MacSweep

MacSweep does not silently run permanent file cleanup. Selected files move to Trash where macOS supports it, so you can review or restore them before emptying Trash yourself. Empty Trash and temp cleanup clear directory contents, and Docker cleanup uses Docker's own image, container, volume, and builder-cache APIs.

Yes. Free includes Downloads cleanup, Trash cleanup, Temp cleanup, Login Items, and SpaceLens exploration. You can scan broadly and clean those basic areas without paying. Advanced and Pro unlock deeper cleanup actions.

You receive a signed license file and activate it in MacSweep. Advanced unlocks Caches, Large Files, App Leftovers, SpaceLens delete, and Privacy Guardian. Pro adds Docker cleanup, the CLI tool, and Scheduled Automation.

Yes. MacSweep is licensed per person, not per device. One purchase works on all your personal Macs. There is no machine fingerprinting and no device-count activation limit.

Yes. Every scan runs locally on your Mac, and nothing about your files is uploaded — no file paths, filenames, or scan results ever leave your device. Anonymous product analytics (which features are used, app version — never personal content) are on by default to help improve the app and can be turned off anytime in Privacy Guardian. You review every item before anything is cleaned.

MacSweep Pro includes a command-line tool. Install it with Homebrew: brew tap C-TTK/macsweep && brew install macsweep, then run macsweep doctor.

MacSweep is built around a review-first principle. Every scan result is labeled Safe, Review, or Do Not Delete before you act on anything. Destructive actions require explicit confirmation. Conservative pre-selection means only confirmed-stale files — like installers whose app is already installed — are pre-checked. MacSweep does not aggressively pre-select files the way some other disk cleaners do.

The fastest starting point is Smart Care — run a single scan from the MacSweep sidebar and it checks caches, Trash, temp files, app leftovers, Docker storage, logs, and large files in one pass. MacSweep also scans your Downloads folder and Desktop for old installers, archives, and large files that tend to accumulate over time without being noticed.

Yes. MacSweep's Docker module scans images, containers, volumes, and build cache. Resources that are currently running or in use are marked with a risk label so you do not accidentally remove something active. This is especially useful on developer machines where Docker can quietly consume 20–40 GB over time.

No. MacSweep has a free tier plus one-time Advanced and Pro purchases. There is no subscription and no recurring fee. One purchase works on all your personal Macs.

No. All scans run entirely on your Mac. File paths, scan results, and disk contents are never uploaded to MacSweep servers. Anonymous product analytics are on by default to help improve the app — only coarse usage events (which features are used, action names, size buckets, app version, tier) are sent, never file paths, filenames, or personal content — and you can turn them off anytime in the app (Privacy Guardian).

The biggest practical difference is deletion safety. MacSweep is review-first, uses conservative pre-selection, sends selected files to Trash where macOS supports it, and uses Docker APIs for Docker cleanup. MacSweep also scans the Desktop, shows human-readable age labels like "Last opened 8 months ago" instead of a generic OLD badge, groups results by type, and tags each file with its source folder. MacSweep has no subscription, and one purchase works on all your personal Macs. Full comparison →

Yes. MacSweep scans the Desktop for old installers, archives, and large files at the top level, in addition to a recursive scan of your Downloads folder. Files found on the Desktop are tagged with a Desktop source label so you always know where they came from.

Yes. The App Leftovers module finds orphaned support files, preferences, and caches left behind after you delete an app. Files are matched to their parent app — if the app is still installed, those files are protected by default and will not be pre-selected for removal.

Not yet. Mail attachment cleanup for Apple Mail, Spark, and Outlook is in active development. For now, MacSweep's Downloads surface will catch large attachments you have manually saved to Downloads or Desktop.

MacSweep requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later. It is a native Swift app and runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

Yes. MacSweep requests Full Disk Access during onboarding so it can inspect protected paths like Application Support, Caches, and Library folders. The permission is requested once and your choice is saved. MacSweep uses the access only for local scanning — nothing is sent off-device.

Try the Free tier first — it runs the core cleanup so you can see what MacSweep does before paying. Advanced and Pro are one-time purchases: if MacSweep doesn't work materially as described and we can't resolve it in a reasonable support exchange, you can request a refund within 14 days of purchase. See the refund policy for details.