A CleanMyMac alternative you pay for once
Updated October 4, 2026
CleanMyMac by MacPaw is a broad Mac utility suite, and removing apps is one part of it. If removing apps completely is the part you actually use, UninstallGuard does that one job, carefully, for a single $9.99 payment.
What CleanMyMac is
CleanMyMac bundles several tools in one app: Smart Care, junk cleanup, malware protection, performance tools, an app uninstaller, duplicate and clutter finding, and cloud storage cleanup. Its uninstaller removes apps together with the files they keep outside the Applications folder, and lets you look at those files first. It is a well-known, actively developed app.
On the Mac App Store, as listed on October 3, 2026, CleanMyMac costs $39.99 a year, $9.99 a month, or $119.99 as a one-time purchase, which includes updates for the current major version. MacPaw also sells it directly and through Setapp, and its subscriptions renew automatically.
What UninstallGuard is
UninstallGuard is only an uninstaller, built around one idea: you should see why a file is about to be removed before it goes. For every app it finds the data, caches, settings, containers, launch items, helpers and system extensions it left behind, and shows each one with its path, size, a plain confidence label and the exact reason it matched.
- Nothing starts selected. You choose what leaves.
- Everything you approve moves to the Trash. Its removal has no permanent-delete path.
- History records where every removed file came from.
- Possible Orphans finds leftovers from apps you deleted long ago.
- Apps installed with Homebrew are recognized, and Homebrew’s records can be updated as a separate step you confirm.
Side by side
| CleanMyMac | UninstallGuard | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A suite: cleanup, malware protection, performance, uninstaller and more | An uninstaller, plus a scan for leftovers of deleted apps |
| Price | $39.99 a year, $9.99 a month, or $119.99 once with updates for that major version (Mac App Store) | $9.99 once, up to 3 Macs, future versions included |
| Shows an app’s files before removal | Yes | Yes, with the reason and a confidence label for each file |
| Requires | macOS 11 or later | macOS 14 or later |
Which one fits you
Choose CleanMyMac if you want its whole toolkit in one app, including malware scanning and cleanup.
Choose UninstallGuard if what you need is to remove apps completely without guessing what is safe, and you would rather pay once for that one job.
Switching over
Cancel the CleanMyMac subscription where you bought it: in your Apple account if it came from the Mac App Store, or in your MacPaw account if you bought it from MacPaw. Removing the app does not cancel a subscription. Then use UninstallGuard to remove CleanMyMac and review the files it leaves, the same way you would for any other app. Step by step for each store: how to cancel a CleanMyMac subscription.
Questions people ask
Does UninstallGuard replace everything CleanMyMac does?
No. It replaces the uninstalling part only. It has no malware scanning, no junk cleanup and no performance tools. If you use those, CleanMyMac is still the app for you.
Does UninstallGuard have a subscription?
No. It costs $9.99 once, covers up to 3 of your Macs, and every future UninstallGuard version is included. There is nothing to renew or cancel.
Can UninstallGuard remove CleanMyMac itself?
Yes. It removes CleanMyMac like any other app: it finds the files it left, explains each one, and moves the ones you choose to the Trash. Cancel any CleanMyMac subscription first, because deleting the app does not stop it.