Whole-Mac cleanup or just uninstalling?
Broad cleanup: CleanMyMac / Mole. Focused uninstall: AppCleaner / Pearcleaner. Free and minimal: AppCleaner. Free with more modern controls: Pearcleaner.
CleanMyMac
Guided cleanup with malware scanning.
For people who want guided, broad Mac maintenance.
View detailsMole
Free terminal cleanup, with a separate paid Mac app.
For people who want broad cleanup and a choice of terminal or graphical control.
View details
AppCleaner
Drop an app to find its related files.
For people who want a minimal, free uninstall workflow.
View details
Pearcleaner
App removal plus orphan, package and Homebrew tools.
For people who want free uninstall tools with more controls; development is on hold.
View detailsThe differences that matter.
CleanMyMac: direct MacPaw edition. Mole: free CLI and paid Mac app are labeled separately. Unknown means not verified, not absent.
| Feature | CleanMyMac | Mole | AppCleaner | Pearcleaner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Whole-Mac care | Cleanup + system tools | App removal | Uninstall + app management |
| Free / price | Paid · 7-day trial · plans vary by device count | CLI free · Mac app US$19 once / 2 Macs | Free download · donations | Free · fair-code / source-available |
| How you operate it | Guided graphical modules | CLI free · GUI paid | Drag an app into the window | Drag/drop, list/grid, CLI |
| Apps + related files | Applications module | mo uninstall / Mac Software | Find related files before deletion | Uninstaller + orphan search |
| Find large folders | Space Lens disk map | CLI explorer · Mac treemap | Not verified | Not verified |
| Support / maintenance context | Commercial product | CLI and Mac app maintained separately | Contact email on official page | Active development on hold |
Primary job
- CleanMyMac
- Whole-Mac care
- AppCleaner
- App removal
- Pearcleaner
- Uninstall + app management
Free / price
- AppCleaner
- Free download · donations
- Pearcleaner
- Free · fair-code / source-available
How you operate it
- CleanMyMac
- Guided graphical modules
- AppCleaner
- Drag an app into the window
- Pearcleaner
- Drag/drop, list/grid, CLI
Apps + related files
- CleanMyMac
- Applications module
- AppCleaner
- Find related files before deletion
- Pearcleaner
- Uninstaller + orphan search
Find large folders
- CleanMyMac
- Space Lens disk map
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
- Pearcleaner
- Not verified
Support / maintenance context
- CleanMyMac
- Commercial product
- AppCleaner
- Contact email on official page
- Pearcleaner
- Active development on hold
View all 16 features
Primary job
- CleanMyMac
- Whole-Mac care
- AppCleaner
- App removal
- Pearcleaner
- Uninstall + app management
Free / price
- AppCleaner
- Free download · donations
- Pearcleaner
- Free · fair-code / source-available
How you operate it
- CleanMyMac
- Guided graphical modules
- AppCleaner
- Drag an app into the window
- Pearcleaner
- Drag/drop, list/grid, CLI
Apps + related files
- CleanMyMac
- Applications module
- AppCleaner
- Find related files before deletion
- Pearcleaner
- Uninstaller + orphan search
Find large folders
- CleanMyMac
- Space Lens disk map
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
- Pearcleaner
- Not verified
Malware scanning
- CleanMyMac
- Protection module
- Mole
- Not verified
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
- Pearcleaner
- Not verified
Caches and logs
- CleanMyMac
- System junk cleanup
- AppCleaner
- Related to the selected app
- Pearcleaner
- App remnants and orphan files
Review before removal
- CleanMyMac
- Not verified
- AppCleaner
- Find files, then click delete
- Pearcleaner
- Search exclusions and sensitivity
System maintenance
- CleanMyMac
- Background / login items
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
- Pearcleaner
- Services manager
Update installed apps
- CleanMyMac
- App updates
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
- Pearcleaner
- Apps Updater
Developer cleanup
- CleanMyMac
- Not verified
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
- Pearcleaner
- Development environment manager
Live system metrics
- CleanMyMac
- Not verified
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
- Pearcleaner
- Not verified
Native implementation
- CleanMyMac
- Not verified
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
- Pearcleaner
- Swift / SwiftUI
Source / license
- CleanMyMac
- Not verified
- AppCleaner
- Not verified
macOS requirement
- CleanMyMac
- 11+
- AppCleaner
- Current 3.6.8: Mojave–Tahoe
- Pearcleaner
- 13+; beta OS unsupported
Support / maintenance context
- CleanMyMac
- Commercial product
- AppCleaner
- Contact email on official page
- Pearcleaner
- Active development on hold
CleanMyMac · Recorded release 2026-09-02 · -- releases/year · Checked date: 2026-09-08
Homepage lists 5.6.1; the update center trails it. Annual count not verified.Mole · Recorded release 2026-08-30 · 60 releases in the year at review · Checked date: 2026-09-08
CLI stable releases only; Mac app history is separate at mole.fit/releases.AppCleaner · Last updated -- · -- releases/year · Checked date: 2026-09-08
Version 3.6.8 is listed without a release date or complete dated history.Pearcleaner · Recorded release 2025-11-26 · 28 releases in the year at review · Checked date: 2026-09-08
Stable GitHub releases; maintainer says active development is on hold.
Homepage lists 5.6.1; the update center trails it. Annual count not verified.Mole · Recorded release 2026-08-30 · 60 releases in the year at review · Checked date: 2026-09-08
CLI stable releases only; Mac app history is separate at mole.fit/releases.AppCleaner · Last updated -- · -- releases/year · Checked date: 2026-09-08
Version 3.6.8 is listed without a release date or complete dated history.Pearcleaner · Recorded release 2025-11-26 · 28 releases in the year at review · Checked date: 2026-09-08
Stable GitHub releases; maintainer says active development is on hold.
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