Mac guides

AppCleaner alternatives for Mac, and when you need one

By Qiffe · Tested on macOS 27.0.1,

AppCleaner by FreeMacSoft has been the default answer to “how do I uninstall a Mac app properly?” for well over a decade. It’s free, small and simple. You might still want something else, so here’s what AppCleaner does, what it doesn’t claim to do, and the alternatives.

Disclosure: Qiffe makes Doff, one of the alternatives on this page.

What AppCleaner does

According to its website, you drop an application onto the AppCleaner window, and it finds the files related to that app so you can delete them together.

  • Price: free, with an optional donation.
  • Version: 3.7, for macOS 15 and later. Older versions exist for older macOS releases.
  • Source: closed source.

For removing one app you’re about to delete, that’s often enough.

When you might want more

AppCleaner’s website describes one workflow: drop an app and remove it with its files. It doesn’t mention:

  • finding leftovers of apps you already deleted (orphans),
  • removing launch daemons and privileged helpers that live outside your home folder and can run as root,
  • an undo history for what was removed.

If any of those matter to you, look at the alternatives below.

Alternatives

Doff (ours)

Doff covers the cases above:

  • Catches apps you trash. Drag an app to the Trash and Doff offers to remove its leftovers, so you don’t have to remember to open an uninstaller first.
  • Finds orphans. Leftovers of apps you deleted long ago, including launch daemons and helpers that keep running as root. A helper you approve once in System Settings removes them.
  • Reversible. Everything goes to the Trash, and History can put it back.
  • Careful matching. It shows how confident each match is, preselects only confident ones, and never preselects shared or iCloud Drive data.
  • Price: free to scan, $12.99 once to remove. It needs macOS 15 or later.

Pearcleaner

Pearcleaner is free and source-available, with a long feature list: orphaned file search, a monitor that cleans up when apps hit the Trash, and extras like Homebrew management. Its developer has put the project on hold since the end of 2025, and users report problems on macOS 27. More in Pearcleaner alternatives.

CleanMyMac

CleanMyMac by MacPaw includes an uninstaller and a leftovers tool among about a dozen others, sold mostly as a subscription. If you only need the uninstaller, see CleanMyMac alternatives for what macOS and smaller apps already cover.

No app at all

Everything an uninstaller does, you can do in Finder and Terminal. It just takes longer. Follow how to completely uninstall apps on a Mac, and for background services, LaunchDaemons on Mac.

Which one to pick

  • You only want to remove an app now and then: AppCleaner is fine.
  • You want leftovers of old apps and root helpers found, with an undo: try Doff’s free scan and see what it finds before you pay anything.
  • You’re comfortable in Terminal: do it by hand with our guides.

Questions

Is AppCleaner free?

Yes. FreeMacSoft offers AppCleaner as a free download with an optional donation. Version 3.7 is for macOS 15 and later; older versions are available for older macOS releases.

Is AppCleaner safe?

It's a long-standing app from FreeMacSoft. As with any uninstaller, download it only from the developer's own site, and review the list of files before deleting them.

What's the difference between AppCleaner and Pearcleaner?

AppCleaner is a simple, closed-source tool focused on removing an app and its related files. Pearcleaner is a source-available app with many more features, but its developer has put it on hold since the end of 2025.