Free guide · Oct 5, 2026

PureMac: free Mac cleanup without deleting the wrong thing

A step-by-step setup guide with requirements, checks and common problems.

The short version

PureMac is a free, open source Mac cleaner and app uninstaller. It does most of what paid cleaners do: clears caches, logs and developer junk, removes apps along with their leftover files, finds duplicates and shows you where your space went. No subscription, no account, no telemetry.

•What you need: a Mac on macOS 13 or newer. The download is about 6 MB.

•What you get: a clear view of what's using your disk, and a cleanup you review before anything is removed.

•How to start: install it, grant Full Disk Access, run one Smart Care scan and clean only the safe categories. Learn which actions use the Trash before you clean anything big.

What's in the full guide

  1. 01PureMac vs CleanMyMac
  2. 02The one table to read before you clean
  3. 03Step 1: Install it
  4. 04Step 2: Grant Full Disk Access
  5. 05Step 3: Run your first Smart Care scan safely
  6. 06Step 4: Use the safer tools
  7. 07Optional: the command line tool
  8. 08Honest limits
  9. 09Where to go next

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