CacheCleaner vs CleanMyMac

CacheCleaner guides · Updated July 19, 2026

Different tools for different people. CleanMyMac is a paid all-round maintenance suite for any Mac user. CacheCleaner is a free, open-source tool that does one thing: find and delete developer junk. If your disk is full because of Xcode, Docker and node_modules, the comparison below is one-sided. If it's full of duplicates and old downloads, buy CleanMyMac.

CacheCleaner main window with scanned dev caches — CacheCleaner

The numbers

priceCleanMyMac: from ~$40/year, one-time tiers over $100. CacheCleaner: $0, GPL-licensed source on top.
app size~150 MB vs 2.8 MB. CleanMyMac installs background helpers; CacheCleaner has none.
platformBoth native. CacheCleaner runs on macOS 12+, App Store (Lite) or direct download / Homebrew.

CleanMyMac interface — CleanMyMac. Image: macpaw.com

What each finds on a dev machine

CleanMyMac's "System Junk" sees generic caches. It does not know that ~/Library/Developer hides 30-100 GB of regenerable symbols, that each simulator runtime is 5-8 GB, that the Docker VM never shrinks, or that fifty cloned repos each carry a node_modules. CacheCleaner's whole catalog is exactly these locations – plus AI model caches (Hugging Face, Ollama, LM Studio) that no generic cleaner tracks yet.

Trust model

Deleting files is a trust exercise. CacheCleaner's answer: open source, read-only scans, nothing pre-selected, explicit ⚠️ warnings on anything that is more than a disposable cache, and zero network calls. CleanMyMac is closed-source with telemetry and a subscription account.

Verdict

Developer whose disk fills up between projects: CacheCleaner first; it's free and targets the actual problem. Non-technical user who wants one app to "keep the Mac healthy": CleanMyMac earns its money. Many developers reasonably run CacheCleaner for the gigabytes and nothing else at all.

See what's eating your disk before deciding anything – the scan is free and read-only.

Download CacheCleaner