12 best programs to clean your computer

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

In the course of the active work of the computer in the operating system, over time, errors accumulate, the consequences of small and large failures, the remains of remote programs and other useless or frankly harmful things. The computer starts to work noticeably slower, free space becomes less and less, useful software functions less and less stable. In order to put the system in order and clean up garbage, there are many special programs.

The editors have prepared for you an overview of the most effective and affordable software systems for cleaning and optimizing the system. The selection is based on the results of a study conducted by our experts in 2019.

Features of computer cleaning programs

To begin with, let's briefly outline what computer cleaning programs can do, what they can cope with, and what effect it can have. This will make it easier for you to choose the option that suits you best.

1. The very first and most obvious thing that interferes with the normal operation of the computer is a full system drive. According to the recommendations of experts, it should always have free space in a volume at least equal to the amount of RAM, and optimally – twice as much. The computer cleaning program must first of all delete obviously useless data – old temporary files, not completely deleted service files, empty the trash, etc. Optionally, the cache of Internet browsers can also be cleared.
2. Less obvious “blockages” of the system are the remnants of remote programs in the OS itself and the system registry. This data does not take up much space, but it can lead to parasitic useless loads on the processor and RAM. Often, there are also collisions and errors in the registry, which can lead to unstable applications. Computer cleaning programs can also deal with such errors.
3. In some cases it may be necessary to correct logical errors of the disk space itself. Also, the cleaning programs will detect weak areas of the hard drive, evaluate the 'health' of the disk as a whole and notify the user about the danger of imminent failure.
4. In addition to the above main functions, each disk cleaning program can also perform specific actions that the developers have provided. Some of them can be extremely useful for specific cases.

Rating of the best programs for cleaning your computer

Nomination	a place	Program	rating
Best Computer Cleaners for Windows	1	CCleaner	5.0
	2	BleachBit	4.9
	3	Advanced SystemCare	4.8
	4	Wise Care 365	4.7
	5	Comodo System Utilities	4.6
	6	Uninstall Tool	4.5
	7	Revo Uninstaller	4.4
	8	Auslogics BoostSpeed	4.3
	9	Computer accelerator	4.2
Best Computer Cleaners for Mac OS	1	CleanMyMac X	5.0
	2	Onyx	4.9
	3	DaisyDisk	4.8

Best Computer Cleaners for Windows

The first selection of the best, according to the version, programs for cleaning your computer includes solutions for operating systems of the family Windows, and it is the most voluminous. This distribution is accepted due to the fact that Windows are objectively much more common in the world than other operating systems. For direct or indirect reasons, they are more in need of periodic service of this kind.

CCleaner

Rating: 5.0

And the first issue we will consider a software package for cleaning a computer, which can be confidently considered the most famous and widespread. The name CCleaner is familiar even to many people who have never used it.

The complex includes the main program and several utilities, each with its own specification. Depending on the type of license purchased, the set may include different utilities and, thus, make up different functionality.

The main core program CCleaner is free. It offers a minimal set of service functions, and for many users these functions may not be enough to maintain order in the system. Only a certain “Controlling the use of PC resources by applications” with very dubious efficiency and “Removing tracking files and browser data” is declared – this will only help confidentiality, and the speed and correctness of the computer as a whole will be weakly or completely invisible.

The Professional license is already capable of providing almost all functions for cleaning the system from garbage, eliminating errors in the registry, removing redundant data in browsers, and more. All possibilities for automatic cleaning, manual indication of directions, creation of typical scenarios for regular maintenance are available here.

The Professional Plus license includes all of the above, plus additional utilities: Defraggler for optimizing space on hard drives (not so important for the NTFS file system, which is used by the vast majority of modern Windows systems), Recuva – recovering accidentally deleted files , Speccy – an overview of the state of the computer for all subsystems with the detection of problems and the search for driver and software updates.

In addition to the listed options, the developer also offers solutions for working with clouds, CCleaner versions for networks, for business, as well as a separate version for Mac.

Advantages

• effective system cleaning of unnecessary files;
• correct registry cleaning and error correction;
• detection and removal of hidden tracking components and ad trackers;
• wide and effective functionality in the Professional Plus license;
• ease of use and intuitive interface.

disadvantages

• The current version for September 2019 is very slow for many users.

BleachBit

Rating: 4.9

Now let's take a look at one of the most worthy free alternatives to CCleaner and other commercial computer cleaning programs. BleachBit is constantly expanding its audience due to its open source, free and at the same time very good functionality.

The main features of the program are centered around cleaning the system and browsers from file junk. The program is able to penetrate deep into the most remote corners of the service space and effectively remove the accumulated 'deposits' of unnecessary information.

In addition, BleachBit is just as careful about the traces of the user's Internet activity. This applies not only to existing service files, but even to unused areas of the disk, where only traces of past activities remain, which in theory can serve as a leak of confidential information.

The interface of BleachBit is extremely ascetic, and this is not the strongest side of the program. In combination with extreme detail and coordination (if desired) with the user of almost every step, this increases the threshold of minimum knowledge and skills for effective use of the program. But if you have such knowledge, then with BleachBit you can achieve such a result that the nearest competing programs are not capable of.

According to the observations of users, which were confirmed by the tests of the program by our experts, even after the 'reference' CCleaner, the BleachBit program still finds a very tangible amount of unnecessary and parasitic data. This does not mean that CCleaner is generally worse, but only that BleachBit does better in some areas of cleaning the computer.

Advantages

• deep cleaning of file garbage;
• effective removal of traces of the Internet;
• removing traces from unused disk space;
• detailed detailing of the actions performed;
• speed of work;

disadvantages

• poor interface and slightly high threshold of required knowledge.

Advanced SystemCare

Rating: 4.8

Let's go back to commercial products and consider another effective and popular solution for cleaning the system and increasing computer performance – Advanced SystemCare.

This is a set of utilities that effectively performs the entire range of operations to remove unnecessary and potentially harmful files and is also capable of some actions that directly affect the speed of the system.

Advanced SystemCare comes in two flavors: a FREE license and a full PRO. The free version is limited in functionality to the following operations: basic system cleaning, real-time system health monitoring, and removal of spyware spyware files.

The paid PRO license reveals full functionality for cleaning your computer. To the listed functions are added in-depth cleaning of garbage, broader protection against malware and viruses, cleaning and 'curing' the system registry, automatic cleaning of RAM from unused processes. To promote user privacy, Advanced SystemCare PRO has a function to clean up traces of Internet activity.

The company-developer directly states that the use of this product can increase the overall system speed up to 200%), that is, up to two times. In fact, the performance of Advanced SystemCare can obviously vary greatly depending on the degree of 'contamination', the original power of the computer itself, etc.

Also, the creators emphasize the advantage of Advanced SystemCare in the presence of a built-in antivirus. In fact, this can be regarded as an advantage with serious reservations, since the built-in antivirus provides only superficial protection and cannot compete with full-fledged specialized systems. But the module consumes computer resources in any case.

Advantages

• effective system cleaning of unnecessary files;
• correct cleaning and 'treatment' of the system registry;
• removing unnecessary processes from RAM;
• removal of traces of activity on the Internet;
• more or less efficient free version.

disadvantages

• almost useless antivirus.

Wise Care 365

Rating: 4.7

Under the conditional Wise brand, software products have been released for quite some time for cleaning a computer and fixing errors in the operating system. Wise Care 365 is already a comprehensive product that includes all the most important and effective developments of the WiseCleaner studio.

The functionality of the program is very wide. System cleaning can be carried out in an automated mode, including deleting personal data, browser history, etc. The program also cleans the registry from erroneous or irrelevant entries, corrects errors.

In addition to the basic functionality, in Wise Care 365, additional functions are of great interest, which are not found in every similar computer cleaning program. For example, the built-in download manager not only makes it possible to exclude certain applications from autorun, but also clearly shows how much time in seconds it takes to fully load each of them. This helps you figure out exactly which applications should be disabled first. And this monitoring applies not only to applications, but also to services, which is important.

Another useful additional function is editing the context menu. Everyone noticed that as the software was installed, the context menu was actively growing and over time it even began to lag a little. Wise Care 365 allows you to edit menus using simple built-in tools.

Finally, one of the important privacy tools is file and disk wiping. When handing over a computer or a separate hard drive to someone, it is quite reasonable to delete any information that is not desirable for prying eyes. But simple deletion, even with emptying the trash can, is just an appearance. Data deleted in this way is easy to recover. To make such recovery impossible, it is necessary to delete files with erasure when physically overwriting sections of the hard disk with random data. Wide Care 365 handles this task easily.

Wide Care 365 is offered in two editions – free (Free) and paid (Pro). Free is quite functional, but with a Pro-license the capabilities will be incomparably higher. In the end, developers give a full 60 days for money back, so during this time anyone can make sure if they need a Pro version, or the free version will be enough.

Advantages

• ease of use;
• wide functionality;
• speed of work;
• there is a workable free version;
• 60 days for money back in the paid version.

disadvantages

• no objective systematic comments from users were recorded.

Comodo System Utilities

Rating: 4.6

Another interesting software solution for cleaning a computer is the Comodo System Utilities complex of service utilities. Over the years, under the Comodo brand, there have been programs for various purposes, and now they are combined into one complex product.

The range of tasks of Comodo System Utilities includes exactly everything that all of the above applications can do to one degree or another: deleting unnecessary files, cleaning the registry with fixing errors, deleting files with wiping space, and more.

In addition to the basic functions, the application also allows you to cleanse confidential information in system and user files without leaving a trace, configure the autostart of programs and services, optimize the system registry, transfer and delete locked files. A special section System Information displays detailed information about the software and hardware of the computer. The System Settings module contains the main system settings – operating system boot parameters, Internet connection settings, and more.

In general, Comodo System Utilities has proven itself very well, and many users still prefer this particular program. The only thing is that it is highly desirable to carry out deep cleaning operations after saving backups. In automatic mode, the program can 'overdo it' when evaluating files and delete something you need. Ideally, cleaning the computer with this program is best done in manual mode, clearly realizing what operations each utility will carry out.

Advantages

• effective cleaning;
• user-friendly interface;
• Russian localization;
• free.

disadvantages

• Cases of automatic evaluation of files 'unnecessary'.

Uninstall Tool

Rating: 4.5

Now let's consider a small program, which is designed not so much to improve the performance of the system by cleaning, as to prevent this system from clogging up. This is the world's most popular multifunctional utility Uninstall Tool.

This program is an efficient and convenient alternative to the very limited standard function Windows to uninstall programs. Here you will have access to such opportunities that are completely absent in the standard program.

Uninstall Tool allows you to easily and correctly remove previously installed software with optional grouting of all traces. Recall that it is the traces of old software that remain in system files and the registry that most often lead to collisions and errors, which in total slow down the computer.

Removing any program using the Uninstall Tool, you can clear the information in the registry or leave it – here the program will ask for permission. If a software product has a damaged native uninstaller, the Uninstall Tool will perform a forced uninstallation. The utility can also remove hidden and system programs – those that the standard program Windows won't even show in the list.

In addition to the functionality, one cannot but emphasize the convenience of using the program. In the Uninstall Tool environment, you can configure the batch removal of programs in automatic and semi-automatic modes, adjust the startup. All recently installed programs are highlighted in a different color in the list, which adds clarity. To find out more detailed data, the utility allows you to easily go directly to a file in a folder or registry entries that are directly related to the program of interest.

Advantages

• removal of 'difficult' programs;
• correct removal of programs with cleaning the registry;
• stability and speed of work;
• intuitive and user-friendly interface.

disadvantages

• no obvious disadvantages were noted.

Revo Uninstaller

Rating: 4.4

Experts suggest paying attention to another decent program for the correct removal of applications. Many users prefer Revo Uninstaller than the above-described Uninstall Tool, at least for the performance of the free version.

Actually, the free version contains the most necessary for the correct and safe removal of programs: in fact, the very tools for removal; scanning the remnants of deleted programs in the system; the ability to remove standard applications Windows; eight additional computer cleaning tools.

In the paid version, the set of tools is already much richer. Here we see the possibility of removing browser extensions, forced uninstallation of programs with a damaged uninstaller, quick and / or batch uninstallation, advanced scanning to detect program remnants, real-time system monitoring, multi-level system backup.

The developer also offers a portable version of Revo Uninstaller, which can be used on any computer, running directly from a flash drive.

Even for users of the free version, the developer guarantees full professional technical support.

Advantages

• effective removal of programs;
• accurate detection of residues;
• real-time monitoring;
• simple and intuitive interface.

disadvantages

• The free version does not detect installed programs from the store Windows.

Auslogics BoostSpeed

Rating: 4.3

Another effective PC cleaning solution that our expert team recommends is BoostSpeed ​​from the renowned studio Auslogics. Here, in one software package, all available tools for optimizing the operation of the operating system are collected.

The Disk Cleaner module is aimed at cleaning the system from useless or even harmful files. Disk Defrag optimizes the location of system files and defragments hard drive space as needed. Separate modules – Registry Cleaner, Registry Defrag optimize, clean and 'treat' the system registry. The Disk Doctor function will help to cope with logical disk errors, it also detects and marks defective sectors.

Considerable attention is paid by the developers to the safe deletion of files with overwriting space to prevent unauthorized recovery. Disk Wiper does this for free space on the hard disk, and the File Shredder function wipes files from external media as well. The opposite function – recovering files that have not been physically overwritten – is provided by the File Recovery function.

Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​visually shows the application and services that start automatically when the operating system boots and makes it easy to disable unnecessary ones. The program also detects duplicate files, removes confidential data from the history and cache of browsers, and optimizes Internet connection settings.

With a separate module – Tweak Manager – you can easily manage hundreds of settings Windows, further increasing system performance. The current status can be assessed through continuous monitoring with visual demonstration of results in the Disk Explorer, System Information and Task Manager sections.

Our experts emphasize the friendliness of Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​to inexperienced users. The Advisor module provides recommendations for optimizing the system, and useful tooltips are displayed for almost every action.

Advantages

• wide functionality;
• effective cleaning of system files and registry;
• monitoring with detailed information;
• ease of use, intuitive interface;
• high-quality Russian localization;
• informative tips for inexperienced users.

disadvantages

• quite expensive paid version with full functionality.

Computer accelerator

Rating: 4.2

Completing the selection of the best programs for cleaning a computer according to the version is a 100% domestic product with the promising name “Computer Accelerator”. The developer is the Russian studio AMS Software.

This program implements all the most necessary functions for cleaning the system and improving computer performance: removing unnecessary files, cleaning and optimizing the registry, optimizing disk space, fixing errors, and more.

Actually, here are all those basic functions that the above programs perform with the same success. “Computer Accelerator” does not bring anything fundamentally new and revolutionary. However, this application has its own solid audience, which appreciates it for its consistency, intuitive clarity of all processes, ease of use and sufficient efficiency.

The useful function 'Search for large files' speaks for itself – with its help, you can quickly find the files that take up the most space on your hard disk, and after finding them, evaluate their usefulness.

Our experts recommend 'Computer Accelerator' primarily for older systems that are in dire need of the greatest possible optimization. Even the program itself is optimized to such an extent that it takes only about 70 megabytes of disk space and does not create a significant load on the system itself.

Advantages

• simplicity and clarity;
• effective cleaning;
• simple automation of scheduled tasks;
• minimum dimensions and own load on the system;
• regular updates and additions.

disadvantages

• completely paid in standard build and professional.

Best Computer Cleaners for Mac OS

In the second part of the review of the best computer cleaning programs by version, we will look at several software solutions for servicing operating systems Mac OS. Some of the above software packages have versions for Mac OS – for example, the same CCleaner. But here we will consider only those programs that were originally developed for this OS.

CleanMyMac X

Rating: 5.0

First, we will consider one of the most complete, multifunctional and effective software systems for cleaning computers Apple with an operating system Mac OS.

The CleanMyMac X conditional workspace includes five main areas: Cleanup, Protection, Acceleration, Programs, Files. The main 'cleaning' function falls on the first module: cleaning service junk, photo junk (for example, removing duplicates), iTunes library, trash, mail. Secure erase and search for large files in a separate 'Files' module.

Protection includes tools to remove programs and files that potentially violate privacy, as well as tools to fix vulnerabilities.

The 'Programs' module provides a set of tools for the correct uninstallation of software, tracking updates, working with extensions.

The Acceleration section offers fine-tuned system tweaks and service tools to further improve system performance through optimization.

All of the above operations CleanMyMac X can perform fully automatically – just press a single button. The program interface is made in the popular colorful style of macOS Mojave. The interface and the program itself as a whole are very user-friendly – a lot of tips and explanations are offered when performing each stage of the computer cleaning procedures.

Advantages

• wide functionality;
• efficient cleaning and increased productivity;
• speed of work;
• extremely clear, accessible and user-friendly interface.

disadvantages

• not marked.

Onyx

Rating: 4.9

Now let's consider a worthy alternative to the previous program – the Onyx utility for cleaning macOS systems. In terms of functionality, these two solutions are quite similar, but the essential difference is that Onyx is free.

Onyx functionality is sorted into sections. The most important and capacious section is 'Service'. It contains all the tools for cleaning unnecessary files, system and application cache, logs, recycle bin. Also from here you can easily analyze the structure of system files, run scripts.

A wide range for fine-tuning the system parameters is provided by the 'Parameters' section. Here you can adjust the work of the Finder, Dock and other functional modules of the system, which are not available by default.

If you compare this product with the above, you will immediately notice a significant difference in the interfaces. In Onyx, it is much less descriptive, and in general, for effective use of the program, a certain basic set of knowledge is required, which not every ordinary user has.

Advantages

• wide functionality;
• cleaning efficiency;
• flexible tuning of the system;
• free.

disadvantages

• high threshold for understanding by an ordinary user.

DaisyDisk

Rating: 4.8

At the end of the review of the best programs for cleaning a computer according to the version, let's consider a highly specialized solution for working with disk space – the DaisyDisk visualizer and optimizer. The program is recommended for those users who do not experience any special problems with system optimization, but are forced to save disk space.

In terms of visualization, the program represents the disk space in the form of a pie chart, moreover, multi-level. Each sector highlighted in a separate color in the diagram represents a file or folder. The sizes of the 'rays' sectors and the actual sizes of the file folders are directly proportional. Clicking on the 'ray' takes the user to another level with more detailed details.

In addition to the diagram, navigation through the disk space is carried out by a legend – in the right area of ​​the application window. Only large files and folders are displayed in the diagram and legend, and smaller ones are collected in the subsection 'Small objects'. Each object can be viewed or deleted. Deleted objects are placed in the internal bin.

Please note that the latest version of DaisyDisk available on the developer's site is different from the one distributed through the AppStore, although the price is the same. A limited version is posted on the AppStore that does not support work with administrator rights, that is, it is not able to work with system folders and partitions. Therefore it is recommended to buy directly from the developer.

Our experts advise using DaisyDisk in addition to basic cleaning with CleanMyMac X for maximum results.

Advantages

• better visualization of disk space;
• simple file handling;
• effective optimization;
• ease of use.

disadvantages

• not marked.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.