OnyX alternative: Peekaboo vs OnyX
By Vishva Variya · Updated
OnyX has been free since 2003 and works at the system level: it verifies the structure of the system files, runs cleaning and maintenance tasks, and puts a clean interface on jobs that would otherwise mean typing commands in Terminal. Titanium Software ships a specific version for each major macOS release, so OnyX 5.1.1 is for macOS 27 (and needs Apple silicon), 5.0.6 for macOS 26, and so on. Peekaboo doesn’t do system maintenance at all. It cleans what apps and you leave behind, and tells you what each item is first.
Looking for OnyX itself? It’s at www.titanium-software.fr.
- OnyX price
- Free (donations welcome)
- OnyX requires
- A matching version per macOS release; OnyX 5.1.1 for macOS 27 needs Apple silicon or later
- Peekaboo
- $24.99 one-time (launch price $9.99 until Nov 9), 14-day trial, macOS 14+
OnyX figures from titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html, verified 2026-11-02.
Why pick Peekaboo over OnyX?
Every cache folder in plain words
Peekaboo’s App Caches lists the caches and logs apps rebuild on their own, one by one, and marks the ones with consequences you’d notice (sign-ins, sync, the Spotlight index) as Check First.
Your files, not system tasks
Clean Up finds forgotten downloads, old installers, stale screenshots, big old videos and unused apps; Duplicates and Space Map show what else is taking room. These are your files, which OnyX leaves alone.
One app across macOS updates
OnyX asks you to download the build that matches your macOS after each major update. Peekaboo runs on macOS 14 and later, on Apple silicon and Intel, and updates itself.
Peekaboo vs OnyX, job by job
| Job | OnyX | Peekaboo |
|---|---|---|
| Verifying system files, maintenance scripts | Core features | Not offered |
| Rebuilding databases and indexes | Yes | Not offered |
| Hidden Finder, Dock and Safari settings | Yes | Not offered |
| App caches and logs | Cleaned as maintenance tasks | Explained one by one, risky ones marked Check First, moved to the Trash |
| Your own files: duplicates, old downloads, apps | Outside its scope | Clean Up, Duplicates and the App Uninstaller, with one-click undo for cleanups |
| Price and macOS | Free; one build per macOS release | One-time per Mac after a 14-day trial; macOS 14 or later |
The honest verdict
If you want system maintenance (verifying the system files, rebuilding indexes, tweaking hidden settings), OnyX is the tool and it’s free; Peekaboo doesn’t touch any of that. If what you’re after is space, Peekaboo is the gentler route: it explains each cache before it goes, finds the duplicates, downloads and apps you no longer need, and lets you put a cleanup back. Plenty of people will want both.
OnyX vs Peekaboo: questions
Is OnyX free?
- Yes. Titanium Software makes its apps “so that all Mac users can use them freely” and invites optional donations, per titanium-software.fr on November 2, 2026.
Which OnyX version do I need?
- The one built for your macOS: OnyX 5.1.1 for macOS 27 (Apple silicon only, released October 11, 2026), 5.0.6 for macOS 26, 4.8.5 for macOS 15 and 4.6.2 for macOS 14. Titanium warns against using a version meant for an earlier macOS.
Can Peekaboo run maintenance scripts or rebuild Spotlight like OnyX?
- No. Peekaboo has no system maintenance tools. It cleans app caches and your own files, and marks the cache whose removal affects the Spotlight index as Check First.