Best Mac Storage Cleaners in 2026
The best Mac storage cleaner depends on your problem. If your iCloud is full and you want to stop paying Apple, use iCloud Cleaner ($4.99). If your local SSD is full and you want a full maintenance suite, CleanMyMac X ($39.95/year) is the most complete option. If you just want to see what is eating disk space, DaisyDisk ($9.99) or the free alternatives OmniDiskSweeper and GrandPerspective will do.
This is not a fluff roundup. We tested all five apps and will tell you exactly what each one does well, what it does not do, and who it is for. No affiliate links. Honest opinions.
Quick comparison: all 5 Mac storage cleaners ranked
| Rank | App | Price | Best for | Handles iCloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iCloud Cleaner | $4.99 once | iCloud storage cleanup | Yes |
| 2 | CleanMyMac X | $39.95/year | Full Mac maintenance | No |
| 3 | DaisyDisk | $9.99 once | Visual disk analysis | No |
| 4 | OmniDiskSweeper | Free | Simple file size listing | No |
| 5 | GrandPerspective | Free | Treemap visualization | No |
1. iCloud Cleaner — Best for iCloud storage
Built specifically to help Mac users audit their iCloud storage usage and downgrade to Apple's free 5 GB plan. Native SwiftUI app for macOS 14+.
- Only app that scans iCloud storage specifically
- Finds hidden iCloud junk (node_modules, .git, caches)
- Guides you through downgrading your iCloud plan
- $4.99 one-time, no subscription
- Can save you $36+/year on iCloud costs
- Fast scan — results in about 30 seconds
- Does not clean local-only disk space
- No malware scanner
- No disk visualization chart
- macOS only (no iOS version)
iCloud Cleaner exists because no other Mac storage app touches iCloud. CleanMyMac, DaisyDisk, and the free tools all scan your local drive. None of them can tell you that your iCloud is full because of three old iPhone backups and a Desktop folder syncing 47 GB of developer files.
iCloud Cleaner scans everything that affects your iCloud quota: Photos, Backups, iCloud Drive, Desktop and Documents sync, Messages, and WhatsApp data. It shows a breakdown by category sorted by size. You can then clean each category and work toward getting under 5 GB to downgrade to the free plan.
One user freed 197 GB in 5 minutes. At $4.99 one-time with potential savings of $36/year on iCloud, the ROI is hard to beat.
Best for: Anyone paying for iCloud storage who wants to stop. Developers with Desktop sync turned on. People getting "iCloud Storage Full" notifications.
2. CleanMyMac X — Best all-in-one Mac cleaner
The most popular Mac cleaner. Made by MacPaw. Handles system junk, malware, app removal, optimization, and more. Available on the Mac App Store and direct.
- Most comprehensive Mac maintenance tool
- Malware detection and removal
- Complete app uninstaller with leftover cleanup
- System junk cleaner (caches, logs, localizations)
- Performance optimization tools
- Clean, well-designed interface
- $39.95/year subscription ($199.75 over 5 years)
- Does not scan or manage iCloud storage
- Cannot help downgrade your iCloud plan
- Overkill if you just need to free space
CleanMyMac X has been around since 2008 and has millions of users for good reason. It is the Swiss Army knife of Mac maintenance. System junk removal typically finds 5-20 GB. The malware scanner catches things Apple's built-in XProtect misses. The app uninstaller is one of the cleanest on the market.
The downside is price. MacPaw switched to a subscription model, so you are paying $39.95 every year. Over five years, that is $199.75. And despite doing everything else, CleanMyMac does not touch iCloud storage. If your problem is the "iCloud Storage Full" notification, CleanMyMac will not make it go away.
For a head-to-head comparison, read our iCloud Cleaner vs CleanMyMac X breakdown.
Best for: Power users who want a complete Mac maintenance suite. People who uninstall apps frequently. Anyone who wants malware scanning built into their cleaner.
3. DaisyDisk — Best disk visualization
A visual disk space analyzer that shows your drive as an interactive sunburst chart. Scan, explore, and delete large files. Apple Design Award-worthy interface.
- Beautiful sunburst visualization
- Fast scanning (scans a 1 TB drive in seconds)
- One-time purchase, no subscription
- Intuitive click-to-explore interface
- Collector feature for batching deletions
- Apple Editor's Choice
- Local disk only — no iCloud scanning
- No cleanup automation (you pick files manually)
- No malware scanning or app uninstalling
- $9.99 for what free tools also do (differently)
DaisyDisk is the prettiest disk analyzer on the Mac. The sunburst chart makes it immediately obvious where your space went. You click a colored arc, it zooms in, you see the files inside. Drag files to the collector, hit delete. Simple and satisfying.
It has been around since 2010 and was built by a two-person team. The interface is polished to an almost unreasonable degree. If you need to find one mystery folder that ate 50 GB of your SSD, DaisyDisk will find it in seconds.
The limitation: it only sees your local drive. If your storage problem is iCloud, DaisyDisk has no way to help. See our iCloud Cleaner vs DaisyDisk comparison for details.
Best for: People who want a visual map of their local disk. Finding that one huge folder you forgot about. Anyone who appreciates great design in utility apps.
4. OmniDiskSweeper — Best free option
A free, no-frills disk space analyzer from The Omni Group. Lists all files and folders sorted by size. Simple, effective, zero cost.
- Completely free, no ads
- Made by a reputable developer (The Omni Group)
- Simple sorted-by-size file listing
- Lightweight, fast scanning
- No account or signup required
- No visualization (just a file list)
- No iCloud scanning
- Dated interface
- No smart cleanup suggestions
- No malware scanning
OmniDiskSweeper is the "just show me what is big" tool. It scans your drive and presents a two-column browser where every folder and file is sorted by size, largest first. Click into a folder, see its contents sorted by size. Find the big stuff, delete it.
It has been around for years, made by The Omni Group (the company behind OmniFocus, OmniGraffle, and other productivity apps). It is free with no catch — no ads, no upsells, no data collection. It just works.
The tradeoff is that it is basic. No fancy chart, no smart suggestions, no automated cleanup. You are looking at a file list and making decisions yourself. For power users who know what to delete, that is enough. For everyone else, it can be overwhelming.
Best for: Technical users who want a free way to find large files. People who do not want to pay for a disk analyzer. Quick checks when you just need to see what is big.
5. GrandPerspective — Best free visualization
An open-source disk space analyzer that shows your drive as a treemap. Each file is a colored rectangle sized proportionally to its file size. Available on the Mac App Store.
- Free and open source
- Treemap visualization shows file sizes proportionally
- Available on the Mac App Store
- Good for finding large files visually
- Actively maintained
- No iCloud scanning
- Interface feels dated compared to DaisyDisk
- No deletion from within the app (reveals in Finder)
- Treemap can be confusing for non-technical users
- No cleanup automation
GrandPerspective is the open-source alternative to DaisyDisk. Instead of a sunburst chart, it uses a treemap where each file is a rectangle proportional to its size. Large files are big rectangles, small files are tiny ones. You hover over a rectangle to see the file path.
It is free and available on the Mac App Store (the App Store version supports the developer via a voluntary payment). The treemap approach works well for finding large files, but the interface is less polished than DaisyDisk. You also cannot delete files directly from GrandPerspective — it reveals them in Finder for you to delete manually.
For a free tool, it is surprisingly capable. If DaisyDisk's $9.99 price tag feels too much for a disk analyzer, GrandPerspective gives you 80% of the value for zero cost.
Best for: Budget-conscious users who want a visual disk analyzer. Open-source enthusiasts. Anyone who wants to try a treemap before buying DaisyDisk.
Which Mac storage cleaner should you use?
It depends on your problem:
- "My iCloud is full and I want to stop paying Apple" → iCloud Cleaner. It is the only app that scans iCloud storage and helps you downgrade. $4.99, saves you $36/year.
- "My Mac is slow and I want a complete cleanup" → CleanMyMac X. System junk, malware, app cleanup, optimization. $39.95/year.
- "I want to see what is eating my local disk" → DaisyDisk ($9.99) for the best visualization, OmniDiskSweeper (free) for a simple list, or GrandPerspective (free) for a treemap.
- "I want to spend nothing" → OmniDiskSweeper for local disk. For iCloud, you can clean up manually following our guide (1-2 hours).
You can also check your iCloud usage natively via Apple's storage management instructions before deciding which tool you need.
Many people need two of these tools: one for iCloud and one for local disk. iCloud Cleaner + OmniDiskSweeper is $4.99 total and covers both. iCloud Cleaner + DaisyDisk is $14.98. Either combo costs less than one year of CleanMyMac.
For more on the iCloud-specific problem, read What is Actually Eating Your iCloud Storage or our guide on how to stop paying for iCloud.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Mac storage cleaner?
For local disk space, OmniDiskSweeper is the best free option. It is made by The Omni Group, requires no signup, and gives you a sorted-by-size file listing. GrandPerspective is a good free alternative if you prefer a visual treemap. For iCloud storage, there is no free app — you can clean up manually using Apple's built-in settings, or use iCloud Cleaner ($4.99) to do it in 5 minutes.
Is CleanMyMac X worth the subscription?
If you use all its features (system junk cleanup, malware scanning, app uninstalling, optimization), it can be worth $39.95/year. If you only need to free disk space occasionally, it is expensive for what you get. DaisyDisk ($9.99 once) or OmniDiskSweeper (free) do the space analysis part without the subscription.
Which app cleans iCloud storage?
iCloud Cleaner is the only Mac app that specifically scans and cleans iCloud storage. CleanMyMac X, DaisyDisk, OmniDiskSweeper, and GrandPerspective all scan local disk space only. None of them can help you reduce your iCloud usage or downgrade your iCloud plan.
Can I use the built-in macOS storage manager instead?
Yes. Go to Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage. macOS has built-in recommendations like "Store in iCloud" (which makes the problem worse), "Optimize Storage," "Empty Trash Automatically," and "Reduce Clutter." It is helpful for local disk but does not help with iCloud storage specifically.
Do I need a Mac cleaner at all?
macOS manages itself well. Many people never need a cleaner. But if your iCloud is full and you are paying Apple monthly, iCloud Cleaner pays for itself in two months. And if your local SSD is full, a disk analyzer (even a free one) saves you hours of hunting through folders manually.
Are free Mac cleaners safe?
OmniDiskSweeper and GrandPerspective are safe. They are made by reputable developers and available from official sources. Be careful with other "free Mac cleaners" found via search ads — many are scamware that creates fake threat warnings to sell you a subscription. Stick to well-known apps from identified developers.
Get iCloud Cleaner — $4.99
The only Mac storage cleaner built for iCloud. Scan your iCloud usage, find what is wasting space, and downgrade to the free plan.
Get iCloud Cleaner — $4.99