I Tried Cleaner One Pro: Here's My Honest Review

There are plenty of Mac cleaning tools out there, and all claim to efficiently get rid of the junk data on your Mac. Developed by Trend Micro, Cleaner One Pro is such an all-in-one Mac disk cleaning and optimization tool. It has a long-standing reputation for Mac cleanup, but does it really live up to the hype?

Follow me to go through a thorough Cleaner One Pro review, including its pricing, features, and drawbacks.

What Is Cleaner One Pro?

Cleaner One Pro is a legitimate and reputable disk cleaning and optimization tool developed by Trend Micro, a well-established cybersecurity company founded in 1988. It’s available for both Mac and Windows, and includes features like junk file cleanup, large file scanner, duplicate file finder, startup manager, and even an app manager.

With all being said, the goal is to streamline your device’s performance, clean up unnecessary clutter, and keep things running smoothly.

Cleaner One Pro Pricing

Cleaner One Pro offers two subscription plans: $19.99/year for 1 device and $29.99/year for up to 5 devices, plus a free version. The price range, I would say, is neither expensive nor highly affordable, especially when you have choices like DaisyDisk.

The free version is limited, but unlike typical Mac cleaners, this one does a good job at basic cleaning. However, if you want to unlock key features like App Manager, Duplicate File Finder, and Vulnerability Scan, the Pro is a must.

What I Liked about Cleaner One Pro

Before using Cleaner One Pro, my MacBook Pro (M1, 2020) had started showing signs of sluggishness. Too many background apps, scattered files, and leftover junk from uninstalled software. I was looking for something simple, fast, and effective, without needing to dive into system files manually. Here’s what I enjoyed from Cleaner One Pro.

1. Free Basic-level Mac Cleaning

To start with, I tried the free version of Cleaner One, and it turned out to be surprisingly capable for basic Mac maintenance. It offers smart scan, basic cleanup, and a visual disk map to help you quickly identify what’s eating up space. You also get a handy menu bar widget to monitor system performance and free up memory with one click.

Compared with other alternatives, these free tools by Cleaner One Pro are more than enough for a light, regular Mac cleanup.

2. Smart Junk Cleanup

One of Cleaner One Pro’s strongest features is its ability to track down and safely remove a wide variety of junk files, be it system logs, leftover app data, language files, old updates, and caches. What’s more, it can even uncover outdated game update files that have long been left behind. It’s a smart, targeted way to free up storage without risking important files.

3. Duplicate Photos Finder

If you like hoarding pictures and videos, this is going to be your favorite feature. Speaking of myself, I found over 300 images and PDFs that looked pretty much the same but with different file names. Cleaner One Pro displayed them with previews, file sizes, and paths, making cleanup painless. Apparently, I would have more Mac space if they had been discovered and cleared duplicates.

4. Disk Map

The built-in storage bar in macOS often feels too vague to be useful, but Cleaner One Pro’s Disk Map offers a much clearer and more intuitive way to visualize storage usage. It gave me a clear, color-coded breakdown of which folders were taking up the most space, making it easy to spot large files I had forgotten about, like old video projects and app installers.

Within minutes, I was able to free up several gigabytes just by reviewing the map and removing what I didn’t need.

5. Activity Monitor

macOS’s default Activity Monitor is a great tool, but it does feel a bit overwhelming and buried in the Utilities folder. To have a clear overview of what’s consuming your Mac's space, Cleaner One Pro’s menu bar integration offers a much more accessible way to monitor your system’s performance in real time. From the top of the screen, I could instantly check CPU, memory, disk, and network usage, all with a single click.

What’s more, one feature I really appreciated was the Optimize Memory option. I tested it on my aging MacBook Pro, and to my surprise, it instantly freed up around GBs of memory, making the system noticeably more responsive.

Dropbox Scanner

One feature I didn’t expect to find but ended up really liking was the Dropbox Scanner. After linking my Dropbox account, Cleaner One Pro quickly scanned through my cloud files, highlighting duplicates, oversized files, and items that hadn’t been accessed in a long time.

Within minutes, I was able to identify and remove redundant files, especially from shared folders and old backups I had completely forgotten about. It’s a surprisingly unique and useful addition, especially if you rely heavily on Dropbox and haven’t cleaned it out in a while.

In addition to these outstanding features, Cleaner One Pro also delivers general Mac cleaning functions, which you can use to uninstall apps on Mac and manage startup items.

What Could Be Better

There are a few drawbacks to Cleaner One Pro, though. Several areas of concern surfaced during testing and from real user feedback.

1. Confusing Dropbox Scanner Access

While the Dropbox Scanner is a standout feature, it’s oddly accessible only via the macOS Menu Bar, which may puzzle users expecting it to be on the main interface. Moreover, basic usability elements like a Select All checkbox are missing, making batch actions tedious.

2. Activation Failure

Multiple users have voiced frustration with the product activation process. Even after purchasing a license, some experienced invalid code errors, copy-paste failures, and mismatches with email records. Although it’s not my case, this kind of error shouldn’t occur for a big tech company like Trend Micro.

3. Performance Issues

While Cleaner One Pro does an overall good job in Mac cleaning, it lacks the ability to detect hidden files, can’t clean browser cache effectively, and fails to scan very old or deeply buried files. These missing features reduce its competitiveness against alternatives like CleanMyMac or CCleaner.

4. Built-in Bundled Promotions

The inclusion of a More Tools section that promotes other Trend Micro utilities (e.g., Antivirus One, VPN, AdBlock One) feels more like an upsell strategy than a helpful bonus. I’m expecting a cleaner, distraction-free experience, instead of an intrusive advertising module.

Best Cleaner One Pro Alternative - BuhoCleaner

If you’re looking for a Mac cleaner that avoids some of Cleaner One Pro’s common pitfalls, BuhoCleaner is worth serious consideration.

BuhoCleaner offers a clean, intuitive interface where all core features are accessible from the main screen. Activation is instant and straightforward, with no reports of broken license keys or copy-paste issues. The free trial is also more transparent and powerful, giving users a real chance to test premium features before committing.

Beyond fixing the flaws found in Cleaner One Pro, BuhoCleaner is also a highly capable Mac cleaning solution in its own right. It combines simplicity with powerful tools that help keep your system running smoothly. Key features include:

• Flash scan & cleanup
• Large & duplicate file finder
• Startup items manager
• App uninstaller
• System resources monitor

Plus, spend $19.99 and you get a lifetime license for one Mac. What’s more to expect?

Verdict: Is Cleaner One Pro Worth It?

In my experience, Cleaner One Pro is a standard Mac cleaning tool with a 4.5/5 rating. It doesn’t overcomplicate things. It doesn’t nag you with constant pop-ups. And most importantly, it helped me get real performance improvements without breaking anything on my system. If you’re tired of bloated cleaners or just want a reliable way to tidy up your system, give Cleaner One Pro a try.