For a long time CCleaner has been the almost popular system-cleaning tool for Windows, extending its attain to other platforms like macOS and Android phones. Notwithstanding since security behemothic Avast acquired it last year, it'due south been a stormy ride that's had many doubting how effective or trustworthy the tool really is.

While CCleaner has certainly grown up since its "crap cleaner" days, it's certainly gotten more than bloated over the years as well. Going from 6MB in February 2022 to around 15MB around its v5.41.ten release in March this twelvemonth.

Yous may recall concluding summer (ii months after being acquired by Avast), information technology was disclosed that the tool had been infected with Floxif malware. Withal, to exist off-white, this has happened to many other developers, big and pocket-size. On the other hand, users had long been lament about bundled software and popup ads appearing in the utility. Most recently, but last month, the company was forced to pull the latest update post-obit an outcry over privacy issues and obscure tactics to keep the utility running in the background.

Only does that brand CCleaner a bad application that should be frowned upon?

Developer Piriform retracted CCleaner's concluding update due to the controversy, and so if y'all are running v5.44 of the software, now listed equally the most recent version on the developer'southward site and TechSpot's download section, the above should be a non-upshot. The developer is also promising more transparency in the side by side release of CCleaner, and then you have ameliorate command over information and what the utility is gathering.

With that said, if you take been looking for a new junk file cleaner / all-in-one Windows optimizer, we've tested the best alternatives we could find...

CCleaner Alternatives We Tested

Before we become to the alternatives, it'south worth noting that there's always the mindset that any junk file scanner is redundant with Windows' congenital-in Disk Cleanup tool along with the ability to manually delete unwanted data, just in our experience CCleaner-manner programs make information technology easier to perform a organisation-wide file cleanup and they can be useful for freeing upwards storage on low capacity SSDs, for example, where a few extra gigs can brand or break the performance of your Windows installation.

Also, although CCleaner-esque utilities commonly have extra tools besides a file cleaner, such as the ability to manage your startup applications or uninstall software from Windows, these features are already well covered past the operating arrangement and will be given minimal regard throughout our picks.

Still, nosotros've also included all-in-one fashion utilities for those who adopt the extra features, which aren't always available through Windows, such as a indistinguishable file finder or the ability to tweak context card items. While none of the utilities we tested have the exact aforementioned options as CCleaner, many are close by overall feature count and they have their ain perks.

Our recommendations below are listed from the most to to the lowest degree preferred every bit a direct replacement to CCleaner'south junk file scanner with minimal regard to additional features, though we volition mention some of those forth the way.

We mostly took attributes into consideration such as ease of use, interface smoothen and merely how well the cleaners worked compared to CCleaner. All of the software was tested on a Windows 10 virtual machine that was reset to its default land.

Wise Disk Cleaner

Found 895MB + 625MB (i.52GB) - Separate numbers because there are two cleaners: "Common" (deletes temp files and browser history etc.) and "Advanced" (scans your drive for specific file types). Combined, they found the most files out of the scanners tested. Although Wise Disk Cleaner has a built-in disk defragmenter, scanning for junk files is the core characteristic.

If you'd adopt more of an all-in-one manner utility, Wise Care 365 has additional features while the same company has other private tools such as a driver manager.

Clean Master

Institute one.4GB - Interface is easy to navigate. Options are presented conspicuously and junk files are organized in a manner that is familiar to the native Windows file explorer. The free version includes a privacy scanner also as a PC booster category with optimization options similar to Advanced SystemCare (an all-in-1 tool that we discuss after), while the $thirty Pro version of Clean Master includes file recovery and driver manager tools.

System Ninja

Constitute 844MB - More minimalist than Wise Disk Cleaner and Clean Master but not equally arid as Bleachbit and KCleaner (coming up side by side). Although Arrangement Ninja includes a few extras such as a duplicate file finder and system specification details, it's by and large only a barebones junk file scanner but has a better interface and constitute more files than Bleachbit and KCleaner

Bleachbit

Establish 229MB - The most barebones CCleaner-esque data scanner we tested. Didn't find equally much junk equally most of the other tools but it'south highly regarded among those who capeesh its no-frills design and open source license.

KCleaner

Plant 229MB - Has more of an interface than Bleachbit simply is extremely dated. You must click expert mode to clarify and not clean. Shred files and disk health buttons launch to other utilities that must be downloaded and installed separately.

All-in-i tools with file cleaners

Advanced SystemCare (ASC)

Found 379MB - IObit bundles software and subscription prompts during the installation process and the software tin can be annoying with popups, but it has the most modern interface and diverse feature gear up out of the utilities nosotros tested. The default scan removed 380MB worth of junk files on our system, which was about equal to CCleaner, though during a concluding scan toward the end CCleaner found 881MB (the departure seems to be that CCleaner selected C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports for deletion and ASC didn't, which is the case for most of the utilities we tested).

Other highlights include a CPU/RAM usage monitor that runs dissever on your desktop, a built-in tool that "prevents malware from modifying DNS settings" and quick options to switch DNS providers (Google, Verizon, OpenDNS, Comodo, DNS Advantage). Although some features such as the commuter scanner crave yous to install a divide utility (Commuter Booster in this example), that tool is automatically downloaded, installed and launches from the same ASC window which serves every bit a hub for a host of IObit's tools.

Glary Utilities

Plant 277MB - The Disk Cleaner in Glary has a similar interface to CCleaner in the way that information is presented and the fashion you interact with the software but its window has a stock-still size and doesn't snap to the edges similar a normal window. Glary'southward extras include an estimated Windows kick fourth dimension on the main software window while the overall feature set present in Glary Utilites is also about equal with CCleaner (no context carte editor, but has duplicate file finder and some bonuses such equally a malware scanner).

Other software tested but excluded: Puran (useful but dated), Ashampoo WinOptimizer (not very constructive), JetClean (hasn't been updated for years), System Cleaner (also outdated), Privazer (less options for system files, more for web files), Uncleaner (super barebones), Organisation Mechanic (autoscans on startup, email for activation).

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