# Disk Census vs CleanMyMac

CleanMyMac is an all-in-one Mac care suite sold by subscription. Disk Census is a storage tool you buy once, and it knows the caches, build output and AI agents’ leftovers that fill a developer’s Mac.

Checked 9 October 2026. Canonical page: https://diskcensus.com/compare/cleanmymac

## In short

- CleanMyMac is a subscription suite with malware and speed tools. Disk Census is a one-time storage tool that knows developer and AI agent files.
- CleanMyMac’s site doesn’t mention developer caches, AI coding agents or a command line. Disk Census covers all three, sorted into Safe, Review and Keep.
- CleanMyMac adds malware removal, performance tools and Cloud Cleanup. Disk Census sticks to storage, and deletes only the exact items you approve.
- CleanMyMac starts at $3.33 a month, with a 7-day free trial. Disk Census is one payment for up to 3 Macs, with every future version.

## Only in Disk Census

- **Developer caches, named:** Xcode, Homebrew, npm, Cargo, Go, Gradle, Python and more, with node_modules, target and .venv folders grouped by project.
- **AI coding agents’ leftovers:** Old versions, caches and logs of Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and others, while their history, settings and credentials stay.
- **A Keep tier:** Items such as the Go module cache and Docker’s disk image are shown with their size and never offered, and every tag says what regenerates the item.
- **A command line for scripts and agents:** census ships inside the app with JSON on every command and stable exit codes, so scripts and AI agents see what the app sees.
- **Every future version, no subscription:** One purchase covers every future version on up to 3 Macs.

## Side by side

| | Disk Census | CleanMyMac |
| --- | --- | --- |
| How you pay | A one-time purchase with every future version included. No subscription. | Billed monthly, yearly or once, for 1, 2 or 5 Macs. ([MacPaw store: CleanMyMac plans](https://macpaw.com/store/cleanmymac)) |
| Developer caches and build output | Yes: Caches and build output of Xcode, Homebrew, npm, pnpm, Yarn, Bun, Cargo, Go, Gradle, CocoaPods, Swift Package Manager, pip, uv, Poetry, conda and more, with node_modules, target and .venv folders grouped by project. | Not stated on their site: Its site doesn’t mention developer tools or their caches. |
| AI coding agents’ leftovers | Yes: Old versions, caches, temporary files and logs of Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, Warp, Kiro, Antigravity, Goose and more. History, settings, credentials, plugins and skills are never offered. | Not stated on their site: Its site doesn’t mention AI agents. |
| Command line for scripts and agents | Yes: census ships inside the app, at the same version, with JSON on every command and stable exit codes. | Not stated on their site: Its site doesn’t mention a command line. |
| Where deleted items go | Deleted permanently, never to the Trash, and only after a person approves the exact items. Every confirmation says so. | Not stated on their site: Its site doesn’t say whether cleaned items go to the Trash. |
| Duplicate files | Yes: Sets of identical files by content, side by side. The last copy of a set can never be deleted. | Yes: My Clutter removes duplicate and similar files. ([MacPaw store: CleanMyMac plans](https://macpaw.com/store/cleanmymac)) |
| App removal | Yes: Removes apps with their data. Shared and loosely matched items start unticked, and a running app is asked to quit, never forced. | Yes: Removes apps along with their leftovers. ([CleanMyMac website](https://cleanmymac.com/)) |
| Seeing where space went | Partly: Each folder is drawn as a bar of its largest items. There is no treemap. | Yes: Space Lens builds an interactive map of the whole drive. ([CleanMyMac website](https://cleanmymac.com/)) |
| Malware | No: No malware scanning. Disk Census is a storage tool. | Yes: Detects and removes malware, in the All-in-One plan. ([MacPaw store: CleanMyMac plans](https://macpaw.com/store/cleanmymac)) |
| Requirements | macOS 12 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel. Mac only. | macOS 11 or later. ([CleanMyMac website](https://cleanmymac.com/)) |

## Price

- Disk Census: **$3.99** ~~$10~~, one-time. Launch offer: Save 60%. Limited seats, offer ends soon. Then it’s $4.99. Up to 3 Macs.
- CleanMyMac: **From $3.33/month**. A subscription, with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. ([CleanMyMac website](https://cleanmymac.com/), checked 9 October 2026)

Disk Census launch prices, by copies sold, in US dollars:

1. $3.99 · Save 60% · first 100 copies · now
2. $4.99 · Save 50% · next 150 copies · later
3. $6.99 · Save 30% · next 250 copies · later
4. $10 · regular price

## When CleanMyMac is the better pick

- You want malware removal and speed-up tools in the same app: CleanMyMac includes both.
- You want to try it before you pay: CleanMyMac has a 7-day free trial, and Disk Census has none.
- You want to see what fills your cloud accounts: CleanMyMac’s Cloud Cleanup covers them.
- Your Mac runs macOS 11, which Disk Census doesn’t support.

## Questions

### Is Disk Census a good CleanMyMac alternative?

For storage, and especially on a developer’s Mac, yes: it knows developer caches and AI agents’ leftovers, says what is safe to clear, and you pay once. If you want malware removal and performance tools in one subscription, CleanMyMac covers more ground.

### Is Disk Census a subscription like CleanMyMac?

No. Disk Census is a one-time purchase with every future version included, for up to 3 Macs. CleanMyMac sells subscriptions from $3.33 a month, and its store also offers one-time billing.

### Does Disk Census remove malware or speed up my Mac?

No. Disk Census is a storage tool and doesn’t scan for malware. It does run maintenance tasks such as rebuilding Quick Look’s previews, resetting font caches and deleting local Time Machine snapshots.

### Can I try Disk Census first, like CleanMyMac’s trial?

No. There is no trial or free version. If Disk Census doesn’t do what our website says it does, ask for a refund within 14 days.

## Sources

- [CleanMyMac website](https://cleanmymac.com/)
- [MacPaw store: CleanMyMac plans](https://macpaw.com/store/cleanmymac)

Checked 9 October 2026. Spot something out of date? Write to support@diskcensus.com.

CleanMyMac is a trademark of its owner. Disk Census isn’t affiliated with it.