If you want your Mac running as fast as it did on day one, then this CleanMyMac X review will help you understand one of the best Mac optimization tools on the market!
One of the reasons we bought our Macs in the first place is to easily surf the web, picking up cookies, and downloading whatever we want without thinking about the consequences on the computer. There is one consequence, however. It makes a mess in our storage drives and operating systems. CleanMyMac X cleans that chaos and makes our favorite computer run like the day it came out of the box.
What Is CleanMyMac?
CeanMyMac is an optimization tool that cleans up all the unnecessary files and their remains from your Mac and makes it run smoothly and hiccup-free. When you uninstall a program or delete a file, it’s never entirely deleted – there is always some little bit of the file left on your hard disk or SSD. Besides taking up space on your storage drive, this can also make your computer slower and cause different problems.
CleanMyMac is one of the best Mac cleanup software packages around. It makes sure these remains get deleted completely, along with all the temporary files your computer has picked up along the way.
The tool was created by MacPaw, a company founded in 2006 in Kiev, Ukraine, by Oleksandr Kosovan, an undergraduate student at the time. This startup was launched with two employees and $3000 initial capital, is now a thriving company with buyers from all over the world.
Their first release was CleanMyMac, which many consider to be the best Mac cleaning software in the market. The company now has several programs in its portfolio:
- Setapp
- Gemini 2
- CleanMyPC
- CleanVPN
- Wallpaper Wizard 2
What Makes CleanMyMac Stand Out?
This company stands out because it’s founded and run by true Apple enthusiasts who even have a small Mac museum with 40 rare pieces in their HQ in Kiev. Their enthusiasm is reflected in their products.
CleanMyMac has been downloaded more than 17 million times and has users even in Antarctica.
Pros
- Cheerful and user-friendly design
- Good for private browsing
- Scans are pretty fast
- Free trial
Cons
- A bit pricey
- No phone support
CleanMyMac Price Plans
The subscription plans that MacPaw offers for this tool are pretty straightforward. You can choose between a one-year subscription and a one-time purchase.
One-Year Plan
- $39.95 for one Mac
- $59.95 for two Macs
- $89.95 for five Macs
One-Time Purchase
- $89.95 for one Mac
- $134.95 for two Macs
- $199.95 for five Macs
These prices place CleanMyMac somewhere in the middle of the table, and it can be considered a good buy. The one-year subscription plans offer the best value, but they also imply a long-term commitment.
Where to Buy CleanMyMac?
We have dedicated an entire section in our CleanMyMac review to this matter because it can get a bit complicated. There are three ways to get the app – through the MacPaw official website, MacPaw’s proprietary platform called Setapp, and the Apple App Store.
Depending on where you purchase the product, you can access different features with different pricing options. For instance, if you buy through the App Store, some features are excluded, such as Photo Junk, Maintenance, Updater, and Shredder.
If you install the CleanMyMac X free trial version through Setapp, however, you can have all high-end features unlocked for 7 days. Setapp provides unlimited access to more than 160 tools, with family and team plans available for just $9.99 per month.
If you decide to purchase directly from MacPaw’s website, you can access a free limited 7-day trial version or pay up to $200.00, depending on how many Macs you want to use the software with.
While it may be cheapest to go directly to the source, Setapp seems to be the most bang for your buck.
CleanMyMac X Review – Features
Clean up
Cleaning your computer is the tool’s primary function. It checks for any unwanted files, and you can choose the sections you want to clean:
iPhoto Junk
Every time you edit a photo on your Mac, it leaves a temporary file, which also occurs when you are browsing online; even if you don’t download an image from a webpage, it still goes to your temporary files folder. You’d be surprised at how much junk can accumulate in your temporary files over time. During our CleanMyMac review, we’ve discovered 290Mb and 440Mb on two of our own computers.
System Junk
Each time you install or uninstall a program, it leaves some files behind, and with time, they can clutter your computer and reduce speed. This tool removes these temporary files left behind by the operating system or your newly installed applications.
Trash Bins
This one is pretty easy to do, and you don’t really need the CleanMyMac latest version to do that, but the fact is that we rarely remember to clean our computer trash bins. Although it may look redundant at first glance, incorporating this feature is smart.
iTunes Junk
iTunes stores your libraries locally on your device which enables you to access your favorite music faster, but also takes up a lot of space on your storage drive. The app also stores your backups from other Apple devices, and that constant flow of data being written and deleted leaves quite a mess behind. The good news is that hitting the Scan button resolves those issues.
Protection
CleanMyMac X reviews often mention this feature as a nice upgrade from the previous version, and we couldn’t agree more. The program checks your computer for any suspicious files or programs and efficiently eliminates them.
We can’t say that it’s a match for a dedicated antivirus program, but it certainly helps. To ensure your privacy, CleanMyMac will check your browser cookies and history, call history from VoIP services, and perform other functions you would typically find in an antivirus program.
Compatibility
A huge benefit is that the software is not reserved for Mac users only – the company also offers CleanMyMac for Windows. It is called CleanMyPC and offers similar features for the same price.
Applications
With CleanMyMac, you get some handy apps that will make your life easier, as far as the computer part is concerned.
The Uninstaller will show you all the apps you rarely use and ask you if you want to delete them. It can also remove all the leftovers from previously uninstalled apps. The Update feature automatically scans for the latest versions of your programs and automatically updates them.
Extensions are one of the most underrated resource munchers lurking on your computer. The CleanMyMac full version will scan them and create a list of unnecessary and rarely used ones, allowing you to decide if you want to remove them.
When it comes to files, CleanMyMac has several ways to deal with them. First, it will scan for all unused and large files with its Large & Old Files feature and then help you delete them. If you want to ensure that absolutely everything is deleted, even from the period before you installed CleanMyMac, the Shredder feature is here to help you out.
During the review, CleanMyMac X did this perfectly, and as a bonus, you can go through the whole process using the Space Lens function. It graphically presents all the files so you can quickly determine the files’ size and function, making it a real time-saver.
Increased Speed
CleanMyMac frees up a lot of space on your computer by deleting unnecessary stuff and closing programs that are not used but burden the system. For instance, our CleanMyMac trial showed many programs (Skype, Adobe, Spotify) running in the back without us being aware of it.
Some other programs have default settings to activate as soon as you start your computer, whether you use them or not, and the sneakiest ones remain active even when you click the X button. Each of these take a bite out of your CPU’s performance, and CleanMyMac stops them.
What Are the Alternatives to CleanMyMac?
CleanMyMac 3 vs CleanMyMac X
CleanMyMac 3 is the previous version of MacPaw’s bestseller, and it falls behind its successor in all fields. The new version is three times faster and has features like Malware Removal, Updater, Optimization, CleanMyMac X Assistant. Most importantly, MacPaw will soon stop providing technical support for the old version. The good news is that you can upgrade to CleanMyMac X with a 50% discount.
CleanMyMac vs. MacKeeper
These two programs are often referred to as fierce competitors and not without reason. They are the industry leaders and provide a lot of valuable features to their customers. There are, however, some differences in how the two companies view optimization, which results in two unique softwares.
For instance, the MacKeeper focuses more on online security, has a VPN and an Anti-Tracking tool. CleanMyMac is more dedicated to cleaning excessive files instead of online security. Also, MacPaws’ flagship offer is their CleanMyMac free trial and is more than two times cheaper than the MacKeeper.
Another exciting perk is that if you transfer to CleanMyMac from their competition, you get a 40% discount. It’s a bit aggressive, but you do get a high-end product for an affordable price.
CleanMyMac X vs CleanMyMac Classic
The Classic option is the first of MacPaws’ products and the software that started their whole success. Our quick CleanMyMac Classic review showed that while it lacks some high-end features, it’s $10 cheaper. If you are interested in basic functionality, and saving some money, then the Classic version might be a good choice.
CleanMyMac Customer Support
You have several ways to get support if you encounter some issue with the software.
- FAQ– there’s an extensive database with articles that cover almost any problem you might encounter
- Messages -you can send a direct message and will receive an answer via email.
- Live chat – If you don’t want to wait, you can contact support via live chat, and although they say that they reply within five minutes, we never waited for more than three.
How to Use CleanMyMac
It’s pretty easy to use. Once you start the program, you’ll be presented with the main screen. In the central part, you’ll see a large Scan button, and on the left, there are options for smart scans, where you can choose to scan specific parts of your Mac, use different tools like Shredder and Uninstaller, and adjust settings. Everything is nicely laid out and self-explanatory.
The first thing you should do is hit that central Scan button. It will show you the most significant problems on your computer. After resolving them, you can move on to more specific scans.
CleanMyMac X Review – Summary
As technology progresses, our photos, programs, and movies require more space. It’s probably not something you considered when you bought that latest 100-megapixel camera and now have to live with the storage consequences.
Luckily, instead of investing even more money in a new computer with a larger HDD or SSD, we could simply let CleanMyMac do its magic and free up space for our latest photos. It’s easy to use, affordable, and created by Apple enthusiasts making it a great and reliable buy.
People Also Ask
Apple doesn’t recommend CleanMyMac, or any other cleaning or optimizing software, for that matter. The company assures that the proprietary tools are enough to maintain optimal performance, which is partially true.
It’s very likely that you could do all the things yourself that different optimizing tools can do, but it would take you hours of tampering with the settings, and you could even cause some problems while trying to clean the computer. CleanMyMac does all that automatically and saves you time.
CleanMyMac is absolutely safe. It’s been on the market since 2006 and has more than 17 million downloads. It keeps your computer in shape by eliminating all of the unnecessary processes and deleting old, unused, and fragmented data. It also improves your security because it has tools to protect you from malware, dangerous cookies and trackers, and other risks lurking on the web.
CleanMyMac offers a free, 7-day trial. With it, you can clean up to 500 Mb of junk, run an unlimited number of scans, use the Speed improvements feature two times, and free up your RAM.
These features seem very limited compared to the paid version, but they can give you an idea about what this software can do and possible issues lurking around your Mac. If you want to have more features during your free trial, you can download it through Startapp, MacPaw’s proprietary platform.
CleanMyMac is absolutely worth it. It’s an optimization tool that will save you time and storage on your computer. It has several payment plans, bulk and upgrades discounts, and even a 40% discount if you switch from another optimization software company. Most importantly, it saves you money. Instead of buying a new computer because the old one is slow and with limited storage, you can use this tool to rejuvenate it. Our CleanMyMac X review proved it’s worth the price.
