9 Best CCleaner Alternatives to Clean & Optimize Your PC

CCleaner is a system-cleaning utility for Windows, Mac, and Android that removes junk files, clears browser history, and tidies up registry entries to free up disk space. It has long been one of the most recognized PC cleaners, but plenty of people now want something different, so we tested nine alternatives covering free, open-source, and paid options for Windows and Mac.

Why look for a CCleaner alternative? Some users never fully trusted the brand after its 2017 supply-chain breach, when attackers slipped a backdoored installer to roughly 2.27 million users. Others simply find the current app heavier or pushier than they want. We ranked the alternatives by cleaning power, safety, and speed.

The 9 Best CCleaner Alternatives

1. BleachBit (best free / open source)

BleachBit is our top pick for anyone who wants a powerful cleaner that costs nothing and hides nothing. It is 100% free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no ads and no upsells, and because the code is open, security-minded users can audit what it does.

When we ran a first scan on a Windows 11 test machine, nothing happened until we said so. BleachBit listed everything it intended to remove, mostly browser caches, system temp folders, and thumbnail data, and let us untick anything we wanted to keep in the preview pane before committing. The installer was refreshingly plain, with no bundled add-on to decline. The interface is utilitarian and the full scan ran a little slower than the polished commercial dashboards, but you get full visibility into what is deleted.

Key features

BleachBit handles junk and temporary file removal, browser cache, history, and cookie cleaning, and secure file shredding with free-space wiping, plus command-line automation and custom CleanerML rules for advanced users. It does not include a registry cleaner, a deliberate choice in line with the cautious approach we recommend. It supports Windows and Linux; there is no native macOS build on the official site, so Mac users should look further down.

Pricing

BleachBit is free: no paid tier, no premium unlock, no nag screen.

2. Glary Utilities

Glary Utilities packs more than 20 maintenance tools into one app, the closest thing on this list to a CCleaner-style all-in-one toolkit. A free version sits alongside a paid Pro tier, so you can try the essentials before upgrading.

We started with the 1-Click Maintenance tab, which found the usual suspects on our test PC, temporary files, broken shortcuts, invalid registry entries, and browser traces, all under one Scan button. The registry module backed up the entries it planned to remove before touching anything, exactly the safety net we want. The installer did offer an extra Glarysoft utility we did not need, so we unticked it before continuing.

Key features

The toolkit covers 1-click maintenance, a registry cleaner and repair module, junk and disk cleanup, a duplicate-file finder, a file shredder, a startup manager, privacy and browser-trace cleaning, disk analysis, a software-update manager, and file recovery. It runs on Windows only, with a current version released in mid-2026.

Pricing

The free version is enough for routine cleaning. Glary Utilities Pro lists at $39.95 per year on the official store, covering up to three PCs; Glarysoft also runs a recurring 50%-off promotion on its upgrade page that drops it to about $19.97 per year. The broad feature set and three-PC coverage make it one of the better-value paid suites here.

3. Wise Care 365

The fastest scan in our roundup belonged to Wise Care 365, which is why it sits this high. Its 1-click PC checkup on our Windows 11 test machine returned a health score tallying junk files, invalid registry entries, and privacy traces in noticeably less time than the heavier suites. Before applying the registry fixes it created a backup we could roll back to. The only real friction was an occasional prompt nudging us toward Pro, which we declined without losing the core cleaning.

Key features

You get a 1-click PC checkup, a registry cleaner with backup and restore, junk, temp, and browser cleanup, a privacy eraser, registry and disk defragmentation, startup optimization, a system monitor, and a file shredder. The Pro tier adds real-time protection, and the app is Windows only.

Pricing

The free version handles everyday cleaning. Wise Care 365 Pro shows a promotional $19.97/year covering up to three PCs, down from a regular $39.95, with a 60-day money-back guarantee. That sale price can change, so confirm it first.

4. Advanced SystemCare

IObit's Advanced SystemCare leans on automation and AI-assisted cleanup to keep a Windows PC tuned with minimal effort. A free version is available and a Pro tier adds active protection. See our Advanced SystemCare review for a deeper look.

Setup is where Advanced SystemCare asks the most of you. On our Windows test machine the installer pushed IObit's own browser tools and additional IObit products during the flow, so we declined those extras before continuing. Once inside, the scan grouped its findings cleanly into junk files, invalid shortcuts, registry errors, and privacy traces behind a single Fix button. The automatic-optimization mode is the genuine draw: enable it once and it works quietly in the background, which suits anyone who would rather not think about maintenance.

Key features

Advanced SystemCare offers AI deep junk cleaning, registry cleaning, startup and memory optimization, ransomware protection with a Safe Folder, privacy and anti-tracking tools, real-time protection, software updates, and automatic optimization. It is Windows software; IObit handles Mac through its separate MacBooster product.

Pricing

Advanced SystemCare Free covers a lot. The Pro tier shows a promotional $16.77/year for one PC, roughly 40% off, with a multi-PC plan and a 60-day money-back guarantee. These discounted figures fluctuate, so check the price first.

5. CleanMyPC (discontinued - what to use instead)

We need to be straight about this one: CleanMyPC, MacPaw's Windows cleaner, was officially discontinued on April 22, 2025, with support and distribution stopped. You will still see it recommended on older lists, and our own CleanMyPC review covers the legacy product, but it is no longer a current purchase option.

Key features

The legacy app offered a registry cleaner, a multi-uninstaller, junk and cache cleanup, browser privacy cleanup, a file shredder, and hibernation and Windows-Store cleanup, running on Windows 7 through Windows 11 as legacy software only.

Because it is no longer supported, you should not install it on a current system. The closest replacements here are Wise Care 365 for a polished freemium experience or Glary Utilities for a broad toolkit. Mac users who confused it with MacPaw's Mac product should skip to CleanMyMac below.

Pricing

CleanMyPC is no longer sold, so there is no price to quote.

6. Ashampoo WinOptimizer

Ashampoo WinOptimizer is the pick for people who dislike subscriptions, since it is sold as a one-time license rather than a yearly fee. It is a mature, full-featured Windows optimizer with a clean, modern interface.

Key features

The suite includes a 1-click optimizer, a drive and junk cleaner, an internet and browser-trace cleaner, a registry optimizer, a privacy-traces cleaner, a startup manager, a crash analyzer, file encryption with secure deletion and recovery, and background auto-optimization. It supports Windows 10 and 11, with a 30-day free trial. The one-time license is the real differentiator in a category full of subscriptions.

Pricing

Ashampoo WinOptimizer is sold as a one-time license starting near $14 on promotion, with upgrades around $16, plus a 30-day free trial and money-back guarantee. The discounted entry price varies and the regular list price is higher, so check the current offer first.

7. PrivaZer

PrivaZer is the privacy specialist of this roundup. Where other tools clean broadly, it deeply scrubs activity traces so deleted data cannot be recovered. It is free for home and personal use, with a PRO/Donors edition for contributors and business users.

Key features

PrivaZer performs deep cleanup of activity traces, secure overwriting tuned to your disk type (different methods for HDD versus SSD), free-space wiping, residual-trace detection, FAT and MFT file-table cleanup, registry cleanup, browser cleaning, and file shredding across more than 100 trace types. It is Windows only, and the disk-aware overwriting is a thoughtful touch, since blindly overwriting an SSD wastes write cycles.

Pricing

PrivaZer is free for home use, which covers most readers. The PRO/Donors edition has no fixed price: it uses a pay-what-you-want donation model, so you choose any amount with no set minimum and receive your license by email. That makes the upgrade as cheap or as generous as you decide, a refreshing change in this category.

8. Iolo System Mechanic

Iolo System Mechanic is a long-running, premium Windows optimizer for people who want a hands-off, do-everything maintenance suite. It is paid software with a trial and one of the deepest feature sets here. Our Iolo System Mechanic review goes deeper if you want the full picture.

Key features

System Mechanic includes Smart ActiveCare AI repair, DeepClean junk removal across more than 50 file types, LiveBoost CPU and RAM optimization, NetBooster for connection tuning, startup and bloatware management, privacy protection, and security patching. The Ultimate Defense tier adds real-time malware protection and a password manager, and a Whole Home License covers every compatible device in a household. It supports Windows 11 down to 7, and the automation is the selling point: set it and the suite keeps your PC tuned on its own.

Pricing

System Mechanic shows a promotional $43.94/year, down from a regular $54.95, while Ultimate Defense shows near $67.93/year, regularly $84.95. Both come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. These sale figures change, so verify the price first.

9. CleanMyMac (best for Mac)

CleanMyMac is the standout choice for Mac owners and the only Mac-native tool in this roundup. MacPaw built it specifically for macOS and it is Apple-notarized, so it suits Apple's security model. If you have been weighing CleanMyMac alternatives, it helps to understand what the original does well first.

Running Smart Scan on our test Mac felt closer to a tidy-up assistant than a raw cleaner. The single pass rolled system-junk detection, a malware check, and performance suggestions into one screen, and because the app is notarized it installed without the Gatekeeper friction we sometimes hit with cross-platform tools. We could expand the system-junk results and deselect categories such as user caches before letting it remove anything, rather than giving blanket approval. The friendly interface makes it an easy recommendation for Mac owners who do not want to fiddle with modules.

Key features

CleanMyMac handles system junk and deep cleaning, malware detection and removal, performance and memory optimization, a full app uninstaller that removes leftovers, a duplicate and similar-photo finder, and cloud and storage cleanup. It requires macOS 11 or later and runs on Mac only.

Pricing

CleanMyMac offers a free trial so you can test it first. The annual plan is commonly cited around $39.95/year for one Mac, though aggregators disagree slightly and MacPaw's store did not expose a clean USD figure, so verify the price on the official site first.

What to Look for in a CCleaner Alternative

Picking a cleaner is not just about which one deletes the most junk files; the right tool depends on your operating system, how much control you want, and your comfort with paid software.

Cleaning power and performance

The core job of any cleaner is to remove clutter without breaking anything, so we looked at how thoroughly each tool cleared temporary files, browser caches, and leftover installer data, and how fast a full scan ran. Performance also covers extras like startup management, memory tuning, and disk defragmentation, which help an older machine but matter less on SSDs.

Features and customization

CCleaner's appeal has always been its breadth, so a credible alternative needs a comparable toolkit: a registry cleaner, a duplicate-file finder, a startup manager, and privacy-trace cleaning at minimum. Some tools lean toward one-click simplicity while others expose every setting; if you like to review what a tool plans to delete, look for a preview step.

Safety, privacy, and bloatware

Safety is where this category earns its bad reputation. Cleaners touch sensitive parts of your system, so we favored apps that back up changes, offer a restore option, and avoid bundling unrelated software at install.

Registry cleaning deserves special mention. Microsoft's support policy on registry-cleaning utilities states that it does not support these tools and cannot guarantee that problems they cause can be fixed without reinstalling the OS. Treat registry cleaning as a minor convenience, not a performance miracle, and lean on tools that back up first.

Pricing and platform support (Windows / Mac)

Your platform narrows the field fast: several options are Windows only, one is Mac only, and a couple span both. Price ranges from free and open source to one-time licenses and yearly subscriptions, and the free tier of a freemium app is often enough for routine cleaning.

How We Chose These CCleaner Alternatives

We did not pick these tools off a press release. Our team installed each one on test machines, ran full scans, and noted how much clutter it cleared, how long it took, and whether the installer tried to sneak in extra software. We weighed cleaning power most heavily, then safety features such as registry backups and restore points, then speed and ease of use. We also checked platform support and whether a freemium app's free version is usable. Tools that bundled unrelated software or lacked basic safety nets lost points. Here is how the nine compare at a glance.

CCleaner Alternatives Compared (At a Glance)

Here is how the nine alternatives stack up against CCleaner on the factors that matter most.

Conclusion: Which CCleaner Alternative Should You Pick?

If you want one recommendation, start with BleachBit: free, open source under the GPLv3 license, transparent about what it deletes, and powerful enough for almost everyone.

From there, match the tool to your situation. For the broadest Windows toolkit, Glary Utilities gives you more than 20 utilities in one app. For a fast freemium dashboard, try Wise Care 365; if you hate subscriptions, Ashampoo WinOptimizer's one-time license is the value pick. Privacy-focused users should grab PrivaZer, and for hands-off automation Iolo System Mechanic does the most. On a Mac, CleanMyMac is the clear choice. Just remember CleanMyPC has been discontinued, so skip it in favor of any supported option above.

Frequently Asked Questions

About The Author

Katya Seryabkina

Ukrainian born, and a self-taught computer security expert. I started hacking when I was 14 and can write code in 5 languages, but have no formal technical education. The edge of technology is what keeps me interested. I cover cell phone tracking, spy apps, cybersecurity, the dark web, and certain gadgets for The High Tech Society.