Keeping your computer clean is one of the most important tasks there is, however it is not always a walk in the park, especially if you keep a lot of files.
Fortunately, there are many applications out there that can help you solve this problem and one of the best is CCleaner.
CCleaner is a web app that removes all the junk and unwanted files that keep taking up crucial space on your hard drive. It is available on Windows and Mac operating systems and is often referred to as a disk cleaner.
That being said, CCleaner’s value is limited because of the low number of computers that a single license can support. Moreover, you will find tools with similar features that cost less than CCleaner.
There are hundreds of CCleaner alternatives that you may want to check out. Many of these other tools even have some features that CCleaner does not offer.
While these CCleaner alternatives may not be completely free, most of them come with a free service that you can get on to test out your work.
Let’s take a look.
Best CCleaner Alternatives
1. AVG PC Tuneup
AVG PC Tuneup is one of the most popular antivirus and PC security tools in the market at the moment. It is specifically designed to handle junk files and free up space on your disk and it is free to download.
This tool is also known to be a great registry cleaner and it comes with features that allow you to improve the overall performance of your computer such as the browser cleaner. This allows you to scan and remove redundant files from your browser thereby increasing its speed without making any serious changes.
AVG is packed with many features that are far too many for me to list here. One of its standout features is its sleep mode that allows you to identify applications that have a lot of processes running in the background and helps you put them to sleep until you need to use them. This action often reduces the resource strain on your computer and boosts its speed.
This tool also has a new feature that not only uninstalls unnecessary programs from your computer but also uses a cloud-based rating system to recommend apps that you should do away with. This is very useful for spotting sketchy applications and clearing up space on your hard drive.
AVG also protects your system from bloatware and automatically deletes them if they ever show up on your computer.
It also has a software updater that lets you download any available software update with the click of a button. This software updater supports many popular apps such as Skype and VLC Player.
Pricing
Like CCleaner, AVG is free to download, but you will only have free access to use its services for 30 days after which you will be required to pay a subscription fee of $49.99 or $59.99 that allows you to sign in to a single device or 10 devices. Check out the product page to see how the pricing works.
It is available on Mac and Windows operating systems and there is also in-built support for mobile apps.
Pros
- It offers unlimited licenses
- AVG Tuneup comes with a comprehensive software updater
- It improves overall system performance
Cons
- The free version only shows you the issues and does not help you fix them
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2. Advanced System Optimizer
The Advanced System Optimizer is also one of the top CCleaner alternatives there is. Its ultimate goal is similar to CCleaner’s which is to alleviate the factors that can make a computer slow over time and improve the overall performance of the computer.
Its system cleaner can be used to purge your hard drive of any redundancy. It is very common for the performance of one’s computer to decrease as they add more files to the system.
Even after you uninstall some apps, the residues would still remain because uninstallers do not often remove all the junk files from your PC, which is where advanced system optimizers come in. The app will remove all those junk files so that you will have fewer reasons to worry about your system crashing.
This tool also helps to update your drivers. Drivers are especially important because they are what make crucial components of your computer such as audio and video work. Without proper drivers, your audios and videos will have very poor quality or may not even play at all, so it is extremely important to upgrade them regularly.
However, it can be painstakingly slow if you want to upgrade them one after the other, but you can upgrade all at once with the advanced system optimizer. It will determine the ones that are outdated and automatically find the latest versions on the internet to forestall any system breakdown.
Advanced System Optimizer also has an inbuilt system protector to prevent your system from falling prey to malicious files. This feature scans your computer for signs of spyware and stops them from getting hold of your sensitive information.
This tool will also help you defragment your disk occasionally to lessen the spaces that may be occupied by residues of uninstalled applications. This process can take a while to complete, which often discourages some users, but your system will be better off for it.
Pricing
Advanced System Optimizer goes for $39.95 but occasionally costs less if you buy it directly from their website.
If you are not satisfied with the product, they have a refund policy that you can activate within 60 days after purchase.
Pros
- 60-day refund policy
- Friendly user interface
- Has rich features
Cons
- Live chat support is absent on the website
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3. Clean Master
Clean Master is a very popular app so much so that it has more than 500 million downloads and 43 million+ reviews on the Google Play store. This places it among the most popular non-gaming apps alongside Facebook and Whatsapp.
The app can clean more than 1000 programs and applications and will find and remove junk files that can be harmful to your battery life that drastically reduces your system’s performance. And that’s not all it offers. Clean Master also provides privacy protection, automatic cleaning, and more.
Clean Master works in a similar way to CCleaner. Once you grant it permission on your device, it will proceed to find files and folders that are no longer useful and recommend that you remove them. This way, the choice to decide what goes and what stays is in your hands.
The tool also detracts and clears junk files that may reside on your device even after you have deleted the host application.
Clean Master also helps to close applications that are unknowingly running in the background. This is very common with many users, especially smartphone users who open so many apps and forget to close them. Clean Master will not close these apps without your approval, so as not to close necessary apps.
It has a battery saver feature that hibernates apps that are capable of draining your battery in the background, thereby saving your battery life.
This tool has a clean and intuitive interface, however, it has too many pop-ups that ruin what would be a perfect experience.
That being said, the app’s straightforward design makes it easy to understand and use, even for first-time users.
Pricing
Clean Master has a free version, but you can pretty much only optimize your PC and clean junk files on this plan. If you want more features, you will have to buy its premium version starting at $15.90 for three months.
Pros
- Clean Master is available on PC and mobile devices
- It has a 30-day refund policy
- It is affordable
- Scans faster than most of its competitors
Cons
- It takes up space on your device
- You may delete important files if you don’t properly inspect suggestions
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4. Wise Disk
Wise Disk is a CCleaner alternative that combines two cleaners to make a computer operating system as fast and clean as it should be.
It has a basic cleaner known for getting rid of temporary files that hang in your browser, while its more advanced cleaner searches for specific files that are capable of harming your overall computer.
Wise disk allows you to specify the type of file that you want to delete from your system so that you do not delete necessary files. However, you still need to ensure that the tool can check all types of files in your system to be able to identify the ones that can cause your computer to work slower.
Wise Disk has more similar features to CCleaner than differences. Just like CCleaner, you can defrag your hard drive and remove cache and cookies from your browser. The tool also helps to schedule a disk cleaning if you want to remove redundant files on specific days.
While both Wise Disk and CCleaner can remove any type of file you want, Wise Disk does not have a software recovery option like CCleaner, so you must look properly before you delete any file.
Pricing
Just like CCleaner, the Wise Disk app has a free version that is available to all PC users and it doesn’t take up a lot of space on your computer.
You can subscribe to the annual plan for $29.96 or buy the software for a one-time fee from the website.
Pros
- Free download
- Easy to use
- Compatible with all commonly used web browsers
Cons
- Can only be used on one computer
5. Ace Utilities
Ace Utilities is a CCleaner alternative that helps you remove junk from your computer and optimize your operating system.
It is an ideal solution to slowness in computers as a result of junk files and unnecessary registry entries that build up over time.
Ace Utilities is straightforward and easy to use, even for beginners. In fact, you can argue that it is a little too plain, especially when compared to CCleaner that also has an easy-to-use interface.
However, this does not negate its capabilities. It has four categories of tools on the homepage that you can use for any quick operation. They include: cleanup, optimize, shred, and miscellaneous.
At the bottom of the page, you will also find a wizard that allows you to run more than one operation at once with a single click, but it is best practice to configure the tools before you use that wizard so as to know what results to expect.
You can use Ace Utilities to scan your disk for junk files. It will provide a list of file types so that you can select the type of files you want the app to look out for.
Ace Utilities has a good range of features. It lets you select folders that should not be cleaned and the ones that should be deleted permanently. You can also use this tool to search for duplicate files and clean up your registry.
To be sure of the files you want to remove, Ace Utilities lets you first move the items that you want to clean to a backup folder so that you can review them once more before you finally delete them.
You can also erase history, cache, and cookies on your browsers, but unlike similar tools, Ace Utilities has a smart cookie feature that allows you to retain important cookies, especially those associated with popular services like Google, LinkedIn, and Microsoft.
The tool also fixes broken uninstallers and you can also use it to delete files that have been previously deleted, but still have residues lurking.
Pricing
You can download Ace Utilities for free or buy the full version for $29.95 from the official website.
Pros
- It has a 30-day free trial period
- It is affordable
- Easy to use
Cons
- Does not have many advanced features
6. System Ninja
System Ninja is a CCleaner alternative that helps you optimize your system in a fast and easy way. This tool is known to help you recover a reasonable amount of space while providing maximum privacy and security.
It has an uninstaller that quickly searches your system for apps that need to be removed. With this feature, you no are no longer required to use a start-up manager to cut boot-up time as System Ninja will remove the unwanted applications without restricting you from carrying out other actions.
One feature you will find on System Ninja that is unfortunately absent in CCleaner is the analysis section that stores important information about your hardware. The tool will tell you the model of your motherboard and check what your RAM can support, as well as the model of graphics card that you have.
As if the tool does not have enough built-in features on its own, System Ninja allows you to add a good number of features via plugins. Although the process of adding plugins to the app can be a bit tedious and maybe discouraging to new users, it is still a great tool to have.
When you land on the app for the first time, you almost always know where to go as the interface suggests a particular workflow. You don’t have to follow the exact workflow to use the tool, but it will be a lot easier if you do.
Pricing
System Ninja is available to download on Singular lab’s website, and you can find out more information about the subscription there.
Pros
- Clean interface
- Plugins integration
Cons
- The plugin process is tedious
7. Advanced SystemCare
Advanced SystemCare is a free CCleaner alternative. It can be used to scan your computer and suggest areas that require attention.
It can also be used to perform security checks such as searching for spyware and potential loopholes that can leave your PC vulnerable to attacks.
Advanced SystemCare also has a couple of tools that are designed to boost your computer’s speed. It does this by stopping background processes and clearing junk to release some space on the hard disk.
This is a great tool to protect your browsing sessions from common online threats such as phishing and ransomware attacks, although the security features are not available on the freeware.
It has a modern interface that supports custom backgrounds and transparent windows.
The installation process is easy except for the fact that you may be bogged down by different pop-ups asking you to install unrelated applications. Signing up for the free version means that you will also sign up for Advanced SystemCare’s newsletter.
Advanced SystemCare also has a toolbox section that houses up to 30 other random functions, some of which are locked behind the premium subscription.
Pricing
The pro version of Advanced SystemCare is available for $19.99 per year and can be used on up to 3 PCs. You can find out more about this on the product page.
Pros
- It has a free version
- Affordable
- Advanced SystemCare is a useful all-in-one tool
Cons
- Too many ads
- Most features are hidden behind the pro version
8. Avast
Even if you don’t know any of the other tools on this list, you must have at least heard about Avast antivirus as it is one of the oldest products in the market to date.
The best part of the software is that it is available for free. Of course, it also has a pro version that isn’t free, but unlike CCleaner, the free version is capable of fulfilling the needs of most computer users.
Avast also offers other services such as VPN, anti-tracking, and cloud provisions, but at the moment, it is most known for its Avast Cleanup premium.
Using Avast on your system will drastically improve performance since it will declutter and organize your files and registry to give you the speed that you need.
Avast has a lot of amazing features. One is its disk cleaner that will ensure that your PC is rid of all the trash on it and the residue of uninstalled apps. It detects traces even more than the CCleaner app and gets rid of them quickly to free up space on your drive.
Avast also cleans up your system registry without deleting vital files and data that are stored there as it only targets the junk files.
With Avast, you can also clean up outdated files that are stored on your browser, and the software allows you to schedule automatic checkups and cleanups to make sure that you don’t miss out on cleaning your system.
Pricing
Avast premium plan is available for $59.99 for 1 system and $69.99 for up to 5 devices. You can find out more about its ultimate bundle on the product website.
Pros
- It has an array of features
- Does not consume too much system space
- Its free version has sufficient features
Cons
- During scanning, the system might become slow
- It has minimum system requirements
9. Glary Utilities
Glary Utilities is another CCleaner alternative that aims to be a one-stop-shop for your PC performance needs.
It can be used to improve your computer’s speed and performance by diagnosing and fixing registry errors, eliminating spyware, and maintaining the integrity of your system’s privacy with a single click of a button.
This application has more than 30 different tools that are dedicated to ensuring that your computer is adequately maintained and optimized.
You merely need to click a button to fix common issues such as registry cleaning, removing spyware, disk repair, and more. Before Glary Utilities will proceed to fix the issues, it will first show you the items and how it intends to fix them.
Pricing
You can download Glary Utilities for free, but only for noncommercial use. The premium plan is available on the product website for $19.97 per year for up to 3 computers.
Pros
- It has a free service
- 90-day refund policy
- It has more than 30 useful tools
Pros
- Automatic maintenance is not available on the free plan
10. Ashampoo WinOptimizer
Ashampoo WinOptimizer is a CCleaner alternative that comes in two versions. It has a free version like CCleaner and a premium one called WinOptimizer 18.
It has 3 features dedicated to clean up a system to speed. The registry optimizer helps to find and fix broken registry entries, the internet cleaner searches through web browsers to clear files that are no longer required, and the driver cleaner removes temporary files that are no longer needed to free up space on your disk.
Pricing
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 18 is available on the website for $29.99 and can support up to 10 devices.
Pros
- It is a one-click solution
- The free version is available
Cons
- The best features are not available on the free version
Final Words
Which is the best CCleaner alternative? The answer could be different for different users depending on the features they need.
For me, the best CCleaner alternative is the Advanced System Optimizer because it has the most useful features for improving the performance of Windows 10.
