleaners in our best Mac Cleaner software-round-up.
What CleanMyMac can do
It’s not the cheapest Cleanup app available for Mac, but CleanMyMac provides dozens of various tools to delete old files and data. It groups all these tools into five main categories that focus on different tasks – cleanup, protection, performance, applications and my root. It is worth exploring each set of tools to see how the program works, but for convenience, there is also a smart care feature that gives your Mac drive a quick control and summarizes the result of its scans for all five categories.
The Cleaning Tools focus on deleting junk: old files and documents that take up valuable space, or old system files that are no longer needed.
Foundry
The Protection Tools dig a little deeper and can scan for malware that can cause a threat to your Mac. While the app works well with MacOS ‘gatekeeper feature from working to prevent malware installation on your Mac, it is still possible to install a good amount of questionable software. Yes, the Malware -Removal Module was able to detect and quarantine several threats (such as osx.evilegg, dazzlespy and parts of Adwind Malware), but it left Segments of Adwind installed in tests, as well as missing the dubious wave browser, a spot version of Adobe Flash Player Install Manager, Adobe Album and The Infoamet MacScurity Apple to be removed with another application.
This was disappointing in view of MacPaw’s well -marketed and hyped use of the moonlight motor for this purpose. Cleanmymac is not a dedicated antivirus program, so it does not provide the same level of protection as the programs shown in our best antivirus for Mac Round-Up. ALSO READ: CLEANMYMAC offers virus removal, but is it something good?
The Performance Tools help with routine maintenance, clearing the DNS cache used for web browsing, recoversing spotlight and mail to speed up search results and keep track of your login and background topics (which you can also do using system settings on your Mac).
A common task that many people ask about is how to completely delete applications from their Mac, as many applications leave old files and databits even after you deleted the application itself. The Applications Tools in CleanMyMac can help with this task, delete app residue and installation files and also remind you of all old applications that you may not have used recently.
Finally there is My messwhich can scan either individual folders or the entire Mac drive to find old files that you haven’t used for a long time, or especially large files that take up a lot of space. This latest version gets some new features here, including the possibility of identifying duplicate files or photos that look very similar so you can delete them if you want. There are also some diagnostic tools, including the possibility of identifying apps that use a lot of battery power on your laptop.
Foundry
Using Cleanmymac
The most important change that arrived with version 5.0 was the redesigned interface. Previous versions of Cleanmymac could use each set of tools to scan your Mac automatically, but would then throw long lists of files and data on the screen and let you decide which files you would keep or delete – which can be confusing for many users who do not have the necessary level of technical knowledge.
CleanMyMAC 5.0 Simplified things by showing the results of its scans as a series of tiles that give you a quick summary of each scan. So the application tools show tiles that break down the results that are left behind when deleting applications, or installation files used when you first install a new app.
Other tiles tell you about apps waiting for updates, or old apps that have not been used for a long time. If you want more information, each tile has a review button that can display the entire list of relevant files, or you can simply press the Remove button and let CleanMyMac automatically delete everything for you.
CleanMyMAC updates
There have been a number of updates to Cleanmymac since our review of version 5.0 in 2024, some of which were simply maintenance updates that dealt with errors and other problems. However, there has also been what Macpaw refers to as ‘big updates’ that introduced new features.
Version 5.0.5 Updated the app’s performance module with a new option that can be cleaned space that scans your entire hard drive according to old files, cache files or temporary files and downloads that you can delete to save space.
Some new accessibility features arrived with Version 5.0.7With the option of using the Voiceover feature in MacOS to read information in the app for people who have visual impairment. There is also an option called reduces exercise that does exactly what it says, which reduces the animation and other visual effects during scans to reduce discomfort or distraction.
An older feature got an update in Version 5.1When the space lens was renewed to provide a visual guide to the use of storage on your Mac. This feature (which is only available in the plus version of the app) shows all folders on your Mac as a series of ‘bubbles’ of different sizes, indicating the amount of storage space occupied by each folder. You can then click on each bubble to explore the different files and subfolders that it contains and decide which ones you might want to delete to save space.
Foundry
CleanMyMac expanded its space -saving features on the cloud with a new sky -cleaning feature in Version 5.2.1 (only available with the plus version). This allows you to use CleanMyMac to scan your sky storage on iCloud Drive, Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. The app can scan these online drives, just as it can scan your Mac’s local drive and allow you to quickly delete files that you don’t need, or maybe delete files from your Mac and just leave a backup on your cloud drive instead.
Foundry
Some people may not feel comfortable giving a third-party app access to their private cloud accounts, but in which case you can save some money by choosing the basic version of Cleanmymac that does not include this particular feature.
How to buy Cleanmymac
The most significant change is perhaps the new prize structure introduced in July 2025, which includes separate ‘Basic’ and ‘Plus’ versions of the app. The basic version offers a limited set of features to less technically prone users, while the Plus version offers the full range of features, including some of the latest feature updates from 2025 (you can compare the two versions here).
The basic version of Cleanmymac costs $ 9.95/£ 8.95 per Month, as if to be honest, seems a little steep for an app that you might only spend every few weeks. However, there is also an annually available subscription that seems much more sensible and costs $ 47.50/£ 27.00 per day. Year. And if you don’t like paying subscriptions for software, you can also buy the basic version for a single ‘once’ fee of $ 119.95/£ 101.95.
As you would expect, the plus version of the app is more expensive and costs $ 15.95/£ 14.95 per Month, or $ 71.40/£ 45.00 annually, while one -time purchase option costs $ 195.95/£ 165.95. However, there is a small print to look for, as these prices only allow you to run Cleanmymac on a single Mac. There are additional price plans for two or five Macs that are also available, as well as a business edition that offers discounts for volume licenses (with full details available on MacPaw’s web site).
It is also worth noting that one time a purchase option allows you to use the app as long as you want – without recurring subscription fees – but this price may not include further ‘big updates’ and features that are introduced in the future, so you may still need to pay extra to keep up to date with all the latest features. And as we have mentioned in the past, there is a version of CleanMyMAC that is also available in the Mac App Store, although Apple’s technical restrictions mean it may not have the full range of features available when buying Cleanmy Mac directly from Macpaw.
You can buy Cleanmymac either from MacPaw’s own site or from the Mac App Store, even if the version sold in the Mac App Store omits a few features (due to technical restrictions imposed by Apple). But as always, there is still a seven -day free sample available so you can try the app before paying for the full version.
Should you buy Cleanmymac?
Some people claim that utilities like this are completely unnecessary, and it is certainly possible to perform most of these Mac maintenance tasks yourself – as long as you have a reasonable amount of technical knowledge. But if you don’t know your DNS cache from your universal binary files, a well-designed app like CleanMacMac can simplify these tasks for you and help keep your Mac match in shape.