The best app uninstallers for Mac
By Vishva Variya · Updated
Short answer
For removing the odd app with its files, AppCleaner is free and simple (version 3.7 needs macOS 15). Pearcleaner is free with the most tools, including orphaned-file search and a Homebrew manager, but its author has put development on hold. Peekaboo also finds leftovers of apps you already deleted, removes Homebrew apps with Homebrew and sends the rest to the Trash, paid once. CleanMyMac includes an uninstaller in a wider suite, mostly by subscription, and if you already own Hazel ($42), its App Sweep offers to remove the leftovers of deleted apps.
How we picked. Prices, macOS requirements and uninstall features from each vendor’s own site, App Store listing or GitHub page, checked November 2, 2026. Each app is listed for the kind of uninstalling it suits best, not ranked overall. Pearcleaner is listed with its on-hold status stated. Peekaboo is our app; it’s listed with its gaps, like the others.
Before you buy anything: Trash and Storage settings (built in)
Dragging an app to the Trash removes the app and nothing else: its caches, preferences and support files stay in ~/Library. System Settings › General › Storage lists apps by size under the ⓘ next to Applications, but its Delete button skips the Trash and it doesn’t look for leftovers either.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Price | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| AppCleaner | Free drag-and-drop removal of one app at a time | Free (donations welcome) | macOS 15 (3.7); 3.6.8 for macOS 10.14 to 15.6 or later |
| Pearcleaner | Free, with orphaned-file search and package managers (development on hold) | Free (source-available) | macOS 13 or later |
| Peekaboo | Leftovers of deleted apps, Homebrew-aware, everything to the Trash | $24.99 one-time (launch price $9.99 until Nov 9) | macOS 14 Sonoma |
| Hazel | App Sweep, if you already use Hazel’s rules | $42 (single user) | macOS 13 (Hazel 6.1.2) or later |
| CleanMyMac | An uninstaller inside a full maintenance suite | $39.99/year, $9.99/month or $89.99 one-time (Mac App Store) | macOS 11 or later |
AppCleaner: Free drag-and-drop removal of one app at a time
Small, free uninstaller: drop an app on it and it finds the app’s related files.
- Drag-and-drop uninstall
- Finds an app’s related support files
- Builds for macOS back to 10.10
Gaps: It does one job, uninstalling apps with their related files; disk maps, duplicates and cache cleanup are outside its scope.
Free (donations welcome) · macOS 15 (3.7); 3.6.8 for macOS 10.14 to 15.6 or later · source: freemacsoft.net/appcleaner, verified 2026-11-02
Pearcleaner: Free, with orphaned-file search and package managers (development on hold)
Free, source-available app cleaner with orphaned-file search and Homebrew management.
- Uninstalls apps with their leftovers
- Orphaned file search
- Homebrew, PKG and plugin managers
- Installs with Homebrew
Gaps: Its author has put development on hold indefinitely, and the supported list stops at macOS 26 Tahoe.
Free (source-available) · macOS 13 or later · source: github.com/alienator88/Pearcleaner (README and releases), verified 2026-11-02
Peekaboo: Leftovers of deleted apps, Homebrew-aware, everything to the Trash
Card library of every file, plain-English search, text in screenshots, downloads by source, duplicates and Space Map, with cleanups you can undo.
- Plain-English search with editable chips
- On-device OCR of screenshots and PDFs
- Clean Up with one-click undo
Gaps: No dual pane, no network drives yet, no malware scan.
$24.99 one-time (launch price $9.99 until Nov 9) · macOS 14 Sonoma
Hazel: App Sweep, if you already use Hazel’s rules
Rules that file, rename and tag files automatically as they arrive.
- Auto-filing by name, date, type and source site
- Multi-step rules: rename, tag, move, upload
- Text recognition inside rules
Gaps: Everything runs through rules you set up per folder, and Hazel 6.1.2 needs macOS 13 Ventura or later.
$42 (single user) · macOS 13 (Hazel 6.1.2) or later · source: noodlesoft.com, noodlesoft.com/release_notes and store.noodlesoft.com, verified 2026-11-02
CleanMyMac: An uninstaller inside a full maintenance suite
All-in-one maintenance suite: system junk, malware, uninstaller, updater.
- System junk and cache cleanup
- Malware detection
- Uninstaller with leftovers, app updater
- Similar photos, large and old files
Gaps: Most of its plans are subscriptions ($9.99 a month or $39.99 a year on the App Store), with an $89.99 one-time purchase as the alternative.
$39.99/year, $9.99/month or $89.99 one-time (Mac App Store) · macOS 11 or later · source: macpaw.com/cleanmymac and its Mac App Store listing, verified 2026-11-02
Questions
Is there a free uninstaller for Mac?
- Yes. AppCleaner is a free download from freemacsoft.net, and Pearcleaner is free and source-available on GitHub, though its author has put development on hold.
Do I need an uninstaller at all?
- Not for every app. Dragging an app to the Trash removes the app itself; an uninstaller also finds the caches, preferences and support files it wrote in ~/Library, which for some apps run to gigabytes.
Which uninstallers catch leftovers of apps I already deleted?
- Pearcleaner’s orphaned-file search and Peekaboo’s App Uninstaller both scan for folders no installed app owns. Hazel’s App Sweep offers to remove leftovers of deleted apps too. Pearcleaner’s Sentinel Monitor cleans up automatically when an app goes to the Trash, and Peekaboo can do the same as an optional review.
Which ones work on older macOS versions?
- AppCleaner keeps older builds back to macOS 10.10, and Pearcleaner supports macOS 13 to 26. Peekaboo needs macOS 14, Hazel 6.1.2 needs macOS 13 and CleanMyMac lists macOS 11.