Mac users weighing the pros and cons of MacKeeper vs CleanMyMac are in search of which is better, why it’s better, and what is one software missing that the other isn’t?
For example, CleanMyMac X has unused DMG deletion, personalized cleanup tips, whereas MacKeeper does not. On the other hand, CleanMyMac actually has a ‘duplicate finder’ and Anti-tracking measures.
Mac users are left wondering how well these features work and which softwares actually provide a significant benefit to help speed up, optimize, clean your mac, and prevent viruses & malware.
…but, the question still remains, which is better: CleanMyMac or MacKeeper?
Related: 9 Best CleanMyMac Alternatives (Free and Paid)
- Best for slow computers: CleanMyMac or MacKeeper?
- How exactly is CleanMyMac better for speeding up a slow MacBook?
- Benefits of using CleanMyMac over MacKeeper
- No scheduled the malware scan
- Responses may or may not be immediate
- It may work better on particularly slow computers
- Price
- Confusing
- Trouble uninstalling
- Price
Best for slow computers: CleanMyMac or MacKeeper?
My Mac ran significantly quicker after running CleanMyMac compared to running MacKeeper in the exact same test environment. The process for tune up/clean up was also much more smooth vs MacKeeper’s slightly more complex UI.
See our post: Is CleanMyMac Safe? (The Truth)
Which is better: CleanMyMac or MacKeeper?
Having used both the apps, CleanMyMac showed a noticeable edge for my 6 month old MacBook.. feel slightly leaned (more than that actually) towards Cleanmymac.
When my Mac began to slow down… I used My Mac’s ‘time machine’ feature to conduct a fair comparison of speed increases from both softwares.
Cleanmymac performed a noticeably better speed increase compared to MacKeeper for me as it continually reminded me to ‘free up space’ on the Dashboard. On top of this, CleanMyMac provides its users a huge stress relief by seamlessly guiding you through the “clean my mac” tune up.
Related: Is CleanMyMac X Worth it? (The Truth) Full Review
How exactly is CleanMyMac better for speeding up a slow MacBook?
MacKeeper’s interface was slightly more complex compared to CleanMyMac’s user interface when it comes to ease of use.
Not to mention It also comes with an easy-to-use maintenance tab UI that conducts a pile of performs multiple micro operations for clean up.
This would likely take you hours to do yourself if you’re not a Mac expert or engineer. shake the system internally to clean the rust.
Now, MacKeeper does a great job at what it claims it will do, however the overall intuitive design as well as the Mac Tray to ‘free up ram’ that cleanMyMac provides.
This is an additional beneficial feature that makes CleanMyMac better for many Mac users compared to other alternatives(especially those how aren’t tech savvy).
Benefits of using CleanMyMac over MacKeeper
CleanMyMac has the added edge of displaying startup & launch files, allowing you to getting rid eliminate your choice of programs that don’t need to be running when you start your laptop up. s inbuilt This comes built-in with Cleanmymac.
Unneeded apps your Mac piles up will create unnecessary file libraries and logs. It helps the computer to not only run faster but also cleans helps drastically free up your computer’s memory. MacKeeper can do this as well, but it appears CleanMyMac has a much more intuitive and complete process.
I would declare Cleanmymac as the apparent winner here because Mackeeper was either unable to run such operations or were proven less effective.
Is MacKeeper the same as CleanMyMac?
MacKeeper and CleanMyMac are not the same. These two speed optimization applications aim to perform a similar array of functions.For example, they both improve the speed and performance of your MacBook on a continual basis using a set of features.
Main difference is that clean my Mac is a bit more intuitive and has a more modern user-friendly interface and navigation, while MacKeepr has a focus on privacy, duplicate file, and tracking features.
It provides less VPN and privacy focused features when compared to MacKeeper, but gives its users more service in regards to saving storage space and maintaining both speed & performance through automated maintenance tasks.
Best for storage clean up: CleanMyMac or MacKeeper?
As typical of these apps, both perform cleanups impressively. The CleanMyMac is far more than just an ordinary cleaning machine as it comes with multiple forms of storage clean up.
You can easily delete the large old files that have been into your system for an eternity without leaving a trace. Also, the personalized clean up feature of CleanMyMac lets you be on the driver’s seat to decide your preferred applications.
Also, deleting the unused DMG files can be a significant relief. Combining all the functions, CleanMyMac can clean up massive disk space in your machine.
Mackeeper doesn’t have a lot of these options, but it’s capable of deleting space killing files effectively. The Duplicates Finder is a plus point, which helps to delete files entirely without keeping any copies in the system. But still, it doesn’t match the level of CleanMyMac in terms of efficient storage clean up.
Best for viruses, malware and adware cleanup
Both CleanMyMac and Mackeeper take virus threats very seriously and offer multiple solutions to prevent these threats. CleanMyMac isn’t specifically an anti-virus, but it comes with inbuilt anti-malware protection.
The super-fast scan module lets you scan the whole system thoroughly. It took me some time to do that, but it managed to detect potential threats even in deep locations. Moreover, it’s relatively easy to perform these extensive operations in just a few clicks, no doubt OPSWAT certified it as a gold level Malware detector.
Related: CleanMyMac vs MalwareBytes: Which Anti-Malware is better?
On the other hand, Mackeeper uses industry-leading anti-virus Avira’s system. It also enables your computer with real-time adware, so it remains vigilant always.
Although there is a small red flag that I have experienced: it doesn’t seem like Mackeeper is combing through each file in the computer. Also, after multiple scans, it didn’t get any quicker, which points out that Mackeeper doesn’t use cache to tag healthy files once its already scanned.
It’s a little depressing to see such an advanced system has these silly flaws. Overall Mackeeper is decent. But you can obviously decide which one to use after a careful reading of the upcoming features.
See: Is the MacBook Air Good for Programming? (The Truth)
Best all-around cleanup software
As a cleanup software, I do not doubt that CleanMyMac does a far better job than Mackeeper. Every cleanup software is meant to clean, but this tool does much more than that. Let me break it down,
- Large & Old files are tedious to get rid of, no matter how efficient cleaner you have, it’s never smooth. But when I used CleanMyMac X, it dealt with the big old pile of malicious files like a knife in butter.
- Document versions and unused DMG files are another pain, you know where. Spotting and removing them in CleanMyMac is reasonably straightforward. It not only deals with these files that occupy a large share of your hard drive but also prevents your computer from potential malwares.
- It’s a 10/10 when it comes to user experience. Out of all the other cleaning software that I have used, it’s the least clumsy and most comforting. CleanMyMac has an exciting theme, uses space visualization to demonstrate storage condition. Only a few clicks are needed to perform many tasks, a sigh of relief!
To wrap it up, Mackeeper isn’t bad, but it simply lacks all these advanced specifications that CleanMyMac offers. It comes with the most basic cleaning features like Browser clean up and space removal.
So, I am sure that CleanMyMac is my bet in this regard.
Limited free versions: MacKeeper vs Clean My Mac
Both of these are premium mac softwares, where Mackeeper runs on subscriptions, and CleanMyMac is primarily one-time-purchase tool. But you can download a free version to test the efficiency of course.
Mackeeper’s premium version is much expensive than the industry rate. Also, the free version is nothing but a show-off, in my opinion. You can run a scan, but it’ll only point out the risks, nothing else. All its features and services are only available in the premium version.
When comparing Mac Keeper vs Clean My Mac you get most of the features handy in the free version, and it’ll delete upto 500 MBs of junk files from your system. Quite a deal, huh! The premium is slightly expensive, but it totally worths it if you want to upgrade from the free version.
- Related: Is a MacBook Air Good for Video Editing (The Truth)
- See our post: 5 Best Macbook for Kids in 2021 [Buyers Guide]
Is MacKeeper a Scam?
The answer isn’t that simple. MacKeeper’s track records from the past tell a lot about the software’s approach to marketing and aloofness toward customer privacy.
In 2015, an ethical hacker named Chris Vickery discovered a database of 13 million records packed with Mackeeper customer information including name, email address and phone numbers. Chris claimed that it took only four IP addresses to access a MongoDB database. Kromtech, the owner of Mackeeper, allegedly resolved the issue after it started getting serious attention in social media.
People also criticized their marketing strategy for being too pushy in the past. Even in current days, Mackeeper is suspected to be affiliated or involved with suspicious websites. Malwarebytes, a leading anti-malware software, once marked it as a ‘potentially unwanted program’.
All these allegations make it hard for MacBook users to take a step forward to Mackeeper. Even though many issues are resolved in recent days, the threat of unfortunate events is still very bright.
Related: Top 3 MacBooks for Music Production [Buyers guide]
The best possible solution is to steer clear of Mackeeper if you aren’t emotionally attached to it.
CleanMyMac cons
Although I keep CleanMyMac way ahead than Mackeeper or other similar products, it too isn’t free from disadvantages.
No scheduled the malware scan
CleanMyMac covers a wide array of anti-malware operations; however, it would have been even better if it included a scheduled malware scan, firewall, and detailed scan reports.
Responses may or may not be immediate
The customer service is very efficient and backs users with ultimate supports. But the problem is emails sometimes take a day or two to get a response.
So, immediate solutions aren’t easy to get by, but the is true for all the Mac tuner softwares.
It may work better on particularly slow computers
CleanMyMac seems to speed up with slightly older computers ro computer that have more jump and the difference in speed is most noticeable in these instances.
Don’t expect a significant increase in speed in your new Mac immediately, sometimes you’ll need a restart.
It makes sense because newer models aren’t in desperate need of storage cleaner of speed optimizations. In some cases 6-12 months down the road, or until unnecessary files start to accumulate in mass.
Price
It’s slightly expensive for some people, although less than Mackeeper. But I take it on a positive note given CleanMyMac’s huge fan base; I’m sure it’s a pretty good investment.
MacKeeper Cons
Several things still need attention in MacKeeper; I’ll list some of them here. These are cons in general disadvantages that we’ve tested and found worth mentioning:
Confusing
It has too many features; many which some Mac Users may not of deem useful. Some useful tools are already available in your Mac, so it suffers from redundancy on some level.
Trouble uninstalling
It would be best if you had superpowers to uninstall it from your Mac. Everyone, including me, has faced this challenge to uninstall Mackeeper from the system. If you don’t know the exact way to wipe it off entirely, it will keep coming back.
Price
Given its not-so-pleasant past and pricy subscription plans, it’s not popular among Mac users on a budget.
We found through testing it works well and is worth the price if you’re not a CleanMyMac fan.
MacKeeper vs CleanMyMac vs OnyX
It seems almost impossible to regain the speed of a newly bought Mac after a few years, even though you’re using some additional softwares specifically for the purpose. Cleanmymac 3, CleanMyMac X, OnyX and MacKeeper are tools that all truly do the job well.
They do differ in certain regards and on top we’ve rated CleanMyMac as our first top pick because it has simple ,straight forward ‘smart scans’ and a very convenient mac tray that sits at the opt of your desktop to free up RAM and check, analyze and monitor any issues in real-time.
If you’re using Onyx and not Cleanmymac, see our guide on How to Use OnyX for Mac (OnyX Review & Guide)
Onyx is the free alternative to CleanMyMac and offers somewhat of a similar solution that MacKeeper and other cleaners provide. In fact, onyx does many of the same things as clean my Mac, albeit without the distractions that comes along with other upgrades.
While onyx is free it doesn’t give you certain scanning options that clean my Mac & Mac keeper does. However if your truly on a budget and you are looking for any type of free improvements, onyx could be your solution.
MacKeeper, CleanMyMac and Onyx are all commonly reference throughout online communities forums and even reddit and has gained a lot of popularity since its release.
Much like Clean My Mac, Onyx and MacKeeper will allow for you to uninstall applications or remove files that are no longer needed on your hard drive.
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Bottom Line
Overall when comparing Mac keeper vs CleanMyMac, you find the tools are somewhat similar in price as well as utility as far as overall core functions. The small difference is that you’ll notice can be experienced through a trial version of either software.
Between Clean My Mac and MacKeeper, CleanMyMac X is the better an all in one solution because it has many of the features Mac keeper does not.These include personalize cleanup tips, unused DMG dilation, large file cleaner, such as personalize cleanup tips, unused DMG dilation, large file cleaner.
Not to mention, CleanMyMac X provides a user interface that can’t be be amongst most of the Max cleaners.
However, Mac keeper has the added advantages of certain app functions, such as duplicate finder, remote Mac tracking, VPN, and other privacy related tasks.
If you’re focused on VPN use, limiting your tracking from outside sources, and keeping your MacBook private may want to use MacKeeper as well as an additional advance Internet security system.
