CleanMyMac vs MacCleaner Pro: Honest comparison & review

4 min read

When it comes to MacCleaner Pro vs CleanMyMac, what is the difference? And which one will actually make your Mac feel lighter? Both are well-known Mac cleaning tools, and they sound almost the same on their websites, which makes the choice feel confusing.

I installed both on my Mac running macOS Tahoe and tested them side by side, real workload, real clutter.

In this review, I break down the features, the pricing and trials, and how each one performed on everyday tasks like freeing space, uninstalling apps, and speeding up a sluggish Mac. Simple results, clear tables, and a straight answer at the end.

Feature	MacCleaner Pro	CleanMyMac
Price	From $39.95/year; monthly and one-time licenses available	From about $40/year for Basic; monthly and one-time licenses available
Free trial	Yes, direct download from developer	Yes, 7-day full-feature trial (get your free trial here)
Junk cleaning	Yes	Yes
Speed boost	Yes, RAM, login items, extensions	Yes, maintenance tasks, background optimization
Privacy tools	Yes, browser and app traces cleanup	Yes, privacy cleanup plus Malware Removal powered by Moonlock Engine*

*Malware Removal is part of CleanMyMac’s protection toolkit; it is not an antivirus.

CleanMyMac vs MacCleaner Pro: A closer look

CleanMyMac's standout for me is Smart Care. I use it as my first pass because it bundles the routine stuff into one run, shows me what is safe to remove, and adds a quick security check so I am not hopping between features.

CleanMyMac - Smart Scan complete

MacCleaner Pro shines in a different spot. Its Applications uninstaller and Duplicates tools are very focused and easy to aim at a single job. When I am cleaning a project folder or removing trials, that focus is helpful. Think of it as a toolbox you open on purpose.

MacCleaner Pro tool

So, let's take a more in-depth look at MacCleaner Pro vs CleanMyMac.

Feature	MacCleaner Pro	CleanMyMac	Winner
Disk cleaning	Good depth for caches, logs, language files, mail downloads. Clear “Clean Up” flow	Very good depth plus Space Lens to spot huge folders fast	CleanMyMac
App uninstaller	Very strong. Removes apps with deep leftover sweep. Great for trials and stubborn tools	Strong, integrated uninstaller with leftover removal and app updater in the same place	MacCleaner Pro
Performance tools	RAM cleaner, login items, extension control. Straightforward.	Maintenance tasks, background optimization, quick run from Smart Care	Tie
Space visualization	Disk Space Analyzer gives a simple tree view	Space Lens shows an interactive map that is quicker to scan	CleanMyMac
Duplicate and similar files	Dedicated Duplicates module with clear review	Duplicate finder plus similar photo cleanup inside the app	Tie
Privacy tools	Cleans browser traces and recent items	Privacy cleanup plus Malware Removal powered by Moonlock Engine. Not an antivirus.	CleanMyMac for scope
Trial experience	Direct download trial from the developer	7-day full-feature trial, including the App Store route	CleanMyMac
Pricing flexibility	Monthly, annual, and one-time license available	Monthly, annual, and one-time with Basic and Plus tiers	Tie
Ease of use	Modular. Open the exact tool you need. Great for targeted jobs.	Guided. Smart Care bundles routine tasks so first run is simple.	Depends on preference
Update cadence and polish	Regular updates, focused UI	Frequent updates, cohesive UI, strong onboarding	Tie

Pricing: MacCleaner Pro vs CleanMyMac

MacCleaner Pro pricing

Monthly: from $14.95 per month for 1 Mac, with 2-Mac and 5-Mac tiers above that.
Annual: from $39.95 per year for 1 Mac; discounted multi-Mac plans available.
One-time license: offered on the checkout page alongside subscriptions. If you prefer to pay once, the option is visible during purchase.
Free trial: downloadable build from the developer's site.

MacCleaner Pro for Mac

CleanMyMac pricing

Plans: Basic and Plus tiers with monthly starting from $9.95/month, annual, and one-time options from $119.95 with options for 1, 2, or 5 devices.
Typical annual cost for 1 Mac: around $40 per year for the Basic option. Plus costs more. Exact figures change with currency and discounts.
Free trial: 7-day full-feature trial, available via MacPaw. After the trial, billing follows the plan you chose unless you cancel.
One-time license: shown next to subscriptions on the store. If you prefer to avoid a subscription, it is available at checkout.

Scan completed in Space lens module in CleanMyMac

MacCleaner Pro vs CleanMyMac user reviews

CleanMyMac has a visible footprint on the App Store with a current public listing and frequent updates, plus a week-long trial. The rating sits high and the release notes keep moving, which lines up with what I've seen using it this year. Macworld's October 2025 review echoes that vibe, calling it a veteran utility that simplifies day-to-day maintenance for non-experts, while also noting you could do much of this manually if you enjoy the deep dives. That's exactly how it feels on my Tahoe machine: polished, steady, easy to recommend to someone who just wants one place to start.

MacCleaner Pro is not on the App Store; you download and buy it directly from Nektony. Macworld's 2024 review describes an "impressive array of tools" with straightforward controls, and recent Trustpilot threads in 2025 consistently mention quick, helpful support and praise the App Cleaner & Uninstaller component. In practice, that matches my experience: it feels like a focused toolkit that you aim at a job, rather than a single guided flow.

Common questions comparing CleanMyMac and MacCleaner Pro

Is MacCleaner Pro on the App Store?
Unlike CleanMyMac, MacCleaner is a direct download from Nektony only.
Do both have one-time license options?
Yes, both apps offer it.
Which frees more space?
In my runs, it was close and really depended on the files.
Which app is more beginner-friendly?
For me CleanMyMac feels simpler and easier to use.

CleanMyMac vs MacCleaner both did the job on my Mac. If you want a guided start, CleanMyMac with Smart Care is just so easy. If you prefer a toolbox, MacCleaner Pro suits that style, but you essentially download a pack of apps. My pick for most people in 2025 is CleanMyMac.