Is CleanMyMac worth it? When searching for a reliable, safe Mac Cleaner that is worth it, balancing the cost and value can get complex. Especially, when there’s so many softwares with bloatware and malware out there.

When it comes to CleanMyMac, users find themselves weighing the pros and cons for hours… 

That is, deciding if CleanMyMac really works, how the features differ, and if there are free alternatives that will perform the same optimization.

What is CleanMyMac X?

Well, first thing first, what is CleanMyMac X? CleanMyMac is an app that monitors your system and recommends data to purge. With one click of the Scan button, you can dump gigabytes of built up caches, unused apps, mail attachments, temporary memory, and a whole lot more.

The CleanMyMac X update completely changed the interface, added a few awesome new features, and continues to provide an easy way for you to clear out your Mac’s junk. It’s a great option for keeping a Mac in tip-top shape if you’re not completely familiar with Terminal options, or want a one-stop solution for all the maintenance tasks your Mac may need.

Cleaning with CleanMyMac

Over time your Mac will gather more and more files, logs, system files and other stuff you may not need but that does take up space on your hard drive. And as a Mac user you will know that drive space comes at quite a price on a new Mac. The software looks at drive space in 3 categories: system files, mail and attachments and your waste bin.

Using the cleaning function the first time cleaned up about 30Gb of files, so that is impressive. Most of that were cache files, log files and language files of languages you don’t use. The mail function cleaned up attachments that are also kept in your mail server so don’t have to be kept offline on your harddrive. And the waste bin function keeps your waste bin clean. That isn’t something you can’t do manually, but doing it in CleanMyMac while you are at it is just as easy.

Malware and antivirus scan

When you look at the CleanMyMac X interface, you’ll see the Smart Scan option in the upper left corner. We expected to find quick and full scan options, but the way this program seems to work is a bit different.

The Smart Scan is where the magic happens. You’ll watch while it flies through your files and looks for anything suspicious.

It’s also considered the starting place for optimizing your Mac. When you run a Smart Scan, you’ll get a list of the files that could be unnecessary junk or worse, malware. The malware scan looks at potential threats and also suggests optimization tasks to increase your device speed, like emptying the trash bin.

The Malware Removal feature is the deep scan that checks every nook and cranny looking for bugs that may be hiding.

Even though viruses are not a significant problem on Macs, scanning for malware regularly is part of being a good internet citizen. You may have a Windows virus in an email attachment, and could unknowingly pass it on to your Windows-using friends.

CleanMyMac’s Privacy Scan doesn’t intrinsically make your computer any more secure. But it does delete sensitive information like browsing history, autofill forms, and chat logs, so that if your computer is compromised by hackers, they’ll get access to less information that can be used for identity theft.

Speed and Optimization

Over time, apps may start background processes that run continuously, taking up your system resources and slowing your computer. You may not even be aware that some of these processes are happening.

CleanMyMac can identify them for you, and give you a choice of whether they run or not. Also, any apps that have crashed may still be using system resources and slowing your computer.

In the maintenance section you can scan for other problems. Like cleaning up RAM memory by closing apps and modules that aren’t used. It will also clean up DNS cache, re-index spotlight for faster search results and several smaller scripts to speed up your system.

App Management feature

CleanMyMac X can help you manage your apps. It can help you update all your installed apps at once, to make sure you are on the latest versions of all apps. This is a good idea for security and stability in most cases, but you can also choose which ones you want to update. So you are still in control.

The app delete function is als very good. In some cases apps will come with a delete function, but most MacOS apps don’t have that option. So you will delete the files from your App folder and hope for the best. But many apps will still leave traces in other folders you will miss using this method. CleanMyMac will help you by finding all related stuff and cleaning it all up in one go.

CleanMyMac X cost

CleanMyMac X offers a free and paid version of its antivirus. Like most software, there are limitations to the features you’ll get without a paid plan. The paid plan costs $34.95/yr and covers one Mac, which is cheap compared to MacKeeper, another Mac-specific antivirus.

CleanMyMac X recently modified their free edition to offer customers a 7-day free trial without any limitations.

License Coverage

For instance, if you plan on using it for a year, the CleanMyMac license costs:

• $34.95 for 1 Mac device 
• $54.95 for 2 Mac devices
• $79.95 for 5 Mac devices

However, if you’re looking for a one-time purchase, you’ll have to shell out 89.95 bucks for one machine, $134.95 for 2, and $199.95 for 5 Mac devices. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you change your mind or are dissatisfied with their service.

Conclusion

CleanMyMac X offers a variety of easy-to-use tools that can quickly free up space on your device and get rid of suspicious files. All its features work as they did since their inception, providing a great combination of functionality, design, and user experience. To top it all, it also supports Macs with the M1 processor as well as the older models with Intel chips. 

If you’ve always managed your files yourself and know-how and why (if ever) your system lags and you know how to fix it, that’s amazing! For others who want the ease of use and functionality over everything else, CleanMyMac is the way to go.

>> Try CleanMyMax X (Free Trial)