The Best PC Cleaners

If your computer suddenly appears to become slower, your first thought may be that the RAM is too small or it has contracted a virus. However, the computer may have simply become cluttered with junk files, and other unneeded things that slow down its performance.

Junk files don’t announce themselves and don’t damage the system intentionally, but remain within browsers, files, and applications to clog your working memory. That’s why users need to find and remove these files, and that is what PC cleaners do.

In this article, we will look at some of the best free PC cleaners for Mac and Windows computers.

Best Free Windows PC Cleaners

Most PC cleaners come with a variety of features that work hand-in-hand to optimize your computer’s performance. They can:

• Remove junk files to prevent RAM load.
• Delete old, outdated settings the system had saved to prevent them from interfering with programs.
• Remove unused programs to save space on your hard drive.
• Ensure faster startup by disabling some system apps that automatically launch as soon as the system turns on.

Most PC cleaners offer the base functions for free, while others are unlocked with a purchase or a subscription fee.

1. CC Cleaner

CC Cleaner is perhaps the most popular freemium PC cleaner for Windows systems.

At its core, the software analyzes your PC and suggests quick fixes you can make to optimize your system’s performance. It can be set to browse for various file types, such as obsolete files, unused programs, leftover registries, files from deleted apps, and more.

When outdated apps are left on your computer, they pose serious security risks since their vulnerabilities can be easily exploited by cybercriminals. CC Cleaner can automatically update apps to prevent security issues.

CC Cleaner also removes unused files, settings, and outdated drivers that have since been overwritten. It can freeze apps that are not in use, thereby making it easy for you to have a seamless experience on your computer.

The free version of CC Cleaner provides most of the basic cleaning facilities you will need: it cleans up temporary files, browser caches, and unneeded data from your computer. However, you can only access some features like scheduled cleaning by getting the paid version.

Download CC Cleaner for free here.

2. IObit Advanced SystemCare

Advanced SystemCare is another option to consider when it comes to Windows PC optimization or cleaning. It is developed by IObit for optimizing and enhancing the performance of Windows systems, as well as protecting them from security threats.

Advanced SystemCare optimizes your PC by scanning and cleaning junk files and invalid shortcuts. This frees up more space for the necessary programs and increases your PC’s responsiveness.

It also has a feature called Turbo Boost. With this feature, it shuts down unneeded background files and apps that often cause your computer to slow down.

It also comes with features that enhance computer security and protect your computer from all sorts of malware and spyware.

With Advanced SystemCare, you can access most of the needed features for basic cleaning without paying a dime. The paid version offers some more in-depth cleaning features. However, beware of the software trying to upsell you stuff you don’t really need.

Download Advanced SystemCare for free here.

3. BleachBit

BleachBit is open-source software and, therefore, it is completely free. It helps optimize your computer by analyzing it for files that are unneeded, such as duplicate files and temporary log files.

BleachBit is especially known for its wide range of supported applications. That means it can access different applications like Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Office Suite programs, Adobe Reader, and more, to clean caches and unneeded files.

BleachBit also allows you to exclude a set of files, folders, or file types from the cleaning process. This makes it a lot easier to ensure that important files do not get thrown in the trash by mistake.

Download BlechBit for free here.

Best Free PC Cleaners for Mac

Generally, Macs do not need to be cleaned as often as Windows computers, but is there any house that doesn’t ever get untidy, even occasionally?

To clean up your Mac and make it run faster, here are some of the best free options.

1. AppCleaner

AppCleaner optimizes your Mac’s system by easing the uninstalling process – a process that is not normally so smooth on Mac. The application makes it possible for you to completely uninstall a program and all associated files and folders.

Normally, when you install an application, it widely distributes its settings and files across your hard drive, and so, even after you delete the main application, the small unneeded files continue to linger about. When these files accumulate, they will cause serious problems for your PC.

With AppCleaner though, you can completely uninstall such apps for free by simply dragging the unwanted app into the AppCleaner window.

Download AppCleaner for free here.

2. Onyx

Onyx is developed by Titanium Software and comes with several system optimization and customization tools.

Onyx is not just a system cleaner, though, it is a more general tool which eases the process of giving easy commands to your computer to perform tasks that would otherwise require very complex commands if you were to use the built-in interface.

Onyx allows you to clean up system caches, logs, temporary files, and other unnecessary system files. It helps free up disk space, optimize system performance, and improve overall system stability.

The app provides options to optimize various system parameters and settings. You can customize parameters related to the Finder, Dock, Safari, system startup, and more. It also allows you to rebuild system databases and indexes for improved performance.

An important thing to note with Onyx is that for every new version of the Mac operating system, a new version of Onyx is released. Do not make the mistake of using an unsuitable version of the app.

Download Onyx for free here.

3. Dr. Cleaner

Dr. Cleaner is a free Mac cleaner and optimizer that can improve your computer’s performance by trashing unneeded files and optimizing different aspects of your computer.

At its base, the app scans your Mac for various types of junk files, including temporary files, cache, logs, and unused application binaries. It helps free up disk space by safely removing these files.

However, Dr. Cleaner can also keep track of and improves your Mac’s memory usage and performance by identifying and terminating memory-intensive processes.

The program comes with an application uninstaller feature with which you can easily delete unwanted applications and “remnant” files from your Mac. It helps ensure a complete cleanup when you delete an application.

Dr. Cleaner can also identify and remove duplicate files on your Mac. This feature can help free up storage space by eliminating unnecessary file duplicates that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.

Dr. Cleaner includes a large file scanner that helps you locate and delete large files that may be taking up valuable disk space. In one single click, you can see the largest files on your computer and decide which ones to do away with to optimize your computer’s performance.

Unlike some of the other Mac cleaning tools, Dr. Cleaner’s interface is more user-friendly.

It’s important to note that while Dr. Cleaner can automatically optimize your system, it’s better to manually review the files and data selected for deletion before proceeding to avoid accidentally removing important files.

Remember to regularly back up your important data to ensure you can recover it in case of any unexpected issues.

Download Dr. Cleaner for free here.

Clean Up Your Desktop

Slow computers can be really frustrating, but not getting a suitable cleaner for your computer can cause even more problems. Research your options carefully and read customer reviews before downloading any third-party software to your PC. It will help you avoid malware and ensure you get the best results.

If you encounter any trouble or have other suggestions, please let us know by leaving a comment.