MacBooster vs. CleanMyMac 2025: Key Differences, Pros, and Cons

If you have been searching for a Mac cleanup tool, chances are you have come across CleanMyMac and MacBooster. They are two of the most popular options out there, and both are packed with features designed to speed up your Mac, free up storage, and keep things running smoothly. At first glance, they might seem almost identical, which can make it hard to figure out which one is actually better for your needs.

That is where this MacBooster vs CleanMyMac guide comes in. We will compare CleanMyMac and MacBooster side by side, highlighting their key differences, pros, and cons, so you can decide which app is the better fit for your Mac and save you time guessing.

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How MacBooster and CleanMyMac Differ In Features

MacBooster 8 and CleanMyMac offer very similar functionality, with only slight differences in how their features are organized, labeled, and work. Both tools typically include the following capabilities:

• Monitor the overall system status in the menu bar
• Remove system junk like caches and log files
• Clear out mail attachments and clean up the Downloads folder
• Scan for and eliminate viruses, malware, and other threats
• Manage startup apps and background processes to speed up boot time
• Free up RAM to improve overall system performance
• Locate and delete large or old files taking up space
• Identify and remove duplicate or similar files and photos
• Uninstall apps completely, including leftover files you no longer need

Aside from the shared feature set, here are the key differences between MacBooster and CleanMyMac.

Performance Boost

Both MacBooster and CleanMyMac come with essential tools to improve your Mac’s overall performance, including memory cleanup, disk permission repair, and login item management. However, MacBooster goes a step further with its disk optimization features. It helps you quickly locate unnecessary or improperly stored cache files and deeply remove index files to enhance disk efficiency. Additionally, it offers storage optimization that targets and corrects modified media cache for smarter space management.

On the other hand, CleanMyMac includes specialized tools that allow you to reindex both Spotlight and the Mail app. Reindexing Spotlight helps improve the accuracy and speed of search results across your Mac. Similarly, reindexing the Mail app can fix performance issues, such as slow loading or missing emails, ensuring a smoother and more reliable email experience.

Disk Space Visualization

Another major difference between MacBooster and CleanMyMac lies in disk space visualization. MacBooster lacks a visual tool to help you easily understand what is taking up space on your drive, making it harder to pinpoint large or unnecessary files at a glance.

CleanMyMac, on the other hand, includes a Space Lens feature that gives you a clear visual breakdown of your disk usage. It displays the size of each folder and file, allowing you to quickly identify which areas are taking up the most space and where you should start cleaning to free up storage more efficiently.

System Monitoring Gadget

Both CleanMyMac and MacBooster include a handy menu bar gadget that lets you monitor your system in real time without needing to open the full app.

CleanMyMac’s menu bar tool is more of a comprehensive monitoring dashboard. It offers detailed insights into your Mac's overall health, memory pressure, CPU and GPU activity, Wi-Fi speed, available storage, and more. It gives you a full snapshot of system performance and provides a lot of useful information.

MacBooster’s menu bar gadget, by comparison, is more basic. It provides limited information, showing only memory usage, Wi-Fi speed, and the amount of junk files detected, offering much less in-depth monitoring than CleanMyMac.

Pricing Structure

MacBooster offers a 14-day free trial, but it's limited to diagnostics only. You can scan your system for issues like junk files, malware, and performance problems, but you won't be able to fix or clean anything unless you upgrade to a paid plan.

CleanMyMac, on the other hand, provides a 7-day free trial with full access to all features with no restrictions on cleaning or optimization. However, to start the trial, you will need to enter your payment information. Once the trial ends, you will need to subscribe to continue using the app.

Below is the comparison table of MacBooster vs CleanMyMac in pricing:

MacBooster vs. CleanMyMac - Pros and Cons of MacBooster

We have combined our own testing with feedback from other users to highlight the main pros and cons of MacBooster. This quick summary should make it easier for you to decide whether it is a good option for your Mac.

Pros:

• A clean, intuitive interface that makes it simple to navigate for all users
• Unique tools for optimizing disk, performance, and storage
• Affordable pricing for a well-rounded feature set

Cons:

• Limited system monitoring tools for minimal real-time performance insights
• Distracting and interrupting regular ads and upgrade prompts for free users

MacBooster vs. CleanMyMac - Pros and Cons of CleanMyMac

Below, we have outlined the most commonly praised benefits and the most frequently mentioned drawbacks of CleanMyMac. Hopefully, this information gives you a clearer understanding of CleanMyMac and helps you decide whether it’s the better choice over MacBooster.

Pros:

• A wide range of tools for cleaning, optimizing, and protecting your Mac in one package
• Flexible payment options with multiple subscription plans and one-time purchase options
• Helpful and responsive customer support
• Detailed menu bar monitor with real-time system insights

Cons:

• Free trial requires payment details upfront
• Relatively more expensive than most competing tools
• Excessive for basic cleanup needs

Exploring a More Affordable and Simpler Alternative

After comparing MacBooster and CleanMyMac, there is another great option worth checking out—BuhoCleaner. It offers a similar all-in-one toolkit but at a much more affordable price, plus a free trial that doesn’t require any payment details.

BuhoCleaner is built to handle many of your everyday Mac maintenance tasks. It can clean out system junk like cache and log files, completely uninstall apps, find and remove duplicate files, and delete large files that are taking up space. It also includes tools to boost your Mac's performance by freeing up RAM and managing startup items in a clean, easy-to-use interface.

Conclusion

After this MacBooster vs CleanMyMac comparison, you can tell both apps are known for being powerful all-in-one tools for cleaning, optimizing, and protecting your Mac. They share many of the same core features, with only a few differences in areas like performance boosting, system monitoring, and disk space visualization. Either tool is capable of handling essential tasks like freeing up storage, improving system speed, and removing malware.

However, their wide feature set comes with a higher price and can feel a bit overwhelming for users with basic needs. As you can see, BuhoCleaner is a great alternative to both CleanMyMac and MacBooster. It offers almost everything these two products provide you. Try it for absolutely free.