CaretakerCompare
Caretaker vs CleanMyMac
Both free up space. Caretaker is made for creative work: it knows the caches of Premiere, After Effects, Blender and Ableton by name, and keeps every project healthy.
| Feature | Caretaker | CleanMyMac |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, or Pro from $5.99 a month | From $39.95 a year, or a one-time licence without major upgrades |
| Free edition | — | |
| System junk and caches | ||
| Premiere Pro, After Effects, Blender and Ableton caches by name | — | |
| Files you might want, restorable for 90 days | — | |
| Uninstaller | ||
| Large files, duplicates and similar photos | ||
| Disk map | ||
| App updates | ||
| Menu bar monitor | ||
| Verified card offload | — | |
| Performance mode for one app | Free up RAM | |
| Account needed | — | — |
CleanMyMac as its maker's site describes it, October 2026, in US dollars. A dash means it isn't offered there.
Why people switch to Caretaker.
Made for creative apps
Caretaker knows where Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Ableton and other creative apps keep their caches and render files, and clears them without touching your projects.
Nothing you want is lost
Caches are deleted for good, since apps make them again. Files you might want go to the Trash first, and Cleaning History puts any of them back for 90 days.
More than a cleaner
Project health, verified card offload, drive speed and Boost are in the same app.
Three Macs, one price
The free edition cleans. Pro is $49.99 a year, or $129 once for life, for up to three Macs.
Questions
Is Caretaker a CleanMyMac alternative?
Yes. It does the cleaning CleanMyMac is known for, junk, large files, duplicates, an uninstaller and a disk map, and adds the caches and files of creative apps.
How much is Caretaker?
The free edition is free for good. Pro is $5.99 a month, $49.99 a year, or $129 once for life, for up to three Macs.
Does Caretaker remove malware?
It checks for adware, unsafe extensions and profiles, and whether macOS protections are on. For full malware removal, use a dedicated tool.
Can I undo a clean?
Yes, for anything you might want: duplicates, large files, installers and leftovers go to the Trash first, and Cleaning History restores them for 90 days. Caches are deleted for good, since apps make them again.
Try Caretaker.
Free to download. Pro free for 7 days, from inside the app.