Apple computers are amazing machines, aren’t they? From the moment you turn a on a Mac to when you shut it down, it really does just work. As a proud owner of a Mac, you never have to worry about defragging, cache cleaning or general upkeep like our Windows PC-rocking friends do, right? Well, actually that's where you're wrong.
While computers running OS X don’t require the same coddling as Windows-based systems, tidying up your Mac’s hard disk or solid state drive can provide you with a number of great benefits, like faster Finder indexing, reclaimed storage space, and on computers running critically low on free drive space, a noticeable performance bump. What computer user in their right mind wouldn’t be excited about those sorts of perks?
To get you started on your own drive cleaning regiment, we’ve put together a list of our five favorite drive cleaning applications that are guaranteed to whip your Mac’s drives into shape in no time flat.
The first thing about Titanium Software’s Onyx? It’s free. The second? It’s awesome. Not only will OnyX allow you to delete unnecessary tidbits from your Mac like boot cache files, unwanted kernels, extensions and other space hogging fare, it performs other important disk maintenance tasks with push-button simplicity. Whether you’re interested in reclaiming space or verifying that the space you’ve got is in peak operating condition, OnyX is a must have tool for every Mac owner.
The next time you choose to free up hard drive space by getting rid of unwanted applications, don’t just drag them to the Trash, try zapping them instead! For the very reasonable price of $12.95, AppZapper will not only incinerate any App on your Mac that you’ve marked for execution, it’ll also hunt down and fry any files associated with the application. Fewer orphaned junk files in your Mac’s internal storage means more space for awesomeness, like that new Dropkick Murphys record that dropped earlier this month, or pictures from the last snowboarding trip of the season. That’s math that anyone can get behind.
If AppZapper is the shotgun solution to clearing application-related crud off of your drive, then Trimmit is definitely a sniper rifle. This free and intriguing application from software developers Vacuous Virtuoso reclaims hard drive space by taking aim at unnecessary files from an application’s installation while leaving still leaving it able to function. For paranoid users of the application, Trimmit even has a feature that will preserve a backup copy of an application -- just in case all that file trimming has any unexpected side effects.
Available through a number of outlets including the Mac App Store, MacKeeper is a powerful disk maintenance suite that’ll not only assist you in reclaiming scads of lost drive space, but can also alert you to other issues surrounding your computer. Taking some of the best features of applications like Trimmit and OnyX, MacKeeper comes equipped to clean your drive of junk files, locate duplicate content, report back to you on your disk usage and locate hard to find data using a robust set of filters.
MacKeeper trains its ray gun on the same targets as AppZapper, with its own application uninstaller designed to whisk away unwanted apps and any associated files. If all of this wasn’t enough, MacKeeper also includes an impressive array of security features to protect users against viruses, identity theft, phishing, spyware and malware. Be warned, however, when if you’re after Rolls Royce features like these, don’t expect to pay Ford prices. A basic MacKeeper license will set you back $38.95, but man is it ever worth it.
Free to try and $29.95 to buy (or $14.95 for a six month license), MacPaw’s CleanMyMac is another heavy hitting Mac drive cleaning utility of the same ilk as MacKeeper. With its user-friendly interface and strong feature set CleanMyMac is a great choice for computer users that want to thoroughly scour their drive clean with push-button simplicity. Just click Scan, sit back and let the application work its magic. When we used the application on our 2010 11-inch MacBook Air, we were able to recover 1.18 GB of disk space. Considering that the Air only has a 64 GB SSD, that’s not small potatoes by any means. That sort of cleaning power has got to be worth your consideration.
Follow this article's author, Seamus Bellamy on Twitter.
stuartbell
May 21, 2013 at 9:00pm
I understand what Miller says. Online reputation can be destroyed very easily by competitor without any reason.
Being a user, I want to say that why should I go the whole pack of Mackeeper when I need only one or two. Why don't you avail one-to-one application like CleanMyMac and Stellar Speed Up Mac.
David Miller
February 14, 2012 at 7:08am
Hello Wirehedd,
Answering those statements in your post here:
In May/June of 2011 we were the victim of a massive "Negative P.R. Campaign" by an unethical competitor who used paid blog posts, advertisements and an army of comment and forum spammers to make false claims and scare potential customers. The bad thing about the internet is that anyone can have their reputation destroyed at anytime and for any reason. Many industry professionals use MacKeeper and have given it their approval.
MacKeeper is not a Virus or Malware. MacKeeper is a bundled utility that helps you manage your data. MacKeeper has an advanced anti-theft protection system, internet security and a diverse range of data management utilities and nothing more. MacKeeper is a "no nonsense" application that can not do anything beyond what you the user choose to use it for. MacKeeper is an award winning bundle of 16 essential applications that is trusted and used by Mac users around the world.Furthermore we were the official attendees and sponsors of MacWorld/iWorld Expo 2012. Apple community does not allow malware and viruses to be present at the expo right?
And more news, at MacWorld/iWorld expo ZeoBit LLC has presented a new generation of MacKeeper 2012. We Do value your comments and criticizm for you are the ones who help us to develop the software. Our techs have made a lot of improvements in the new MacKeeper 2012 you can go ahead and see for yourself just visit our website.
Also our team would like to thank all of the MacKeeper users who helped us to reach a new level of system protection, optimization and maintence by giving us valuable comments and helping us to develop a brand new generation of MacKeeper 2012.Best Regards from ZeoBit LLC team.
soap
December 26, 2011 at 10:58pm
Good article, and very informative. I am using the freeware MacCleaning to clean my mac. and I will try these applications you mentioned.
skyrim
December 19, 2011 at 11:27pm
This article is very useful. I have used my Mac for years and did not notice my hard disk is consuming by the useless files. I followed it and cleaned my Mac by MacKeeper. Thanks. And I tried to use MacCleaning to do this as well.It is free and effective.
tonyplake
June 30, 2011 at 6:16pm
I have a 13" and 17" MBP and highly recommend CleanMyMac. I've saved 27 GB on the 13 since I got it in the summer of 2009. Easy to use and reliable. I figured paying for a cleaner would be the best option.
Wirehedd
June 22, 2011 at 10:02am
MacKeeper is basically malware disguised as an app. It's a piece of garbage that does enormous amounts of damage to systems and behaves in ways that seriously bring it's authenticity into question (admin password for uninstall not from the machine but JUST the app?). I wouldn't touch it for any reason and a recommendation for it here seriously diminishes the credibility of the writer.
Apologies for having to point that out but MacKeeper is dangerous and damaging.
Little else.
jiturra
March 31, 2011 at 1:30pm
If i had to pick between MacKeeper and CleanMyMac; what would be the deciding feature besides the $10 difference?
ifallen
March 21, 2011 at 10:35am
use appcleaner instead of app zapper. It works fine and it's free.
