DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac: Features and Pricing Comparison 2025

Before downloading and testing Mac cleaner apps, it is a good idea to first understand how each one works and what features they have. This can help you avoid the hassle of installing apps that don’t meet your needs, only to end up deleting them later.

Two popular options in the world of Mac cleanup tools are DaisyDisk and CleanMyMac. While both are designed to help you find and remove unwanted files from your Mac, they offer very different features and user experiences. In this article, we will break down the key differences to help you choose the right tool for your needs.

DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac: Features Comparison

DaisyDisk is a lightweight Mac cleanup solution that focuses solely on helping you identify and remove junk and unnecessary files from your system. On the other hand, CleanMyMac functions more like a full-featured control center for your Mac, offering tools for system cleanup, app management, security, and performance optimization.

Let's walk through it.

Key Features DaisyDisk

DaisyDisk keeps things simple, offering just a handful of core features. Its main purpose is to show you how your disk space is being used and help you free up valuable storage.

Space visualization

DaisyDisk’s visualization of disk space usage truly stands out. Instead of using traditional bar graphs, pie charts, or treemaps, it features a modern sunburst chart, a multi-level circular graph that represents your folder structure. This design makes navigation intuitive and helps you quickly spot large files and space hogs.

Multiple disks management

While many Mac cleaner apps are limited to scanning only your Mac’s internal hard drive, DaisyDisk goes further. It can scan and manage any storage device connected to your Mac, including SSDs, HDDs, and flash drives.

Scan cloud drives

Another key advantage of DaisyDisk is its ability to scan virtual drives like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and Microsoft OneDrive, as well as network-attached storage devices. Once connected, these storage locations can be scanned and managed just like local drives.

Hidden space scanning

DaisyDisk can run with administrator privileges, allowing it to scan restricted files and folders that are not normally visible in Finder or standard storage views. This provides a more complete and accurate picture of what’s taking up space on your Mac.

Delete file list

With DaisyDisk, you can easily manage file deletion by adding unwanted files to a dedicated Collector. Just drag and drop the files you want to remove, then click Delete to permanently erase them all at once. A 5-second countdown gives you a moment to cancel in case you change your mind.

Key features of CleanMyMac

CleanMyMac comes with a wide range of tools for removing junk files, managing applications, enhancing security, and optimizing performance. However, for the purpose of comparison with DaisyDisk, we’ll focus specifically on its Mac cleanup features.

Disk analyzer

The Space Lens feature creates a visual map of your Mac’s hard drive, showing how much space each folder uses. This makes it easy to quickly spot the biggest space wasters.

App uninstaller

Applications can consume a significant amount of space on your Mac. CleanMyMac offers a comprehensive set of tools to manage them, including an app updater, app uninstaller, and background app remover. The uninstaller ensures that apps you no longer need are removed quickly and thoroughly, without leaving behind leftover files.

System junk removal

CleanMyMac helps free up space on your Mac by detecting and removing hidden caches, broken downloads, unused language files, and other unnecessary data—all in a single scan. It also makes it easy to delete unwanted mail attachments with just a few clicks.

Large, old, and duplicate file deletion

With CleanMyMac, locating forgotten and large files is simple. It also helps identify photo junk, including duplicates and similar images. Removing these files can free up dozens of gigabytes of valuable space on your Mac.

Downloads removal

The Downloads folder on your Mac often becomes cluttered with files you downloaded from browsers. CleanMyMac includes a dedicated Downloads folder cleaner that clears it up in no time.

Other features of CleanMyMac

• Virus and malware scan and removal
• Manage login items and extensions
• Free up RAM on Mac
• Reindex Spotlight and Mail
• Flush DNS cache
• Destroy files to make them unrecoverable

DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac: Pricing Differences

Beyond their differences in features, DaisyDisk and CleanMyMac also vary significantly in their free trial options and pricing structures. For many users, especially those with budget considerations, these differences can be a deciding factor when choosing between the two.

DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac: Free Trial Difference

DaisyDisk offers a free trial that lets you explore its interface, speed, and core functionality without any time limit. To activate the trial, simply download the app, enter your email address, and click the activation link sent to your inbox. However, some features remain locked until you purchase a license. You can't delete files, scan cloud storage, or run scans with administrator access in the trial mode.

CleanMyMac does not offer a standalone free trial app. Instead, you must enter your payment details to access a 7-day free trial. During this period, you get full access to all features. If you choose to continue after the trial, you can purchase a subscription. The trial also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee for added peace of mind.

DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac X: Paid Plans Comparison

Unlike most Mac cleanup tools, DaisyDisk offers a one-time purchase of a license instead of a subscription. With a single payment, you get a lifetime license that can be used on up to five personal Macs.

CleanMyMac offers a range of flexible, though more expensive, paid plans to suit different needs. You can choose from monthly, yearly, or one-time payment options for one, two, or five Macs. See the table below for detailed pricing information.

DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac X: Which One Should I Use?

After comparing DaisyDisk and CleanMyMac X, the decision between the two should now be much clearer. DaisyDisk and CleanMyMac share less than 10% similarity in features.

DaisyDisk is a lightweight, focused utility designed primarily for visualizing disk space and manually deleting large or unwanted files. In contrast, CleanMyMac is a comprehensive suite that offers automated system cleanup, performance optimization, malware removal, and application management.

DaisyDisk and CleanMyMac have nothing in common in pricing models. DaisyDisk offers a one-time, affordable payment, while CleanMyMac provides more expensive, subscription-based plans.

Is There a Middle Ground Between DaisyDisk and CleanMyMac?

It is obvious that DaisyDisk is too limited for some users, as it lacks essential cleanup tools for applications, downloads, and duplicate files. On the other hand, CleanMyMac X can feel overly complex and heavy for those who just want straightforward cleanup features. You might be wondering if there is a balanced solution that offers efficient Mac cleanup along with performance boosts, without being too basic or too loaded and expensive. The answer is yes.

BuhoCleaner is a tool that perfectly combines simplicity, efficiency, and affordability. It includes the essential functionalities you need to free up storage and improve your Mac’s performance, and best of all, you can access all its features completely free.

Key features of BuhoCleaner:

• Remove system cache, logs, purgeable space, and other junk files
• Completely uninstall unwanted applications
• Detect and delete large files over 50MB
• Find and remove duplicate photos, videos, documents, and more
• Manage startup items to speed up boot time
• Reindex Spotlight to improve search performance
• Free up memory unnecessarily used by background processes

Conclusion

After the DaisyDisk vs CleanMyMac comparison, you can clearly tell that the differences in features and pricing are significant. DaisyDisk is great for quickly finding large or unwanted files, but you will need to delete them manually. CleanMyMac, however, does much more. It not only finds junk files but also includes dedicated tools for removing duplicates, clearing out downloads, and automating the cleanup process. So your choice depends on what you need and what you’re willing to spend.

If neither DaisyDisk nor CleanMyMac feels like the right choice, BuhoCleaner is a smart, well-balanced alternative. It offers powerful cleanup and performance-boosting tools in a simple, easy-to-use interface, and it is very affordable!