CleanMyMac vs Microsoft PowerToys

CleanMyMac, made by MacPaw, is a Mac maintenance utility that scans for junk files, unused apps, and duplicates to free up storage and improve system performance. It also includes anti-malware scanning, background app management, and hard drive visualization to help users see exactly what's taking up space. Beyond cleanup, CleanMyMac handles complete app uninstalls (removing leftover files most uninstalls miss), cloud storage cleanup, and duplicate file detection. It's Apple-notarized software with over 29 million downloads and 18 years of Mac-focused development since 2008.

Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of free, open-source utilities that extend Windows with productivity tools such as window layout management, a quick launcher, bulk file renaming, keyboard remapping, and a system-wide color picker. It is built and maintained by Microsoft with an active open-source community on GitHub.

• Apple-notarized with a long track record since 2008
• Combines cleanup, malware scanning, and uninstalling in one app
• Simple interface suited to non-technical users
• 30-day money-back guarantee

• Completely free and open source
• Actively maintained with frequent Microsoft-backed releases
• Wide range of independent utilities you can enable individually
• Backed by an active GitHub community for bug reports and features

• Mac-only, no Windows or Linux support
• Ongoing subscription required for full functionality
• Some features overlap with macOS's own built-in storage tools

• Windows-only, no Mac or Linux version
• Some utilities are still experimental and can be less polished
• Requires manually enabling and configuring each utility you want