9 Best PC Cleaner Software

So your computer is running slow and you are told that system optimization might help? It’s true that you can rely on PC cleaner software to fix many Windows issues to tune up your computer’s overall performance.

We have to warn you though, that not all PC cleaning programs are created equal and some do more harm than help, while others may not be safe to use at all. In this roundup review, we show you the best PC cleaner software that’s worth trying. Both free and paid programs are included.

How to Choose PC Cleaner Software

Here are a list of factors/things that you should take into consideration:

Security: all downloadable applications shouldn’t contain any viruses or malware. To test each program, we first download and install it on our PC (based on Windows 11). Then use Bitdefender and Malwarebytes to run a full scan to see whether the installed program contains malicious procedures.

Performance: this is the core part of our testing. The best PC cleaner should live up to what it claims to do. If it can’t speed up your PC’s performance, it’s more like hype or even a scam. Because different programs have different features and functionalities, we mainly observe the performance of our PC to see if the software really makes the machine faster.

Ease of Use: the best PC cleanup software should not only be powerful, but user-friendly as well — especially for beginner users who don’t have much computer knowledge. There are no universal standards to follow when it comes to the usability of a program. We thus have to trust our instincts, considering that we’ve tested hundreds of Windows programs.

Support: if a very well-made product has bad customer/technical support, this makes the product less impressive. We give more weight to the software if the developer offers detailed user manuals, tutorials, email support, and even live chats or phone calls.

Windows 11 Compatibility: if the program does not support the latest Windows 11, it’s an indication that the software may be outdated due to a lack of updates. There may be some security risks running it on your PC.

The Best PC Cleaner Software Reviewed

Note: all the software recommended below have passed our security test and they are all 100% virus-free and safe to use.

1. CCleaner

• Free version available; PRO version starts at $29.95/year.

If you’re looking for a free solution to clear out the unnecessary stuff that could slow down your computer, CCleaner is for you.

This software removes unwanted information, log files, and temporary files, and even cleans out folders left behind from previous application installations. With the free standard version, you get the basic tools required to scrub temporary files.

With the professional edition, you get a complete cleaning service, including features to keep your browsing history private, the removal of internet trackers, instant product updates, and priority customer support.

This is an obvious choice for those of you with a slow computer that is cutting into your productivity with subpar performance.

2. CleanMyPC

• Free Trial, $39.95 to Buy

CleanMyPC ensures that your PC runs smoothly by removing unwanted files and optimizing Windows start-up times.

As an all-in-one solution, this software incorporates many existing Windows tools and offers improvements, providing a non-technical solution for computer maintenance.

CleanMyPC can help reduce the additional load on your system, by cutting down on unnecessary extensions. You can also use the app to delete files securely, without the risk of third parties recovering your data.

For privacy, CleanMyPC cleans all of your online activities in one place. It also gets rid of hibernation files taking up space on your hard disk.

3. AVG TuneUp

• Free trial, then $29.99 per device (first year)

AVG TuneUp helps take care of bugs, crashes and freezes with automatic maintenance features. This software identifies issues and cleans the Windows registry every week.

The automatic maintenance cleans up tracking cookies, cache files, and deleted program leftovers, leaving you with more disk space. You can get rid of unnecessary toolbars, trial versions, and bloatware.

AVG TuneUp includes a software updater that checks the status of programs on your machine, such as Java, VLC, and Skype, and then updates them to their latest versions.

While the free version of this software allows you to identify any potential issues with your machine, if you want to fix them, you’ll need to purchase a license.

4. Advanced SystemCare

• Free trial, then $19.99

Like other tune-up utilities, IOBit Advanced SystemCare can help you clear out temporary, duplicate, and other junk files. It ensures a faster PC response by managing startup items and optimizing browser settings.

To protect you from spyware infection and residual registry impairment, this software improves security and stability. Your personal data is also protected, as a secret access to data like contacts and email addresses is blocked.

The free version of Advanced SystemCare includes backup and restore features, basic security protection, system optimization, and the Speed Up feature to defragment your drive. The Pro Tier includes malware protection and real-time system optimization tools.

5. Duplicate Cleaner

• $24.99 (15% OFF with promo code: DC15IR)

Duplicate Cleaner serves the expected purpose of helping you find and eliminate redundant or copied files in bulk. To use, you simply scan any drive or file location. You then go through a series of confirmation screens to make sure you agree with the deletions.

You can use this software to deduplicate music, films, photos, videos, Word documents, and Powerpoint documents. If any of the files on your machine appear twice, they will be found.

The Pro Version of Duplicate Cleaner includes a number of useful features for organizing media, such as an image viewer allowing you to compare photos side by side.

6. Glary Utilities

• Free

Glary Utilities is built to boost PC speed and fix crashes, errors, and other freezing issues. As an all-in-one PC care program, there are over 20 system utilities to help you improve the performance of your computer.

On top of the tools for cleaning the registry, managing drivers, and system cleaning, there are privacy features for maintaining security protocols. Fix broken shortcuts, scan and eliminate junk files, all of these things are possible with the one-click functionality available in this utility suite.

7. Norton Utilities

• $39.99 (first year)

Norton Utilities automatically optimizes your memory, processing power, and hard drive, this helps provide the smoothest editing, gaming, or streaming experiences on your PC.

This software works as a cure for frustrating slowdowns and crashes. If you have unwanted auto-run programs hindering your computer’s startup speed, Norton Utilities can identify and remove them.

You can also use Norton Utilities to securely erase personal documents, free up space on your hard drive, and manage your digital privacy all with one-click optimization.

8. Bleachbit

• Free

As an open-source, cross-platform utility, Bleachbit brings a system cleaning service that is completely free.

It can clear your internet history, delete logs, free your cache, and clean junk files that you might have never known were there. It wipes thousands of applications, including Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Firefox, Adobe Flash, and Internet Explorer.

Built for both Windows and Linux systems, Bleachbit can shred files to prevent their recovery and wipe your disk clean of past application installations. It can also make Firefox faster by eliminating unnecessary files.

9. Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free

• Free

As a digital toolbox of many performance-boosting applications, Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free provides a suite of easy-to-use tools to help you tune and configure your Windows PC.

In the free version, you get an Internet cleaner, a Registry Optimizer, an AntiSpy module, and a Predictive disk defragmenter. The Premium version offers a Swiss Army Jackknife of powerful modules with over eight optimization tools, a warning system against system failure, and an enhanced Uninstall Manager.

If privacy is important to you, you can crack down on unsolicited tracking, personalized ads, and other adware. The cleaning modules remove junk data before it accumulates by making a sweep right after you close your browser. The WinOptimizer is a top pick for cleaning, automatic maintenance, and system optimization.

Are any other good PC cleaning programs that you have used and think we should mention here? Leave a comment and let us know.